Blood Prophecy ~ Alyxandra Harvey (earc) review

Blood Prophecy (Drake Chronicles #6)
Walker Children's
December 24, 2012 (ebooks)/January 8, 2013 (print)
496 pages
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Solange Drake has been crowned queen and the ancient prophecy foretelling that a daughter born tot he Drake family - known for only bearing sons - will rule, has been fulfilled. Only, it's not exactly Solange that has come to power. For some time now the young vampire's thoughts and feelings have not been entirely her own, influenced (from inside her own head) by Viola.

The change has been happening to Solange since the change that everyone was aware of, her bloodchange, on her sixteenth birthday. As Viola works to gain full control of Solange and enact her revenge, to split the vampires apart, rather than unit them as Solange wants, will anyone notice it's not really her?

With everyone gathered together for the Blood Moon, things were already testy, but with Solange (or Viola) working to tear them apart, no one is safe. Perhaps, not even Solange.


Blood Prophecy is the conclusion (at least the foll length novel-wise conclusion) to the Drake Chronicles series that started with Hearts at Stake/My Love Lies Bleeding. I was incredibly sad to see this series come to a close as I've loved it from the first book, right on through all of the others (e-novellas included). But I really can't think of a better way for it to have ended.

This last book in the series takes things back full circle with most of the story being form Lucy, Solange's perspectives just as Hearts at Stake was. It's great to see so much of their friendship come out and to see how they've dealt with everything that's been thrown at them (especially in this book and the previous one) and to have it be in the first person.

There are also chapters from, I believe, everyone who has been a narrator/central character in any of the other novels: Nicholas, Kieran, Hunter, etc.  As this book is focused more on a big picture and on ending the series, not as much a single romantic relationship the way previous books were, we get much more from all of the characters. The major relationships are already established, we know who the key characters are (and who makes them - and readers - swoony and who they're likely to punch in the nose).

In this book, we get to see both how those relationships are now and also how everyone works together against a larger foe. Yes, brilliant romances with the pretty Drake boys do make this series effortlessly fun to read, but it's the friendships, the snark, the teamwork that's always there as well that make it perfect.

Pretty boys aren't enough if you don't have a best friend (and excessive amounts of chocolate) to crush on them with and that's why I adore this series. Nicholas and Quinn and Logan are kind of fantastic, but it's Lucy's relationship, the friendship they've had since they were little girls that's withstood the fact that Solange is a vampire and now has Lucy still backing Solange even if she might be looking like she's gone evil-crazy!pants, that brings me into full in love land.

So, thank you Alyxandra Harvey for writing a series that has boys that has boys we can all have crushes on, has some violence when it's necessary (your vampires don't sparkle and I heart that), but also has strong female relationships that don't go wonky when boys are added to the mix.

And yes, my review did diverge a little bit but really, you shouldn't be reading this book yet if you haven't read the previous ones because it's a perfect conclusion. Little things mentioned in the series that could have just been, well, little things mentioned are brought back in this book and you see that they're actually relevant and part of the story. Love when that happens.

I'm sad to see this series go, but not at all sad with how it went.


Rating: 10/10




thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury for my digital galley