Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1) by Richelle Mead - Review

Oh, Richelle Mead how I've missed you! Where should I start with my reivew of Bloodlines? I think I'll start with why it took me so long to begin the spin-off series. Short answer - I wanted to be in the perfect mood, at the absolute best time to make sure that I would like the book. The long answer - Richelle Mead rocked my world with the VA series and not only did I need time to digest and savor the flavor of the series, but I needed time to get over the fact that these new books would center around new characters. I am both happy and sad that I waited. Happy that I took the time and fell in love with Bloodlines and sad that I didn't start them sooner!

Bloodlines follows Sydney Sage, an alchemist,  as she accepts a new mission in Florida. Sage once again finds herself wrapped up in the world of the Dhampir and Moroi as she follows Jill into hiding along with Eddie and party boy Adrian. Of course for this gang, nothing is ever easy and they must battle corruption, strigoi and of course... high school.

This review may get a little long so I've decied to break things up into what I did like about Bloodlines and things I didn't.

Liked

First and foremost, I loved Sydney. I've heard around that some people aren't a huge fan of her and I think a lot of that is becuase she's not the bad ass that Rose is in VA. For me, Rose was one of my favorite literary leading ladies. She's got a kick-butt and take names attitude that is so unlike myself and I loved reading about her adventures. Sydney, on the other hand, is more reserved. She's bound to duty and feels the need to take care of everyone all the time. On a very personal level, I can relate to Sydney's upbringing and behavior. Without going into personal details, I will say that Sydney touched my heart in a way that no other YA heroine has and I can't wait to read more from her point of view.

Adrian. I loved Adrian in VA and I love him in Bloodlines. Don't get me wrong, I loved Dimitri as well, but I had a hard time choosing between the two vampy men while reading VA. Adrian adds a sort of dark, comic releif to the story and you can help but wonder what's brewing under his wit and charm.

There isn't a lot of romance between Adrian and Sydney... yet. And I liked that. Bloodlines was a story that focused on the plot and character development. Mead didn't need to add in her brand of passionate and inevitably devistating romance quite yet as she set up a story that is a great foundation for what is no doubt going to be a gripping series.

Didn't like

Really, there wasn't much I didn't like. I felt like the book was sort of slow through the middle, but I think that was something to do with the fact that Mead needed to introduce new readers to the world of VA. The pacing was slightly off for me as the end exploded into action and adventure and I read the last 200 pages of the book in one sitting.

I feel like I don't even need to bring up Mead's supurb writing style because it speaks for itself. Richelle Mead has a way of telling a story that will leave you breathless, gasping for more. If you're a fan of Vampire Academy, vampires, Richelle Mead or just great books in general, do yourself a favor and read Bloodlines.

9 out of 10 :)

Happy Reading

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Giveaway 7! Bloodlines Giveaway!

Well, it's giveaway time again! As promised, I have an awesome Richelle Mead giveaway because I enjoyed reading her books so much and you all were very patient with my incessant Vampire Academy reviews! Also, the month of August is the busiest month of the year for me at work. Working 12 hour days, I dont get to give too much TLC to my blog so I figured I'd do a fun giveaway all month long!


Here's what I'm giving away:

1 signed copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

1 signed copy of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

1 pre-order for The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead from Book Depository

2 signed "World of Vampire Academy" posters!

Excited? Becasue I am!  That's 5 winners! As I said before, I had the pleasure of meeting Richelle Mead and got some extra swag so I'd love to give it away! This giveaway is going to run from today, August 2nd through August 31st so get your entries in!

Contest rules:

• This contest open to United States and Canada participants only! It's a little expensive to ship internationally!
• Abibliophobic will not be held responsible for lost or damaged packages.
• Participants must be 13 years or older.
• Giveaway will run 8/2/12 to 8/31/12!
• I will announce the winners on my blog and via email. The winner will have 72 hours to respond to the giveaway! 

Good luck, thanks for stopping by and as always, happy reading :)

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Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6) by Richelle Mead- Review

Well guys, I've finished the series. I have to say that after reading all six of these wonderful books, Richelle Mead is the queen of vampire fiction. These books are beautifully and skillfully written and while I'm happy that I finished the series, I'm also disappointed I won't get to read more from Rose's point of view. After a very small amount of deliberation, I'll be starting the Bloodlines series next. I was going to take a Richelle Mead reading break, but after finished Last Sacrifice last night, I've decided I need something else to hold me over!


