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Bloodlines
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Bloodlines
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Bloodlines
Audiobook12 hours

Bloodlines

Written by Richelle Mead

Narrated by Emily Shaffer

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The first book in Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive--this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.


From the Trade Paperback edition.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 23, 2011
ISBN9781101461747
Unavailable
Bloodlines
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 Bloodlines

Rating: 4.103151816618912 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bloodlines suffers in contrast to the Vampire Academy books. So much so that I had to make a distinct effort to separate them in my mind while reading. That being said, I liked Sydney well enough to keep reading. Watching her change from the Sydney we first met, the "perfect" Alchemist, to someone who questions the beliefs she's been taught is fascinating.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    [Cross-posted to Knite Writes]Well, Richelle Mead has never disappointed when it comes to plot and characters. While I do find some of her plot elements predictable, I didn’t when I started reading VA back in my good old teenage days. Which tells me I’ve just outgrown Mead’s YA novels a bit. -shrug- The thing about Mead is that her books are fun to read even if they are predictable, which is a skill many writers never master.At times, I find Sydney a frustrating protagonist, not because I dislike her character, but because she’s constantly conflicted about everything, and it takes her so long to work through her personal issues (read: she still hasn’t resolved most of them at the end of The Golden Lily). It makes her annoying to read at times, especially because I can predict many of the choices she’ll make in the end. Its inevitable that she’ll cast off many/most of the outdated, racist, paranoid alchemist teachings in favor of a better world view.I liked seeing Adrian again, very much, and I can only hope he gets a better deal at the end of this series than he did at the end of VA. He’s always been one of my favorite Mead characters, and I look forward to seeing his development continue throughout this series.I think one of my greatest criticisms of Bloodlines is that it felt less…”dangerous” than VA. There was danger for Sydney, sure, but Rose was such an active and (sometimes) reckless protagonist that there was a lot more immediate danger throughout the VA plots. Lots of Strigoi battles, lots of near death experiences, lots of action. Bloodlines was a lot more tame (until the very, very end), and there was a much longer buildup. I miss the adrenaline rush that accompanied the VA novels. I hope the subsequent Bloodlines novels involve more action more evenly distributed throughout.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was a great book! LOVE Sydrian <3
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was a huge fan of the Vampire Academy series, so when I first heard about this spin-off series I had very mixed emotions. I don't have much experience with spin-offs but I felt that VA was so good, I didn't want anything to taint the world for me. Plus, I had grown to love the main characters in the series so I didn't know what to expect with them taking to the sidelines while the characters who were on the sidelines in Vampire Academy took the spotlight. This book actually came in the mail from the publisher, unrequested. My mixed emotions stayed with me for all of a day - then I got all anxious and just had to read it. Honestly? I'm glad I did.My favorite characters taking a backseat to the other characters didn't bother me as much as I thought, but I think the main reason is that the characters taking the stage this time around were characters that I did enjoy in the other series. Sydney was a great character. Although she is no Rose, she's amazing in her own ways. Where Rose was always a kick-ass character who dove into action, Sydney felt more realistically human to me in that she is eighteen, yet still learning who she is and is sometimes vulnerable. Of course, this might have to do with that fact that Rose wasn't exactly all human... but I liked both of them for very different reasons. I also loved the