Suicide Reviews: The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) by Richelle Mead

 Summary: Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

     Both a school and  a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

     When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide's deception. Complications soon arise - first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

     But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands...

Date Published: April 5, 2016

Published By: Razorbill

Number of Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5

It's nice to see Richelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series, try her hand at writing a completely different kind of fantasy. You won't find any sexy vampires in The Glittering Court. The only thing that really makes it fantasy instead of historical fiction is that Mead assigned different names to all the countries and the established religion is slightly different. While it was interesting to see the parallels between the world of the book and established historical fact, I would have loved to see a bit more inventiveness when Mead created her fantasy world. 

The main characters are likable enough but I had trouble connecting with them. The romance between Adelaide and Cedric was a bit predictable and I couldn't really sense a lot of romantic tension between them. Their relationship seemed to develop too quickly. 

There is a sense of incompleteness to this novel - which is understandable seeing as the next two books in the series will tell the story from the POVs of two other characters. I could tell that there was something else going on behind the scenes - it was intriguing but also a little bit frustrating. 

The ending is a bit of a mess. It seemed to be all over the place and with those missing POVs, there was no sense that all of the loose ends were tied up neatly. I realize she can't give everything away and has to maintain a sense of mystery for the future installments but it just left me feeling disappointed. 

Here's what I liked: Mead continues to evolve as a writer and her descriptions are so vivid that I found the story playing like a movie in my head. There were some sentences in here that dazzled me. I also liked the feminist aspect of the book. I loved how the friendship between the three girls was portrayed in the first half of the book even though that aspect kind of got shoved aside in the second half.

I feel Richelle Mead is experimenting a little bit with this series and I applaud her for taking risks. However, there is room for improvement in the series and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does in the next two installments. 

Suicide Reviews: Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

 

Summary: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she is being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roomate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. 

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

Date Published: August 23, 2011

Published By: Razorbill

Number of Pages: 421

Rating: 4/5

I wasn't sure what to expect with this spin-off series. I always did like Sydney as a character in the Vampire Academy series. She's the complete opposite of Rose Hathaway. Where Rose is impulsive and headstrong, Sydney is reserved and deferential. But that doesn't mean she's boring. I love how she relies on her intellect and logic to solve problems. She doesn't need to kick butt to be badass. 

I loved seeing the expanded world of the Alchemists. Mead once again created a fascinating belief system and social structure, just like she did for the vampire world of Moroi, Strigoi, and dhampirs. It's compelling to see how Sydney's rigid worldview clashes with her compassion and empathy for her vampire friends. 

Adrian Ivashkov is a great character and I'm glad to see he's the main love interest for Sydney in this series. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops over time. Towards the end of the book, Adrian just started to see Sydney in a new light. Sydney definitely feels something too even if she doesn't know what it is yet. I don't really sense of a lot of chemistry between them but I think Mead is purposefully making their relationship a slow-burning one for a couple of reasons: one, to contrast their relationship with Rose and Dimitri's hot-and-heavy one and two, because it just makes sense for the story. It would be completely out of character for Sydney to go crazy with lust for Adrian and throw away her Alchemist beliefs in the very first book. 

It was great to see so many familiar characters from Vampire Academy, as well as be introduced to some new ones. I highly recommend Bloodlines to paranormal fans, particularly if they enjoyed Vampire Academy. 

Suicide Reviews: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead

 

Summary: Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi, the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and question those they thought they could trust...But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all - each other? 

Date Published: December 7, 2009

Published By: Razorbill

Number of Pages: 588

Rating: 4/5

Richelle Mead really ramps up the soapy action in the final book in the Vampire Academy series. There's a murder mystery, a jail break, a lost heir, a love triangle, and a royal election. (Bit of an oxymoron but welcome to the drama that is the Vampire Academy.) Seriously, why is this series not a TV show? It has so much potential!

I'm pretty sure Last Sacrifice is my favorite in the VA series. It's a whopping 588 pages but still manages to be a thrilling page-turner. (See all of the reasons listed above.) There's just so much going on and I love it. The thing is, you can't take Vampire Academy too seriously. You just have to strap yourself in and accept that you are about to embark on a wild, crazy ride.

I thought the relationship between Dimitri and Rose finally lived up to its potential in this last book. There was great sexual tension between them because Dimitri is still struggling with his guilt over the things he did while he was an evil vampire and Rose is trying to move on and date Adrian but Dimitri and Rose are still attracted to each other but they're trying to fight it...Like I said, it's soapy. Of course, it's pretty predictable who Rose ends up with but still, sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.

I loved the added intrigue of the murder mystery. I had a pretty good guess who the murderer was with about a hundred pages left because I felt some of the clues were fairly obvious but still it's a pretty fun puzzle.

I liked how Mead chose not to end the series with a clichéd 'epic battle' but with the dramatic reveal of the murderer and some pretty astounding political maneuvering on Lissa's part. She wrapped up the Vampire Academy series perfectly but left enough loose ends for the spin-off, Bloodlines.

If you're looking for a fun, sexy adventure series with lots of action and romance, you could definitely do a lot worse than Vampire Academy.

Suicide Reviews: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead

  

Synopsis: After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's and to her best friend, Lissa. It is at long last graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are coming true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him...forever.

Date Published: May 18, 2010

Published By: Razorbill

Number of Pages: 489

Rating: 4/5

I've had mixed feelings about the Vampire Academy series as I've been reading it but I can definitely say that Spirit Bound is my favorite book in the series so far.

There's so much action! Loads of drama! The plot hurtles along at a breakneck speed and I'm surprised I didn't rip any pages out, I was turning them so fast. Rose spends a lot of her time clashing with the Moroi Royal Court, the governing body responsible for all of vampire society. She's her usual badass, outspoken self and of course, this gets her into trouble. But would we want any less? 

I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil anybody but I will say that the complicated relationship between Dimitri and Rose is the best part of the book. I've kind of been a lukewarm Dimitri/Rose shipper but, in Spirit Bound, their relationship just becomes so interesting that it is now impossible for me not to root for them. So much angst! But it's so juicy! 

The fifth installment in the Vampire Academy series is pure, ecstatic fun. I can't wait to see how it all ends.