Review: The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead

Will love lose her everything she knows?

Sydney is an alchemist.
She protects vampire secrets -
and human lives.

In hiding at a Californian boarding school, Sydney's life has become irrevocably intertwined with Jill Dragomir, the vampire Moroi princess she has been tasked with protecting. She has grown close to those in Jill's royal circle - and to someone in particular. Someone that forces her to question everything the alchemists believe in. Someone forbidden.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world - her new world - apart, Sydney's loyalties are tested more than ever. Should she trust the alchemists - or her heart?

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (release date to be confirmed)

Vampire Academy Series:
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge fan of the Vampire Academy series so of course I couldn't wait to start reading the spin off Bloodlines series. I enjoyed Bloodlines when I read it and The Golden Lily was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year last year - I could not wait to pick it up and start reading! You're probably wondering why it has taken me so long to get around to writing this review then. I hate to say it but when I started reading The Golden Lily last year it annoyed me so much that I couldn't even finish reading it! I really want to love this series but for the first half of this book it just wasn't happening. I decided to try the book again because I keep hearing so many good things about the follow up The Indigo Spell and I'm actually glad I did give it a second chance. I don't think I'm ever going to be Sydney's biggest fan but I found myself really enjoying the last third of this book and now can't wait to see what happens next.

I'm going to start by talking about my love / hate relationship with Sydney, I hate to say it but she irritates the heck out of me most of the time! She annoyed me a little in Bloodlines but at the same time she showed enough of her inner strength and bravery for me to be able to respect her. That Sydney was completely absent for the first half of this book though. The way she goes on and on about her weight and is so adamant that she can't consume anything with a single calorie in it is enough to drive me insane, I seriously think the girl needs to be admitted to an anorexia clinic! I know she has body issues and is comparing herself to the impossibly beautiful Moroi but I worry about the message it sends to teens when someone who is supposed to be their heroine is constantly saying that a size 4 (which I think is equivalent to a UK size 6) is fat. The combination of her complaining about her weight and her dating the world's most boring man is what made me put down the book. I can't even remember her boyfriend's name but I think I would rather poke needles in my eyes than have to read about one more of their dates, watching paint dry would be more exciting!

I said I have a love / hate relationship with Sydney but so far I've only told you why I hate her so I think I need to balance this review up a bit. I get that she has been raised in a very strict way and she has always believed everything that the Alchemists have told her so she showed a lot of bravery in VA when she helped Rose knowing she would end up paying for it. I respect the fact that she has now started to look past the things she has always been told and is now beginning to make up her own mind about what is happening around her. She was always told that Moroi are evil but she knows from spending time with Jill, Adrian and Sonya that just isn't true and it makes her start to question everything else. Finally in the second half of the book we start to see Sydney's world view shifting and although I wish it would happen faster I'm glad that it is happening. There was one particular point towards the end of the book where Adrian spells out a few home truths to her and I wanted to jump up and down waving pompoms! Hopefully when she has had time to sort through what he said we should see some more big changes. Another thing I was extremely happy about was seeing Sydney start to embrace her own magical abilities - I can't wait to see more of that as the series continues.

Now lets talk about the rest of the book. I have to say I'm disappointed with several of the characters. Jill was incredibly selfish, childish and even reckless throughout the first half but again we see glimmers of hope towards the end of the book. Angeline acts much younger than her age but I can kind of understand that considering her upbringing and I would love to learn more about her family and the Keepers. The glimpses we saw of Dimitri weren't enough to satisfy me, it just isn't the same spending time with him when Rose isn't in the picture and I miss them as a couple so badly. It is impossible not to like Eddie though, although I can't for the life of me understand why he is so attracted to Jill, but I think my main reason for giving the book a second chance was to see more of Adrian. I'll say it outright - I love Adrian! I may never have wanted him to end up with Rose but I never liked the way she treated him so I desperately want to see him have his own happy ending. My heart broke for him in this book seeing the way his father treats him and it made it even easier to understand why he acts the fool so much and doesn't think he is capable of anything better. I actually really like the way Sydney sees through him and knows just how much he is capable of and towards the end of the book I even began to feel that they could be a good couple which was something I'd not been 100% on board with before.