Quite obviously, I'm not going to be giving away too much about the plot of Last Sacrifice. I will however let you know that it is a nonstop adventure that leads our characters not only on physical adventures across the country but spiritual and emotional journeys as well. We get to see our characters grow up and really come into their own.

Whereas a few of the previous books in the VA series had me feeling a little bored and I had to fight to get myself through certain parts, this book literally had me going from page one. There was not a paragraph of this book that didn't pull me in or get me excited. In fact, towards the end of the book, I had to slow down and remind myself that there are important things in all of the paragraphs, not just the ones with Rose and Dimitri.

Overall, I fell completely head over heels for this series and its characters. Richelle Mead is now one of my favorite authors as her stories are so rich and fun you can't ever put them down. I was talking to a friend who is on book 1 in the series. She was asking me if so and so is important and if this or that would play a big roll in further books and I told her that Richelle Mead rarely introduces nonsense in her books. If there is information, then it will be important later in the story. I loved this aspect of the books because I never felt like my time was wasted on unimportant details or facts.

As I said before, I'm going to be starting Bloodlines soon and so you'll have to put up with some more reviews on Mead's books. Now in order to reward you for your patience and enthusiasm, I'll be doing a VA themed giveaway once I've finished The Golden Lily. I've still got some swag left over from The Golden Lily tour with Richelle Mead and I'd love to give away some books. Stay tuned :)

10 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, #5) by Richelle Mead - Review

And I've finished another one of the Vampire Academy books and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I'm not sure if I'm excited to start the last book and have the series come to a close as I'm so excited/anxious to figure out what Ms. Mead has in store, or if I'm completely heart broken to be done with this series. I think the end of the next book will answer that question for me but until I get there, please enjoy this review of book five, Spirit Bound. Once again, I will try and keep the review as spoiler free as possible, but as you know, I'm pretty dang excited about the series so a little something here or there may slip!


Spirit Bound takes our characters to new places. As their training and schooling at St. Vladimir's is coming to a close, reality sets in that our favorite vampires and guardians are going to be out in the real world. They'll begin with a return to Court. For Rose and the other guardians, this means learning of their placements after graduation and for Lissa and the other royals, it's a chance to learn about politics and meet those who they will be associating with for the rest of their lives. As it always seems to be the case with our friends, tragedy and turmoil are lurking around every corner. This book brings intrigue, excitement and shock as Mead writes a story that is no doubt setting up a beautiful finale for the series.

I will tell you that at first, I felt the book dragged a little. I was somewhat disappointed because I felt as though I was reading Blood Promise again, just taking in new information. As the story progressed, Mead began dishing out her typical shocking plot twists and turns and I ended up reading the last two thirds of the book in one sitting.

A lot happens in this fifth installment, and I mean a lot. We are treated to the highest of ups and the lowest of downs as we are forced to suffer along with our characters. Of course I won't be giving away any of the big deal plot twists but I will say that I am thoroughly enjoying Meads unpredictable storyline. So many stories that I've been reading lately are the same ho-hum story or have plots that you figure out after the first 10 pages. With the Vampire Academy series, I'm in a constant state of emotional turmoil as Mead puts my torn heart back together again only to break it once more. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining because this girl's got talent.

Well I think that's all I'm going to say for this one. I'm keeping it short and sweet so I can get on to Last Sacrifice and see how this wonderful story will end. Time to grab my tissues and a glass of wine.

8 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

Allison
imabibliophobic.blogspot.com

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Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4) by Richelle Mead - Review

Part of me really didn't want to write this review tonight... mostly because I want to be reading the next book Spirit Bound. I don't know what it is about the VA series, but I devour these books in only a matter of days (sometimes hours!) and Blood Promise was no different. Once again, I will warn you that there may be some semi spoilers in this review. I've really enjoyed the dialog I've had with other readers on these books and so I don't want to be too cryptic about my opinions.


We meet our characters separated and unhappy when Blood Promise begins. Rose has put a great distance between herself and her home and friends as she sets out on a dark and deadly mission. Her quest leads her to Russia where she encounters an Alchemist, Sydney and a host of other characters who hep her and deter her on her path. Through out the book, Rose must choose not only between the right choice and the easy choice but she must also choose to turn her back on those that she loves most to sacrifice herself for love.

I will start off by saying that I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others for a few reasons. First and foremost, I felt that this one dragged a little. Blood Promise was more of a filler book that provided a lot of information and set up a wonderful book five as I can only imagine. That's not to say that things didn't happen in this book. Please don't get me wrong, there were some very emotional and intense scenes  but I felt like there was more world building than actual story telling. This was not a bad thing per say. Mead has created such a unique and complex world and so it seems only right that at least a few of the books in her six book series be dedicated to giving some meat to the world of the Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampire.

