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    The Golden Lily
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    The Golden Lily
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    The Golden Lily
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Golden Lily

    Written by Richelle Mead

    Narrated by Emily Shaffer

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Prepare to be Tested.
    The story that kicked off Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series is NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE.

    The thrilling second installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series--and a #1 New York Times Bestseller--now in paperback

    Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets-and human lives.

     

    Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California-tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

    But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi-the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die. But it's her fear of being just that-special, magical, powerful-that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else-someone forbidden to her.

    When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

    Should she trust the Alchemists-or her heart?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 12, 2012
    ISBN9781101539620
    Unavailable
    The Golden Lily
    Author

    Richelle Mead

    Richelle Mead lives in Seattle and is the author of the Vampire Academy series. When not writing, she can be found watching bad movies, inventing recipes, and buying far too many dresses.

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    Reviews for The Golden Lily

    4.5/5

    34 ratings23 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A bit better than the first in the series. I still feel like someone is writing for a potential TV series, but perhaps I was in a better frame of mind than when I read the first because the characters didn't annoy me quite as much this time.Vampires, alchemists, romance, suspense...yep, a TV series in the making. But easy to recommend to any girls that enjoy vampire romance books.
    • 5/5
      I still don't know what to say!! This book was AWESOME!! Probably the best book by Richelle Mead. It was so beautiful, Sydney's point of view really grew from what it was in Bloodlines. And don't even get me started on Adrian.... he was tol good to be true. I can't wait for the next book and the suspense is killing especially with the ending that made me sigh and swoon and keep wishing for more. I think I am going to be in a Golden Lily induced haze for a long time now. It was just so wonderful.

      I NEED THE THIRD BOOK
    • 4/5
      I'm a big fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series and the spinoff, Bloodlines, but the Golden Lily had a couple of issues that kept me from absolutely loving the book. Sydney Sage is an Alchemist who has been sent by the leaders of her group to protect Moroi Princess Jill Dragomir. She is sent to live with Jill at a boarding school located in Palm Springs, Ca. Among those with Sydney are Eddie Castile, Adrian Ivashkov, Angeline Dawes, Dimitri Belikov and Sonya Karp.

      My first issue stems with putting Dimitri into the book when he's obviously a foil for Adrian to work out those issues that he has stemming from his feelings for Rose. Other than giving something for Adrian to rail at, or at least having a reasonable excuse to feel bitter, putting him into the story didn't really do much to advance or add to the storyline in a big way. Secondly, the character Angeline Dawes is weak in just about every way possible. Another dhampire tasked with the job of protecting Jill Dragomir, I cringed everytime she hit the page. She comes across as immature, whiny, not respectful of her job or duties to protect the princess and it's Sydney that has to save her bacon time & time again. Having Dimitri & Sonya defer to Sydney's judgment when Angeline's ability to do her job correctly is called into question to me, rings false and reeks of being incredibly unlikely.

      The plot point of Sydney herself being the key to possibly preventing one from becoming a strigoi isn't really introduced into the story until close til about 2/3 into the the book. The possibility of her abilities(maybe characteristics is a better word, I dunno) are discussed beforehand but subsequently nothing is done until then.. ( and for good reasons, I'm not denying this at all) and then it felt rather rushed.

      The way the story ends, well, I'm not a fan. She wraps it up very well, and I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger per se, but it leaves you rather unsatisfied in a way. (And that's all I'm going to say!) She's not the first author, nor the last to do this, but it's not something I enjoy. Because at the end, I feel a little manipulated.

      So, in short, (congrats if you made it this far!) she spins a good story, but it is definitely not without its flaws.
    • 3/5
      I feel unaccountably annoyed after finishing this book. Sydney Sage is (mostly) an awesomely nerdy girl hero, full of grace and sass and wit. Knowledge is power, ladies and young ladies! The issue hinted at in book one - our otherwise smart girl has an eating disorder - is dealt with subtly and well in this installment, and I do love YA novels that are willing to tackle body image issues in a positive way.