I have to admit that I still have reservations about this series but if the next book can just take all of the positives from the end of The Golden Lily and run with it then I could start to really enjoy it again. I would love more than anything for these books to reach the heights of Vampire Academy and I do think that the potential is there. It's hard to settle on a final rating for this book, the lack of action and the fact I gave up reading makes the first half easily a 1 star read but the second half improved and the last quarter was probably 3.5 - 4 stars so I'm going to be generous and rate it 3.

Source: Received for review from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Quick Review: Vampire Academy Graphic Novel - Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir is a mortal vampire.
She must be protected at all times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all - the ones who will never die.

Rose Hathaway is Lissa's best friend - and her bodyguard.

Now, after two years of illicit freedom, they've been dragged back inside the iron gates of St. Vladimir's Academy.  The girls must survive in a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night-time rituals.

But above all, they must never let their guard down, lest the immortal vampires take Lissa - forever.

Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

I have to admit that I've not read many graphic novels before but I'm such a massive fan of the Vampire Academy series that I had to give this one a try.  I absolutely loved the illustrations in the story, Rose and Dimitri (swoon) are just how I imagined them and I really enjoyed the visual addition to the reading experience.

Obviously you don't get as much detail in a graphic novel as you do in the full book but you do get the feel of the story and most of the important information is covered.  I'd have to say I preferred the full novel just because you get more background details but this makes a great companion read for fans of the series.  If you've not started the series yet you would be able to follow the story but personally I'd recommend reading the novel first.

The graphic novel is a very fast and easy read and one I really enjoyed.  After I'd finished I actually spent time going back through it just to spend more time looking at the illustrations and I'm looking forward to seeing the graphic novel for the next book in the series (Frostbite).

Source: Received for review from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Bloodlines - Richelle Mead

Sydney protects vampire secrets - and human lives.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathising with vampires. And now she has to live with one . . .

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Vampire Academy Series:
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, in fact I think I'd go as far to say that it is my favourite YA series so of course I couldn't wait to get my hands on Bloodlines, the first book in the new spin off series. I'm going to start this review by saying that if you haven't read the Vampire Academy books yet then I would highly recommend reading those before picking up Bloodlines, if you don't you'll pick up major spoilers by reading this book first and you honestly don't want to miss out on the joy of reading the VA books without spoilers. Although this review won't contain spoilers for Bloodlines I don't think I can avoid them for Last Sacrifice and the other VA books so you might not want to read any further if you're not up to date with the series.

Now I've got that out of the way lets get on with my review of Bloodlines. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous when I first picked up the book, I wasn't a massive fan of Sydney in the VA series and wasn't sure how I'd get on with reading the story from her point of view. I was pleasantly surprised though, I'd always considered Sydney to be quite a weak character but it becomes clear from quite early on how difficult her life is and the consequences that she has been facing since helping Rose. She knew exactly what would happen to her but went ahead and helped anyway, partly because of Abe's blackmail, but mostly because she knew she was doing the right thing. You have to be quite brave to go against everything you've ever been taught and grown up believing, especially knowing full well what you'll have to face in the aftermath so I have to give Sydney her dues for that.

I loved getting to see more of Adrian, he hasn't been coping with the break up of his relationship with Rose very well and typically for him has been trying to push aside his feelings by drinking to excess. He has a lot of growing up to do but we do see him start to make some progress and he really does step up towards the end of the book. Although I was firmly on team Dimitri throughout the VA series Adrian really grew on me towards the end and I felt really badly for him after the way Rose treated him so I'm glad we might finally get to see him have his own happy ending. I thought that Jill was going to have a larger role to play in Bloodlines but there are actually so many other things going on that she takes a bit of a back seat in this one, I have a feeling she's going to be in for a bit of a rough ride as the series progresses though.

As I've come to expect from Richelle Mead the plot line is strong and although I did manage to guess a couple of the twists there was still plenty that took me by surprise. The action towards the end was incredibly fast paced and edge of your seat stuff and those last couple of lines had me jumping with joy and left me breathless with anticipation for The Golden Lily.

The one thing that stopped this from being a 5 star read was the way Sydney was constantly referring to herself as fat and frumpy. She was complaining that she had to get her uniform in a size 4 rather than her usual size 2 and saying that she needed to eat less. Now I may have this wrong but I believe a US size 4 is a UK size 6 and I was concerned at the message this is sending out to teenage readers. Size 6 is tiny and unachievable for a lot of people so it distressed me that Sydney considered herself fat. Putting that issue to one side though I thought Bloodlines was a strong start to the new series and I think it has the potential to be right up there with VA as one of my favourites. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and would highly recommend the series to any VA fans.