fact that Adrian took a bigger role in this book than what I was expecting. I loved him in Vampire Academy and it was good to see him, though his pain sometimes made my heart ache. However, we still had some very Adrian moments that definitely let us know he's still Adrian... just an Adrian trying to get over heartbreak.Bloodlines is written exactly the way that we've come to expect and love from Richelle Mead - which is nothing less than page-turning. There's action, an amazing plot and some cameos that were not expected but definitely welcomed. The one thing that this novel lacked that Vampire Academy did not was a love interest and romance. There were hints to some that may come along in the next book, but it definitely took a backseat to everything else in this one. At the end, there were some unanswered questions but I'm sure we'll get our answers as the series continues. If you haven't read the Vampire Academy series, you may be a little lost. Richelle Mead definitely put some information in to help you out, though I don't know if it's substantial enough to keep you completely informed.Overall, this was a great start to a spin-off series and I absolutely adored it. Vampire Academy fans will definitely feel at home with the familiar characters. Everyone else will enjoy a great story full of engaging characters and a spectacular plot that will have your head spinning.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Note: There are Vampire Academy spoilers in this review. Actually, I don't know. Just don't read this review without reading Vampire Academy. Yes, all six of dem Vampire Academy books. Hop to it, you little bunnies. It's so worth it. Heck, go freaking buy Vampire Academy. It was so good. Anyway, I finished this book a week ago, so hopefully I can conjure up the feelings that I had after finishing that book. Let's just start with the obvious: this was not as good as Vampire Academy. I hate saying this, since I did love this book, it's just that Bloodlines is a bit--okay a lot--slower than Vampire Academy. And a lot less romance. But I mean, even though it's slow, it's the kind of slow that you can just read and still enjoy. I'm just saying that it's not toe-curling, seat-gripping, hair-ripping worthy. Basically, this book is just about Sydney, who helped Rose in the Vampire Academy Series, and about how she needs to redeem herself as an Alchemist since working with a vampire is kindofsortof illegal and frowned upon in their Alchemist society. Sydney goes to a new town to room with a vampire (Lissa's sister, Jill Dragomir) and keep her hidden since the Strigoi are looking for her to kill her since she's pretty much the heir to the throne. During her visit, Sydney makes friends: Adrian, Eddie, Lee, that roommate dude, and those girls. I was extremely intrigued by Trey, and it was a shame that his character wasn't elaborated on much. Honestly, the first plot twist was so predictable it was almost laughable. I'm usually horrible at predicting plot twists and surprises, but this one was just so apparent that I was surprised it was even considered a plot twist. The second one though. That ending. The ending, holy crap. The ending was what got this book four stars, in my opinion. It was shocking, and I didn't expect it at all, which is what a good ending should me. The last line though left me dying to read the next book, The Golden Lily. The characters are alright, I guess. Obviously, Adrian is pretty fleshed out, but that's because he was in Vampire Academy. I think Sydney was a bit boring, to be truthful, as well as Jill and the others, but it wasn't so horrible that I wanted to gouge my eyes out. Keith was just an jerk. I'll leave it at that. Adrian was definitely my favorite, and think that's because of his snarkiness and sarcasm. I definitely recommend this to those who have read Vampire Academy. I put this book off for three years, but now that four books are out, I have no excuse. I just hope the cliffhanger in The Fiery Heart doesn't kill me, because you know, two more books to go.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A low end 3. Having not read the Vampire Academy series before Bloodlines, there were a lot of past events and an inferred understanding that the reader had already read VA. Took some time to get into it, not really getting super interesting until about 65% into it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars

