The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) Review

The Indigo Spell (Bloodline #3)

Richelle Mead

Publisher: Penguin

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

What I loved about the Vampire Academy series was the action and the way Richelle Mead would pull the rug out from under you at least once a book. What I love about the Bloodlines series are the characters and relationships. Syndey has changed and grown so much since we first met her in Broken Promises. She was brought up to protect humans from vampires and other nasties by the Alchemists and to think all supernatural creatures are evil and unnatural. However, through her time helping to protect Moroi Princess Jill, she has become to think that not all them are evil, particularly a certain former playboy, called Adrian...

Sydney is great character – smart, brave and ready to do anything for her family and friends. I like her loads and her indecision over Adrian is completely understandable given her upbringing and Alchemist background. The dancing around each other throughout this book is a little frustrating at time but worth it in the end. They really do bring out the best in each other. The relationships are what kept me reading – not just Sydney and Adrian but Sydney’s friendship with Jill and Eddie and even the fractured relationship with her Dad and sister. That’s not to say there’s no action.  

At time it feels like a lot is happening here – with a renegade witch draining youth and magic from those with abilities, the deepening of the Alchemist conspiracy plus keeping Jill safe. The layers of stories build on each other but are separate with only Adrian and Sydney connect all the stories. There is some really cool magical action with Sydney finally embracing her natural aptitude. It is very different from the Moroi elemental magic but just as interesting.

Richelle’s writing is so readable and the world so detailed that it feels like coming home. This is one of my favourite YA series and I am so intrigued to find out what happens with the Alchemists and if Jill truly is safe. It will be a long wait for the next book!

Recommended for fans of Jennifer Estep and Kelley Armstrong. 8.5 out of 10

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: RazorBill

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

I honestly can’t tell you how comfortable it is to fall back into Richelle Mead’s Moroi world – it’s like collapsing into a soft armchair at the end of a long day and putting your feet up. This time we follow alchemist, Sydney as she continues to protect humans from the knowledge of vampires while hiding Jill from those who would use her against Lissa, the Moroi queen.

Sydney isn’t a physical heroine like Rose – she can’t fight, but she does use her brain and knowledge a lot. She even starts taking some self defence lessons here so she won’t be as vulnerable and always waiting to let someone rescue her. I like that element of her character. Kick-ass heroines are always a lot of fun – but a brainy heroine who loves learning? That’s someone I can relate to! She is fairly clueless in the social arena and it was fun to follow her on dates and complete miss some social clues. Adrian as well appears to have finally started growing up. There is some heartbreaking insight into his family life – and it was good to see Adrian finally taking control of his own destiny at last. I loved seeing Dimitri away from Rose and from another perspective as well!

Again, I found this a rather slow burn – always appealing, but slow with some exciting action towards the end. There was some great relationship development and the last page had me feeling so much for our characters – I wanted to give them a big hug! Sydney continues to struggle to reconcile her alchemist upbringing insisting that all vampires are unnatural with her developing friendships with the Moroi and dhampires and I really want to see how this develops over further books.

Richelle Mead’s biggest strength is the ease at which it is to keep turning pages and how absorbing the world is – I want these books to be longer, despite being over 400 pages each. It’s going to be a long wait for the third book in this series.

Recommended for fans of Jennifer Estep and Lili St-Crow. 8.5 out of 10.

Bloodlines Review

Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: RazorBill

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 sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one...

From the first page I was reminded how much I enjoyed Richelle Mead’s writing and the Moroi world she created with the Vampire Academy series. Sydney isn’t a vampire – she’s an alchemist, raised to believe all vampires and magic are unnatural and evil and that her duty is to protect the human world from both Moroi and Strigoi alike. When she is awakened in the middle of the night for a new duty to help protect the Moroi Princess Jill as she hides among humans, Sydney is torn between her upbringing and her growing respect for the Moroi and dhampir she now has to live with.

Most of the main characters here are ones we have run into before in the Vampire Academy series – Sydney, Adrian, Jill, Eddie and it is great to see such supporting characters getting more the spotlight. Adrian in particular is given much more time and development. I loved the relationship he and Sydney share considering their polar opposite viewpoints. Sydney is all about duty and responsibilities while Adrian is about instant gratification. They both rub off slightly on each other and I’m excited to see how this develops over the series. I really liked that even Adrian’s friends don’t hold a lot of expectation from him, while Sydney wants him to accept some responsibility.

