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Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author)

4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 · rating details · 99,376 ratings · 4,421 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 503 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Razorbill

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Jul 15, 2011 Jazzy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-academy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

92 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: hardcore VA fans

Shelves: 2009, ya, why-the-hype, series-dropped-lost-steam, urban-fantasy

"Shadow Kiss" left us with Rose on the way to find and kill her beloved Dimitri who had fallen during a fight with Strigoi. "Blood Promise" picks up where Rose is in Moscow, looking for traces of Dimitri. Needless to say, she finds him, but I will not go into any more detail to avoid spoilers.

I hate to say it, but I am fairly disappointment by this book. In my opinion, it is so far the weakest in the series. It is by no means the worst book ever written, but the fact that Richelle Mead didn't p...more "Shadow Kiss" left us with Rose on the way to find and kill her beloved Dimitri who had fallen during a fight with Strigoi. "Blood Promise" picks up where Rose is in Moscow, looking for traces of Dimitri. Needless to say, she finds him, but I will not go into any more detail to avoid spoilers.

I hate to say it, but I am fairly disappointment by this book. In my opinion, it is so far the weakest in the series. It is by no means the worst book ever written, but the fact that Richelle Mead didn't put much work into it is obvious.

Let me start with the positives however. Upon finishing the book I am slightly less devastated than after reading "Shadow Kiss," so here is an improvement. Some action sequences are pretty good. Unfortunately, that's about it for the good stuff.

On the negative side, the book really suffers from separation of Rose and Lissa. In this book Mead attempts to have two story lines going simultaneously - Lissa's and Rose's, but neither of them is particularly exciting. Plus, because the series is written from Rose's POV, the difficulty of relaying Lissa's story is solved by utilizing Rose's spirit-bond ability to get into Lissa's thoughts. What doesn't work however is that somehow Rose can not only see what's going on with Lissa at the moment, but she can also "rewind" her experiences and thoughts. This seems like a pretty poor plot device in my opinion. Plus, Lissa's story is rather lame and takes away too much from the final altercation between Rose and Dimitri - the best part of the book.

The familiar characters we met in first 3 books - Christian, Mia, Eddie, even Victor Dashkov are amiss. Instead we are introduced to an array of new characters both in U.S. and Russia who don't really serve much of a purpose for the main story line, rather they are created to fill in pages, and it is very apparent.

Mead also relies very heavily on flashbacks and memories of Dimitri that were never mentioned in previous books and at some point I started wondering, do I really want to know this much about Dimitri? I already love him and adding info like "he bakes bread for himself because he loves it so much" is not really necessary, in fact it almost kills the mystery around his persona.

What else? The story drags in some parts, the "spirit battle" is too confusing, quite a few inconsistencies. Overall, just a lazily written book IMO.

I think when the series is finished and we look back at "Blood Promise" we will think that this book could have been easily omitted. Maybe I will feel differently about "Blood Promise" when I re-read it, but as this point I am rather saddened by it...(less)

75 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, favorites

The time has come. It doesn't matter that I read this book forever and a day ago. Blood Promise deserves a review - one that I wrongfully neglected to give at the time of finishing. The 5 star rating at the top says nothing about why I loved this book back then, nor does it say why I still think about this story even now. I doubt I'll ever go back and write reviews for the rest of the series but this book...it's in my soul. Don't expect one of my normal polished reviews. I just wanted to finally...more

