Review of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Razorbill

Bloodlines  (Book 1)
By Richelle Mead
5 Scribbles

Okay, so if you’ve followed my blog at all, you know I am a total Richelle Mead fan. I was religious about Vampire Academy, and I can see now that I will be religious about Bloodlines.

Remember Sydney Sage? Sydney was the Alchemist in Russia who did some “clean up” for Rose in an effort to protect humanity from the knowledge of vampires back in the Vampire Academy series. That’s what Alchemists do—they help to hide the supernatural world from the human one.  The Bloodlines series begins with Sydney, who is put in the awkward position (for an Alchemist) of being Jill Dragomir’s new guardian.  Although Sydney is no stranger to vampires, she doesn’t particularly like them—no Alchemist does (it’s part of the code apparently) so when she’s assigned to a boarding school to pose as Jill’s roommate, she isn’t thrilled. But, Jill’s life is of the utmost importance; in order to prevent humans from discovering vampire existence, the vampire political realm must remain calm. Since Jill is the only remaining relative to the new queen (Lissa Dragomir) she has to survive to keep the monarchy intact. Seems like a simple enough assignment for Sydney, playing babysitter, until she realizes that games are afoot at Amberwood Prep and someone knows that Jill isn’t who she seems to be.

Besides the well-crafted mystery of the secretive skill-bringing tattoos, I enjoyed the fact that characters from Vampire Academy appear in the new series.  Particularly, Adrian, whose bad-boy persona fades a bit into the background as the reader gets to know Adrian through Sydney’s eyes. Eddie and Jill are also welcome additions to the “cast” even though they get less stage time than one might think in the first book. I really enjoyed getting to know Sydney, who is lovingly OCD, has a genius IQ, and a true moral north. In short, she is the polar opposite of feisty Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy. Yet, I adored Rose Hathaway, and I adore Sydney. They are like the two older sisters you wish you had—one for solid advice, and one to kick the posterior of your ex who cheated on you. Mead truly has a gift for character development.  Make no mistake however, it’s not all introspection here, there is plenty of action in book one. Jill’s life truly is in danger, and there is intrigue around every corner. Sweeter still is a light sprinkling of Sydney’s own sweet revenge, although unlike Rose, Sydney doesn’t savor that revenge so much as measure whether or not she obtained it in a righteous fashion.  In short, this is another thrilling blastoff to what promises to be another action-packed and entertaining series!

Review of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Razorbill

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines: Book 2)
by Richelle Mead
4 Scribbles

As Syndey’s work draws her closer to Jill, Eddie, and even Adrain, she begins to wonder if her beliefs about Moroi and dhampirs are all wrong. Are Moroi really evil as she was raised to believe?  Worse, as praise rains down upon Sydney from the Alchemist leadership, she wonders if she deserves it. If the leadership really knew how close Sydney was getting to the Moroi, would her supervisors continue to applaud her, or would they send her away to Reeducation Camp and “adjust” her changing values?

Book two has a new expertly-woven mystery to be solved at the Amberwood Prep (in typical Mead fashion), but with additional character development deftly inserted between the action. Romantically speaking, things begin to heat up between Sydney and a forbidden Moroi (who shall not be named here) causing Sydney to examine her previously held beliefs. Could she be falling for a Moroi? And, if she is, would falling for a Moroi be ethical? This book also reveals Sydney’s physical disadvantages. Unlike Eddie, Jill’s guardian, or Rose Hathaway, being human makes Sydney powerless to fight against the vicious Strigoi who are after Jill. Yet, it seems Sydney has another skill that may serve to protect her from the Strigoi, but is it ethical to use those skills? While the novel clearly serves as a bridge in the series, it does not feel like one. Needed backstory is natural, as are the moral dilemmas the characters face, and none of those elements detract from the action. I’ve already ordered book 3, The Indigo Spell, and am hoping to find it in my mailbox tonight (since it was released yesterday). Happy reading fellow Mead-followers!