    I liked this book, but it wasn't as good as the Vampire Academy books for me. I figured out things that were potential surprises almost immediately. What I loved about the story was Adrian. What was most interesting to me was Sydney's blood being different and thinking about where her magic possibilities will lead. I will definitely continue the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The storyline was quite obvious in a lot of places, however, the characters make it enjoyable and like all her books Richelle Mead leaves readers with lots more questions and a shock at the end of the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I did a complete re-read of the series so far already this year (though I'm too lazy to add the others to my library), and I still love it. Sydney Sage is so relatable for me, and I love how her development is tangible as the series progresses. Only 11 days til The Ruby Circle comes out!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Overall it was just as entertaining as Mead's other works and still has her sense of humor. However it didn't go above entertaining for me mostly because the plot and 'mystery' aspects were way too obvious. I easily knew the ending less then a quarter of the way through the book and even know some things that weren't revealed in this book and I assume will make up part of the plot of book two, which I will be reading next. Even with the predictability factor it was an enjoyable read especially if you liked the vampire academy universe.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I read the Vampire Academy series I read all 6 books in 2 days. I knew about this series, but I wanted to save them for myself. Also, I didn't think I'd really enjoy reading the books from Sydney's POV as much as Rose's. Honestly, I think I like them more. If I'd have known Adrian was in the books I wouldn't have been able to hold off reading them as long as I did. Adrian is practically my favorite character in all of the books. I MISSED YOU ADRIAN!I always found Sydney super uptight, and she still is, but I grew to love her a whole lot more. I really love that for once there are a lot of humans in the books. For all of the VA series the only human that is involved with vampires is Sydney. It certainly gives these books a very different feel and I love them.The only series that all of the books were incredible in was Harry Potter, and now this series and Vampire Academy. That is like, the highest of high compliments. I'm in love. No one can get me to do anything social because I can't put down these books
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really liked it!! Love Adrians character and its great to get back into the world Richelle Mead created. Cant wait to see where it goes from here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Bloodlines series was a continuation of the Vampire Academy series. Although we don't see much of the main characters of VA such as Rose and Lissa, we learn a lot more about Sydney and her secrets that were not explained in the previous series. In this first novel, Lissa has vicious rebels trying to overthrow her by taking out Lissa's sister, thus disqualifying her as Queen. Sydney is charged with protecting Lissa's sister by enrolling the two of them and Eddie (her Guardian) into a human boarding school. They are joined by Adrian, who we learn has an interesting relationship with Jill. While undercover, Sydney uncovers a tattoo shop that gives out special tattoos with various effects, which can only be achieved using Alchemist technology. Sydney reveals the Alchemist traitor, thereby winning back the respect of her superiors, while dealing with the various complications arising with Jill and their school. Great first book of the series and I loved learning more about the supporting characters of VA, and I will continue on with the second book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just finished reading Bloodlines. It is the first in the Vampire Academy spin off series by Richelle Mead. Sydney is put in charge of protecting a royal moroi girl while the queen tries to throw out the law that is endangering the royal's life. She is also trying to reprove herself as trustworthy to her superiors.I am very pleased and happy that Richelle Mead decided to write a spin off series of The Vampire Academy. I was sad when the series ended. I even loved the way she tied it in so nicely to the previous series. It was absolutely amazing.The only thing I didn't really like all that much was the fact that the main character wasn't a moroi or dhamphir. I understand why she made Sydney the main character. It was her story after all. I just feel that Sydney being the main character made the story a little more stiff than if it was someone else. That's just my opinion though. Either way, the story was very enjoyable.I feel like I'm going to love this series as much as I did the Vampire Academy series. I fully recommend this book series to young adults and anybody who loves paranormal and supernatural books. I especially recommend it to all Vampire Academy lovers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first book in the Vampire Academy spin off series featuring alchemist Sydney Sage and a host of our favorite characters from the other series. Great plot and characters. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I loved the VA series, but this one just didn't pack the same punch. There was too much of the book spent at the school, vexing about which boy Jill should date and how to get back at the school bully rather than fighting bad vampires and figuring out puzzles. That came at the end, thankfully, but by then, I'm afraid it was a case of too little too late for me.