34 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2009 Carlita rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. OMG! ABOUT BLOOD PROMISE, MY BEST FRIEND HAD A DREAM THAT ROSE HAD DIMITRIS BABY .I NOE THAT THEY CANT HAVE ANY BUT IT WAZ DIS KIND OF MESSED UP THING THAT HAPPENED, SO THEY HAD A BABY. ROSE WENT TO RUSSIA SO SHE COULD FIND DIMITRI AND SHE FINDS HIM. SHE SHOWS HIM THE BABY THEN SHE LEAVES HIM ALIVE.WHEN SHE MET HIM THERE WAZ SOMETHING DIFFERANT ABOUT HIM AND GUESS WAT? HE KINDA LOOKS LIKE A HUMAN INSTEAD OF A STRIGOI SHE ASKES HIM WHY AND HE HAD A THEORY THAT WHEN HE DOESNT DRINK BLOOD HE THINK...more OMG! ABOUT BLOOD PROMISE, MY BEST FRIEND HAD A DREAM THAT ROSE HAD DIMITRIS BABY .I NOE THAT THEY CANT HAVE ANY BUT IT WAZ DIS KIND OF MESSED UP THING THAT HAPPENED, SO THEY HAD A BABY. ROSE WENT TO RUSSIA SO SHE COULD FIND DIMITRI AND SHE FINDS HIM. SHE SHOWS HIM THE BABY THEN SHE LEAVES HIM ALIVE.WHEN SHE MET HIM THERE WAZ SOMETHING DIFFERANT ABOUT HIM AND GUESS WAT? HE KINDA LOOKS LIKE A HUMAN INSTEAD OF A STRIGOI SHE ASKES HIM WHY AND HE HAD A THEORY THAT WHEN HE DOESNT DRINK BLOOD HE THINKS HE TURNS MORE HUMAN SO HES TRYING TO TURN HUMAN & I THINK ITS WORKING!!!!!!!!BUT HE ALWAYS HAS MOOD SWINGS AND LOOKS ALOT WEAKER THAN USUAL 'CAUSE HE DOESNT DARE DRINK BLOOD!SHE THEN GOES TO SEE LISA IN THE ROYAL COURT..AND GUESS WAT?????????? SHES MARRIED TO ADRIAN!!!!!!! CAN U BELIEVE IT? SO ANYWHO..ROSE GOES TO LISSA AND LISSAS HAPPY. CHRISTIAN AND LISA ARNT TOGETHER BUT CHRISTIAN, EVEN THOUGHT HE HATES ROYAL STUFF, HE JOINS EVERYTHING THAT IS ROYAL BECAUSE HE STILL LIKES LISA. LISA STILL LIKES HIM THOUGHT. SHE MARRIED ADRIAN JUST TO MAKE THE QUEEN HAPPY.

DIMITRIS POINT OF VIEW
HE MEETS ROSE IN RUSSIA THEN SHE LEAVES. WHEN SHE LEAVES HE GOES TO THE ROYAL COURT DAYS LATER. THE THING I CANT BELIEVE IS THAT WHEN HE GOES TO THE ROYAL COURT HE CAN PASS THE WARDS THAT THEY PUT IN THERE!!!!!! HE GOES IN THEN LISA SEES HIM AND HE THEN TELLS HER HIS THEORY THEN SHE TAKES HIM TO ROSE IN LISA'S ROOM. LISA THEN TAKES ROSE'S BABY SO THAT ROSE AND DIMITRI COULD HAVE SOME TIME TOGETHER! WHEN ROSE AND DIMITRI ARE done. THEY GO TO THIS CAFE PLACE. WHEN ROSE AND DIMITRI ARE TALKING GAURDIANS SHOW UP AND ARE SURPRISED THAT DIMITRI IS ALIVE WHEN HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A STRIGOI. WHEN DIMITRI TELL THEM HIS THEORY THEY SAY EVEN THOUGH HE IS PART HUMAN(!) HE HAS TO GET OUT OF THERE. THEN OTHER GARDIANS SHOW UP AND TAKE HIM SOMEWHERE. THE BAD THING IS THAT MY BEST FRIEND WOKE UP THEN, CRYING . CANT WAIT AND SEE IF ITS LIKE MY FRIENDS DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S THE BABY IS A BOYYYYYYY!!!(I THINK)(less)

79 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, owned, bought-03-10, young-adult, paranormal-romance, 2010

*3.5 Stars*
The main reason I'm rating this one lower than the previous three? The first 300 pages were BORING. (-1 star) This book could almost have started on page 300 and still have been great. I understand the need for back story, but I was frustrated and annoyed at how much I had to slog through to get to the main story of the book. Setting the stage is one thing, dragging things out to artificially create tension and mood is another. I rounded up to 4 stars because I was genuinely surprised...more

38 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Three words; i'm just going to do one this time. Amazing.

