Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles) [Paperback]

Alyxandra Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2011 | Series: Drake Chronicles

As vampires from all over the world descend on the Drake farm for the Blood Moon gathering, security is ramped up. Lucy has been temporarily banned, for her own safety—and to allow Solange some time to adjust to her new existence. But their enemies realize how much Lucy means to the family, and plan to abduct her to use her for leverage against the new royal family. Instead, Lucy’s cousin Christabel is kidnapped by mistake—and Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, but isn’t in time to prevent Christabel’s infection by the Hel Blar. He can’t save her human life, but he can still try to save her new vampire life, and is willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged Vampire Alliance?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for My Love Lies Bleeding: 'Harvey builds an engaging world of vampire cultures balanced with a smart mix of darkness and humor' Publishers Weekly 'Witty, sly, and never disappointing ... Fun, funny, and a relief from Twilight wannabes, this first instalment in the Drake Chronicles has lots to offer for savvy readers and gives vampire addicts a nice twist on their usual fare' Booklist

About the Author

ALYXANDRA HARVEY is the author of Haunting Violet, Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud, and Out for Blood. She studied creative writing and literature at York University and has had her poetry published in several magazines. She lives in an old Victorian farmhouse with a few resident ghosts, her husband, hawk, and two dogs.

www.alyxandraharvey.com

www.thedrakechronicles.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (December 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802722849
• ISBN-13: 978-0802722843
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey, December 11, 2011

By 

Suzanne Finnegan (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles) (Kindle Edition)

I received this book from Netgalley for review.

Bleeding Hearts is the fourth book in the Drake Chronicles series. It is written from the POV of Lucy, her cousin Christabel and Connor Drake.

In the first book, the focus was on the Drake family, the second the Helios Ra, the third the Hounds and in this instalment, its the Hel Blar.

There is an epidemic of Hel Blar in Violet Hill but now they are acting differently. They are wearing collars and are being controlled. Buy by who?

Lucy's cousin Christabel has come to stay and they have a very strict curfew. Christabel cant understand why its needed in such a small, quiet town. She feels there is something going on that Lucy, Nicholas and his cute brother Connor are not letting her in on. And then she is kidnapped having been mistaken for Lucy!

I enjoyed this book. I liked seeing Lucy back in the main frame as I really like her character and her relationship with Nicholas. Christabel is a strong female character who is tough and sometimes sarcastic. And we see a new side to Connor who is usually just stuck in front of a computer. This one is as action packed as all the rest with the usual great dialect.

There is an interesting sideline involving Solange and it looks like this will resolved in the next instalment.

The downside is a cliffhanger ending which is something that I find offputting.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and will be enjoyed by most paranormal fans. I look forward to the next one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good addition to the series, December 9, 2011

By 

Heidi Zweifel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles) (Kindle Edition)

I have so much love for this series! I mean multiple perspectives? Adorable boys? Warring vampire factions? Tough girls? Dark humor? Sign me up!!! As an added bonus the characters are quirky and fun. Each book is full of fast paced action as well as non-angsty romance. The families portrayed are not perfect and I love them for it. Sure, sometimes they annoy each other but they are a family and there for one another. I also really like how each book focuses on a different Drake sibling and their "love connection" (not as corny as that sounds!) but also continues the overall arc of the series.

Bleeding Hearts focuses on Conner (Quinn's adorably geeky yet still oh so pretty twin) and Lucy's cousin Christabel. Conner has a bit of a challenge since Christabel doesn't know vampires exist! Conner is one of my favorite Drake brothers. I really enjoyed "watching" him and Cristabel get to know one another. Nobody tops Lucy and Nicholas though! They are by far my favorite of the couples :)

I do have to say that I had to re-read the ending three times before I realized that it was indeed the end and I'd have to wait for the next book to find out what happened. I was reading it on my iPad and didn't notice the word "epilogue" so I totally thought that there was more of the book to go! Seriously. I was hoping against hope that I was having an ebook fail. But alas, it was truly the end. My notes literally say, "What?!? No! Nonononono! More! I need more now! More, more, more, more, more." As you can see I am very eloquent when taking notes!

I have enjoyed every book in this series. They are fun and engaging reads. When I'm in a reading slump or have read too many "heavy" books I know I can count on Alyxandra Harvey to amuse me.

3.0 out of 5 stars Bleeding Hearts, January 27, 2012

By 

Dorine White - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles) (Paperback)

The next book in the Drake Chronicles, Bleeding Hearts, hit shelves on Dec. 20, 2011. Written by Alyxandra Harvey, and published by Walker Books for Young Readers, it is a paranormal romance involving vampires.

The Story: It's time for Connor Drake to meet his love interest. Lucy's cousin, Christabel, is in town, and doesn't understand why everyone is so scared to go out at night. So, what's a teen to do? She goes out of course, and straight into the arms of a vampire.

Meanwhile, the Drake family has other problems. The Hel Blar, zombie like vampires, seem to be rallying under a new leader and attacking other vampires in droves. Solange Drake, still recovering from her transformation into a vamp, is still unbalanced. Lucy, her best friend, only wants to help. Of course, Nicholas Drake, Lucy's boyfriend, tries to protect her. Keiran, Solange's boyfriend, and Helios-Ra warrior doesn't know what to do. And so the story goes.

My thoughts: A really big mix of a lot of different characters, but hey, it works. I enjoy following the Drakes and their love interests through out all the books. This time, the story gets a little twist with Christabel. Nobody tells her what is going on, thinking to protect her. Of course, she just ends up in the middle of everything and her life hangs in the balance.

This book in the series wasn't quite as exciting as the previous book, Out For Blood. It feels more like a bridge book, filling in empty plot points before the next book. But, it is good fun. Plus, the ending is- wow! A total cliff hanger. It will definitely make you yearn for the next in the series. I can't wait to find out what happens.
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