Source: Received for review from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Quick Review: Adrian's Lost Chapter - Richelle Mead

A glimpse at the original scrapped first chapter, which is told from Adrian's POV.

Originally, Bloodlines was going to be told from a few different characters' points of view. It was going to be in third person and alternate characters each chapter. A few chapters in, problems were emerging from this (you've got to trust me on that!).

I ended up starting completely over and simply doing the entire book from just Sydney's point of view in first person (the "I" voice). The all-Sydney version is what you're going to get when the book hits the shelves August 23.

Hope that clears things up!
Description taken from Goodreads

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

When Richelle Mead originally started writing Bloodlines she planned on writing the story from several points of view, starting off with Adrian.  In the end she re-wrote the book purely from Sydney's POV but has released the original version of the first chapter as a free online read for her fans. 

Although Adrian's Lost Chapter is only 8 pages long I really enjoyed getting to see part of the story from his POV.  I don't really want to go into plot details as you can read the whole story yourself if you have a spare 5 minutes but this was a nice way of getting to know Adrian a little better.  You can't help but feel for him after his treatment from Rose, although I was routing for Rose and Dimitri to end up together for the whole Vampire Academy series I did feel bad for Adrian about how things turned out for him.

If you're a fan of the VA & Bloodlines series then I'm sure you'll enjoy this quick, free read.  Yes, there are some editing problems, yes, it could have been a much longer story BUT I love it when authors give a little something back to their fans with a free story.

Source: This is a free short story that can be found online here

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Bloodlines - Original Chapter One

Review: Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead

It all comes down to now.

The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same.

Rose Hathaway is awaiting wrongful execution and there exists only one man who can stall this terrible fate.  Rose must look to both Dimitri and Adrian, the two great loves of her life, to find him.

With her best friend, Lissa, in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and questioning those they thought they could trust...

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all?  Each other.

Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

Although this review won't include spoilers for Last Sacrifice I can't help mentioning things that have happened in previous books.  If you haven't discovered this series yet then I'd highly recommend it - it is by far my favorite young adult urban fantasy series.  I would recommend you start at book 1 Vampire Academy & not continue reading this review though as I don't want to spoil the earlier books for you.  If you're already a fan of the series then you need to get hold of Last Sacrifice as soon as possible - it is a dramatic end to the series and probably my favorite out of all of the books.

At the end of Spirit Bound we saw Rose accused of murdering Queen Tatiana and this book picks up a couple of days later with Rose in prison awaiting her trial.  If she is found guilty she will be executed for high treason so it's vital that she finds out who the real murderer is but how can she do this when she's locked up in a cell?  It's a good job Rose's friends have a plan, they have no intention of watching her death and want to keep her safely out of the way while they track down the killer.  Lissa finds herself in a situation she isn't used to - Rose is the one that needs her help for once - but she is determined not to let her friend down and will do whatever it takes to help her.

I don't want to go into anymore detail about the plot as I don't want to spoil the reading experience for anyone.  I will say that the story starts as it means to go on and jumps straight into the action.  This is a masterpiece - a book that will grip you from the very first page and won't let you sleep until it's finished.  You will get the answers to questions you didn't even know you had and Richelle Mead has done a fantastic job of pulling all the various plot threads together while still staying true to her characters.  Yes we finally get an ending to the love triangle between Rose, Dimitri and Adrian but I'm not going to say if I was happy with the outcome or not because I know I've mentioned in other reviews which team I'm a member of.  I'm sure there will be some people who don't like the final decision but I honestly think that it was the only possible outcome.  If Richelle had done anything differently it just wouldn't have fitted with what we know of each of the characters.

I've said before that Rose is one of my favorite heroines and this has definitely continued throughout the series.  She had done a lot of growing up in previous books but I felt she matured even more through Last Sacrifice.  Lissa has also changed a lot since Vampire Academy and I love the fact that despite everything they have been through their friendship is now stronger than ever.  It's great to read a series with strong friendships and good female role models.  It feels like I've watched these characters grow up and that they are now ready to go out and face the world but I'm not ready to see them go so I'm glad it's been confirmed that they will be making appearances in the spin off series.  I can't wait to see what Richelle Mead has in store for us next.

