Bloodlines by Richelle MeadPages: 421
Grade: 8+ (some talk of sex, but nothing graphic, mild fantasy violence)
Description: (from Goodreads) 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. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.
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.
Thoughts: Oh Adrian, how I love you.
I was a bit worried because so much of what I loved about VA was Rose (and okay her super steamy relationship with Dimitri) and Rose is nowhere to be found in Bloodlines. Well, sort of. Sydney and company are certainly impacted by the events in Last Sacrifice so Rose's shadow hangs over the entire story line. And Adrian is still licking his wounds from his heartbreak. But don't worry, Rose fans, Adrian and Sydney more than make up for her absence!
I love Sydney and I enjoyed seeing her grow a bit. She's tougher than she looks and despite her rule-following, good-girl exterior, there's a bit of a rebel under there (she's been "in bed" with Abe Mazur after all, and it takes guts to make a deal with that devil). And, oh, Adrian! I guess I'm still a sucker for a bad boy with a big heart. He means well and one of these days he really is going to prove to be a good guy. Every time he appears he's just a bit better than he was last time.
I was so glad to see Eddie again and get a chance to know Jill. It was interesting to see the vampires in the human world and to have the focus shifted onto the Alchemists. The shift to the human world made the story feel a bit more immediate for me, which I liked. The bad guys weren't nearly as bad as they have been in the VA books, but I think that's going to change. Bloodlines doesn't draw clear lines about "bad guys" and "good guys" and there's a lot infiltration of the inner circles.
There's a definite lack of steamy romance in Bloodlines, which is a bit of disappointment. No one does sexual tension and steamy romance in YA like Richelle Mead. There are hints of one coming. I'm excited to see where it might lead. Bloodlines is definitely a set-up book. While there is action, it's really just putting all the players in place for the larger conflicts. Fans of VA will enjoy Bloodlines. And fans of Adrian (hello, me) will swoon. I think we're even going to be seeing Rose in the next few books.
Haven't read VA yet? That's okay, Bloodlines does a good job of filling you in on what you need to know. That's one of the problems with spin-offs, especially when they depend on the events of another series. Bloodlines doesn't really escape that issue. There is a good chunk of the book spent filling readers in on the events of VA. I found just myself glossing over those parts.
Sidenote: I love that Richelle Mead is able to tackle serious race and class issues inside of a fantasy world. It makes these issues real and tangible to people who may not otherwise be able to connect with them.
Great start to a new series.
