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Review: Bloodlines

Hello! Today I’m going to be reviewing Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series!

Bloodlines is a series by Richelle Mead that continues from her Vampire Academy series. If I have to say anything, and I always have something to say, I love this series so much more than Vampire Academy. I don’t know what it is, the characters are just so loveable, and relatable. The stories Mead gives the readers are just incredible to watch unfold before our eyes!

Bloodlines

Bloodlines by: Richelle Mead: The first novel in the Bloodlines series, which connects with Mead’s Vampire Academy series. This novel picks up right where Vampire Academy left off; only this time the novel is not in the point of view of Rose Hathaway, but Sydney Sage (Melrose) a human alchemist. She has been assigned to look after Jill, a moroi, living vampire, and keep her in hiding among humans in Palm Springs to protect her sister Lissa. The drama that entails as they start school is hard to keep Jill hidden, as one thing after another ensues. The novel has a nice change in character point of view, and it’s great to read about a lot of already built characters that readers have come to love, or hate. The plotline was good; it kept moving right along. The subplots are what made the story interesting because at one point Sydney could potentially get kicked off the assignment, and it keeps the reader going. Overall, it didn’t feel like a first novel only because we are already familiar with these characters, but now we’re getting some depth to ones we didn’t before keeping it interesting.

The Golden Lily

The Golden Lily by: Richelle Mead: The second novel in the Bloodlines series. Continuing right where we left off in book one, Sydney is still in charge of looking out for Jill, a royal moroi who is in danger. Only this novel doesn’t focus on how dangerous her life is, but on Sonya Karp a moroi vampire, who turned Strigoi, turned moroi again. This Warrior group is after her believing that she is still a Strigoi, which put everyone’s lives at risk. Add in some romantic plotlines that are quite hilarious, and you’ve got yourself a novel you can’t put down. From start to finish the novel has drive and it has entertainment. The reader just wants to find out what happens next. Also the reader has to suffer through sexual tension between Adrian and Sydney. The ending is just so heartbreaking, that the reader knows they should continue to the next novel, but are saddened by the ending. Overall, an amazing second novel, the plotlines are quick and to the point, but also a little mysterious. Great read that is sure to lead to more great things. 

The Indigo Spell

The Indigo Spell by: Richelle Mead: The third novel in the Bloodlines series. Sydney Sage is an alchemist who is breaking the rules. The alchemists with a lily tattoo brand her, and this keeps her from speaking about vampires, and other worldly creatures to those who don’t know, mostly humans. But she’s rebelling against them to find out a few things. She even goes so far as to override her tattoo. On top of that she’s also working closely with magic, and falling in love with a vampire- two major no-nos in the alchemist world. Trying to fight off a witch who’s feeding off young girls for her own youth, Sydney and Adrian work together to fight her off. The novel was one whirlwind after another with different plotlines coming at the reader at rapid fire. It made for an interesting read, and it also made for an entertaining on as well. The characters, especially Sydney, have developed from the first novel, and the reader can tell they will continue to blossom as novels go on. Overall, this novel was well written, it was well paced; it felt like one big action sequence, which was great.

The Fiery Heart

The Fiery Heart by: Richelle Mead: The fourth novel in the Bloodlines series. Sydney has gotten herself into quite the dilemma, or well more than a dilemma, more so a situation. Falling head over heels for Adrian, a vampire, is against everything she was brought up to believe. As an alchemist, her duty is to make sure vampires live peacefully with the rest of the world. But as she gets closer to the vampires, she realizes that what she’s been led to believe, is wrong. On top of her illegal activities with the vampires, which also include trying to make a tattoo to stop manipulation, she has her younger sister down her back who is a full on alchemist believer like her father. This eventually backfires on her where she is kidnapped. Now the reader needs the next novel to find out what happens next to Sydney. This novel was filled with some great plotlines filled with deceit and betrayals, and a whole lot of romance. It felt like this novel was muddled with romantic plots between Adrian and Sydney. As much as it was for the bigger picture, it still got a little tedious to read. Getting past that, this novel really took the reader by surprise, although some plots could have been seen coming, the author did a good job of distracting the reader and putting them into a false sense of security, until the very end where the rug is pulled from beneath the reader. Overall, this was another great novel from Mead, with some really good storytelling.

Silver Shadows

Silver Shadows by: Richelle Mead: The fifth novel in the Bloodlines series. The novel starts off in Sydney’s point of view, taking the reader through her trials as she has been sent to re-education, a place alchemists go when they step out of line, and boy has she done so. Falling in love with a vampire is probably the biggest. The novel then continues back and forth between Sydney and Adrian’s point of view. Adrian is trying desperately to get her back, and Sydney trying to get herself and others out. Things take drastic turns all throughout the novel leaving the reader gasping and shocked. This novel did a very good job of letting the reader know that anything is possible in this world, and that love trumps all. The love story that played out throughout this novel was done so well. The author wrote so passionately that the reader could just feel it through the characters. Not only was it a good romance, but also this novel played on stereotypes and prejudice and it came off really well. This novel felt like it could do no wrong, the pacing, the storytelling, the writing, the ideas, plots and characters were all done so well. It will be hard for the last novel to measure up.

The Ruby Circle

The Ruby Circle by: Richelle Mead: The sixth and final novel in the Bloodlines series. There is one last mission Sydney and Adrian have to face, finding someone they love who has been taken by an enemy. Sydney has to use all of her powers to help, but along the way there are obstacles that need to be faced. This novel had a lot of surprises, just like the previous novel, and with each new surprise comes a deeper love for the characters. Mead creates characters that are dynamic, strong, and memorable; the reader can’t help but fall in love with them. The plot was brilliantly put together, and nothing was left unanswered for the reader. Like most novels, this novel had a wrap up ending, which is fine, if done right and Mead did a very good job letting her characters end not too predictable and happy, but just enough so, so that long time readers and fans are left satisfied. Overall, this addition to the Vampire Academy is so worth the read, if not for all the supernatural plots, or the romantic ones, it’s for Mead’s sheer writing, the good verses bad, and the meaning of acceptance.

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