I love this series. Plain and simple. I've been a fan since the beginning and I can't helped but get sucked in every time. This is my favorite vampire series. Heck, it's one of my most favorites, vampire or not.

The plot is fantastic, action packed, twists and turns galore. The characters are right on, they continue to grow and develop, become even more dimensional as the series continues. The writing is amazing. I just absolutely enjoyed r...more

19 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Brenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Worry about staying alive first. Then worry about how you're going to live."

It's getting harder and harder to review books in this series! So much happens in each one! There would be spoilers galore if I tried to delve too deeply into the plot of Blood Promise.

Book #3 ended with a pretty HUGE cliffhanger that had me begging and pleading wouldn't be real. I considered every scenario to rationalize that that one thing did not just happen! But... it did. *sigh* Pretty much all I can tell you wit...more "Worry about staying alive first. Then worry about how you're going to live."

It's getting harder and harder to review books in this series! So much happens in each one! There would be spoilers galore if I tried to delve too deeply into the plot of Blood Promise.

Book #3 ended with a pretty HUGE cliffhanger that had me begging and pleading wouldn't be real. I considered every scenario to rationalize that that one thing did not just happen! But... it did. *sigh* Pretty much all I can tell you without using tons of spoiler tags, which I just don't feel like doing right now ;) is that Rose does leave St. Vladimir's at the beginning of the book to "deal with" what happened at the end of book #3. There are some new characters introduced, like Syndney, who I am really curious to learn more about and the alchemists. And Abe! He gave me the heebie jeebies BIG TIME in the beginning, but he's growing on me and I hope he's in the next one, maybe minus the creeper status... So anyways, Rose is away and meets lots of new people and gets into trouble. Of course, she wouldn't be Rose if that didn't happen, right?

About half way through I thought I might have a heart attack, seriously. My heart was pounding so hard and the anxiety I felt was off the charts. Each sentence made me nervous, it was an anticipation unlike anything I've ever felt while reading a book. So incredibly powerful and palpable! The emotions evoked while reading this were intense and conflicting! It was a struggle for me to decide what I actually wanted to happen and where I hoped the story would go. It felt like I had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, screaming at me to choose their side. Honestly, in this one I was leaning toward the dark side! I couldn't help it! The dark side does come with it's perks... (view spoiler)

I'm also really curious what will happen with Adrian, who I feel so guilty for loving. I feel like I'm cheating on my boyfriend, Dimitri everytime I laugh, smile, and swoon over Adrian. He really is a great character and he has come so far in the last couple books. And Lissa & Christian, they better get their shit together or I'll be really upset!

I LOVED the end of this book! It got me so excited to start the next one! I was giddy and felt a wicked sense of darkness that really excites me as I head off to start Spirit Bound. (less)

12 likes · like · see review

Sep 16, 2010 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, on-my-shelf, read-in-2010, annoyed-me, paranormal, beware-love-triangle, cliffhanger, let-me-down, romance, series-lost-interest, given-away

Hmm. I was a little bit disappointed by this fourth installment of the VA series. I haven't been all ecstatic about the first three books either, but I definitely enjoyed reading them.
But with this one, I was actually contemplating giving up on the series altogether after the first 100 pages because it was painfully slow and uneventful. The first half of this book only consisted of a) retelling what happened previously, b) Rose talking about how great Dimitri was or c) Rose recalling all the gre...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2009 DemonKitty003 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I want to read this book!!!!!! God if she has to kill Dimitri I am so going to...I don't know what I'll do but I am so going to do something if he dies!!!! UGH!!! I want to know what is going to happen so badly!!!!!

18 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2009 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, ya, paranormal-romance

Mead has blown my mind. I'm riddled with angst and a bit pissed off actually. Blood Promise is nothing like the previous VA books and she has murdered her characters, with the exception of Adrian, which is the only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of one.

