Richelle Mead
Bloodlines, Book 1
Richelle Mead's return to the world of Vampire Academy gives us a new perspective: Sydney Sage, Alchemist. After aiding Rose's escape when Rose was accused of murdering Queen Tatiana, Sydney is in disgrace with her fellow Alchemists. So when an assignment comes along, she's willing to take it - even if it means spending all her time with unnatural vampires. Sydney is assigned to protect the new queen's sister Jill, who was recently attacked. But her colleague Keith is more of a hinderance than a help in this task, and when Moroi vampires start turning up with their throats slit, Sydney and the vampires wonder if there's more going on in Palm Springs than meets the eye.
Despite having a very similar cast with only a few new characters, Bloodlines really does feel like a new series. Sydney's voice and decisions are very different from Rose's, and the story is set entirely away from Court and St. Vladimir's. Learning about the Alchemists was interesting, and another difference from VA. On the other hand, if you read this book without reading Vampire Academy first, I imagine you'd be pretty confused.
I was happy to see Adrian, Jill, and Eddie again, with cameos from Rose and Dimitri. Mead's characters are always a joy to read, which is why she's one of my favorite authors. Although it would have been nice to have a few more new non-peripheral characters in the story, Sydney's evolving attitude toward the vampires was more than interesting enough to bring a new perspective to the story.
The plot focused more on the Alchemists' issues than the vampires', though it's obvious there will be more of those to come. The story is full of surprises, so I don't want to reveal much here, but there was plenty of excitement and drama.
All in all, I really enjoyed Bloodlines, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Characters: 4 cupcakes
Plot: 5 cupcakes
Style: 4 cupcakes
Overall: 4 cupcakes
Bloodlines, Book 1
Richelle Mead's return to the world of Vampire Academy gives us a new perspective: Sydney Sage, Alchemist. After aiding Rose's escape when Rose was accused of murdering Queen Tatiana, Sydney is in disgrace with her fellow Alchemists. So when an assignment comes along, she's willing to take it - even if it means spending all her time with unnatural vampires. Sydney is assigned to protect the new queen's sister Jill, who was recently attacked. But her colleague Keith is more of a hinderance than a help in this task, and when Moroi vampires start turning up with their throats slit, Sydney and the vampires wonder if there's more going on in Palm Springs than meets the eye.
Despite having a very similar cast with only a few new characters, Bloodlines really does feel like a new series. Sydney's voice and decisions are very different from Rose's, and the story is set entirely away from Court and St. Vladimir's. Learning about the Alchemists was interesting, and another difference from VA. On the other hand, if you read this book without reading Vampire Academy first, I imagine you'd be pretty confused.
I was happy to see Adrian, Jill, and Eddie again, with cameos from Rose and Dimitri. Mead's characters are always a joy to read, which is why she's one of my favorite authors. Although it would have been nice to have a few more new non-peripheral characters in the story, Sydney's evolving attitude toward the vampires was more than interesting enough to bring a new perspective to the story.
The plot focused more on the Alchemists' issues than the vampires', though it's obvious there will be more of those to come. The story is full of surprises, so I don't want to reveal much here, but there was plenty of excitement and drama.
All in all, I really enjoyed Bloodlines, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Characters: 4 cupcakes
Plot: 5 cupcakes
Style: 4 cupcakes
Overall: 4 cupcakes
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