Format: Paperback
Pages: 421
Release Date: August 23rd, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.
But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.
The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one...
Bloodlines is a spin-off series of the of the popular Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Truth be told, I think I loved Bloodlines more than the first book of VA (the only book of that series I've read). It was all kinds of amazing, really. Mead is an exceptional author with amazing talent and it definitely showed in this first instalment of what looks to be an amazing series.
{Characters}
Because I have yet to read the other books of the VA series, I hadn't come by characters like Jill and Sydney and Adrian before. They were all kind of new to me. I've got to say, Sydney was pretty fantastic. She was so easy to relate and so normal. Her reactions were realistic because, I mean, if I had been brought up my entire life being told vampires were evil, evil, evil, I probably wouldn't want to be in close contact with them either.
Adrian is awesome. I fell in love with him right from the moment he was introduced. The banter between Sydney and Adrian was really cute and I have high hopes that it will lead to something more in future books. Jill, Micah, Eddie and Trey were all lovely additions to the cast. Some not-so-lovely people like Keith were still super-interesting to read about. I could go on and on for pages and pages about Richelle Mead's wonderful characters but that would take far too long.
{Plot}
The pacing of the story was perfect in my opinion. I've heard from some other that it was a bit annoying to have to wait for Sydney to play catch-up but I guess since I hadn't read the VA books before, that didn't apply to me. I was always on the same page as Sydney and the big twist at the end left me stunned. I can honestly say I didn't see that coming.
This is definitely a favourite for me. There will be six books in the Bloodlines series and the next one, The Golden Lily, will be released June 12th. I honestly can't wait to see what happens to Sydney and Adrian and the rest of the gang. This is a must-read, even for those who haven't yet picked up a VA book.
I'm so glad you liked this series! I gave in to the VA pressure not too long ago, but was super hesitant about this spin-off series...until I read it. I totally agree with you in that it's a bit better. While VA was good, and I like Rose and Dimtri and the others, these characters are a little more relatable because one, Sydney is human....for the most part (loved that twist at the end, hope it is really developed in the series) and the other vamps like Adrian and Jill aren't necessarily at the top of the food pack, but they're getting there!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it so much! Great review and I'm a new follower! Welcome to the wonderful world of book blogging!
Yeah, I agree. I could relate to this group of characters much easier, especially Sydney! :) Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and thank you again for welcoming me!
DeleteEEEEE! So excited to read this book! I loved VA series but I haven't read this book! I already own a copy but I wanted to keep it closer to the release date of The Golden Lily because I have heard that the ending was a killer!
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, Jennny! ♥ So glad you enjoyed it! :)
PS: I'm a new follower! :D
You definitely have to read it some time soon! The ending was a killer :D I can't wait for The Golden Lily ♥
DeleteThank you so much! ♥
Awesome review, Jenni! I love Vampire Academy series so much and I like Adrian even more than Dimitri LOL. Actually, Adrian is one of my top book boyfriends (no, I'm not telling you to back off. Good thing I don't mind sharing :P). I'm glad that you like this book, Jenni! I wasn't totally blown away by the first book in the Vampire Academy series either, but I assure you, Frostbite is totally awesome! That is the first time Rose met Adrian. ;)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blogosphere! I'm your new follower! :)
Thank you! I will be reading more of the VA series soon hopefully! I am totally in love with Adrian ♥ Just between you and me, I kind of do prefer him over Dimitri too ;) Frostbite is somewhere at the top of my books-to-be-read pile so I'll probably be reading it sometime soon.
DeleteThanks again! ♥
Ooh it's interesting to hear you read this before meeting some of the main characters in the other VA books. I wonder how much of a different experience it would have been for me if the same applied. Great review, Jenni! I'm glad to hear you loved this so much. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd always been a bit reluctant to get in to the Vampire Academy series but when my friend practically threw a copy of Bloodlines at me, I just decided to go with it and give it a go :) Thank you so much ♥
DeleteAhhhhh! I still need to read this! I agree with Sam, it's kind of fun to read a review by someone who's unfamiliar with the VA world and see what their impressions are of the characters:) Do you think you'll go back and read VA now Jenni? I love those books:)
ReplyDeleteYou really must read it! Yes, I definitely will some time soon :) I really do want to read more of Rose and Dimitri and all the others ♥
DeleteThank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
I totally loved Bloodlines more than I loved the first book in the Vampire Academy series! But you have to read the others in the series! If you loved Adrian then you will love the other books. And don't get me started on Dimitri. EEEKKK I'm getting excited just thinking about it! I'm so excited and I can't wait for the Golden Lily either. Great review!
ReplyDeleteCrystal @ Elegantly Bound Books
I agree whole-heartedly with you on that :) I will some time soon hopefully! I've heard really great things about all the VA books ♥ The wait for TGL is killing me!! Thank you so much.
DeleteYay for liking Bloodlines, too. I loved this book so much. Sydney and Adrian are some of my all time favorite characters. And Bloodlines is a favorite for me as well.
ReplyDeleteI geek out every time I find someone who likes Sydney, too. Because a lot of people, believe it or not, are not as accepting of her as a heroine as she is so different from Rose from the VA books.
SO you and I share the same name. You loved Bloodlines. You like Sydney and Adrian, too. Could you possibly get any cooler? I love ya already, haha. Welcome to book blogging and awesome review, Jenni :)
Jennifer @ Dream Reads