      But. The romantic melodrama at the heart of the story, while probably very appealing to teen girls, is starting to feel pretty formulaic, like Mead has some sort of Mad Lib style template into which she plugs names and adjectives to produce her emo scenes of sexual tension. They're all starting to run together for me. They just seem so hollow.

      BECAUSE, and I think I've said this every time, Mead COULD clearly write a good book. A really good book. MAYBE A GREAT BOOK, YOU NEVER KNOW. Just take a quick gander at Malachai Wolfe, minor character, who steals the show with his improbable tale of battling a rabid moose. Or the small, sudden bits of near-poetry her dialogue achieves. So, so frustrating. Not living up to her potential, I would say, if I had a parent teacher conference with her parents. And yes, I believe that the young adult genre, even the vampire young adult genre, is a field in which greatness can be achieved.

      On the other hand, greatness is rarely profitable, and she's probably laughing all the way to the bank, fanning herself with a fan made of dollar bills. What do I know.

      I'll admit, though, I have this crazy but persistent fantasy of getting all her books, adult and YA, together and cutting out all the boring, repetitive sexy scenes. Maybe getting rid of most of the main characters. I'd sew the rest back together, a new epic made of her backup characters and one-liners, a story of lonesome angels and seedy demons and one-eyed moose fighters and disheveled witches and nerds. It'd be a thing of beauty.



    • 4/5
      Sydney still annoys me. I understand she has a deep religious aversion to things but that annoys me in RL people too, so....

