Waiting on Wednesday (5)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This meme spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection this week is:

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

by Richelle Mead

June 2012

Razorbill

 

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.-summary from goodreads.com

I really enjoyed book one, Bloodlines, and I'm curious to see what happens next! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for an earlier publication date. That or some steamy Adrian scenes... Don't judge me. Things were getting good between him and my favorite Alchemist, Sydney... I hope they take their comradeship to the next level <3 Adrian is a great guy and he deserves a happy ending. Wouldn't you agree?


What's your WOW this week? Share your links. Thanks for stopping by! 

Review: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Michelle Read
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 594
Challenge: YA Series
Source: Library
Retailer: B&N / Amazon


My Rating:

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose--for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir. But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you? -summary from goodreads.com 

I had very high hopes for Last Sacrifice, and although I did enjoy it immensely, there were a couple of things that I wasn't to happy with. I guess you can say I had a love hate relationship with the book.

Ms. Mead managed to keep the mystery going all the way until the last chapter. Just when you thought you figured things out, she threw another wrench in the story. All the characters throughout the book weave and flow perfectly! Rose Hathaway is one of my favorite characters. Her sarcasm, naivety, humor and warrior attitude makes for an entertaining read in itself. I bawled my eyes out at the end when she confronts Adrian. Poor guy!

Now, although I absolutely loved the story and thought the ending was pretty much glorious, I was still left with a handful of unanswered questions. More than that, I feel like the story isn’t over, lots of plot holes were left open! I did not get that happy, fuzzy feeling after reaching the conclusion. This is the last book to one of my favorite series; I wanted all loose ends to tie up. I know there is going to be a spin-off series and all, but it's unfair for questions about this series to be answered in the spin-off series.

Some of my questions: *SPOILERS*

What’s going to happen to Tasha? Will she get executed, locked up, sent away? Call me evil, but after everything she did to Rose, I would have loved for her character to actually have been killed off during the final battle. Also, how does Christian feels about Rose turning in his aunt? It’s obvious he still cares because it is mentioned that he still visits her.

In the end, Rose asks Dimitri (after the bullet scene with Lissa) if he had been going in to save her or Lissa, and he answers that he doesn't know. WTF???? That's just so depressing! And Dimitri’s infamous “they come first” phrase. Ugh.

Speaking of whom; Rose and Dimitri did NOT even discuss the past matters in their relationship like when she went to Siberia, met his family, everything she did for him, his rejection of her after he was healed, etc. There were hints and small talk but nothing really clear.

Going back to Rose being shot by Tasha, NOBODY heals her! So we are led to believe that after everything, nobody tries to heal Rose and break into where she is being held (because of the lockdown)? They would have just let her die? Thankfully, she recovers by herself, but to top it all of, Rose is never even thanked by Lissa for saving her life.

Last Sacrifice was an exciting concluding book to the series, but I’ll be honest in saying that I was left wanting more! Everyone I talked to about this on twitter told me to be patient, that surely some of these questions would be answered in the spin-off books, but having read and reviewed BLOODLINES I am here to tell you that not many questions are answered….. But still, if you’re a die hard VA fan, you need to read this book ASAP! I don’t know why I waited so long.

Review: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)

Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 489
Source: Own
Challenge: YA Series Challenge

My Rating:

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever. -summary from goodreads.com

SO happy I decided to give this one a try! I’ll be honest, Blood Promise was my least favorite book in the series. I wasn’t looking forward to Spirit Bound as much as I should have (I know that now that I’ve read it). The first half of the book focuses on Rose being back with Lissa at the Academy getting ready to pass her trials and graduate. It was so nice to finally have the girls back in the academy. The atmosphere was light and fun, and it was good to see Rose catch and break and actually enjoy her youth.

The majority of the second half of the book involves Rose’s trouble-making skills… let’s see, there’s a prison break, sneaking off to Las Vegas, pissing off the royals… ah, and the occasional crashing of a Royal party, or two. But guess what? She doesn’t get away with all of it. I think this is the first book where Rose actually gets busted for her behavior. She's perceived to be immature and reckless by the conservative Moroi, but I see her more as just bluntly honest, she doesn't wait around for things to get worse, she takes matters into her own hands. She’s a take-action type of girl, and I can respect that.