Last Sacrifice is an amazing end to a fantastic series that I can't recommend highly enough, if you haven't read it yet what are you waiting for?  Go out and get hold of a copy now!

Source: Received for review from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:

Ink and Paper
Nayu's Reading Corner
So Many Books, So Little Time
My Favorite Books
Cem's Book Hideout
Jess Hearts Books
Tynga's Reviews
I'd So Rather Be Reading
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Spirit Bound - Richelle Mead

Rose's life will never be her own.

Rose Hathaway has been outrunning death ever since she swore to be the protector of her best friend, Lissa, no matter what.

She's finally made it back to the haven of St Vladimir's but with Dimitri, the boy she once loved, stalking her, Rose can only run so far.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true.  Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her.  And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he has silenced her...forever.

Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

Although this review won't include spoilers for Spirit Bound as this is book 5 in the Vampire Academy series it may include spoilers for previous books.  If you haven't discovered this series yet then I'd highly recommend it - it is without a doubt my favorite young adult urban fantasy series.  If you're already a fan of the series then you need to read this latest installment as soon as possible - I'm not sure how I'm going to survive the wait until December to read the final book in the series Last Sacrifice!

In Spirit Bound Rose is back at St Vladimir's and getting ready to graduate - as long as she can pass the trials.  Due to the amount of school she has missed she has had to do a lot of catching up but has she done enough to pass?  Her dream has always been to be Lissa's guardian but with plenty of black marks against her name she is worried about what her assignment will be.  On top of that, since she failed to kill Dimitri in the previous book he is now stalking her, determined to kill her if she won't join him as a Strigoi.  She is safe while on campus but what will happen when she is out in the real world?

I don't want to tell you any more as it would be too easy to give spoilers but let me just assure you that Spirit Bound is as action packed as you'd expect from a book by Richelle Mead.  Alongside the action there is also a lot of emotion thrown in.  Rose has so much to deal with and she has grown so much throughout this series, she is definitely one of my favorite characters in a young adult series. 

We get to see a lot more of Adrian in this book & I really am liking him more and more.  I have to say I did feel a little sorry for him in this one - I didn't really like the way Rose treated him at times and I hope we get to see him happy by the end of the series.  I'm still a massive Dimitri fan but he had me on the edge of my seat this time.  The last book left me heart broken and things don't get much easier this time round but I'm still holding out hope for Last Sacrifice.  I would have liked to have seen more of Dimitri in this book but I'm sure he's going to feature more in the future.

Lissa impressed me this time round, she has at times been quite a selfish friend in the last few books but she finally starts showing how much she cares for Rose and actually going out of her way to help her.  Richelle Mead really is the queen of cliffhangers and Spirit Bound was no exception to this.  It has left me itching to get my hands on the final installment in the series & December seems like a very long wait. 

Source: Library

Other Reviews:

Ink and Paper
Story Wings
I'd So Rather Be Reading
So Many Books, So Little Time
Just Another Book Blog
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

How far will Rose go to keep her promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers and guardians alike.

Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them... including Dimitri.  He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa - the one she has sworn to protect no matter what - and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago.

But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves the most?

Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

Although this review won't include spoilers for Blood Promise please, please don't read beyond this paragraph if you're new to this series.  Events at the end of book 3 (Spirit Bound) make it impossible to review this book without giving away a major spoiler for the first 3 books.  If you haven't yet discovered this series then I would highly recommend it to both adults and teens - it has become my favorite YA vampire series by far & I can't praise it enough.  Check out the reviews of Vampire Academy for an introduction to the series.

OK so hopefully if you're still reading this review you've already read at least as far as Shadow Kiss.  What can I say about Blood Promise?  Apart from the fact that this series just gets better with every book and I'm now desperately waiting to read Spirit Bound!  Talk about an ending that will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more.

At the end of Shadow Kiss we saw Rose leaving Lissa and St Vladimir's Academy to search for Dimitri.  Knowing that he'd never want to be Strigoi and that he was turned against his will she is determined to track him down and keep her promise to him.  Rose sets off on her own for Russia believing that Dimitri will have returned to his home town and she eventually tracks down his family.  Let me just take a minute to point out how much I liked Dimitri's family and I loved the way they accepted Rose and made her feel so welcome.  We get to learn so much more about Dimitri from his family and from flashbacks Rose has about times they have spent together and it made it easy to see how much he & Rose meant to each other.

