There's gore aplenty in the second volume of Hill's Department 19 series. For Jamie Carpenter and his fellow monster-hunting team, the ominous graffito "HE RISES" hints at the return of the world's oldest vampire, Dracula, and the violence he will bring. Jamie is worried for his mother, a recently created vampire, for his relationship with the unpredictable vampire Larissa and for his missing colleague and friend, Frankenstein. When Valentin Rusmanov, one of Dracula's first turnings, teams up with Department 19 to fight against Dracula, it appears as though the top-secret team may have a chance, until a last-minute kidnapping changes the balance of power. A full cast of characters leaping in and out of life-and-death scenarios coupled with just the right balance of vampiric flashbacks make for an enthralling sophomore outing. Jamie balances romance with duty without becoming sappy, and teens Kate and Larissa make quite good kick-ass vampire hunters. The many characters and plots are evenly handled, keeping the pace up, the pages turning and the gore splattering. From UV grenades to exploding stake bombs to a giant anti-vampire superweapon, the gadgets add a neat modern twist to the traditional stakings. Fans will devour the pages and thirst for the next volume. (Horror. 14 & up)

Hill's doorstop sequel to Department 19 (2011), which followed young Jaime Carpenter and his squad of vampire hunters within the titular secret agency, is as energetic, gory, and cinematic as the first novel. After the loss of his mentor, Frankenstein, and the turning of his mother into a vampire, Jaime is barely coping with his guilty rage. The opportunity to atone presents itself when a surge in vampire attacks, coupled with the message "He rises," heralds the return of Dracula less he can be defeated before regaining full power. While overstuffed with historical flashbacks, side plots, and narrative viewpoints, this turbo-charged thriller will not disappoint fans and makes a decent entry into the series to boot.

This Department Nineteen sequel picks up twelve weeks after the explosive battle of Lindisfarne. Jamie is dealing with his newly turned mother and his reformed bloodthirsty girlfriend, while the vampire-hunting Department is faced with the ultimate vampire (Dracula). Hill's combination of gruesome monsters, tension- and gore-filled scenes, and angst-ridden teens proves to be a winning one in this lengthy installment.

Gr 8 Up-The countdown has begun. "Zero Hour" is a mere three months away. Unless Jamie Carpenter and the rest of Department 19, the supersecret British government agency that fights supernatural threats, can do something before then, Dracula will be resurrected and humankind will be doomed. As if the impending end of the world weren't bad enough, Jamie has family problems (his mom is a vampire, locked in a cell in Department 19 headquarters), girl problems (he is dating fellow agent and vampire Larissa), and professional problems (his mentor and protector is missing and presumed dead). But just as things begin to seem hopeless, an offer of help comes from a most unexpected quarter-Valentin Rusmanov, one of Dracula's three generals. Can he be trusted? Why is he so interested in Jamie? Will his help be enough to tip the scales? Hill does a good job of establishing a sense of desperate tension, and there are plenty of exploding vampires and heads being torn off bodies. Rusmanov is creepily charming and provides a nice counterpart to the militaristic staff of Department 19. Frequent flashbacks provide necessary information but make for a nonlinear story line that might confuse some readers, and the teen melodrama is a bit overdone. But overall, this an exciting read that fans of Department Nineteen (Penguin, 2011) will eat up. Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School Library, CA