      Love Adrian.
    • 4/5
      Sydney, our protagonist, has always known that vampires are dangerous, unnatural and need to be contained for the good of the entire human race. She and her fellow Alchemists make it their sacred mission to keep vampires secret from humans, to keep people safe. The undead Strigoi would like nothing more than to kill and eat anyone they come into contact with. Even the living, ‘good’ vampires, the Moroi, rely on human blood to survive, and need to be kept within the bounds determined by their agreements with the Alchemists.Sydney has been entrusted with an important mission: keep the Moroi Jill safe to avoid anarchy within the Moroi, which would surely result in more human exposure to the vampires. They’re hidden away in Palm Springs, instructed to keep a low profile, go to school, and blend in. At first, Sydney was unnerved at having to spend so much time with her vampire charges, but at the same time it’s hard to stop becoming friendly with them, which means walking a fine line between doing her duty and caring too much about the Moroi. Especially when some mysterious humans seem determined to kill her friends at any cost, and no one seems to know why.What you believe, why you believe it, and whether your beliefs change as you grow up are really important concerns for Sydney and you as the reader – very identifiable questions that most people can relate to all too well. Do we believe what we’ve always been taught? Or do we believe what we see, what we experience, the people we come to know?I had a lot of background with this universe already by the time I read The Golden Lily. Mead has a lovely touch with characterisation, so I was emotionally invested in how Sydney, Adrian, Jill, Eddie, Sonya and Dimitri were getting on – and in them not being killed! Sydney’s a great central character, deliberate and rational, which is why her mixed feelings about Ardian were so relatable. The central mystery is nicely foreshadowed without being (too) predictable, and there were several different plot lines that were woven in beautifully as the action heated up. Mead’s pacing is spot on; the first part of her books centre on getting to know the characters well enough that you’re genuinely worried about them by the time they’re in peril, and the danger is fast and exciting, always incorporating something I wasn’t expecting!This is the second book in what will be at least a trilogy, so not everything is neatly tied up, but Mead manages to answer enough questions that the novel doesn’t feel like filler before the final instalment. Really enjoyable, and much better than most Paranormal YA fiction I’ve (sometimes regretfully) read over the past few years.
    • 4/5
      Characters: Sydney, still on assignment in Florida watching over Jill, but she's been joined by the fiesty Angeline so she has more free time to take on some other duties. Like working with Dimitri, Sonya and Adrian. Originality: Richelle Mead has developed a very complex and intersting world with several different groups and how they interact with each other. Although her vampires so far in this spin off series act more like humans than paranormal creatures of the night as most of us are used toPlot: With Sydney having a little more freedom on how she spends her time, she finds herself dating more. But also her “family” taking up most of her free time, especially Adrian. She also finds herself getting wrapped up in more magic assignments from her teacher that make her very uncomfortable and question her beliefs as an Alchemist. Helping to participate in a study with Dimitri and Sonya has also opened up some secrets in the world that will cause a disruption to all of their lives by the end of the novel. Writing: This book had a lot of down time, the reader will get to know a lot about Sydney and her feelings and beliefs and she slowly begins to question what it really is that she believes in. The romance factor steps it up a bit also as she begins to see Brayden more often and the complications that her busy family causes the relationship. The story builds up very slowly and ends with a huge, fast paced and dangerous event that drives us to a very powerful ending chapter. Krista's Rating: There was a lot more down time in this novel and I found the distractions that Adrian kept causing Sydney was getting in the way of the storyline to progress. But for readers out there that like the romance aspect to books and even triangles may not mind so much. Plus Adrian has yet to win my heart over as a reader, so much of this story revolves around him and Sydney. I was very happy with the ending and both the action and the heartbreak. It's moments like those that really drive the reader to anticipate the next book.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: A great follow up to a spin off series, filled with emotion, adventure, and well-rounded characters.Opening Sentence: Most people would find being led into an underground bunker on a stormy night scary.The Review:Richelle Mead captivated me with her Vampire Academy series. With her latest series, Bloodlines, it solidified my fangirl status for her writing, stories, and characters. In The Golden Lily, the second book of the Bloodlines series, it was like going back to school and being greeted by familiar faces. Mead’s world and characters is established and familiar, but she always manages to surprise and entertain me.The Golden Lily revolves around Sydney. Where Bloodlines focused on the new life outside of the Academy, The Golden Lily showcases Sydney and her life with the Alchemists. Sydney must find a balance to uphold her duties, staying