REVIEW: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

The first novel of the companion novel to Richelle Mead's bestselling Vampire Academy series, Bloodlines is a must read for anyone who loves VA, vampires or just a great novel.

I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's 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. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

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 unlikeliest of places—a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside—and within—the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

description from bloodlinesseries.com

Just a side note to say that I have read Vampire Academy prior to starting Bloodlines, so I would recommend that you read VA before as it would bring more enjoyment and a greater understanding of the novel. 

I loved Bloodlines - it was awesome - I couldn't stop reading. In true Richelle Mead style, Bloodlines is addictive, funnily enough you have cravings to read it, not to dissimilar to the vampires she writes about... hmmm.

I liked that it was a companion novel with new problems that stemmed off the old problems from Vampire Academy. It made the connection well, yet allowed the plot to focus on the story of the minor characters from the other novels. 

In my opinion, one of the best aspects about this novel was that Adrian was frequently part of the action. Now, I am very biased as I adore Adrian (yes, more than Dmitri - don't kill me!) and think he is absolutely hilarious. I could go on to argue that Rose was horrible to him - but that's a whole other story! I just think that he added an element to the book that it needed -comic relief. 

I enjoyed being able to explore the alchemist's world more, the relationship that Sydney has with the vampires and how it comes to change during the story.

A little side note/ fangirl rant on this topic: I was delighted to see that Abe made a cameo so that we could learn about his past with Sydney. I think that Abe is really entertaining.

Don't fret Rose fans - she makes a cameo too... and some one else... mwa ha aha ha ha!

The mystery was great and the fact that it was left open for The Golden Lily only lets me wonder where it is going to be taken next... CAN'T WAIT!!!

I also think that the progression of the plot went at a nice pace, giving you enough time to connect the dots, enjoy the moments in between and the book was not too long or dragged out. But I also have to be a bit of a 'Negative Nancy': Maybe it was just me, but some of the plot elements were too predictable?! 

Tell me what you think in the comments section below!

Don't let my weird psychic-ness put you off - Bloodlines is an awesome read that is great for fans of vampire novels, VA, Richelle Mead, teenage girls 13+ or someone who is looking for a great read. 

Once again - I suggest that you read VA prior to Bloodlines for a better understanding and enjoyment of the novel...

Looking forward to The Golden Lily, look out for the review - I know I am looking forward to it!

LINKS:

www.bloodlinesseries.com 

A great review at The Reading Date

Interview with Richelle Mead and GOLDEN LILY EXCERPT at Entertainment Weekly

Bookstore Rampage

I went on a bit of a bookstore rampage with my mum this weekend. These are just the YA novels that we bought. Don't forget magazines, notebooks, just general books, and stuff with writing...

Anyway - I got Revived!

My Mum and I  have way too many copies of Pride and Prejudice already, but we just can't resist buying another when we see it in a nice format...

The Raven Boys Sneak Peek

I was excited when I found out Maggie Steifvater has a new series coming out soon in September - The Raven Boys. It sounds intriguing and gothic, and it seems to be just that.

Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III has family money, good looks, and tons of friends, but something’s missing from his life: He won’t stop searching for Glendower, a vanished Welsh king, who — legend has it — will grant one wish to the one who finds him. Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there — known as Raven Boys — can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his fellow Raven Boys come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But now she’s not so sure.
Check out a sneak peek below, the first two chapters.



(via Entertainment Weekly)

Gold Mining

Do you ever go to the library and find that book sitting their, looking all modest, and you pick it up, only to find that it sounds great? Do you read it, it's awesome and wonder why it's so under-rated?

Well, that's what happened to me, and I struck gold: Lost it by Kristen Tracy.

I started the first day of my junior year of high school zitless and basically happy. I was sixteen and feeling good. I didn't have any major issues. Okay, that's not entirely true. For weeks I'd been growing increasingly concerned about Zena Crow, my overly dramatic best friend. She'd been going through a rocky stretch and had been talking incessantly about building a bomb. Not a big bomb. Just one that was big enough to blow up a poodle.

What would you do...

...if your best friend were plotting the annihilation of a small, furry neighborhood poodle? Or if your parents up and moved to an Outward Bound-type survival camp in the middle of the desert? How about if your grandmother bought you new bras and underwear -- and you actually thought they were a teensy bit, umm, sexy?

Most people would not react well.

Tess Whistle's junior year of high school is off to a fairly bizarre start. One might even say her life is spiraling out of control. But with her sense of humor firmly intact and her first real boyfriend on her arm, Tess is dealing with the ridiculous twists quite well, thankyouverymuch.

Just wait until her shoes explode.

Hilarious, genuine and the perfect light read, Lost It is really under appreciated and deserves a bit of a spotlight - so here it is!

Have you read any books that are absolute gold, but not many know about? Tell me in the comments section, I'll reply and publish some of them on the blog. 

Plus, all her other books sound great - and the covers are awesome!

Revived

I'm really excited about author Cat Patrick's new book, due to come out in May this year. I read forgotten and loved the premise - Patrick has some really original ideas and executes them well, so keep an eye out for Revive. 


As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined...

UPDATE:
SORRY! I seem to have messed up the dates! If you live in Australia, Revived came out on the 1st of APRIL!!! That means that I can go buy it! Yay! *Celebratory Dance*. And I also feel like a fool for getting the date wrong - SORRY!


You can also read an awesome review over at Reading Wishes by clicking here.







Cat Patrick is an author of books for teens. Her debut novel, FORGOTTEN (available now), is about a girl who can remember the future instead of the past, and was praised by NYT bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher, as a "mindbending," one-sitting read. The book is being translated into 21 languages and Paramount bought the movie rights, with True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld attached to star as the main character, London Lane.

Patrick's second (unrelated) novel, REVIVED, is about a girl who's part of a secret government program to test a drug that brings people back from the dead. REVIVED will be available in the US May 2012, and in the UK and Australia Summer 2012.

Patrick lives near Seattle with her husband and twin 3-year-olds, and is afraid of zombies, planes, and zombies on planes.