First of all, the first few chapters are filled with inconsistencies, not to mention new characters and societies that serve no other purpose than to aid Rose on her quest and to allow Mead to include secondary characters such as Lissa an...more

40 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2012 Ronda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-favourites

From previous books, we all know by now that I think Richelle Mead is an amazing author, a Goddess of writing and toying with one's emotions, simply fantastic!!!!

What do I think of Rose, however, that is a question I had to find an answer to, not only what I thought of Rose, but Dimitri and Adrian... Characters that I simply cannot get enough of and characters that are having an impact on me everytime I see their name!!!

Rose, I love her! No other words for it, I adore her, admire her and I've cr...more

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2009 Lmb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-young-adult, overrated

So 1st I have to say that I love Mead. But this book was only OK to Good for me which I guess was a disappointment. I think she could have & has done much better. To summarize, I didn't feel as emotionally connected to the characters & I expected to be, esp after the last book. But also - I think structurally, the book was too condensed & didn't have to be.

OK so here I go, SPOILERS for VA #4 - BLOOD PROMISE BELOW:

I felt there was far too much recap of the previous 3 books. Literally...more

21 likes · like · see review

Sep 03, 2009 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't wait for this book. After what happened in the last book, she has some major explaining to do. I love the new cover but it doesn't give anything away about the book (or at least nothing that i can figure out). This will probably be the most complicated and exciting book in the series. I can't wait!

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 18, 2008 Imee Andrea marked it as to-read

....i cant wait for this book to come out. I"m dying to know if whom will Rose end up with... will it be Adrian or Dmitri... Is Dmitri a Strigoi now or was just kept prisoner... If he's A Strigoi, will Rose be able to kill him... or him kill her?...

15 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, book-list-2010, paranormal-ya, favorites

**warning - may contain spoilers**

Wow! This book is amazing! I read it so quickly (well, for me anyway), I honestly couldn't put it down I was so absorbed in the story. 'Blood Promise' is a total rollar-coaster ride and I loved every minute of it.

After my small annoyance with Rose and Lissa in 'Shadow Kiss', 'Blood Promise' bounces back and gives me everything I wanted from the characters and from the story itself. This is by far the most exciting instalment in the series so far. It really is th...more

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2010 Mery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: punya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay.... Finally I read this book...

pertama kaget setengah mati (belum mati koq), masalahnya nih buku baru terbit tanggal 25 dan ternyata tanggal 24 sudah bersedar ebooknya...OMG, gimana gak joget kegirangan?

Pas baca, langsung di suguhkan cerita Rose sampe Siberia...wew sempet mikir, di mana tuh? katanya di Russia... nah loh bukan Arab yah? kekeke

BTT

Rose nyari suatu tempat di Siberia yang merupakan tempat kelahiran Dimitri, ngapain? Soalnya di pertempuran sebelumnya ngelawan Striogoi, Dimitri g...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 31, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews

If I had to give the first 3/4 of this book a review, I would have given it two stars at the most.

The plot was painfully, agonizingly slow with many, many unnecessary characters and plotlines that just bugged the hell out of me. I found myself skipping large portions of text to get to anything worth reading.

The last quarter of this book however, earned that last two stars. It was intense, amazing, beautiful. I almost cried. I wanted to cry. What happened at the end... on the bridge... well bugge...more

16 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Sarah (saz101) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, young-adult, paranormal

I don’t know how Richelle Mead’s done it, but the post-Frostbite Vampire Academy series instalments keep getting better. Blood Promise is gripping, dark, and within its pages, it feels like VA, along with its incredible protagonist, Rose Hathaway, is growing up... and growing up ain’t easy.

Roza:
The further I read into the Vampire Academy series, the more I’m convinced Rose is one the finest examples of a young adult protagonist I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. She’s strong, independent, co...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2009 Gabby leisure rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazing-series

Omg I cant believe what happened to demetri.There is sooo much i want from this book.Of course i want Rose to find Demetri and save him and I really want them to get back together and my heart just brakes everytime i think about what happened and what was is going to have to go through in this next book.I really hope Rose learns more about Demetri and herself.But at the same time its go to be horrible that she is going to have to do all this after demetri's "death"(we dont know for sure what has...more

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

First half of the book:

Rose has to go a hard way full of stones and death and pain. She meets Sydney and Dimitri's family and gets to know his world. Rose is ready to do anything to find and to kill him.