true to her beliefs, all while keeping Jill safe. There is unwarranted danger, and on top of everything that Sydney has going on, this is just another day for an Alchemist.Sydney has grown so much as a character. In my mind, she is no longer the Alchemist that I met in the Vampire Academy books. She is no longer the same girl that I met in Bloodlines. Instead, she is becoming an individual who is loyal to her friends and beliefs. At times, I felt that those two things overlapped, putting Sydney at a conflicting crossroads. Sydney is still uptight at times, but she wouldn’t be Sydney without having all of her quirks. I’m happy with where Mead is taking her. Each scenario has shown how Sydney can step up and make a calculated decision, putting what is most important in the forefront of that decision.It wouldn’t be a Mead story without the supporting characters. Dimitri and Sonya are supporting characters, but not exactly two that just blend into the background. Their reasons for being in Palm Springs has proved to be an interesting storyline, one that I can’t wait to see the results of. Adrian has grown in The Golden Lily. He is maturing, showing interest in something other than himself. It’s nice to see, and whenever he’s in a scene, it’s always a good thing. I’m not a huge fan of Angelique, but she keeps Eddie and Jill busy. I’m sure there will be use for her later on, but as for now, I’d rather just skip over her parts.While Mead’s world of the academy was home for a while, Amberwood Prep has made for an interesting new setting. But most of the scenes in The Golden Lily take place around Palm Springs, or even around Southern California. The freedom to change scenes and locations add another element to the story that wasn’t always there in the Vampire Academy series. It added more danger and intrigue, never allowing me to know for sure that things were safe.I can’t really say much and spoil the rest of the story, but Mead brings the tone to a little dark place within The Golden Lily. Magic and rogue groups fill the pages later on in the story, and it brings the action level up, definitely. It’s something that I have been missing in the series, thus far, and I’m glad that this second installment got a good taste of it.There’s a lot of growth throughout the story, the characters, and everything surrounding them. Mead always makes for an interesting read, and I find myself engrossed in her world.Notable Scene:“He was human? Not dhampir?” I couldn’t tell the difference, but Moroi could.“Definitely.”Sonya had stopped again and was glancing back at the guy’s retreating figure. I followed her gaze. “There must be some reason he recognized you. He seems pretty harmless.”That got me another smile. “Come now, Sydney. I figured you’d been around us long enough to know.”“Know what?”“Nothing’s ever as harmless as it seems.”FTC Advisory: I purchased this copy of The Golden Lily. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      After reading this book I have to say that this series is coming along VERY nicely. Diving right back into the world of Sydney things are starting to heat up. I really enjoyed that in this book, the reader gets to know Sydney more. I got to see her prejudiced side to vampires (yeah, didn't really like that much), as well as see her walls come down when she learns more. Sydney is a very adaptable character. Even though she is set in her ways about things, I can see Sydneys heart changing little by little. That's the cool part. At first, Sydney is all RULES, GUIDELINES and MORE RULES, to learning to sway them just a bit. And you can only imagine who her influence is eh???*SIGH* Adrian, you do know how to turn a good girl bad. LOL! Sydney gets to see a much more personal look into Adrian'd closed life. She is finally starting to understand and see what Adrian deals with everyday. I like that in turn, Adrian too is learning things for Sydney as well. Though there romance is not quite there, it is surely building up.My favorite part of the book is towards the end with Brayden. When he told her those things, I couldn't help but laugh. It was so ironic that both Sydney and I thought the same way. (You can see that I totally relate more to characters then to real life people) Anyways, it's a part of the book that I read over a few times, enjoying the hearty laugh Ms. Mead gave me.The Golden Lily is an great addition to the Bloodline series. It's brings up yet another mystery of the Alchemist and the secrets that they are hiding. Syndey is quickly catching on and is not letting anything go. The plot is right on target, leaving the reader satisfied yet unfulfilled. The Golden Lily is awesome!
    • 4/5
      Richelle Mead has created such an amazing world with Vampire Academy and I just can’t help but devour every single one of her stories. The writing is just fantastic, the characters are wonderful, and the plot is always just right. The Golden Lily, the second installment of the Vampire Academy spin-off series Bloodlines, is just as good as Mead’s previous works and has me dying to get part three (The Indigo Spell).Sydney has never been my favorite, and having her as the main character is the only thing that has detracted from my enjoyment of this series. My problem with Sydney is that she is somewhat socially inept. This would be fine if she was just a little strange, but she is just so slow to pick up on things. As a reader, I don’t like figuring things out ages before the characters, but considering how slow Sydney is, it is just impossible not to.There are two things that make The Golden Lily shine for me: Sydney’s love life and Adrian. Sydney finally