I was very happy to have more of Christian in this book. I missed him. I loved the way his relationship with Lissa was very realistic. After their fallout, he’s trying very hard to get back into her good grace, I enjoyed getting to know that romantic side of him. As far as Rose’s boys…. I’m not to sure who I’m rooting for. I absolutely LOVE Dimitri, but Adrian is currently my new favorite book boyfriend. He knows Rose is obsessed with the whole Dimitri situation, but he still loves her. He wants to see HER happy above all costs, even if that means he doesn’t get a happy ending. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.

Overall, be ready for that familiar heartache and frustration because after Spirit Bound, you’ll be dying to get your hands on Last Sacrifice. So, if like me, you were thinking of putting the series aside for a while after Blood Promise, I am here to tell you that you are a fool. I promise you that Spirit Bound makes up for its predecessor. This is one book you don’t want to miss!

Review: Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)

Title: Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 432

My Rating:

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. - goodreads.com

Loved this book.... Dare I say I even enjoyed it more than Vampire Academy? I loved having Sydney as the main character. She is such a remarkable character and it was very easy to relate to her. That stated I also felt so bad for her at times. Here we have this brilliant girl who’s being judged (and frowned upon) for her past actions. The world she thought she knew is turning upside down. We see her mature as a person throughout the book; she learns to work and feel compassion towards her fellow vampire friends, even though she was raised to think they were evil creatures out a soul. Enter Adrian (hooorray and YUM!)...  he’s just as funny and flirty as ever before.  I love the comradeship between Sydney and Adrian and I do hope it develops into something more!

That was the only thing I felt Bloodlines was missing was romance. Having read other novels by Mrs. Mead, I was expecting at least one “smexy” scene in Bloodlines, but there were none. BUT PLEASE, don’t let that stop you from reading this book! Although Bloodlines may be lacking in the romance department, the action and story building definitely makes up for it.

I would definitely recommend this book to all fans of Vampire Academy. If you’re scared Bloodlines won’t live up to its predeceasing series, then I am here to tell you to fear not! There are also many cameo appearance and they totally rocked my socks off! Especially at the end; that last sentence in the book … WOW. The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) needs to be published NOW!

Review: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

Title: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

Author: Michelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 503

Source: Library

Challenege: YA Series

My Rating:

Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same. The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love? -summary from goodreads.com

After the heart-wrenching cliffhanger at the end of SHADOW KISS, I was dying to get my hands on BLOOD PROMISE. Unfortunately BP wasn’t what I expected…. I was expecting to stay up all night reading but I found myself reading a couple of pages and then putting it down to read something else.

The first 300 or so pages were a bit boring and, in my opinion, very dark. It was a world outside of the Vampire Academy that I had learned to love, and I didn’t like it! We see a completely different side to Rose, a more emotional side. She has so many problems going on and they just pile one on top of the other. Poor girl, even her “bad-ass attitude” took a low toll. This new attitude of hers didn’t mesh well with her personality found in the first three books

I sped read through the first 3 books because I loved the story and the characters. Particularly Rose and Lissa, I loved their companionship and closeness... Now that I think about it, this was exactly what this book was missing; this book suffers because of the separation between Rose and Lissa.

I guess the only part that kept me interested was when Rose finally meets Dimitri, even though I hated the outcome. I’m going to just be blunt and say it; Rose and Dimitri remind me of Buffy and Angel. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Ass-kicking girl falls in love w/forbidden boy, forbidden boy loves her back, forbidden boy loses his soul, forbidden boy hunts down ass-kicking girl. It was really hard for me to read the scenes between Rose and Dimitri. I hated the way Dimitri kept her as his prisoner and pretty much turned her into his own personal “blood whore”. I often times found myself yelling, “Come on Rose, WAKE UP!”… I just wanted her to snap out of the trance and kill him, and that’s saying a lot because I love Dimitri.

With that being said, I will mention that if you’ve made it this far, but find yourself trailing off; KEEP READING. Crucial information is revealed throughout the book that continues the story line of the series. Although we get very little scenes between Lissa and Christian, those were definitely the moments I enjoyed the most. And the whole Rose sleep dreams with Adrian, LOVED THEM! Am I the only one who’s leaning more and more towards Team Adrian?! Don’t judge me.

Overall, not the best book in the series, but a good book none the less. I will definitely continue Rose’s adventure with the next book SPIRIT BOUND.

Review: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)

Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 443

Challenge: YA Series

My Rating:

 

For Rose Hathaway, everything seems out of kilter. Ever since she made her first Strigoi kills, a dark shadow has been creeping over her. Looming in the background, too, is another realization: If she follows her forbidden love for guardian Dimitri Belikov, she might lose her best friend forever. And these sleep-shaking worries couldn't have come at a worse time. The immortal unloving are prowling everywhere, famished for vengeance against her. -summary from goodreads.com

BEST BOOK YET!... eh, in the series, that is. This book was such am emotional roller coaster. I hate that I love it… does that make sense?

