Blessed: 3 (Tantalize) - Hardcover

Smith, Cynthia Leitich

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763643262 ISBN 13: 9780763643263

Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA), 2011

Synopsis

With a wink and a nod to Bram Stoker, New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites the casts of Tantalize and Eternal in a delicious dark fantasy her fans will devour.

"You'll try to fight it. But you'll only be fighting your true self. It's done. It's destined. In time, you'll come to accept it." He pulled back his sleeve to reveal two dress watches. "In time, you'll come to me."

Quincie P. Morris, teen restaurateuse and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life -- or undeath. Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who "blessed" her; and keep her dead parents' restaurant up and running. She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature -- and a flaming sword -- and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before it's too late. Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie's soul?

About this title

Review:

A good read for those who hunger for the dark side, with all the trappings of a YA vampire novel.
--School Library Journal

Smith's writing style is sometimes dramatic, often humorous, and always energetic...A satisfying blend of excitement and intrigue.
--VOYA

Wild and ultimately fascinating, if at times grisly, alternate universe
--Kirkus Reviews

A hearty meal for the thinking vampire reader
--Horn Book

Sure, the vampires, werewolves, and angels provide the lure, but Smiths obvious affection for her characters makes this more than the typical cynical genre exercise.
--Booklist

Readers will particularly enjoy the relief from the scary omnipotence of Brad during the action at Sanguini's, chock-full of foodie treats and in-jokes for vampire and literature fans... And Quincie's very teenage interpretation of "Dracula," begun as a make-up assignment for her English teacher at fictional Waterloo High, is a skeptic hoot.
--Austin-American Statesman

As in the previous installments of this smart, sexy trilogy, Cynthia Leitich Smith doses every page with winking pop-culture references and groan-worthy one-liners. In this final volume, her homage to Stoker's classic novel is most apparent, as she uses the book's characters for inspiration, its plot for structure and its themes for a rich background that will lead many readers to (re)discover the original Dracula even as they enjoy this darkly humorous send-up.
--Reading Corner (BookPage e-newsletter)

Book Description:

Teased by Tantalize? Possessed by Eternal? Then prepare yourself to be Blessed in Cynthia Leitich-Smith's latest dark fantasy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0763643262
• ISBN 13: 9780763643263
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 480