starts dating, which is interesting in and of itself because she is just so different from girls her age. Adrian, of course, has a lot to say about Sydney’s new romance. Adrian is just so charming and I loved every second he was in the book. He and Sydney have an interesting dynamic and I think readers will really enjoy seeing it develop in the novel.As always, the plot reveals more behind the world of the Alchemists and the main characters continue to uncover the deepest secrets of the Alchemist/Vampire communities. Having read Vampire Academy, I strongly suspect that we are just scratching the surface of a much, much larger story.Richelle Mead has created a wonderful sequel to Bloodlines with an outstanding cast of characters, budding romances, and a solid plot. While we do have a bit of a cliff hanger, the book still has a solid beginning, middle, and end; however, it leaves you wanting just a bit more. The Golden Lily leaves you completely satisfied, but there is just this lingering hint of sweetness that makes you want to return to the story. Luckily, it will continue with The Indigo Spell in February 2012, so the wait isn’t too terribly long.
    • 4/5
      The previous book of this series, "Bloodlines", was interesting enough for me. So when this book hit the shelves, I got my hand on it like almost instantly.This book told us about Sidney's life past her Strigoi-fighting experience, how she cope up with her nightmare, with her struggle, and how she kept up with her lies that seemed to covered every inched of her life. When her everyday life become more natural, and that vampire become the part that fits nicely with her life, her reasonable belief struggle with her totally unreasonable feeling. And when her trusted friends betrayed her for a mere title, she must choose which side she would join.I (still) love how Richelle Mead wrote Sidney's thought and problem quite nicely, with it being believable while keeping it unique and sometimes hilarious. In this book, the other character had developed a lot too, especially Adrian, Jill, and Eddie.Adrian was, in my opinion, the one that had developed most. While he was just a heartbroken charmer on the first book, he had became a struggling man that readers could sympathize with at the end, which made him seemed more blood and flesh. And the whole romance thing with him and Sidney was so sweet yet heart-wrenching at the same time.Eddie was protective always, and I love how he show his chivalrous side when fighting for Jill's attention and all. Jill, on the other hand, had became stronger and less all-that-innocent-and-knows-nothing kind of girl.While keeping Richelle Mead's fast paced plot trademark, I think it was better at Bloodlines, with The Golden Lily being much more predictable and all. there was too much hint here and there that made reader knew the culprit early. But what made it better was the lessened plot sagging. And that added a whole lot points!I also love the nice cliffhanger on the ending. It made readers dying to read the next book, but satisfied them as well.One thing I'm not quite fond of was when Sidney was over thinking some trivial things, such as sugars, calories, and all those girly things. It added some characteristic and uniqueness at first, but when they were everywhere, it became slightly annoying.Overall, this book have quite an interesting character and the plot was quite good too. If you love YA Fantasy, Richelle Mead, and oh-so-sweet 'aww-ie' romance, this book is totally worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic. Enjoyed this book better than the first. Can't wait for Indigo Spell.
    • 5/5
      My biggest complaint about this book was the tortuous (to my heart) ending, and the lack of updates on my beloved Rose. And since Richelle has done this to me before, leaving me hanging and wanting so much more, I really expected it, though I have some awesome things to hold on to until Indigo Spell is released. As far as Rose, I know that this series isn't above her, it's about Sydney and Jill, along with smoking hot Adrian, but through Dimitri I hoped we might get a small guest appearance or something... But, that might just make it even harder to let go. So, notice that my biggest complaints were really praises for Richelle's writing? Yeah, safe to say that I totally enjoyed this book. Sydney is such a different main character from Rose, but she is still compelling, and it is such character growth to watch her struggle against what she has been taught her whole life and what she sees with her eyes, and feels with her heart. Are humans really capable of being as evil as vampires? Would you take a room of vamps that you trust over a group of humans that seem to be out to get you? Her answers were once crystal clear, but now, more and more she is changing. It is really hard to write the review without spoiling anything, but I loved to watch Sydney and Adrian. Getting the closer view into Adrian and what he is dealing with is exactly what I wanted at the end of Vampire Academy, and this series is delivering. His one-liners are fantastic, and we get to see a deeper and more intense side of him that VA only hinted at. I love Richelle Mead's young adult books (I haven't tried the adult ones yet, so can't speak for them), and she does not disappoint with this fast paced, page turning sequel and spin off.
    • 3/5
      Interesting addition to the Bloodlines series.Seemed a little scattered and I didn't care much for the ending. Of course that doesn't mean I won't look forward to the next from Mead.
    • 5/5
