BLOOD DOESN'T LIE...
Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a
group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans
and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last
encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other
alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the
line.
When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she
thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir
Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of
Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her
into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's
guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a
human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants
is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with
one.
The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but
threats, distractions and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within -
the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just
beginning.
Firstly it should be noted that Bloodlines is a spin off series to
Richelle Mead's earlier series Vampire Academy. For those of you who
haven't read those books I seriously suggest you go and read them, now! While
you don't have to have read them to get the story in Bloodlines because
Richelle explains it all wonderfully, it is advised so you have that personal
insight into the events that brought all these characters here. The main
characters of this book all went through some kind of change in the Vampire
Academy series that has led them to where they are in Bloodlines.
The story of Bloodlines is truly captivating, as a book you just
can't put down and have to know what happens. Brilliantly written by an author
who has long since perfected the skill of drawing readers into the world
created by her books. There's a good mix of fantasy dilemmas and dilemmas that
any regular teenager might go through, making everything believable and the
characters far more relatable. A touch of romance at school for one of the
characters, though our narrator Sydney is an observer, her own love life might
be non-existent in this book but there is a taste of something to come.
Sydney Sage is an alchemist, and unlike what some might think in regards to
alchemists being all about magic, they're actually just scientists in a way.
Throughout the book there are little receipes Sydney makes that gives one a
true appreciation of the alchemist world. But apart from being an alchemist
she's also just your average girl who has some serious problems, particularly
when it comes to her father. She's been raised to be fearful of all vampires,
whether they're the living Moroi or undead Strigoi, even the half-breed
Dhampir. Though she manages to overcome this, particularly given experiences in
Vampire Academy, she is still a strong believer that the magic they
wield is wrong. It's very interesting to see her responses to the use of magic
and it's easy to relate to her fears.
Not everything Sydney goes through is in relation to the mythical, in fact
one of the biggest issues noticed throughout the book is her body. She doesn't
eat enough, trying far too hard to be as skinny as a Moroi, like Jill, and
seems to be basically starving herself. Lots of girls go through issues about
what they should look like and Sydney is no exception, nor is Jill in fact,
both girls having some drama with body image. There's also Sydney's
intelligence which gets her lots of praise, but it seems she's traded other
desirables for that intelligence as she's not particularly good at relating to
people, seeming rather aloof and not understanding things like flirtation.
However just because she's smart doesn't mean she can instantly know everything
like some other characters seem to expect. She's a little slow on the uptake in
places, even readers can figure out the answers to some issues before she does.
Ultimately she is a very well rounded character who can be misunderstood at
times.
Adrian Ivashkov was seen a great deal in the Vampire Academy series
and it's a thrill to see him in Bloodlines particularly in such a large
role. He's the alcoholic, smoking, spirit user and former lover of Rose
Hathaway, the narrator of Vampire Academy. Given the events that led him
to where he is Adrian is fighting depression. It's hard enough being a spirit
user, that kind of magic tends to make those Moroi depressed and somewhat
insane, but add to the fact that he was betrayed by the woman he loved when she
ditched him for another man and you get some serious indications that if he
doesn't get help soon Adrian may not last. Still, even in his depressed state
he's as witty as ever, and the book is made so much better by his presence as
he is the source of comedic relief, though even he has his serious moments
which for Adrian is pretty monumental.
Given everything that's happened, those who've read Vampire Academy
probably realize he has every right to be completely selfish at the moment, but
the good news is that he's not. Yeah, he has his moments of selfishness but he
also has spectacular moments selflessness. Mostly he is dedicated to looking
after Jill, or as he calls her 'Jailbait'. They've known each other for a while
now and he treats her like a younger sister, though they're a lot closer than
anyone might have expected. Adrian doesn't just look out for Jill though, he
pays attention and looks out for Sydney a bit as well. They have their moments
of bickering but they also try and help each other along the way which seems to
help both characters get past certain hurdles.
Jill Mastrano has had her life torn apart and re-arranged after the events
of Vampire Academy and it has made an impression on the shy girl.
Something serious happened to result in her need to hide out at a human
boarding school with an alchemist for a roommate, and the first part of the
book gives hints that whatever it was wasn't a small thing. She has her
dilemmas throughout the book, including strangely enough the body issues of a
teenage girl. All Moroi being slender and tall naturally would make one think
she wouldn't have these issues, but when surrounded by human girls with curves,
she can. There's also a few dramas of the sun and heat in Palm Springs, which
can create trouble with a Moroi water user. She also has relationship dramas,
after all she is pretty so boys definitely notice.
Eddie Castile is the final member of the merry group assembled. He's got
some issues related back to what happened in Frostbite of the previous
series, and that impacts his personality. He is absolutely determined to
protect Jill, but that's a given since he's a trained guardian Dhampir. Still
he seems to take things a little too seriously and seems very jumpy. There's a
lot of personal issues hiding behind his guardian fascade.
Ultimately I must say this book was incredible! Everything was so
believable and the characters were easy to relate to. An appearance in the book
from former narrator Rose Hathaway was a nice touch, particularly seeing her
through the eyes of Sydney. The other characters introduced in the book were
all unique and wonderful, I really liked each of them for their own personal
charm and quirks. The development of all the characters throughout was also
great to see, some things really worked out in regards to their development and
gives hope for them in the future. Though the ending sets up the next book for
a massive shake up and you have to wonder how things are going to proceed.
