THE PARLIAMENT OF BLOOD

Victorian London’s taste for ancient Egyptian artifacts might lead to the destruction of humanity when the British Museum inadvertently frees an ancient vampire master. Assistant museum curator George, aspiring actress Liz and thieving urchin Eddie are back for another round of fighting mystical evil (The Death Collector, 2006). It seems like half of London is pasty-pale and avoiding cameras, and our heroes are sure a tragedy is on the verge of befalling the city. But meanwhile, life goes on: Liz has been given the chance of a lifetime to replace an actress who’s ill with a strange wasting disease, and George has been invited to join the elite Damnation Club. This Gothic adventure is both marred and blessed by all of the excesses of the classic Dracula-esque tale. Complete with clouds of vampire bats, mesmerized orphans and a massive underground pipeworks filled with blood, this fast-paced adventure makes for a delightfully gruesome alternative to Twilight. (Fantasy. 11-13)