REVIEW: BLOODLINES by Richelle Mead

Synopsis (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.

My thoughts:

Well, Richelle Mead has hit another one out of the park. I was concerned that Bloodlines was not going to live up to the VA series and that changing narrators was going to cause some problems for me. Sydney's voice was clearly different from Rose's, so it was easy to differentiate and connect with her. And it was amazing to see Rose from someone else's perspective, even though it took some adjusting to viewing Rose's character this way. It was a good thing! Rose is so strong and defiant in a very open and physical way, and Sydney is, well, she's different from Rose.

Bloodlines takes place a month after the events in Last Sacrifice. So those events are still fresh on all the characters' minds. It helps to have read the VA series, but it is not a requirement. However, I strongly suggest you do read it because it is wonderful and will help you catch on to some aspects of the story sooner than you might if you have not read it.

There are old and new characters and, because of the change in narrator, we get a look at a whole new side of the game. Getting inside Sydney's head was such a relief. I was always curious about what she was thinking and why she acted the way she did in certain situations. To finally get "behind the scenes" so to speak was really intriguing. I learned some very surprising things about her and about the Alchemists. It was fascinating.

Jill and Eddie are also back, and we get to see a lot more of both of them. They both play a more central role in Bloodlines than they did in VA, and the insight to their characters is fantastic. Both of their lives changed dramatically through the events in VA and now we get to see those effects.

Then there's Adrian. Yes, Adrian is back! (And lets face it, I'm a totally Adrian lover!) He provides several surprises, and Mead slowly peels away layers of Adrian that give readers little glimpse of what he could become. To me, Adrian is the most fascinating character, so I am really looking forward to how his character and story unfold.

Overall, I was so happy with the way Bloodlines turned out. I cannot wait for the next installment The Golden Lily.

5 stars

Britney