The Van Alen Legacy begins a year after the events of Revelations. Melissa de la Cruz stays true to her unique storytelling format by continuing to tell the novel from only the female perspective. Told in the alternating points of view of Schuyler, Bliss, and Mimi, the reader has plenty of plot details and twists to keep their attention.I found that this story was one of the most gripping of the series to date, and once I began this novel, I just did not want to stop. One aspect that pleased me the most was the character growth, especially in regards to Mimi Force. While she has never been a favorite character of mine, I have to admit by the end of the novel, I really came close to liking and maybe even admiring her. In the span of about two novels, she has gone from a horridly spoiled brat to a woman taking care of herself and family issues as they may arise.While I throughly enjoyed this novel, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of wonder as to how those 369 pages flew by so quickly. Yes, there is plenty of new details for the reader to discover; however, when looking at the bigger picture, not too much in the way of the overall plot unfolded. In the end, it seems that the main aspect that the reader walks away with is a lot of needed back story, which is an element that Melissa de la Cruz excels in. She slowly peels away at the plot's layers giving readers just enough information to momentarily satisfy them, but it is the undiscovered layers that have her readers begging for more. And like her other readers, I am sated for the moment, but will soon be desperately craving the next installment of this riveting series.
