Showing posts with label Richelle Mead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richelle Mead. Show all posts

Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 12th May 2013



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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 20th March 2013




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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 27th February 2013




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Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead


Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead 

Publishers: Razorbill
Published Date:  August 23rd 2011
From: Bought
My rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway.

But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California.

But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning..
Review:
It took me a few times to get into this book. It's been on my ´to-read' since it came out. Mostly because I wasn't that interested in the Alchemists when they featured in the Vampire Academy series. Sydney Sage was an interesting character in the story but I didn't think she had the charisma to pull off a spin-off series.

Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong. But if you're looking for something that equals Vampire Academy then this isn't it. It doesn't really compare with the series nor hold the intensity of life at Court with Lissa and Rose, and the wheelings and dealings of dhamphirs and moroi. Part of what kept most people addicted to VA was the fiery relationship between Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov and how their love story pans out.

Bloodlines isn't a love story. Sydney Sage becomes more of a detective and caretaker,  unravelling the secrets of her new life in Palm Springs. What makes this book compelling are the other characters that have been brought over to this series. Eddie, Jill and of course the wonderful Adrian, and if you haven't read Adrians Lost Chapter then read it here!

Back to Bloodlines, after the happenings of Last Sacrifice, Jill, Sydney, Eddie and Adrian are all moved to Palm Springs. Jill needs her education and also needs to stay hidden from the political world of the moroi. She's the only other Dragomir and Lissa's throne depends on her being alive. New characters come into play. Jill starts dating. Sydney wants to keep her Alchemist head on but things start spiralling out of control when moroi girls start dying. Plus a new tattooist in town is giving tattoos to the rich kids who can pay, and the tattoos are spelled to give extra abilities be it strength, speed or popularity. Enter Sydney and her Alchemist knowledge, and Adrian, who has nothing to do all day. Together they start to figure out that something more sinister is at work in Palm Springs and it needs to be stopped.

The ending leads into a interesting cliffhanger that made me immediately want to grab Book 2, The Golden Lily.

Overall, this spin-off has an interesting premise and I was surprised at how much I really liked Sydney. And there is a certain chemistry going on with her and Adrian that will, I'm sure, develop into more. A good start to the series, now lets see if The Golden Lily can hold its own as the sequel!

-CB x



You can reach Richelle Mead here:
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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 13th February 2013




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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 28th December 2012






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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 11th June 2012


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Latest Blogs from our Favourite YA Authors - 1st June 2012


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Latest Blogs from our Favourite Authors - 8th May 2012



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


4 out of 5

Synopsis:

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Review:

I read this book twice before wanting to offer a review. The first time I read it I was a little annoyed. The second time I understood.
Firstly, Rose has to clear her name for the henious crime she's been accused of. Her friends help her out and soon she's on the run with Dimitri and a surprise addition of Sydney.
The romance goes back and forth with the love triangle until Sonya Karp comes back into the story and then Rose finally has to place her pieces in order. What is most important to her - the love of Adrian, the love of Dimitri or her devotion to Lissa?
To begin with I was surprised by her rebuff of D considering how much they grew together again in the last book. But though the author didn't ever write it in Rose's narrative we hear Dimitri constantly saying words that he did when he was Strigoi. "You can't run from me, I will always find you etc". Was Rose scared of this or did she just want to get away from him? Unfortunately we don't really find the answer. While Dimitri constantly reminds her of all the horrible things he did while in his former guise, he does go on abit saying the same things over and over again in the story even until the end.
Rose seeks Lissa out in her head and figures out what exactly her friends are doing in her absence, however again, too much filler.
When the story ended (after my first read) I was disappointed that the Author had headed in this direction. The life at the Moroi Court wasn't that interesting for me. I wanted more action from the Guardians and more from the Alchemists. However after the second read I finally got it.
Rose's life has been completely dominated (and we learn this even from the first book) by her need to protect Lissa. The guardians devote their lives to the Moroi and to protect them.
I was expecting more to come from Dimitri's ability to remember the Strigoi groups scattered around the world and possibly was hoping that they would start a campaign to find them and either defeat them or turn them. 
But, the Guardians motto comes back to mind. Nothing else matters except the Moroi - they come first.
Many reviewers have mentioned Adrian. I don't think Adrian was ever deserving of Rose, and I think Adrian is so screwed up that he acted badly when he asked Rose to consider him when she came back (Blood Promise). Has he no heart? Why would he even think that she would be able to consider him when the love of her life has just been turned? Selfish? Yes, I think so.
So, Rose turns to him for affection like a comfort blanket, nothing more. At the end of Last Sacrifice he reacts badly but in my opinion he deserves it. He needs to grow a spine.
Ultimately Dimitri and Rose come together and most of the story gets sown up nicely. But a little niggle remains so this is food for thought.
They, neither of them, mention Dimitri's family who all still think he's Strigoi. Wouldn't you want to tell them straight away? Didn't they deserve that after looking after Rose so well?
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Review - Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy 5) by Richelle Mead