When Rose finally tracks Dimitri down it leads to some heart wrenching scenes that brought tears to my eyes in several places.  As much as Rose wants to believe he is the same Dimitri he has changed and is no longer the same man that she was so in love with.  It is hard to see him in such a different light & I desperately missed the old Dimitri.  Scenes between them are intense and emotional but I thought that Richelle Mead handled things really well.  Everything that Rose said and did was completely believable & my heart went out to her.

Although Rose and Lissa are apart for the first time we do still get to find out what is happening with Lissa via the bond they share.  Rose frequently checks in with Lissa to see what is going on at the Academy and we see a lot of what is happening with Lissa, Christian and Adrian.  Rose is also visited by Adrian in her dreams and I'm starting to like him more and more as I get to know him better.  Lissa's behaviour is becoming more erratic and it soon becomes clear to Rose that something strange is going on at the Academy but she has so much else to deal with that she can't drop everything to go to Lissa immediately.  I had actually found myself a bit disappointed with Lissa in Shadow Kiss because she never seemed to give any thought to Rose's feelings so I was pleased to see that this started to change in Blood Promise and I'm hoping that she will redeem herself.

I have to say that I absolutely loved Blood Promise and oh the developments at the end - I have got to get my hands on Spirit Bound asap because I NEED to know what happens next!  If you enjoyed the first 3 books in the series then you're going to love this installment.  If you're new to the series & ignored my spoiler warnings to make it this far (yes, I'm thinking of you Bear!) then you need to get your hands on Vampire Academy now - this series really shouldn't be missed.

Source: Library

Other Reviews:

Ink and Paper
So Many Books, So Little Time
Chrissie's Corner
I'd So Rather Be Reading
GretchTM's Reading Haven
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead

What if following her heart means losing her best friend - forever?

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian.  Her best friend, Lissa, must always come first.  Unfortunately, when it comes to the gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake.  The immortal dead are on the prowl and in a heart-stopping battle, Rose will have to choose between life, love and the two people who matter most.

But will her choice mean that only one survives?

Vampire Academy Series:

Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:

Although I don't give spoilers for Shadow Kiss in this book I wouldn't recommend reading further if you are new to this series.  I strongly recommend reading the series in order starting with Vampire Academy and then Frostbite.  If you're a fan of the series already then read Shadow Kiss now - but make sure you have Blood Promise to hand so you can read it straight afterwards!  If you haven't discovered the series yet what are you waiting for? This is seriously a must read for urban fantasy fans both young and old.

Rose is still trying to deal with her forbidden love for Dimitri - for her whole life she has been taught that protecting the Moroi is more important than anything and that, as a Dhampir, her needs should come last.  She is starting to feel resentment towards Lissa after watching her being so happy and in love with Christian while knowing that she and Dimitri will never be able to be together.  But that isn't the only thing going on with Rose, she is getting increasingly angry over the smallest things and can't understand why her temper is so out of control.  When she starts seeing ghosts she really does start to think that she is loosing her mind.

Meanwhile the novice guardians are in the middle of their practical assignment where they must guard one of the Moroi from surprise attacks made my the teachers on campus.  Of course Rose knows she will be guarding Lissa - just like she will be after graduation - so it comes as quite a shock when she finds she has been assigned to someone else.  Avoiding Adrian's advances, juggling her temper and trying to ignore the ghostly figures she keeps seeing isn't going to make it easy to protect the Moroi she has been assigned to.  Much worse is to come though when she figures out that the ghosts are trying to warn her of great danger and she finds herself in the middle of a war fighting for survival.

If you're a fan of the last 2 books in the series then you're going to love Shadow Kiss.  It is by far my favorite in the series and I am desperate to get my hands on the next book, Blood Promise.  I love Rose in this book, she is dealing with so many things and her emotions are all over the place but she has grown an incredible amount since book 1.  Her feelings towards Lissa and her duty clash with her love of Dimitri and watching her try to work through everything really pulls at your heartstrings.  We also get to see more of Lissa and Christian who I love as a couple, spend time with the swoon worthy Dimitri who I adore, learn more about Adrian who I have to say is growing on me and spend time with Eddie who is such a sweetheart.