      Love this new series as much as I loved Vampire Academy. I always liked Sydney, but I now liked her as much or even more than Rose. Sydney is great as always in keeping the order and protecting those under her care. I've always had a soft spot for Adrian. I'm now really excited to see where this story line is headed and thank Mead for gifting us with this amazing world. I can't get ENOUGH!
    • 5/5
      Starting to get as good as the Vampire Academy series! I'm liking Sydney more and more, she might not be able to fight like Rose, but she's strong in other ways and I like that. And Adrian!
    • 5/5
      Sydney would love to go to college, But instead she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm springs, California--tasked woth protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary alchemist.But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, adn especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi--thefiercest vampires, the ones who don;t die. But it's her fear of being just that--special, magical, powerful--that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else--someone forbidden to her.When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.
    • 5/5
      Read for Fun!Overall Rating 4.50Story Rating 4.50Character Rating 4.50Audio Rating: 3.25 (Not part of the overall rating)First thought when finished: UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (though very true to character)What I Loved: I am just going to say it: I love that Richelle Mead knows her characters so well that she can make me scream at them while simultaneously knowing that they are doing exactly what they would do if they were real. That doesn't make some of the moments in The Golden Lily easier to read but it does make me love the characters that much more for it. I love Sydney and have since she was introduced in the VA series. She is complicated, smart, and quite frankly is adjusting as well as she can considering her world, thoughts, beliefs, and skills are tested almost daily. I find Sydney to be a delight to read. What I Liked: I think Jill is a likable character but I was glad to see less of her in this book. I have a feeling that she will be like her sister was in VA--someone who just never quite grows on me. However, can I say how much I enjoyed Ms. Redneck! Seriously, that girl is showing some spunk. I feel sorry for her that she is probably the third wheel in the Eddie/Jill triangle but hopefully she either gets her own love interest or Eddie realizes what a spitfire she really is (and not just in a filler type of way)!What made me go huh?: Is Adrian ever going to catch a break? The guy is pretty much the emotional punching bag of both series so far!Audio Review: The Golden Lily was narrated by Emily Shaffer and ran 12 hrs and 14 mins. Overall Emily did a decent job with the story. The reading pace was a little off. It seemed like she was rushing the words at times. Her Adrian voice really grated on my nerves and that was probably my biggest turn off with this audio. However, I thought that she did an excellent job with Sydney's voice. She was also pretty spot-on with the rest of the characters. I think some people will like this audio more than I did.Final Thought: I can't wait till book 3!
    • 5/5
      No one sends me into a near panic attack at the end of her books quite like Richelle Mead. Not only does she completely hook me into her vampire lore, and the mysteries each installment brings, but her characters? FAVORITES! I don’t even know where to start with this review so here is a quick breakdown of what I loved:• 400+ pages? Psh, The Golden Lily just flew by! Even with some of the repetition of things I already know (yes, I am familiar with the difference between the Moroi and Strigoi, thank you), Richelle Mead kept me fully engaged as Sydney and the gang navigated through their new conflict.• I love that the Bloodlines series, along with its characters, doesn’t read like a rehash of Vampire Academy. Sure, there are nods and familiar faces, but Bloodlines is following its own course and the character’s personalities are so individual and different.• The humor. Richelle Mead has a vibrant cast and their dynamic is the best. Seriously, these kids are posing as family and some of the things that happen are hysterical. What a strange little family they are, ha! Richelle Mead offers the right amount of wit and lighthearted moments.• The romance, ahhhhhh!! Guys, I was immediately on board with the idea of Sydney and Adrian in Bloodlines and…yes! These two have such a great connection, friendship, and I was pretty much squeeing all over the place during their interactions in this one. My emotions were a combination of “OMG!!!!!” and “LET ME DIE!” I love them something fierce. If that wasn’t enough, I love how Richelle Mead handled the romantic woes of the other characters, too. So much drama and I can’t wait to see how it continues to unfold!• The characters went through so much development. It was especially great to see Sydney willing to explore new things and reconsider what she’s known her entire life as an Alchemist. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, and she has a long way to go, but the doors are open. Adrian also does some growing up and Richelle Mead allowed a glimpse into some of his darker moments. Don’t fret, he still has all his quips and charm, but he’s become such a layered character and I love it.• The ending. My heart was racing, I was screaming inside, and then…it was over. WHY?! Richelle Mead delivered with the best of the highs and the lowest of the lows and you can bet I’ll be back to do it all over again in The Indigo Spell. Gahhhhhhh, I cannot wait!
    • 5/5
