*WARNING: Contains HUGE spoilers for the first four books in the series*

Now that we’re four books into my series and at the mid-way point in the Blackthorn story, there’s a lot that has happened. On Tuesday, I posted a reminder of who’s who in the world of Blackthorn. Now, here are a few key things to jog your memory of some of the story so far that will prove useful before you read BLOOD DARK…

FIRSTLY, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE WIDER PICTURE

The regulations were put in place 80 years ago when the third species first outed their furtive co-existence. The outing was instigated by the Higher Order (vampire royalty). At the time, the Higher Order claimed they had the ability to heal humans and offered it in return for a place for themselves in Midtown.

Amidst the third species being outed, there were whispers of unconfirmed prophecies about the vampires rising up against humans. Remaining cautious, the humans set up locales and, within them, districts to manage and contain the third species. Over time, a stratified human society also started to form.

However, it turned out that the benefits of Higher Order blood, though effective, were only temporary. Unhappy about the symbiotic relationship this necessitated and believing their original claims to be time-stalling trickery, the Global Council mounted pressure on the Higher Order. The Higher Order promised a permanent cure existed – and that they would find it.

Now it appears the whispered prophecies were true: the vampire leader has arrived.

If you’re uncertain about the set-up in Blackthorn, how the regulations came into being, or want to understand more about the mythology that underpins the series, you can find posts about it here.

AND THOSE FEW USEFUL REMINDERS OF THE STORY SO FAR

Please note, the racaps below aren’t in chronological order – they’re just meant as reminders for readers familiar with the series.

Kane and Caitlin

• Though committing to each other at the end of Blood Shadows, Caitlin has since returned to work at the VCU. Her new temporary boss is Matt Morgan, who was her partner in Blood Shadows. Her first case is trying to find who is responsible for a spate of human murders in Blackthorn and Lowtown. Caleb is a prime suspect.

• Within the first twenty-four hours back on the job, Sirius Throme (Head of the Global Council) turned up in Caitlin’s apartment with a threat of invading Blackthorn should Kane not give himself up. Sirius revealed his master plan to conduct soul transferences, for which he needs Kane – a method he’s going to use to create an elite human race that will ultimately lead to a cull of the third species.

• Kane doesn’t just have Sirius to contend with. Having come face to face with Phia in the compound in Blood Torn, Kane knows the Tryan is out there somewhere – a serryn appearing in Blackthorn the first sign that the prophecies have started. Aware of the devastating impact of a vampire uprising, he’s intent on killing the prophesied leader as soon as he discovers who it is.

• Kane knows Phia is a serryn and that Caleb is hunting her. At the end of Blood Torn, he was on his way to see Caleb to get him to back off from Phia so he wouldn’t trace her to the compound. Due to Caleb’s links with Feinith and the ruling of all serryns to be delivered to the Higher Order, he’s hoping Caleb doesn’t know of the serryn’s role in the prophecy.

Caleb and Leila

• Caleb is of Higher Order heritage. His mother renounced her Higher Order status but went on to have three children – Seth, Caleb and Jake – with a Higher Order male. Caleb prefers to reside with his own where he can better protect them, so has revealed his heritage to no one.

• In Blood Roses, Caleb was revealed to be the pending Tryan: the prophesied vampire leader said to rise up and lead the vampires against the human oppression. He was supposed to kill Leila to see his transformation through and, by doing so, kick-start the prophecy. Instead, he took her serrynity leading it to jump to her next sister in line – Sophia (Phia).

• Caleb released Leila after she promised she could find an alternative to the prophecy and, with it, an alternative to Caleb killing Phia. He is awaiting her return. In the interim, he is determined to find Phia both as a fail-safe in case Leila lets him down, as well as to fulfil his promise to her should she keep to her word.

• Leila knows Phia is safe somewhere in Blackthorn and has warned her to stay away from Caleb. Leila is on the cusp of returning to the district.

Jask and Phia

• Before Leila’s serrynity jumped to her, Phia was involved in a vigilante group called The Alliance – responsible for the assassination attempt on Caleb and Jake Dehain in Blood Roses. Phia since found out that a Higher Order vampire called Jarin funded that attempt. Jarin is Feinith’s bethrothed and an enemy of Caleb. Members of The Alliance are now being killed off.

• Both Phia and Jask know Caleb is pursuing her. They know Caleb is aware of what she is, and that he let Leila go – but they don’t yet know why.

• A secret army attacked Jask’s compound, stole some of the lycan young and destroyed the pack’s herbs days before they are due to morph. Lycanthropy in the Blackthorn world is a life-threatening allergy. Most of the pack will not survive. Jask needs to find supplies from somewhere – and quickly.

• By the end of Blood Deep, all the lycan young returned to the compound, except for Tuly, Corbin’s daughter, who ended up in Caleb’s hands. Tuly let Caleb know that Phia is at the compound.

Eden and Jessie

• In Blood Deep, Jessie revealed the effects of Caleb and Leila not seeing their destiny through. There has been a split in the fourth dimension and the fourth species are leaking into Blackthorn. The only way to reclose the dimension is for either Leila or Caleb to kill the other.

• It is not public knowledge that Caleb is the Tryan. However, as Jessie has seen the prophecy, she’s also seen the face of the Tryan even though she can’t recall it. Sirius is as aware of this as he is of the prophecy itself. He wants to get his hands on Jessie to have her shadow read so he too can discover the identity of the leader and kill whoever it is.

• Through Jessie’s visions, Sirius was revealed as being the catalyst to the Tryan’s uprising. It is Caleb and Sirius’s showdown, not solely the vampire leader’s uprising, that leads to global devastation.

• Eden revealed that he had seen angel tears before. He believes Sirius Throme is holding angels at The Facility in Midtown, and that he is testing the superhuman abilities their tears create on his secret army. This is the army they believe invaded the compound and that Sirius now intends to use to invade Blackthorn to capture Kane once and for all.

As with Tuesday’s post, I hope that has helped refresh a few aspects of the story. I know Blackthorn readathons have already started and I hope everyone who is a part of them is having fun picking up on all those little nuances that should now be falling into place. I still can’t quite believe we’re at the mid-way point of the series!

On that note, there are only thirteen days left until the official release of BLOOD DARK! The full paperback cover will be posted between now and then, the first three chapters will be uploaded for you to get a taster of what’s in store, and there will be the all-important Bites. Stay close, we’re nearly there!