This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride like no other you've been on before.  I don't want to give any spoilers so I'm just going to say that this book will leave you spinning - the twist Richelle put in at the end was utterly heartbreaking and I have no idea how she is going to be able to fix things to my satisfaction.  Having gone through similar things in her adult succubus series I have confidence that she'll be able to work things out eventually but I just can't see how at the moment.  Shadow Kiss was truly an addictive read & I was unable to put it down, reading the entire book in just 1 sitting.  It left me wanting to scream with frustration & I have to admit to shedding a few tears.  Richelle is a queen of cliffhangers and has left me itching to start the next book, I'm just relieved to know that it's already in print so I can go out and get a copy immediately!

Source: Library

Other Reviews:

Ink and Paper
So Many Books, So Little Time
Chrissie's Corner
I'd So Rather Be Reading
Darlyn & Books
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Frostbite - Richelle Mead

...Winter break turns deadly

A massive vampire attack has put St. Vladimir's Academy on high alert.  With all the deadly creatures closing in, this year's trip to the wintery peaks of Idaho has just become mandatory.

But Rose Hathaway can't escape her (guy) troubles.  Her relationship with gorgeous Dimitri can never be and her closest friend has just confessed to his huge crush on her...

The glittering winter landscape may seem like the perfect hideaway - but Rose, and her heart, are in more danger than she ever imagined.

Vampire Academy Series:
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
Frostbite is the second book in the series and I would strongly recommend you read the series in order starting with Vampire Academy.  Although I don't include spoilers for Frostbite in this review if you haven't read Vampire Academy yet you might not want to read any further.  I absolutely love this series though so I would definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't started reading it yet!

Continuing the story on from the end of the first book Rose and Lissa are still at St Vladimir's Academy trying to catch up on the work they missed while on the run for 2 years.  Rose is working hard with the help of Dimitri but things between them are strained since they still can't act on the feelings they have for each other.  She also has to deal with the realisation that her close friend Mason has feelings for her - they get on so well that perhaps they would make a good couple?

When a group of Strigoi attack one of the royal families Rose finds herself caught in the middle of the investigation.  It soon becomes clear that the attack was like nothing that they have ever seen before - the Strigoi are working together in ways that are previously unheard of and now pose a greater threat than ever to the Moroi.  Increased security measures mean it will be safer if the entire school goes on the annual ski trip - it will be easier for the guardians to protect everyone if they are all together.  But when some of the novices decide to take action against the Strigoi, Rose and her friends find themselves in a danger they couldn't even have imagined.

I loved Vampire Academy but enjoyed Frostbite even more.  We get to see quite a different side to trouble maker Rose - she still has a temper and her smart mouth will continue to get her in trouble but we get to see her do quite a lot of growing up throughout the book.  We get to meet her mother Janine and Rose has to start dealing with the issues between them.  Rose has also become more sensible and after events in the last book she is fully aware of the danger that the Strigoi pose to both the guardians and the Moroi.  She was already one of my favorite young adult heroines but I like her even more now.

We don't see as much of Lissa in this book but I'm enjoying watching things develop between her and Christian.  I think they make a great couple and I'm looking forward to seeing how things continue between them.  I also really liked Christian's aunt Tasha - another great female role model who has great kick ass potential that I'm fully expecting to see more of in the future.  Things between Rose and Dimitri may be difficult but I love watching them together, the attraction between them is potent but I find the fact that they are both trying so hard to do the right thing and stay away from each other intriguing - I don't think I could be that noble in their position!

Another new character who I'm not so keen on at the moment is Adrian but I have a feeling he is going to be someone with an important part to play in the future of the series.  I'm curious to see what will happen with him but I hope his character grows on me more than he did in this installment.  Let me just say prepare to be on the edge of your seat in the second half of this book.  When the main action kicks off I was having trouble reading fast enough - I just couldn't wait to find out what would happen and how they would manage to get out of the predicament they found themselves in.  You might want to have a few tissues to hand though as there are a few heart in mouth moments before you reach the end of the book!  I definitely consider this to be my favorite young adult vampire series and I would urge anyone who loves vampires to give it a try - I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Source: Library

Other Reviews:
Ink and Paper
Darlyn and Books
So Many Books, So Little Time
Chrissie's Corner
Story Wings
I'd So Rather Be Reading
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir is a mortal vampire.