If you've read my other reviews in the VA academy series, you'll know that I am quite in love with Mr. Dimitri and so I may not have liked this one because we do see quite a different side to this hunky Russian. I fell for his quite demeanor and restrained love for Rose and in past books, and in Blood Promise, well... he's a completely different man. Understandably so, but you'll understand when I say I was as sad and disappointed as Rose was when she met the new and improved Dimitri.

The tone of this book was quite different as well. It seemed that every story line we were following was full of sorrow and misery, which of course was the intention. This wasn't supposed to be the happiest of stories as tragedy has just struck, but it was a little monotonous to read as the characters were continually sad and upset.

In conclusion, this book just made me more and more excited for book five and I can't wait to get this next one underway!

7 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3) by Richelle Mead - Review

I have one word for you: Amazing. Shadow Kiss was such a thrill ride that I read all 440 pages in one night... I just couldn't stop. Now after that one amazing word, I think I may have a few other words for Richelle Mead because of how she made me feel at the end of this heart breaker. I'm only joking, Shadow Kiss has further put me in awe of Mead's talented storytelling and superb writing. I know I normally do spoiler free reviews and I can assure you I will not be giving away any huge plot twists, but be cautious in reading this review as I feel like I need to get some things off my chest that may spoil some mystery to the series.


Shadow Kiss starts with our characters cooping with the events of the past and they must deal with the death of their friend. As this semester begins, the senior novices must begin their field training and they are each assigned a Moroi to protect. Rose believes everything is goign according to her plan: Lissa will be her Moroi, she's trying to make peace with her nonexistent relationship with Dimitri and she's coming to terms with her interaction with the Strigoi, but of course when things seem to be going their best, it's the the calm before the storm.

Now as I said before, I went and saw Richelle Mead speak at her launch party for The Golden Lily and I had not read any of her books yet. She sympathized with her readers, not quite apologizing, for the ending of book three and in my head, I thought wow, these people are nuts. With all their whining and grumbling you'd think Mead had gone and kicked everyone's puppy. Now, I feel like she really did kick my puppy.

This lady has a special way of ripping your heart out and stepping on it, while you still appreciate her writing and her big plot twist. Obviously I won't be giving away what happened at the end, but while I was beyond devastated (I may or may not have cried in my bed for a little bit at 1 am) I appreciated what she did. I've been reading a great deal of paranormal romances lately and they all end the same, something bad happens but then things right themselves and the couple snuggle but look forward to further evil in the next installment. While this makes me happy (obviously) it doesn't make for a very interesting story. In Shadow Kiss, I felt as though Mead turned my world upside down, which while sad, is a good thing! It kept things interesting and I am scrambling to get my hands on book 4.

The story was actually longer than the other two in the series but i found it much easier to get through and I really enjoyed the story. After the devastation that occurred on their ski trip, our main characters have changed. They are more cautious, wiser and have a different out look on life than their fellow students at St. Vladimir's. I welcomed this change in personalities and it made fore a much more interesting read.

Rose has a lot to deal with in this book as she finds out more about her relationship with Lissa and she has to come to terms with what's really inside of her. Is being a guardian and putting her Moroi's every need before hers something she wants? Rose questions a lot of her deeprooted beliefs in this story and she has to  make the hard decisions, which is one of the things I love most about Rose. I said in a previous reveiw that she's working her way up to one of my favorite heroines in YA fiction and I think she made it up to the top five. She is kick ass and I love her.

 We also get to see more of her relationship with Dimitri. While I won't talk about this too much for fear of more heartbreak, I love him, plain and simple. I sense that Adrian is going to be moving into the spotlight a little more and I can't decide if I like him or not. While I love his charming whit and the bad ass air he exudes, I'm still stuck on Dimitri and I don't know if I'll be able to give Adrian a chance. Are you listening to me right now? What did Richelle Mead do to me?! On to book four...

9 out of 10

Happy Reading (keep tissues handy)

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Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2) by Richelle Mead - Review

I hate doing this to you guys, reading all the books in a series right in a row, but with these books I can't help it. I'm completely drawn into the series and come hell or high water, I don't think I can stop continuing on so please forgive me if you get a little tired of my Vampire Academy reviews, but I'm hoping that you guys love the books as much as I do!


