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
Ah, I totally need to read this one! I bought it when it first came out, and it's just been collecting dust on my shelf. I think I'm really afraid that it won't be good and I'll be in the minority. I love these covers so much. So cute.
ReplyDeleteI was scared about that as well. I had both the first and the second books for about 6 months and just decided on a whim to read it. It's a little slow for those familiar with VA, but the end makes up for the slow parts!
Deletewow great review!!! I only read the first book of VA (Yes i totally suck) but i really loved it!! Im glad there wasn't much you didnt like! Cant wait to finish VA and start this!!
ReplyDelete- Farah @ MajiBookshelf
Oh my gosh, VA will rock your world. I was an emotional wreck reading those books! I loved them and they've quickly climbed up to be one of my favorite series of all time!
DeleteYour thoughts mirror my own. I was really hesitant to start Bloodlines. VA is one of my top three series of all time up there with Harry Potter. I was nervous to give BL a shot because I didn't want to be let down. BL did start out slow, we had to get to know a whole new set of characters and of course, no Rose or Dimitri. In the end I was pretty impressed by BL. I feel like we were able to really explore Adrian's character. I love Adrian SO DAMN MUCH. Even though I always new it'd be Dimitri at the end, I totally rooted for Adrian in VA. I don't know if you have read it yet, but Golden Lily is even more awesome then BL. It's not Frostbite-awesome but it's still a really great sequel.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I am totally in love with Adrian and always was... but you knew he was going to lose out. I'm loving that we get to see what's in store for him in this series.
DeleteI'm super pummped to start GL but I've been trying to hold off... which has been kind of a problem. I want to wait until it's a little closer to The Indigo Spell coming out, but it's making it hard for me to focus on other books haha. I find myself only thinking about starting GL, so it's been challenging to read a few books in between. Thankfully, I started "The Archived" today and I'm loving it. But GL will surely be my nest read.