    I like Adrian and Sydney shows some potential, but the pace of this book was too slow.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Did it really have to end like that? Seriously, I feel physically compelled to buy the rest of the series now.

    This book was amazing. I had put it off for awhile because I love Vampire Academy so much. I can't wait to read more of this series. I love Sydney's perspective so much. She's much different to Rose but I think it makes for a better narrator.
    Some things were a bit predictable but then a heap of things flew out of nowhere. Like Lee. Seriously didn't see that.
    Richelle Mead can kinda do that, just pull things out of her sleeve. I love it.

    Can't wait to read the next ones. :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I can genuinely say to everyone that's been waiting to read VA just to read this series, if the first novel is any indication, no worries. I didn't feel like I was missing pieces of the past. Yes, it might have been easier to understand the vast differences between Moroi and Strigoi, but it wasn't the point in the story.

    I love Sydney's character. I think she's very mature for her age, even with all the alchemist training. I doubt I'd have acted like her. And her little sister? Ugh, I'd put a stake through her for being such an ungrateful bitch.

    I wish Eddie would wise up and do something with his feelings, and I kind of need something to happen between Sydney and Adrian.

    Interesting storyline, that's for sure.

    The thing that was missing for me was some swoony tension. I hope it will come in the next book. I do love Adrian and his mischievous nature. He's fun.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I know a lot of people were very antsy about Last Sacrifice with Adrian but Richelle Mead ALWAYS delivers. I love Sydney in this one, she's like a character from True Blood tv series who started to see the gray areas between black and white. The series is getting better since Sydney was older girl and not like the first few teenage books of Vampire Academy. Adrian/Sydney was far more interesting than ever.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Sydney just isn't Rose...I think she has the potential to be, and Richelle Mead does a great job hinting at that strength, but it's not there yet. Also, the geography error is still bugging me 200 pages later, so that's -0.5stars too.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars
    Despite the failure of the last book in the Vampire Academy series, I kinda wanted to be back in that world! This series is a spinoff of Vampire Academy. Sydney the Alchemist seemed a bit boring of a character in VA, but I rather liked her as narrator. I liked hearing more on the Alchemists and their history. Adrian is the same and still much loved by me! He is one of the characters that actually makes the story worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thoroughly enjoyed this, the start of a new series for Richelle Mead, but one set in the Vampire Academy world. When I finished the VA series, I was left almost feeling that it was not the end, but only the beginning, and thus was gladdened to see a new series. Sydney's voice makes a fresh new change. She is quite unlike Rose in most ways - she's insecure about her appearance, somewhat afraid of vampires, a wee bit geeky and inclined to be the "good" girl. Except that she has a fiery streak too! Mead has captured her personality well in this first-person prose. And, of course, Adrian is here. Ah, Adrian, how I love thee. Not that I'd want to date him, but his somewhat arrogant yet charming nature really does appeal to me. The banter between him and Sydney is most entertaining, and you cannot help but wonder if the future holds something more for them.

    This is not the same as the Vampire Academy series, but it has the same compelling urge to just keep on reading. Now I'm eager to get my paws on the next one!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not as fast-paced or engaging as the Vampire Academy core books, but well-plotted. 3.5 stars, bumping up to 4 because of personal attachment to certain characters.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Spinoff from the Vampire Academy series. In short, the Vampire Academy never floated my boat, but I had hopes that this series would prove more interesting. I was sadly disappointed. The characters (all of them!) drove me crazy and I wanted to head-slap a majority of them. Perhaps I have too high of standards as and adult reading teen novels - especially teen vampire novels. A teen girl would probably really enjoy this and I could see it easily becoming the next CW series.Still, I will try the next in the series to see if it improves.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5


    Predictable? Yeah, of course, it's Richelle Mead. Yet Without a doubt entertaining. Her characters make the novel worth sticking out the oh-so obvious story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was extremely excited when I heard there was going to be a spin off series from Vampire Academy. I loved the other series & couldn't wait for this one to come out.

    This will be a great series & I love that the perspective is from a human (albeit Alchemist) instead of a Moroi or Dhampir. It also continues on after the Vampire Academy series.

    This one is about Sydney's life. She is an 18 year old Alchemist who was in trouble for helping Rose escape & being labeled as a vampire lover. Since she was cleared of everything regarding the escape, Sydney has been house bound. An assignment has come up & they have requested Sydney's sister be the agent involved. Sydney doesn't want to subject her sister, Zoe into the life & volunteers to go in her place. An argument erupts & all parties put in their views. Finally it is agreed that Sydney will go, but Zoe will begin training in case she is needed as a back up.

    The assignment is watching over the Moroi Queen's half sister Jill. This means they are enrolling into a private school in Palm Springs. They are acting as a family & the siblings are Sydney, Jill, Eddie & Adrian. Plus another brother whom is also an alchemist, Keith.

    Nobody seems very happy about this arrangement, though it is all for the safety of the Queen & her sister until the new law is passed. Like any other school, this one has their own cliques & agendas. Sydney fits right in & loves all the work, where the other 2 enrolled are not as keen.

    Life goes along & little dramas come up for Jill along the way. The students at the school are awed by Sydney's golden tattoo on her cheek & there are rumors hers hold special abilities. Some other students have been getting special tattoos known as celestial tattoos that give the bearer special abilities for a short period of time. Sydney is determined to follow this through & find out what all the hullabaloo is.

    There has also been some murders found in LA & around Palm Springs. Nobody seems too concerned, but again Sydney seems to be able to put the clues together.

    Sydney seems to be in her element, figuring out puzzles & school work. But her supervisor Keith has other ideas & turns her in under suspicious behavior. She has been given 2 weeks, then her sister will replace her. But Sydney puts all the clues together & discovers who the murderer is & who is supplying the special ingredients for the tattoos. I also had my suspicions & they were correct.

    Sydney starts to befriend Adrian, but her beliefs are still to strong to make anything of it. As are her beliefs that magic exists.

