Taking off where SUBSPECIES left off (and thus, impossible to discuss without massive spoilers for the first film) as Radu (Anders Hove, TERRIBLY HAPPY) - resurrected with the help of his "subspecies" minions - stakes his half-brother Stefan (a briefly-glimpsed Michael Watson) in order to possess Michelle (Denice Duff, replacing Laura Tate from the first film for the remainder of the series' entries) who Stefan had transformed into a vampire to prevent her from being transformed into a more hideous type of vampire from Radu's initial bite. The rising sun forces Radu to seek shelter, and Michelle manages to rise before him at the next sunset and flee Castle Vladislas for Bucarest with the "Bloodstone" (a holy relic that drips the blood of the saints). Michelle calls her sister Becky (Melanie Shatner, CTHULHU MANSION) in America. Michelle hides from the sun in her hotel room by sleeping in the bathtub where the housekeeping discovers her. She is determined to be dead (she is a vampire after all, so she has no pulse or heartbeat) by Lt. Marin (Ion Haiduc, MANDROID) but she wakes up in the coroners van and causes it to crash. Becky arrives in Romania and learns of Michelle's disappearance from Marin and American Embassy Agent Mel Thompson (Kevin Blair, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD), leaving only the Bloodstone as a clue. Becky and Mel take it to Professor Popescu (Michael Denish, VAMPIRE JOURNALS) who had arranged for Michelle and her friends to stay at Prejnar in the previous film to explore the local vampire lore. As they search for Michelle and look into the legend behind the Bloodstone, Radu seeks counsel from his "Mummy" (Pamela Gordon, WEIRD SCIENCE), his mummified sorceress mother who advises him to destroy his fledgling Michelle to whom he has become attached. Meanwhile, Michelle hides in the city and tries to resist the urge to feed (particularly once Radu has taken the Bloodstone from her, believing that her bloodlust will bring her under his sway).

Shot just a year after the original SUBSPECIES (and back-to-back with BLOODLUST: SUBSPECIES III), BLOODSTONE: SUBSPECIES II presents a significant advance over the first film. The three parallel stories of Michelle's growing vampiric urges, Radu's pursuit, and Becky's search do not detract from one another; instead, they keep up a brisk pace for the eighty-plus minute running time. The effects of Wayne Toth (Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN) and Michael Deak (TRON: LEGACY) - assisted by Norman Cabrera (DRAG ME TO HELL) - are more detailed and less rubbery than Greg Cannom's work; although their believability may also be enhanced by Vlad Paunescu's substantially moodier cinematography this time around (it's better lit and features more creative tracking, crane, and jib shots). In addition to Castle Hunyadi and the Prejnar fortress, director Ted Nicolaou has also picked out some atmospheric Bucharest locations (particularly the Atheneum Concert Hall where Michelle has set up a lair in a wardrobe room - justifying her striking changes of clothing - which features a prop "Snow White" glass coffin). The Bloodstone prop is also improved over the original one; however, the titular "subspecies" only make a brief appearance at the start of the film. Duff is a compelling replacement for the original actress, and Shatner, Blair, Haiduc, and Denish are all likable good guys. Hove is more menacing this time around, and Gordon's "mummy" mommy is a great addition (it's especially humorous when Radu whines "But mummy!"). The film ends on a cliffhanger that dovetails directly into the third series entry.