Gates of Paradise

Gates of Paradise, by Melissa de la Cruz.

Gabrielle's daughter will bring us salvation. She will lead the Fallen back into Paradise. Her grandfather Lawrence Van Alen had always believed it, and Schuyler knew in her heart that he was right, that she held the key. There was just one problem: she had no idea what that meant. The gate was immovable, as solid as a vault, and immune to every spell and incantation she threw at it. She had been trying for months and failing. Time was running out - the Dark Prince had set his sights on destroying the gate and was gathering his forces for battle to reclaim the throne he had been denied. The Silver Bloods could attack at any moment and take up the rebellion that had been subdued so long ago.

So where do I fit in? How do I fulfill my legacy?

Gates of Paradise is the final book in the Blue Bloods series, which started in 2004; the series is why I first started reading Melissa de la Cruz's books, actually. I also got to interview de la Cruz a few months ago, and she talked about Blue Bloods and some of her other books.

Official synopsis:
Entertainment Weekly featured Blue Bloods' Schuyler Van Alen as #9 of the Top 20 Greatest Vampires, and in Gates of Paradise, she is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael, or as they are known in the coven, Jack and Mimi Force. Will Bliss and the wolves she has recruited to join her win the battle for the vampires? Is Schuyler prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, the same one Michael was forced to make in Florence so long ago? Love and vengeance, duty and loyalty, life and death - all are at odds in this gripping, heartbreaking finale of the Blue Bloods series.
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I am a fan of this series, and this book was no exception. The book switches from present day to some chapters in Florence in the 1400s, and we get a bit of history that explains the present. Jack and Mimi have to pledge themselves to Lucifer to escape the Underworld, and he assigns them two tasks which won't be easy for them; Jack must kidnap Schuyler, because they need her blood to open the gate to Heaven, and Mimi has to deceive Kingsley, her love.

Overall, I would say that this book is a good end to the series, although I will miss these vampires; they made for some good reading. The endings for each character were realistic, and Oliver Hazard-Perry's final chapter was a fitting ending for him, although vampires on the TV show The Vampire Diaries would probably think he was insane for one of the choices he makes. I wouldn't mind seeing a spin-off series just about his adventures, either. Schuyler also finds out she has a half-sister, Finn - they had the same human father, as Schuyler is half mortal and half vampire - and there's a side plot about this that helps her later in the novel when she's in a tricky situation.

4 stars out of 5.

Related reviews:
Serpent's Kiss (Witches of East End #2, also by de la Cruz)
Lost in Time (Blue Bloods #6)
Witches of East End (Witches of East End #1)
The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods #4)

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel to review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.