Let me just say that my heart broke for Rose. Poor girl, she goes through so much in this installment. The book begins with Rose feeling more dark and depressed ever since her friend Mason died. Then to make things worse, she starts to fear that she's going crazy because she sees Mason's ghost around campus. She then learns what it truly means to be shadow kissed; through their bond, Rose is able to pull the darkness away from Lissa, thus absorbing it and going crazy herself.

Afterward, more trouble comes when the Strigoi attack the school leaving several Moroi and dhampir dead and many more captured. Rose helps Dimitri and the other guardians come up with a plan of offense to get the kidnapped back. And that’s when tragedy strikes…. And boy does it strike hard! Like, deep in the chest, hard. I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read this series yet (which I doubt! I’m always the last one on the band wagon)…. But think tragedy. Just when you think things can't get worse, well...they always do.

Aye ya aye! I hate comparing books to twilight, but SHADOW KISS brought back memories from New Moon. As I finished reading it, I chucked it against the wall, but then ran to it and apologized for treating it so badly! Yeah, I know… I’m loosing it. I desperately need to pick up book 4; Blood Promise. Luckily for me, the book is already out and I don’t have to wait :)

Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 327
Challenge: YA Series


My Rating:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose… It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price… summary from goodreads.com

This is the second book in the Vampire Academy series created by Richelle Mead. The book picks up shortly after the events in book one. Our favorite dhampir, Rose, is back along with a whole batch of new problems to deal with. It is winter break and a recent attack has made everyone a little concerned about the students traveling, therefore they are all sent to an elite ski resort for additional safety. More attacks continue to happen and they come to the conclusion that Strigoi and humans are working together. In the words of our little dhampir herself, “This changes everything”.

The story overall is great. We get mystery, lust, intrigue, some romance, and even death. Frostbite had a somewhat sadness feel to it, but it let us see a whole new side to Rose. I loved getting to know Rose on a more personal level. She has a softer side, one that pines for someone she knows she can never have, one who feels guilt and sadness when certain bad things happen to people she cares for; I truly didn't expect that. Rose learns, and starts to accept, that she is more like her mom than she thought. Then there’s the hotness named Dimitri. The tension between Rose and Dimitri is just… how can I put this?... it’s just HOTT!

I don't want to go into to much detail because it really is more fun to read it and discover it for yourself, but I will say that Frostbite is a wonderful treat, fresh and exhilarating. It’s a book can't put down until you get to the last page (and by then you’ll be craving some more).

Review: Vampire Academy

Title: Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Challenege: YA Series

Pages: 332

My Rating:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger... Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever. -summary from goodreads.com

Being a vampire book, I was VERY hesitant when it came to reading “Vampire Academy”, but surprisingly VA was an awesome read that I finished in one sitting… I loved it! In this world created by Ms. Mead, we follow our protagonists Rose and Lissa whom both attend St. Vladimir's boarding school. It's a school for Moroi and Dhampirs; Morois are mortal vampire royalty with a deep connection to elemental magic and Dhampir’s are their guardians. A Dhampir's most important job is to protect the Moroi they are assigned to. Rose is Lissa's Dhampir and Lissa is the last member of one of the royal houses.

In the beginning I really didn’t like Rose, she’s a 17-year-old girl who has a reputation for being easy, she has a terrible mouth and is very conceited. It felt to me that she often times bossed Lissa around. But as the story progressed, my opinion of Rose changed. We learn a bit about her personal life, family background and certain obstacles she’s had to overcome. As a reader, you start to feel connected to Rose and you want her to meet her goals. Of course, when Dimitri came into the picture, I desperately wanted Rose to end up with him. I wanted Rose to be a show-off and prove to Dimitri that she could hang on his level… eh, training wise.

This book has a really good storyline, character development, action scenes and romance. The plot touches base on somewhat difficult topics; “cutting” yourself, respecting your body, being loyal to your family or yourself… I really don’t want to go into too much detail, this is such a unique story that every reader should experience for themselves. Towards the end, there isn’t much “closure” to the story, but seeing as it is the first in a series, that's not terribly surprising. That having been said, every vampire lover should start this series. I really don’t know why I waited until now to start…. I’ve been missing out!