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.