She must be protected at all times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all - the ones who never die.

Rose Hathaway is Lissa's best friend - and her bodyguard.

Now, after two years of illicit freedom, they've been dragged back inside the iron gates of St. Vladimir's Academy.  The girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night-time rituals.

But above all, they must never let their guard down, lest the immortal vampires take Lissa - forever...

Vampire Academy Series:
Vampire Academy
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Bloodlines Series: (This is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series)
Adrian's Lost Chapter (Free Short Story can be read here)
Bloodlines
The Golden Lily
The Indigo Spell
The Fiery Heart (Release date to be confirmed)


Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
Rose and Lissa have been on the run for 2 years having escaped from St Vladimir's Academy when they believed Lissa was in danger.  When they finally get caught they are not happy to be dragged back to the Academy but have no choice but to make the best of it - with everyone watching them like hawks it would be almost impossible to escape again.

St Vladimir's Academy is a school for Moroi and Dhampirs, the Moroi are good vampires - mortal and with abilities to control the elements they are only able to tolerate small amounts of sunlight and need to drink small quantities of blood to survive.  The Dhampirs are half Moroi & half human, stronger than the Moroi they don't drink blood and are able to go out in the sun.  They train as Guardians and it is their job to protect the Moroi from the Strigoi.  The Strigoi are evil vampires that are undead, immortal and kill their victims when they drink blood.  Drinking from the Moroi give the Strigoi the most strength so they are their preferred victims and Moroi numbers are falling drastically.

Rose is a dhampir and a guardian in training and it is her job to keep her best friend Lissa, who just happens to be a Moroi princess, safe from Strigoi.  Having spent the last 2 years protecting Lissa in the human world Rose has become over-confident in her abilities and doesn't believe there is any point continuing with her training.  She quickly discovers that she is behind her classmates though and if she has any hope of graduating with the rest of her class she is going to have to work hard to catch up.  It soon becomes clear that Lissa is being targeted again now they have returned to the academy but who is behind the strange goings on and what are they hoping to gain?

I have read and enjoyed a lot of vampire novels over the years but I have to say this is the strongest start to a new young adult vampire series that I've ever read.  I absolutely loved Rose who is the narrator of the story, she is intelligent, tough and sassy with a smart mouth that may get her in trouble but also had me laughing out loud.  At times she shows incredible maturity for someone only 17 years old, I liked the fact that when she realises how behind she is compared to her friends she is determined to work as hard as it takes to catch up.  She is also very selfless - always putting Lissa's needs before her own, wanting to protect her whatever the costs.  Rose has quickly become one of my favorite YA heroines and I think she makes a great role model.

I also liked Lissa but she is very different from Rose, much softer and less able to take care of herself.  She needs Rose to take care of her and at times I found it irritating that she doesn't seem capable of doing anything for herself but this did start to change by the end of the book.  I find the psychic bond between Rose and Lissa an interesting element to the story - Rose can constantly feel Lissa's emotions which is going to be a big help when it comes to trying to protect her. 

Other than Rose my favorite character would have to be Dimitri - insert swooning here! - I absolutely LOVE him.  A trained guardian Dimitri has been assigned to protect Lissa and is also Rose's mentor, in charge of giving her extra lessons to help her catch up with the rest of her class.  The chemistry between Dimitri and Rose is instant, scorching hot and I can't wait to see how things turn out for them in the series.  With him being 7 years older and practically Rose's teacher the forbidden love aspect of their relationship really adds something and makes it impossible to resist the idea of them together.

Having read all of Richelle Mead's adult books so far I have been looking forward to starting this series but for some reason I was a little nervous in case it didn't live up to her high standards.  I don't know why I was worried - Vampire Academy has everything I've come to expect from her as an author.  The plot is fast paced, she has created a detailed world with a unique take on vampire mythology, the bad guys are positively scary and the characters are so three dimensional that it feels like you know them in real life.  I enjoyed this so much that I've devoured the first 3 books of the series in 3 days and I'll be continuing the series as soon as I can get my hands on the next 2 books!  This really is a must read series for vampire fans both young and old and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Source: Library

Other Reviews:
Darlyn & Books
So Many Books, So Little Time
The Bookette
Ink and Paper
Chrissie's Corner
Story Wings
I'd So Rather Be Reading
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.