I loved the characters and the different viewpoint – Sydney is a great heroine who has a similar need to protect as Rose had, but her focus is all on humans rather than Lissa. I liked her dislike of magic and how she sees the vampire world from the outside. However, I did feel there were a couple of issues with the story – the tattoo storyline was very obvious from early on and I can’t believe it took Sydney so long to figure it out. The whole books also had a large element of setting the scene and background rather than a fully coherent story on its own. Not necessarily a bad thing – the first Vampire Academy book was the same! I am excited about this series though and what Adrian, Sydney, Jill and the others will face in coming volumes! This was a great introduction to the world – readable even if you haven’t read the Vampire Academy series, but I would recommend reading them as well – just because they are well worth a read!

Recommended for fans Jeri Smith-Ready and Kelley Armstrong. 8 out of 10.

Shadow Heir Review

Shadow Heir (Dark Swan 4)

-         -  Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Bantam

**Warning contains spoilers from the first three books**

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...
The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon--and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

As far as I know this is the fourth and final book in Eugenie’s story and a lot is packed into a short space! Not only does Eugenie have to cope with pregnancy and the disturbing prophecy that says her son will conquer the human world, there is a blight to deal with, her mixed feelings for fey King, Dorian and her ex-trying to kill her and her unborn children. Despite all this going, there doesn’t appear to much urgency for much of the book. As these events take place several months, the pace seems slower than previous instalments. There is a lot of introspective contemplation as Eugenie struggles to do what is right for her children, for her kingdoms and for the human world.

Eugenie is still a very proactive heroine, more than willing to tackle issues head on – whether that includes wielding gentry magic, kicking butt or speaking her mind. She feels much more comfortable in her role as queen now and her use of gentry magic is now effortless which is a big change from we started at book one. Her relationships with those around her have changed as well – especially with Dorian, her stepfather Roland and her sister, Jasmine. I also liked how becoming a mother changed her and even the little worries she had over regaining her previous physicality made her easy to relate too – always a worry with characters with such phenomenal powers.

I do have one issue with the story, which I can’t go into a lot of detail as it’s a big spoiler, but to me there is an element introduced at a late stage that seems very convenient – a get-out-of-jail-free card that spoilt some of the grey moral area that Mead had built up prior to that. Personally, I liked that there were no easy answers and this one introduction seemed to undermine some of that. However, it doesn’t  completely clear the deck as Eugenie is still left with a very big decision to make – the result of which has the possibility of dividing readers. However, I was happy with the ending although I could see plenty of opportunity to revisit Eugenie’s worlds in a few years’ time!

Recommended for fans of Jennifer Estep and Kim Harrison. 8 out of 10.

Succubus Revealed Review

Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid 6)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Bantam Books

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations… to Las Vegas. The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for...

Succubus Blues, the first Georgina Kincaid book was the first Richelle Mead book I ever read and one of my favourite UF series. So it was with mixed feelings I picked up Succubus Revealed, the last book in the series as I was desperate to see if there was a happy ending for Georgina and Seth, but at the same time I didn’t want the journey to be over. I needn’t have worried as Richelle has produced the perfect final book.

Georgina is being transferred to Las Vegas – a succubus’s dream gig, but it means that she has to leave Seth behind. This time the focus is on Georgina and Seth as they work at their relationship and realise that Hell has been playing a very deep game with them.

I think this is the slimmest of the Succubus series, and one of the most character driven, but for anyone who has been following Seattle’s succubus there is much to savour. There are some great scenes with Seth’s family – particularly the nieces, which are very sweet without being saccharine and you finally get to see how much Georgina’s hellish friends care for her. Between Roman, Hugh and Carter, I can’t help by feel envious that she has such good friends!

I gobbled up this book like it was a bar of my favourite chocolate – smooth writing, delicious plot and a yummy long lasting aftertaste. I actually cried at least twice while reading as events unfolded and yet I wouldn’t swap them for anything. This series is not the most action orientated Urban Fantasy series out there but it has one of the most satisfying story arcs while leaving each book a satisfactory stand alone story. All past events are linked into this book and I have to believe that Richelle has the series planned in advanced – either that or she has a marvellous method of tying everything together at the last minute! J

Recommended for fans of Rachel Vincent and Kelley Armstrong. 9.5 out of 10.