    I really enjoyed this first installment into the life of Sydney & the way her mind works. I can't wait until June 2012 for The Golden Lily, the next installment to see if Adrian can put the charm on & crack Sydney's beliefs.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This one got buried in my TBR stack and was just brought back to my mind when I started seeing all the buzz for The Golden Lily. I think I picked a perfect time to read this start to a new series by Richelle Mead. When I finished the last word, I immediately went to Amazon and ordered the sequel. That one won't get lost in the stack.The narrator and main character is Alchemist Sydney Sage. She is in disgrace after her efforts to aid Rose in the previous series and is afraid that she will be sent for re-education. She is surprised when she is awakened in the night and told that she was being sent on a mission. Her job will be to protect the sister of the moroi queen. Sydney meet Jill in the previous series too. Unlike most Alchemists, she isn't really afraid of the moroi though she doesn't like them. She doesn't have the quite the same disdain that most Alchemists have. She does think vampires are unnatural and she is absolutely terrified of their magic. She soon finds herself in Palm Springs with Jill, her guard Eddie, and somewhat more surprisingly with Adrian Ivashkov. Her liaison in Palm Springs is an Alchemist named Keith who spent some time in her home when she was a child and is a protegee of her father. He is also a nasty person who is determined to get Sydney into trouble. All of a sudden, Sydney finds herself in the center of several problems from the mundane of high school rivalry and the mean girls to the sort of problems human don't hear about. Someone is selling tattoos that infuse the wearer with unusual powers. Sydney's Alchemist tattoo is thought to be one of those. Sydney is busy investigating the tattoo situation along with the reluctant help of Adrian.Sydney also has to deal with the problems Jill is having both by being a fifteen-year-old Moroi surrounded by humans who can't know what she is and by the fact the Jill is spirit bound to Adrian. The whole issue of Jill dating has huge complications. Humans and Moroi aren't supposed to mix but a human boy develops a crush on her. Jill also meets a handsome Moroi boy named Lee who is the son of their host in Palm Springs. Then there is the problem of their host's obsession with his daughter Tamara's death. He is convinced that there are human vampire hunters around while most are saying the death was the result of a strigoi attack. But it is unusual that her throat would have been slit along with having blood drained. Then Sydney finds out that Tamara is not the only young woman in the area who has died this way.This was a wonderful story filled with interesting, well-rounded characters. I was especially happy with the way Sydney grew in this story and look forward to further episodes to watch her grow more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Vampire Academy is over, Rose and all of her friends are living their lives in court with Lissa once the series comes to a close. However, there is another story tell and not everyone has had their happily ever afters, so now it is Sydney's turn. I remember her very well from the original story and I always thought she had a very original voice compared to many of the other characters in the series. Her distaste for vampires in the beginning is really what captured my interest. She grows to perhaps understand them but she still has a hard time being friendly with them because of her upbringing and the culture of the Alchemists. This book brings back characters such as Jill, Adrian, and Eddie as well. I love the growth that each character faces throughout Bloodlines, while staying true to their original nature. Richelle Mead's writing style brings to life a new world and I loved it!
Sydney, a girl those who have read the Vampire Academy series are familiar with, has always been loyal to those she cares about and from the beginning, she displays this characteristic from the first page. Not only is she still under punishment for her actions during the original books, no one believes they can trust her because she has become essentially a vampire lover according to their beliefs. When she accepts the job to assist in the protection of Jill, I think she still struggles with the initial disgust that she feels toward vampires. It will always be somewhat ingrained in her nature no matter how much she attempts to desensitize herself to it. I loved how easily she manages to take over the role of main character and carries the weight of a complex series that had Richelle Mead not done it, I would not have believed she would be able to handle it. This character brings to life the world of Vampire Academy in a way I never would have anticipated and yet, I love it. 
Sometimes spin off series don't work but this one definitely does.
Jill has come into her own in this book. She continues to struggle with her identity after the shock of the finale for VA and she continues to struggle with the concept that she is anything but Jill. Her life has become tied to Adrian's much like Rose was tied to Lissa, which only proves to complicate matters further for the young Dragomir. It's hard not to love and feel bad for her after the story begins. This young woman has grown up a lot since she first was introduced to the VA series. I love, however, how naive she still proves to be, especially in the boy area and she takes to the whole romance thing quite easily unlike Sydney who would rather run from attractive men. 
Poor, brooding Adrian still suffers from the emotional blow that he was handed at the end of VA and struggles to maintain his "I don't care" attitude. I think in this story, he truly comes into his own as his real aspirations come to the surface with Sydney's encouragement. He wants to be more than he is and move beyond the person who he once was - the one that apparently wasn't good enough for Rose. I've always adore Adrian with his attitude that always appears to be a facade and I love him more in this book than the original ones. And all I need to say about Eddie is that he is adorable.
I love the writer and I love the book. It works somewhat like a stand alone and is the perfect continuation of the Vampire Academy series for those who can't seem to let it go... like, well, me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had a harder time getting into this book than I did with Vampire Academy, but by the end, I really enjoyed it.