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
Salvation has its price.
The words stunned Adrian for a moment, but he kept going. "You're lying. What you're describing is impossible. There's no way to save a Strigoi. When they're gone, they're gone. They're dead. Undead. Forever."

Robert's next words weren't directed at Adrian. They were spoken to me. "That which is dead doesn't always stay dead...."

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. 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. 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's silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price?
My Review:

The Rose that we love has gone! We're left with a whinging girl who thinks that if she mouths off and pushes her weight around then she'll get answers. Bearing in mind that she is only eighteen and only the 'would-be' guardian for the last Dragomir descendent (nothings definite) I think she's got a little too big for her boots. Gone is the growing up phase where we hoped we would see a little more calm and rationality but I guess this is where love really hurts and affects us in different ways.

To begin with she persuades Lissa to help in getting Victor Dashkov out of prison. The very man who used Lissa in the first book for his own means and gains. Why would anyone who had been treated so unjustly agree to anything like this?
So, Adrian gets in on the action in Vegas too but really offers very little support or help in Rose's quest. A little bit disappointing.
And then Lissa and Christian begin their own little subterfuge for Rose's sake and one we know little of until they meet Dimitri finally and return him to his former self.
At this point I can only feel sorry for Rose (who is still acting irrational) as we, the reader, fear that Dimitri's affection is being transferred bizarrely to her best friend in a strange and unusual way. Dimitri emerges from his change a broken man but refuses to have anything to do with Rose. Again, thinking about his so called honour that he constantly talks about- wouldn't it be the honourable thing to openly speak to Rose and pointedly say that he's sorry instead of getting Lissa to pass on his messages?
At the end we see the former lovers finally arriving on a level ground when yet again disaster happens, but for this time its Rose.
It's a shame that this book couldn't have been wrapped up sooner. I did feel that 'filler' was the operative word in this book and more depth should have been emphasised on Dimitri and Rose's characters. They just feel a little bit shallow and not really deserving of the second chance they have both been given. Rose has no tolerance whatsoever and Dimitri has lost all value of life but instead of feeling sorry for them as a couple I just want to bang their heads together!
If you've been reading the series then you'll still love it (as I did!) but be prepared for annoyance!

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

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

by



Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

My Review:

This book wasn't really up to the standard of the last 3. Rose disappears to Siberia to trace Dimitri's family and for my liking spends a little too much time dallying than getting on with what she must. We meet the Alchemist, Sydney, who shows that while she finds dhampirs, moroi and strigoi all unquenchably vile she's willing to accept Rose for what she is.
Rose eventually finds Dimitri but of course he's Strigoi. More time passes as she's kept prisoner by him. All he wants to do is awaken her. All she wants to do is kill him.
For me this is the ultimate in any love story and I can truly understand why Rose doesn't act immediately. She's still drawn to him even though he's the enemy. We see that her understanding of Strigoi changes as she tries to dampen her feelings towards Dimitri but cannot. 
Rose also delves into Lissa's mind and finds her friend has been picking up bad habits from a newbie at school. Lissa is suffering and needs Rose's help. This part of the story spoilt it as I think more should have been focused on Rose.
We're left with another cliff hanger which will lead straight on to book 5. 

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


4 out of 5

Synopsis:
Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret .... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

My Review:
The darkest book so far. Rose and Dimitri get much closer in this novel. Rose also has Adrian peering into her dreams. She's seeing Mason as a ghost, and she begins to realise what it is to be 'Shadow-kissed'.


Rose begins her field experience and falls short immediately. But she's too scared to tell anyone the reason why because no one will believe her. She visits the Court for Victor Dashkovs trial. The evil villian threats to expose her and Dimitri's secret but he starts baiting her with her shadowkissed past.
Eventually when she returns from the Court she confides in Dimitri after passing out on the flight back. Their relationship climbs to new levels and when Strigoi attack the school she starts to feel more like his equal. Except the worst thing imaginable happens to Dimitri and ultimately she must make a decision. Does she stay at school or do what must be done?

Brilliant story that will test your emotional levels to the max!


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