And finally, she finds him...
Second half of the book:

Dimitri as a Strigoi. A very very evil version of Dimitri. A passionated one, but still evil. He is brutal, he is merciless. He is completely different from the Dimitri we know.
And the relationship between him and Rose changes completely. E...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 26, 2009 GREAT rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural-romance, favourite-authors, re-read, forbidden-difficult-student-teach, favourite-male-characters, supernatural-fantasy, romance, vampires, series-trilogies, books-i-own

Omg this book was awsome. What a real Cliff Hanger. I can't believe I have to wait so long for Spirit Bound.

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2009 Summer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, vampires

So in Blood Promise Rose has taken off to Siberia to look for Dimitri. She eventually makes her way to Dimitri's home town and spends time with his family and tells them the bad news. While dealing with her grief and trying to figure out how to keep her promise Rose meets some new people. Including another bonded pair like her and Lissa that also have a member that is shadow-kissed. A mysterious man is also following Rose that claims to be working for someone who wants Rose out of Siberia. She d...more

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2009 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, favorites, covers-to-die-for

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow... all i can say is wow!!!!
I waited so long to read this book and now it brings really mixed emotions in me and i must admit that i don't know exactly how i feel about it. Don't get me wrong I LOVED IT but there were still some moments where i wasn't sure.
First off i knew Abe was Rose's father from the get go, there was just something about him that screamed that to be the case. I can certainly see where she gets her stubbornness and attitude, lol.
Sydney was cool too, although i think i exp...more Wow... all i can say is wow!!!!
I waited so long to read this book and now it brings really mixed emotions in me and i must admit that i don't know exactly how i feel about it. Don't get me wrong I LOVED IT but there were still some moments where i wasn't sure.
First off i knew Abe was Rose's father from the get go, there was just something about him that screamed that to be the case. I can certainly see where she gets her stubbornness and attitude, lol.
Sydney was cool too, although i think i expected more of her in the book. I hope both she and Abe are in future books.
Adrian really stepped up in this book and i absolutely loved seeing him be like he was. I'm still TEAM DIMITRI all the way, but i did soften towards Adrian slightly.

I really felt for Rose in this book and sometimes my heart just broke for her. It was so sad *sob*
I felt she had changed and continued to change heaps as a character and i was really pleased when she got to meet Dimitri's family. I loved them!
And Dimitri? Oh, Dimitri! He was bad and yet.... he was so good. I will admit that i did share Rose's feelings about him. He was/is evil (anyone can see that) but he seemed so much like his old self that at times i did forget what he was and found myself thinking of him as the old Dimitri everyone knew and loved. Then he'd do something or say something that was so evil and so unlike the old Dimitri that i was like...... crap, he's a Strigoi for crying out loud! Don't forget that.
One thing i absolutely loved was in the end when Rose came back and her and Lissa made up. I'm glad to see that Lissa can understand what Rose felt for Dimitri and understands (slightly) why she did what she did. I'm happy to see that Lissa will go with Rose if and when she leaves again.
I'm SOOOOOOO glad Rose didn't kill Dimka and i really hope against hope, that between her and Lissa they can find away to save him. I hope that this Robert guy is able to heel Dimitri somehow.
Then maybe he and Rose can actually have a happy ending..... they deserve it.
Now my finally note is that i CAN'T wait until Spirit Bound to be released. I think it's gonna be really interesting and as far as i'm concerned, next year ISN'T SOON ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!
(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-vampire-werewolves, ya-and-children-loved-to-favorites

Each book of this series gets better and better. Blood Promise was an excellent read and I absolutely loved it. I'm happy to note, I wasn't disappointed with anything that unfolded. I can't believe we have to wait until next May for book 5. It feels like an eternity away...sigh. I guess I'll have to manage until then. HA!