    I listened to the audiobook of this, and for the most part, it was pretty smooth. However, I will admit that the scene with Adrian and Abe had me cringing. First, Adrian sounded nothing like I imagined he would, and Abe just sounded like a cartoon character. I was nervous at that point that I wouldn’t be able to get through this version. However, I got used to Adrian’s voice. Abe’s voice still makes me roll my eyes, but luckily, he has a very small part in this book.

    It also took me a while to warm up to Sydney as the narrator. I liked her enough in the Vampire Academy series, but actually being inside her head was a whole new ballgame. First, Rose was an incredibly strong character with very few prejudices, and I really liked her. Sydney, on the other hand, seems to have more confidence issues, and several times, her prejudices against the vampires had me rolling my eyes. You know an author’s good when she can have you like vampires better than humans! lol

    Sometimes I felt that the everyday at the school dragged, but it was never too horrible. And I lived for the scenes between Adrian and Sydney. Their interactions cracked me up, and I loved how easily he could get under Sydney’s skin.

    There were a couple of things that I was able to predict that seemed to take Sydney longer to figure out, but then there were also things that I thought I had figured out and was way off on. I really liked the action scenes, especially the big one towards the end. I was surprised how much still happened even after the climactic scene, but I thought it was interesting stuff, too. Seeing as how I was firmly Team Adrian while reading Vampire Academy, the end made me a little sad, but it also looks like it’s setting up a very interesting book 2!

    Overall, while it took me a bit to really get into this one, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to fans of Vampire Academy. It gives an interesting change of perspective on that world, and I’m very anxious to start The Golden Lily!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have been Richelle Mead fans since Vampire Academy, and when her new series was out, you could only imagine how excited I was. And yeah, in such a short time, I managed to get my hand on Bloodlines (even though I could only review it now).This book told us about the alchemist Sidney Sage, the one whose clan’s job was to keep vampires unknown to humans. When she had been helping Rose Hathaway, who used to be a fugitive, Sidney was having a hard time with the Alchemist, nearly branded as a vampire-lover, and all that. As her final chance, and a desperate attempt to kept her sister out of the Alchemist’s world, Sidney accept another job in Palm Spring, where she had to guard Jill-the queen’s sister-from an assasination.I love how we get to see the world from Sidney’s point-of-view, as she saw it truly differently from Rose. The inner struggle she experienced was told quite nicely too, and I found it truly believable. The plot was sagging at first, but halfway through the book, I was totally hooked and couldn’t turn the page fast enough. The tension was well-built too, with an undistinctive drop of hint here and there, and unpredictable outcome that no one would’ve guessed.The character was great too. I found that Sidneywas rapidly growing throughout this book rather that in VA, where she was a bit vague. In Bloodlines, reader get a better looks at how she dealt with live, and what pressure she had to bear. I also like her unique characteristic, beng a coffee-addict and a neat perfectionist. Adrian Ivashkov, was very likeable too, with a distinctive temper that truly marked him, and made his character interesting.One thing I’m not quite fond of is how Richelle Mead tends to sag in some parts, like when Sidney was trying her uniform, eating, eating, eating, studying, and all. If only something-even something small that played a part in the story-happened during those event, it would be way much better.Overall, this book is truly for you who love-definitely vampire-urban fantasy, great world building, and totally sweet romance. If you like Richelle Mead’s previous work, Vampire Academy, you would totally love this. Really recommended.