      Wow! Richelle Mead does not disappoint with the second installment of the Bloodlines series. The Golden Lily is amazing! It took me four days to finish this book because I have so much going on right now, but every time I'd pick the book up again, I'd get sucked into Mead's world. The pacing for everything is perfect. There is plenty of character-growth, action, and romance in this novel. The Golden Lily cannot be missed. Sydney grows a lot in this novel, but she doesn't change so quickly that it seems unrealistic. Her progress is very natural and believable. She's starting to question the Alchemists (thankfully), but she hasn't completely grasped that they're not the best people ever. But Sydney's not the best judge of character, so it will take her awhile to figure it out. As she's stated, she works with facts and data. Social interactions are beyond her comprehension, so it takes her longer to figure out her feelings and people's true motives than it would a "normal" person. However, she is improving, and I'm confident that she'll end up making the right choices in the end. I really enjoyed watching her grow, and her awkwardness is endearing to me. She makes me laugh, a lot. Almost as much as Adrian. Speaking of my fictional future husband, he is spectacular as always in this novel. He is snarky and sarcastic and wonderful. He also grows quite a bit, and some of his changes are shocking. He is becoming a braver and more responsible Moroi. Also, we get to see A LOT of Adrian because he is involved in every aspect of the plot. I think the overabundance of Adrian is my favorite part of this book, and I can only hope that Mead shows as much of Adrian in future books as well. I feel like I got to know him and Sydney both a lot better in this novel. The action is pretty much nonstop, though when I say action, I don't necessarily mean fight scenes. I mean intense moments, mysterious occurrences, people going missing, romantic tension, things falling apart, etc. There are a few fight scenes, but most of the suspense is because of other, less violent, events. There is one big surprise that I saw coming, but even that had a few twists that I wasn't expecting. Some of the things seemed odd when they were happening, then after everything fell in place, I got all excited like, "oh, NOW it makes sense!" There is plenty of romance in this novel, too. People get together, break up, drift apart, drift together, go against what they thought they wanted, and so on. I like where things are heading, but this book ended with a lot of characters sad, and not just Sydney and Adrian. I think things will work out for each character in the end, and I think that the fans will be really happy with what happens as the series progresses, but the ending kind of ripped my heart out a little. I have faith in Mead, though, and I know she won't lead us astray. Also, I agree with how this book ended, even though it wasn't what I wanted to happen. If things had happened the way I wanted them to happen, then it would not have been believable, and I would not have liked it. As it stands, I can't wait to see how this plays out and what happens in the third installment. The Golden Lily is just an exciting read from cover to cover. I was not bored for a single second while reading it. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster at times, and I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout most of the novel. I laughed a lot because of Sydney's awkwardness, a certain weirdness that has to do with Jill, and Adrian's sarcasm. Even though the ending was a bit sad, I still finished this book with a happy sigh. I can't wait until February! You did an amazing job, Ms. Mead.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. Right now there are six books planned for this series; the third book (The Indigo Spell) is scheduled for a Feb 2013 release. This was a decent continuation of this series. We get to see Sydney learn more about magic and watch as she copes with all of the vamps surrounding her.Sydney is still at school trying to manage Jill’s safety. The vamps in the story are conducting some testing on Dimitri to see how his blood is different from other vamps. There is a lot of high school drama going on about who loves who and Sydney goes on her first date with a guy who seems to be the perfect match for her. The stakes are upped when one of the vamps is kidnapped by a group of Vampire Hunters and only the Alchmist’s ages old connection with the group allows Sydney to help out.I enjoyed this book but when I sit down to think about what actually happened in this book, well not much happens. The first two-thirds of the book deals with Sydney trying to get through her day to day life. She finds a boy just like her (really smart and socially inept) and starts dating. She has a lot of tense scenes between her and Adrian. She tries to comfort Eddie as Jill continues to date a human. She tries to protect Eddie from Angeline’s unwanted advances. As I said lots of teenage high school drama stuff.This book really start to get interesting when the Vampire Hunters enter the story. We got hints of this in the first book, Clarence the old vamp who everyone thinks is crazy has been paranoid about Vampire hunters from day one. The history behind this group and the way it ties into the Alchemists history is really interesting.As the situation gets more dire Sydney has to face up to the fact that she is just never going to be a real physical fighter. In light of this she starts to investigate the magical abilities that first showed up in Bloodlines. This was another incredibly interesting part of the story and