Bloodlines (Bloodlines, Book 1)

4.5 Stars! Wonderful YA Book

Whack! Pow! Holy alchemist! Punch in the face Batman! What a beginning and what an ending to a series kickoff that I just know is going to be a helluva ride. Team Adrian fans get ready because what you didn’t get in Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead delivers ten-fold in Bloodlines. Our favorite Moroi is back with a vengeance and fully loaded with squee-worthy moments. Can’t wait for more! Yes, it’s no surprise I’m Team Adrian, and I have been ever since Dimitri uttered in Spirit Bound those sucktastic words I've given up on you. Love fades. Mine has... to Rose. That was gut-punch harsh and difficult to let go no matter his real purpose and ultimate choice. So when Vampire Academy concluded and Adrian was left shattered and rejected, I knew he deserved so much more and the hard lesson that the good guys don’t always win was waved in the faces of Team Adrian fans. But now we’ve got a whole new story to be told and that’s pure EXCITEMENT! In this first installment of Bloodlines, the story picks up shortly after Vampire Academy ends. I’m thinking about a couple of months or less. The court is in turmoil over Vasilisa Dragomir’s reign as queen and some people want to see her gone. However, rather than striking directly at the target, they go for her sister Jill because by getting rid of her, Lissa will be forced to forfeit her throne. To circumvent this plan of attack, Jill is tucked away at Amberwood Preparatory Academy with a posse of guardians including the Alchemist Sydney Sage, the dhampir Eddie and our beloved Adrian. They band together to keep Jill safe and try to move on and build some semblance of a life in the aftermath of VA. I feel Sydney was the perfect choice to narrate this story as the main character. She might not be punk-rock tough like Rose...yet, but you can see her slowly developing from timid, yes-girl to don’t-mess-with-me badass. She has a lot to prove to her people because of her involvement with Rose’s escape. But as the story progresses, she realizes that sometimes she needs to take some risks and make some hard choices to discover the truth and uncover her full potential. Adrian is absolutely perfect in this book. He delivers his ever-smooth performance of carefree slacker, but when you take a closer look it’s obvious he has some recovering to do in the wake of Rose’s ultimate choice. You can clearly see he’s trying to get away from his past and find a purpose for himself. He’s realizing his love for Rose was misguided and begins to take strides to steady himself after the fallout. This book covers some heavy ground by showing how life lessons, character development and unpaid debts are just a few struggles to overcome. The bond between the four main players, Sydney, Eddie, Adrian and Jill is forming and I can’t wait to see where their journey will lead. Great series kick-off that Vampire Academy fans will enjoy!

#45stars #review #ya #magic #vampires