Iron Crowned Review

Iron Crowned (Dark Swan 3)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Bantam

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…
Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril...

How to describe this book without giving anything away? It’s a bit like trying to describe a sculpture by phone...hopefully you’ll get the idea, but the best thing is really to go and see the sculpture yourself – or in this case read the book!

First thing to note, this is very much a continuation of the previous two books, Storm Born and Thorn Queen and so much that happens does depend on prior knowledge. Even Eugenie’s relationships with her two men it helps to know some of the past to put her thoughts and feeling into perspective.  And about her two men. I am very much in the Dorian camp – he is alpha male all the way and while he may not be the most honest of men – I think he is in his own way honourable. I am not a fan of Kiyo – he never seems be honest and I don’t think he trusts Eugenie.

The quest for the Iron Crown is over pretty quickly as the story returns to the story arc and the war. Eugenie is put through the emotional wringer here as her whole life comes under question. I loved how her relationship with her sister developed as she does seem to be lacking in female friends. Overall, though I felt like something was missing. I haven’t fully connected to Eugenie and she feels a little otherworldly – although being half fae that’s understandable! Still I enjoyed the ride which is a sexy adventure through the gentry world full of politics and fun.

Recommended for fans of Larissa Ione and Sherrilyn Kenyon. 7 out of 10.

Last Sacrifice (VA 6) Review

Vampire Academy 6: Last Sacrifice

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Penguin

**Warning there maybe spoilers for earlier books in the series**

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose--for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne. But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

This is the last book in the original Vampire Series – and certainly the last one with Rose Hathaway as the main protagonist. This means the book has to wrap up the major plot points raised thus far to leave the series with a satisfying conclusion without any major disappointments. Luckily Richelle Mead manages to do this beautifully.

After the cliff hanger ending in Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice picks up immediately and wastes no time jumping straight into the story. I have to confess after finishing Spirit Bound, I was desperate to see what happened next so I ignored the planned reading schedule I had planned and picked this up hours after finishing Spirit Bound. I was excited to see what Rose would do to clear her name. I wasn’t disappointed with the dual storylines – Rose, Syndey and Dimitri’s road trip around the country and Lissa, Christian and Adrian’s investigation to clear Rose’s name at Court. So many of the secondary characters are given larger roles this time – I especially liked seeing more of Sydney and Jill (so happy the spin series will feature them both!). The mystery about who framed Rose was intriguing – I didn’t figure it out until the last minute.

The complex and ever shifting relationships between the characters has been what has been pulling me into this series time after time. Although, I got a little frustrated with Rose at times for acting immature; she doesn’t seem to give Dimitri much time to recover from his experiences and treats Adrian badly, but then I realised she is only 18! The story does wrap up Rose’s story – although I think Lissa’s has only just begun. In addition there are a lot of questions around some of the other characters which will have me desperate to pick up Bloodlines as soon as I can!

This series has been a breath of fresh air in the crowded YA vampire genre. There’s been action and adventure, heartbreak and trials, joy and growing pains as well as a complex society with ever changing storylines that has kept me guessing throughout. The whole series has been great fun to read – and one I would recommend.

Recommended for fans of the Iron Fey and House of Night. 9 out of 10.  

Spirit Bound (VA 5) Review + GIVEAWAY

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy 5)

-          Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Penguin

**Warning this might contain spoilers for the first four Vampire Academy, but I've tried to keep it spoiler free for Spirit Bound**

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St Vladimir's Academy - and to her best friend, Lissa. 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 about to come true.

Rose is back from Russia having failed in her task, but is finally able to graduate from St Vladimir’s to become a fully fledge Guardian. This is the least of her worries though with Lissa exploring new uses of spirit  as well as her own relationship with Adrian slowly taking off. Spirit Bound takes everything we’ve learnt about the Maori world so far and starts to twist it on it’s head. The action and scheming starts at the very beginning and continues with loads of emotional ups and downs throughout. Rose is still as impulsive as ever and makes for a great narrator – even if you do occasionally want to shake her and say you’re being silly. I wasn’t keen on how she was treating Adrian when it was obvious she still has major feelings for Dimitri. She wasn’t honest with him – or even herself and it did make me feel a little resentful towards her. Still the other characters played a much stronger element this time than before with Lissa growing up and taking an active role in Rose’s schemes as well as Eddie, Adrian, Victor, Ambrose, even the Queen all playing major roles in the story.