I can’t wait to see where this goes. I enjoy Sydney as a character she is sooo different from Rose; she is smart, socially awkward, and just a bit blind when it comes to Adrian’s feelings. The tension between Sydney and Adrian definitely goes up a notch in this book. The scenes between these two were wonderful; but the way Sydney struggles between the Alchemists’ beliefs and her love for her friends is heartbreaking at times.The book ties up nicely and adds a lot of interesting elements to the world. Mead is a very good writer; her writing is easy to read and in general very well done.Overall a pretty darn good book. Not much happens in the beginning, we just follow Sydney around as she tries to cope with everything she needs to do; it was fun to read but didn’t advance the story a ton. The last third of the book though was incredible; lots more about vampire hunters, about Sydney’s magic, and some wonderful scenes between Adrian and Sydney. Highly recommended for fans of the Vampire Academy series and for fans of paranormal YA books. I can’t wait to see what happens in The Indigo Spell.
    • 5/5
      This is – hands down – my new favorite book of 2012! My only complaint about Golden Lily is that it caused me to lose sleep. I finished this book in one day…and what an emotional day that was!Normally I would write a little synopsis of the book, but not this time. Richelle Mead’s work speaks for itself. If you’re considering this book, chances are you’ve probably not only read Bloodlines, but also the entire Vampire Academy series; if you haven’t…then welcome to the Richelle fan club. With that said I’m just going to write a few little tidbits about some of the character development within this second installment of the Bloodlines series.Richelle Mead leads us back to Palm Springs and back into the lives of Jill, Eddie, Sydney, Adrian, and Angeline. We also see more appearances from Dmitri and Sonya Karp than we did in Bloodlines. Sydney goes through a lot of personal and emotional growth in this sequel. She not only learns more about the real history of Alchemists, but she also starts to realize that she has more loyalty and tolerance for the Moroi and Dhampir races…and that scares her because she doesn’t want that info to get back to the Alchemists because they would send her to the re-education center (which she is terrified of). The prejudice that her upbringing taught her (both from her father and the Alchemists) is very hard for her to overcome and she battles with it every day. The decisions that she makes along her journey in this book will make you…. (Nope, not going to give spoilers, it’s MUCH better to not know what’s going to happen – trust me, it will be worth the wait.)And let us not forget about the sexy, and ever-inebriated, Adrian. For anyone who fell in love with Adrian during the Vampire Academy series (or even if you just discovered him in Bloodlines), be prepared to completely swoon over him yet again. We’ve all adored this sexy man who seems like he’s in a constant battle with his mental health (thanks to his spirit magic), but in this book Adrian takes it to an all new level. I won’t give more details and spoil the plots twists & turns, but just know that hiding his feelings behind his sardonic quips and his constant smoking and drinking just isn’t going to cut it this time.Buy Golden Lily and get lost in between the pages. I will definitely be reading this book a couple more times before Bloodlines #3: The Indigo Spell comes out on February 12, 2013!!!
    • 5/5
      The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead is the second Bloodlines book, a series set in the same world as the Vampire Academy books.I felt that The Golden Lily was tighter and had a bit more depth to it plot-wise than the first book, Bloodlines. A big part of this, I think, was that Meade had the chance to set up some of the characters and situations in the previous book. Sure we already knew most of the main characters in Bloodlines, but the plot was more high-school shenanigans (with a dangerous undertone, of course). In The Golden Lily, I felt like part of an overarching plot was set up and at the end I had a clearer idea of where the series was going (particularly given the title of the next book...).The characters, especially Sydney, continue to be developed in The Golden Lily. There were some hilarious moments associated with her love interest (a new character) and her coming to terms with the world of dating. Mead also used the opportunity to draw some interesting parallels between Sydney's love-life and other characters'. It was entertaining watching her struggle with understanding that aspect of people while excelling in all other areas.Dimitri, central in the Vampire Academy books, plays a role in The Golden Lily and it was fascinating seeing him through someone else's eyes. In the Vampire Academy books, I couldn't help empathising with Rose's feelings for him but Sydney is relatively ambivalent towards him (beyond him being a part of her team) and I enjoyed seeing this different perspective.I am looking forward to reading the next instalment, The Indigo Spell, which comes out in February 2013. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Bloodlines or the Vampire Academy books. It's not as essential to read Bloodlines before reading The Golden Lily as it is with other series, but the series would definitely work better in order. It's definitely not necessary to read the Vampire Academy series before the Bloodlines books. If you felt a bit meh about Bloodlines, I'd still suggest giving Golden Lily a go, since I feel it is a stronger book.4.5 / 5 stars