[NOR Review]: "Lost in Time"

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 27, 2011)
Series: The Blue Bloods, 6
Genre: Teen Fantasy/Paranormal
Summary (Amazon.com):
The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.



Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.


Confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight—and love—another day.

Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | BN.com | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site

Other Books in the Series:

Click on the covers to buy from BN.com; the title links to the book's page on the author's site  Amazon (Author's site is not working right now).

Book 1: Blue Bloods

Book 2: Masquerade









Book 3: Revelations

Book 4: Van Alen Legacy



Book 5: Misguided Angel



My Review:

Schuyler and Jack are fighting, not only for their lives but for their love, the chance to be together forever. But one thing stands in their way—Jack's (Abbadon) bond with Mimi (Azrael). As long as their immortal bond still holds, they cannot be with anyone else. But the bond is not something that can be easily broken, and in trying to do so, they may just end up risking their own lives for nothing...

As any fan of this series knows, Melissa de la Cruz does not write a simple story. Oh no. Just when you believe that you may have things figured out, a new twist is thrown in, a new secret is learned, and you are back to fumbling in the dark with the characters, only seeing part of the overall scene, waiting for the lights to be turned on. In Lost in Time, Melissa does this yet again. But while the story may be complex and ever-changing, the basic premises still hold: finding out the full truth about the Blue Bloods' world, how Schuyler, a half-breed that should never have existed, fits into all of this, and whether or not Jack and Schuyler will ever get their chance to be together. While it would be nice if I could look you in the eye and tell you that all of that has been figured out within the pages of Lost in Time—I'd be lying. Melissa leaves us on yet another cliff hanger, waiting anxiously for the next, and final, installment in this captivating series!

There is simply too much going on in Lost in Time to even begin to explain it in a review—besides the fact that the explanations would be nothing more than a big spoiler for future readers. Because of this, I won't even try. Even after reading all of the books in this series (not including the final book, due to be released in another year), there were many times that I felt a bit lost while reading this one. I kept wondering if I had missed something—even going back to check that I did indeed have the previous books in this series—because one moment the story would be going along, and suddenly a new character would be mentioned, or a new task or secret that had been told, and I had no memory of ever reading about it. It seems like a lot of things were left out of the book, things that apparently happened right before Lost in Time started, or things that happen in between the chapters.

Speaking of chapters: rather than being told from one character's POV, this novel switches from three different stories (rotating chapters). One chapter will tell of Schuyler and Jack's struggles and adventures, the next would tell of Mimi's, and then it would switch to Allegra's (Gabrielle) memories from before Schuyler was even born. Each chapter would take place in a completely different time; there was no time line to follow while reading them. One moment, it would be only two weeks since Event A happened, next chapter it is suddenly two months—and we haven't heard about anything that happened in between! Perhaps dates at the beginning of each chapter would have helped...or else a different approach to the writing of the three separate stories. Either way, while it wasn't a complete mess by any means, it did make it a rougher ride than it needed to be.

I, personally, couldn't see the reason for Allegra's chapters, as none of them really told us anything pertinent to this story. Yes, we see the problems that she had with Charles (Michael), as well as her love with her human familiar (who will become Schuyler's father), but nothing else is told, though she is constantly begging for Charles to tell her the truth about secrets he has been hiding from her over the years. Allegra's chapter was the last one in this book, and we still had not learned anything—even though this chapter was set in the present, rather than memories from 20 years ago. We're left still wondering what big secret Michael, the Uncorrupted and Pure, is hiding from everyone—including his own bondmate, his other half. With the way he's been dragging it out, refusing to tell her all these years, I wonder if we will ever find out before the end of the series...

4 STARS! Lost in Time is another wonderful installment in a truly fabulous series! If you haven't already been bitten by the Blue Blood's bug, now is the time to start the series, as you will have time to read books one through six before the final book comes out in 2013. The series may be written for a YA audience, but believe me when I say that this is also a great pick for those of us who graduated from high school years ago! The storyline is very unique, as Melissa's idea of vampires are not what we've grown up with, and the plot is constantly changing, thickening, as we journey towards the end. I can't even begin to image what the final book will hold, but I know that it will be just as captivating and fast-paced as the rest of the series. If you are looking for a great paranormal romance, one that is filled with adventures and myths, love and second chances, fate and personal choices, Lost in Time is the novel for you!

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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
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Enjoy!






Until Next Time,

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