The writing flows effortlessly and you don’t even notice the pages turning as you are so involved in plot. The story really does build on everything that’s gone before so while there is some back-story told, you really need to have read the previous four books to appreciate it all.

Once again Richelle Mead has proven that she knows how to finish a book in style – with enough meat on the bone to be satisfying, but at the same time needing you desperate for more sauce to make you want to start the next book immediately. Luckily I already had Last Sacrifice on my shelves and been able to start it straight away – as I guarantee you that if you don’t you will be desperate to get your hands on it!

Recommended for fans of Vampire Academy & Michael Grant. 9 out of 10.

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Once again I’ve ended up with two copies of Spirit Bound, so I’m giving away my spare unread copy. And as I'm in a really generous mood I'm offering this up internationally. Giveaway ends on Friday 26^th August 2011. To enter, fill in the below form & Good Luck! :-)

Blood Promises (VA 4) Review + GIVEAWAY!

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy 4)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Penguin

** Warning – this review may contain spoilers for the first three Vampire Academy books**

How far will Rose go to keep a promise? The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of many. 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 most?

First I have to say that I love the Vampire Academy series so far (and if you don’t believe me check out my reviews of Vampire Academy, Frostbite and Shadow Kissed). I love the style of writing which lets you leap into Rose’s world and her view point. I love how Richelle Mead has captured the thoughts and feelings of an 18 year old learning her place in the world. I love the unique version on the vampire myth with dhampirs, Moroi and Strigoi. I also love how each book has built on what has happened before while at the same time created a complete story in its own right.

So having said on that, I didn’t love Blood Promise as much as the first three books. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a great read and all the elements that I loved from the first three books are there. However, with Rose away from St Vladimirs, Lissa and the rest of her support group meant that some of the additional characters which coloured her world and her interactions were missing. Seeing them through Lissa’s eyes didn’t have the kind of chemistry that I liked from the other books. This was especially noticeable in the first half of the book (although I do like Sydney even if I felt like force feeding her at times!)

But what is yummy with Blood Promise is the second half of the book which I can’t say too much about without spoilers! It deals with the heart of the relationship between Rose and Dimitri and what it means to lose the one you love. This once again proved how strong and compelling Richelle can make the second half of any book. If you’ve read this far in the Vampire Academy you’ll happily pick this up desperate for another dose of Rose, Lissa and the rest. And if you haven’t started the series yet...what are you waiting for? Pick up Vampire Academy now!

Recommended for fans of Maria V Snyder and Charlaine Harris. 7.5 out of 10

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Okay, through one thing and another I’ve ended up with two copies of Blood Promise, so being the generous person I am, I’m giving away my spare unread copy. Unfortunately I’m a little broke at the moment so this is only open to UK & EU addresses. Giveaway ends on Friday 29^th July 2011. To enter, fill in the below form & Good Luck!

<GIVEAWAY ENDED>

VA: Shadow Kissed Review

Shadow Kissed (Vampire Academy 3)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Penguin

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven't felt quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all . . . might be seeing ghosts. Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world - and make her choose between the two people she loves most.

After enjoying Vampire Academy and Frostbite I was really looking forward to Rose’s next adventure and I wasn’t disappointed. We join Rose, Lissa and of course Dimitri at the start of the Guardian’s field test where they are assigned a Mori to guard while the instructors ‘fake’ attacks to see how the guardians will react. Add to this Rose is still dealing with the aftermath of events in Frostbite and starts to see ghosts...

There was significantly less teen angst this time round as Rose really starts to grow into a woman and makes some mature decisions. This doesn’t stop her from acting before thinking on occasion though! There is plenty of action throughout with some additional politics included during a trip to the vampire court. As before the prose is a delight and the characters leap of the page and practically demand their inclusion in your heart. The relationship between Dimitri and Rose takes a deep turn here with both of them actually starting to have hope for the future. However, once again Richelle Mead proves to be the queen of last minute rug-pull changes as the stakes are raised once again. It’s very refreshing to read a series where just because you like the characters, doesn’t mean that they’re safe. It makes the danger feel very real as you never know who will survive and who might not.

