Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: August 23, 2011
Pages: 421From the Publisher:
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…
First thoughts:
Celeste: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m so glad that I was able to buy book 2 as soon as I read the last page. Right now I’m feeling like there is so much unfinished business and book 1 only scratched the surface. Sydney Sage is a kick-ass heroine who at first appears clean cut and a total rule follower. However, while trying to win back the respect from her family and other Alchemists, she never wavers from her beliefs and is actually quite selfless. BUT, she has a huge heart and I think the next book is going to show a new side to Sydney and I can’t wait.
Jag: While I enjoyed this book, I felt like there was something missing. I kept waiting for a spark of romance to ignite but it wasn’t in the cards. Sydney is serious and self-less but admittedly socially inept. I think at this stage, even if there was a love interest, she wouldn’t know what to do with it. I’m looking forward to the second book, I think Sydney is really struggling with her core beliefs as an alchemist. I agree with Celeste, there is so much we don’t know yet.
Relation to Vampire Academy:
Jag: The Vampire Academy series is AMAZING. The series is full of action, romance (UST!) and heartache. I highly recommend it however, you don’t need to read it before you start this series. Throughout Bloodlines you get snippets of what’s happened between Rose, Dimitri and Adrian, so it’s easy to keep up.
Celeste: *whispers* I admit it, I haven’t read that series yet. I want to, but somehow I haven’t gotten around to it. While I could tell I missed some type of major story with Rose and Dimitri, this book was totally stand alone. However, I will definitely be reading VA very, very soon!
Other characters:
Celeste: Sydney’s thrown in with quite the cast of characters and it took me a while to sort everyone out. I did not like Keith from the beginning. From his greasy slicked hair and false eye he just made me shudder. I did like Jill, the moroi she is sent to protect. They posed as sisters and I think they actually ended up acting like sisters as well. I also really liked Eddie, who is such a stand up guy I could cry…I hope certain things happen for him in the next installment. The last one I will mention is Adrian….I definitely like him. A lot. He is clearly full of layers, a bit naughty, and loves women. That’s right, he falls into the delicious category of bad boy. I want to see a whole lot more of him!!
Jag: Richelle Mead has a talent for writing secondary characters. She weaves them into the storyline with ease and makes you love them or despise them *coughKEITHcough* One of my favourite aspects of the secondary characters in this book is the special ‘connection’ between Adrian and Jill. You never quite know what’s going on there because we’re watching it from Syndey’s perspective and I think that’s going to become increasingly interesting as this series progresses.
LOL moment:
Jag: What she said! ↓ EPIC LULZ!
Celeste: HILARIOUS! This won’t spoil but the description of what Adrian would like for a tattoo had me in a fit of giggles. Brilliant.
The romance:
Celeste: COME ON!!! —–>I AM READY<——– That is all I have to say about it.
Jag: GAH! WANT NOW! For real, Richelle Mead writes heart pumping ust and I miss it in this book. Bring it on in book 2.
Twists and turns:
Jag: I can’t lie, I figured out the bad guy(s) fairly early but there were still enough unknowns with regards to motivation to make the book interesting. I think Bloodlines was really about laying the foundation for the balance of the series and less about the shocking plot twists and turns.
Celeste: The novel was actually quite predictable. I predicted both villain #1 and #2. However, I was surprised by reasons for one of them. There were a few other minor bits of info that did surprise me as well, but no massive OMG moment in this book.
The ending:
Celeste: I never wanted to put the book down but at the same time it did not get intense until about 75% for me. The ending was the best part for me and not a cliff hanger. You should also know I bought The Golden Lily within 5 minutes of finishing Bloodlines.
Jag: Honestly, this book didn’t ‘own’ me the way Vampire Academy series did but I have high hopes for book 2. As I mentioned earlier, I think this book laid the foundation for the next books so I’m thinking that book 2 won’t suffer from Sophomore book syndrome as I call it. I expect it to be even better now that we’re invested in these characters.
Rec it?
Celeste: Absolutely. A quick read and lots of characters for me to fall in love with.
Jag: I would say YES based solely on my love of Richelle Mead’s writing.
About Celeste
It’s good to know that I can read this book on its own. I too have not read the Vampire Academy series. Maybe because there is so many books to get through, and seems daunting…
Hi Katherine!! I have to say that this book was good, the next book better and Indigo Spell ridiculously good. I still have a book hangover from it, or should I say Adrian. I really need to read VA myself!