In Frostbite, we find our characters just as we left them after Vampire Academy ended. Lissa and Christian are getting hot and heavy, Mason is completely head over heels in love with Rose and as you know, Rose is falling hard for her instructor Dimitri. As these sordid love affairs are brewing, a Strigoi attack has left the Dhampir and Moroi world on high alert. In an effort to protect the students of St. Vladimir's the've decided to bus, or rather jet, the students an their families out to a ski resort for a little protected rest and relaxation. I'm sure you can imagine that things did not go according to plan as in this book, everything they know about the Strigoi is turned upside down and Rose gets first hand knowledge at how dangerous these vamps can be.

I really did enjoy this book more than Vampire Academy. That's not to say I didn't like book one, but in Frostbite, I already had a grasp of the vocabulary and the background stories so it made it easier to read and understand. The story was a little more intense as well and I can only anticipate them getting more and more exciting and dangerous as the stories continue.

Once again, Mead presented a beautifully written story that while sometimes a little predictable, was hard to put down. Something about these books takes me until about page 100 and then I don't put the book down until I finish it. That happened with the first book as well and I'm not exactly sure what happens 100 pages into her books, but something sparks and I couldn't stop reading.

My favorite characters were still my favorites and Frostbite made me love Rose even more. In this book, she shows her age a little bit at times and she has to face the harsh reality that being a guardian isn't about jumping into situations because you think you're a badass and can take on the world. She learns through her time with Dimitri and her mother that the Strigoi are a force to be reckoned with and not easily taken down. By the end of Frostbite, Rose is much wiser than her fellow students and while it takes tragedy for this to happen to her, I enjoyed this part of her story.

As I predicted,  I was pulling hard for Dimitri and Rose to get together. Every chapter I was hoping was the chapter that would lead them to continue their steamy romance, and I was constantly thinking KISS KISS!! Needless to say I got a little frustrated at times. Dimitri and Rose are swiftly becoming one of my favorite book couples!

If you are a little late on the uptake like I am in reading Vampire Academy, I most definitely recommend that you keep reading after book one. This book was worth the read!

8 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead - Review

I'm so excited that I finished the first book in the Vampire Academy series. I've been waiting to start it for a while and now that I have, I'm so excited to continue on with this series. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Richelle Mead's launch party for her newest book. I had never read any of her books, but I was excited to see her speak nonetheless. She completely charmed me and I bought almost all of her books... yep... a lot of them.


This series follows some of the students who attend St. Vladimir's Academy, a boarding school for the Moroi and the Dhampir (a race of vampires and their half-vampire guardians). Lissa is a Moroi princess who's best friend, Rose, happens to be a very talented Dhampir who lives to protect her. Because of her loyalty, Rose takes Lissa on the run to save her from herself and those at St. Vladimir's. Once they are recaptured by a group of Dhampir working for St. Vladimir, Lissa and Rose must immerse themselves back into life at St. Vladimir among threats against Lissa and her powers and taunting from classmates. As if this wasn't enough to deal with, there's always the threat of the Strigoi, the evil race of imortal vampires hell bent on killing the royal Moroi families. Rose will stop at nothing to save her best friend and that may mean losing her life.

I completely fell in love with this book and it's characters. Mead has written a rich story with characters you can't help but love. I enjoyed Mead's writing style very much. She has a way of writing that sucks you into the world of the Moroi and the Dhampir and has you never wanting to leave. Her characters have a witty sensibility that makes you laugh out loud and wish that they were your best friends.

My absolute favorite part of this book was Rose, our heroine. She made her way up there as one of my favorite girls in YA fiction. She's strong, sassy and doesn't take anyone's B.S. Rose really has her head on straight and even as she's still growing up and learning to be an adult, she makes the hard decisions that no one has the balls to make and unselfishly, she thinks only of protecting Lissa and making herself the best guardian she can be. Seriously, this girl is kick ass and I loved reading about her adventures.

Now lets talk about Dimitri. Oh, Dimitri. If I were Rose, I'd be on him like white on rice! I loved their forbidden attraction and their almost love affair and I can't wait to see what happens with them in the coming books. I know I'll probably be frustrated and probably yelling for some kissing, but I can't wait!

I really liked Mead's unique take on vampires in this story as well. After hearing her speak, I found out that her basis for the Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampir are based on certain aspects of Romanian folklore. I really liked this different take on mythology. I found it to be creative and more believable... yes I said believable.

Overall, I did really like this story. I think I'm going to like the other books even more as I was just trying to get acquainted with the new world and the characters in this one. It was a lot to take in and a lot of different names to learn in this one!


Here's me and Richelle. Eep! I was fan girly and I hadn't even read any of her books yet!

8 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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