A fabulous instalment leaving me on the edge of my seat for the next book – and I’m sure I will fall off before I finish the series!

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers and Rachel Vincent. 9 out of 10.

Frostbite Review

Frostbite (Vampire Academy 2)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Puffin

It's winter break at St Vladimir's, and a massive Strigoi vampire attack has put the school on high alert. This year's trip away from the academy to the wintery peaks of Idaho has suddenly become mandatory. But Rose's troubles seem to follow her wherever she goes - dealing with the pain of knowing that her relationship with her tutor Dimitri can never be, things get even more complicated when one her closest friends admits his feelings for her. The glittering winter landscape may create the illusion of safety but Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

I’m a bit late to the party and have only recently discovered how brilliant Vampire Academy series is. I’ve read the first book and adored it and now I’ve finished Frostbite. This means I’ve had to run off and order the rest of the series as Richelle has created a fantastic world. There are the bad vampires, the Strigori who kill people and there are the good vampires who have access to elemental magic and are protected by dhampirs like Rose. Rose is in her last year of school and looking forward to being a guardian for her best friend Lissa when they graduate, but she’s 17 and as such is distracted by the men in her life, from long term friend Mason to her guardian mentor, Dimitri.

I have to admit it took me a while to get into Frostbite – I was reading it over Christmas and as such so many things were competing for my attention, I kept putting it down. The writing was as captivating as before but there was less of an ongoing storyline than in Vampire Academy so it was easier to dip in and out. However, all that changed in the last 100 pages when Richelle Mead showed she was pulling no punches. Decisions both bad and good by all characters have consequences and this book showed that those consequences have lasting impact. The last few pages were edge of my seat reading, keeping me up late to finish. I was shocked and it really felt like the stakes were being raised for the rest of series were no-one is safe and anything could happen.

Richelle shows how YA stories can have real consequences. Her writing style is fabulous and I really felt like I was getting to know Rose more. She’s still a teenager and does act immature at times but when it comes down to the wire she holds it together and is able to use her head – one of the best role models in YA I’ve come across. Rose doesn’t need a man to rescue her.

Recommended for fans of Maria V Snyder & Kristin Cashore. 8 out of 10

Vampre Academy Review

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1)

 – Richelle Mead

Kindle Book

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! There is romance, school politics, friendships in peril as well as life-threatening situations – everything you would want in a YA book.

The book starts with Rose and Lissa being found and taken back to St Vladimirs – a vampire academy that they ran away from two years previously. The reasons for their escape are drip-fed throughout the story so you don’t know what they were escaping at first. This gradual reveal added mystery to the story for me; however, the characters are the real joy for me. I really felt the history and depth of feeling between Rose and Lissa – despite the squabbles that all teenaged best friends have. The other supporting characters are also great – Dimitri and Christian especially were well developed and given distinctive personalities – they were more than just good-looking boys for the girls to fancy.

This is definitely a YA book with all the school politics that teenagers have and distractions – and for once I didn’t find it annoying. I really felt for Rose and wanted to know how she would escape each situation. I loved the fact that she wasn’t undefeatable – she suffered and lost sometimes but worked hard for her wins.

The vampire world Richelle Mead created is fascinated – two different kinds of vampires Moroi, who can go out in weak sun, wield elemental magic and don’t kill and Strigori who kill when they feed and have lost their elemental magic. I enjoyed this different take on the vampire myth and am looking forward to learning more in future books.

There are a couple of things that I didn’t enjoy – the ‘bad’ guy of the book was obvious to me and not a surprise at all, but this didn’t detract from the story at all and I wanted to know more about his motivations – hopefully this will be explored later as well.

This was a great start to a series – and I hope that the remaining books will develop the world and relationships further.

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Ilona Andrews. 8 out of 10.

Kirsty at The Overflowing Library is having a Vampire Academy Fortnight in celebration of the release of the final book in the series, Last Sacrifice – go check it out! J