***Caution- below may contain some spoilers, so don't read further if you haven't read the book. This review is more on my feelings on how the plot in Blood Promise unfolded:**...more Each book of this series gets better and better. Blood Promise was an excellent read and I absolutely loved it. I'm happy to note, I wasn't disappointed with anything that unfolded. I can't believe we have to wait until next May for book 5. It feels like an eternity away...sigh. I guess I'll have to manage until then. HA!

***Caution- below may contain some spoilers, so don't read further if you haven't read the book. This review is more on my feelings on how the plot in Blood Promise unfolded:***

To start off, I was happy with the way Richelle Mead was able to involve all our favorite characters: Rose, Lissa, Adrian, Christian and Dimitri without compromising the story. I thought the two story-lines flowed well together. I was a little concerned at first, that we wouldn't get much of the other characters, because Rose was off in Russia.

I was also happy we were finally introduced to Rose's dad and we got to meet Dimitri's family. I wasn't sure if Rose's dad would ever make it into the picture, because of everything else going on in all the books. I hope this was only the beginning and we get more of all of them. : ) They were great additions to Rose's world.

This is only my opinion, but I'm not disappointed with how it was played out in the book, but I also have my reasons. I'm glad Rose didn't have to kill Dimitri and there still may be hope for him to be restored. I'm very interested in the next book and to find out if Victor's brother can bring the human Dimitri back. However, now this is where things get complicated for me. I can't help but feel that this is a cop out on Richelle Mead's part.

She took us on the road to Dimitri turning Strigoi. I guess I think she should stay committed to that. I'm a sucker for epic love stories. Seriously. I guess it's because of Adrian. I love and adore him. I'm so torn. I want Rose and Dimitri to be together, but I also like the idea of Rose and Adrian. I couldn't help feeling my heart break for Adrian at the end, when Dimitri didn't die (which I knew he wouldn't), because that meant things with Adrian wouldn't happen as long as Dimitri was still around. I just hope Adrian isn't killed off, in order to make things uncomplicated for Rose and Dimitri.

I guess this is why love triangles are madding and exciting. I'm glad I'm not Richelle and have to make a decision. I thinks it's too late to introduce a wonderful girl for Adrian, one we would love as much as Rose. Sigh....

Okay. I have to throw this out there. Despite my earlier comments, I would be happy if Dimitri was restored to his human self. However, I can't help but think what would that do to him? I mean, we know him from the previous books and how he swore to protect. He may have been turned Strigoi by force, but he took on their vicious killer nature. Once he was restored, would he be able to handle his' action while a Strigoi? What would that do to him? And, is it selfish of Rose to bring him back, knowing what it might do to him? I don't know. Just some thoughts.

That's why this series is so great. We, readers, care about the characters and what happens to them. That's the magic of Richelle Mead's writing. She makes us care, love, become frustrated at times, and crazy. We want more. (less)

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2011 Carrie added it

Just so we all understand what I am confessing to here, I'd like to quote from the book jackets of this series:
"What if following her heart means Rose could lose her best friend FOREVER?" (emphasis not mine)
"Dimitri's heart has gone dark. Now Rose must journey to the ends of the earth to find-and kill- her one true love..."
"With Dimitri stalking her, Rose can only run so far..."

Dear Vampire Academy books- it's been fun. Tearing through 4 books of hot vampire teenage adventure drama in 4 days has...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 07, 2009 Teamedward4evr rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

14 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2011 linedwaters rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, teen, vampires, school-life, 2011, disappointing, reviewed, stars-one, gritting-my-teeth-to-finish, waste-of-time, adventure

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Honestly, I hoped for a comeback. I wished the disappointment Shadow Kiss gave me would disappear after reading this book. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

This is really wrong of me to say--and it's so, so, so unfair that I ended up feeling this way--but in this book, I just despised Dimitri. It's because he's a Strigoi, presumably, but it's wrong. His image is now tainted, and not in a good way. I hate it. Perhaps it would have been better if Rose really just killed Dimitri.

And another...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2011 Lissa added it

Shelves: kick-ass-heroine, 2011, hey-that-s-my-name

This is, in my opinion, the hardest VA book to read.
It's not set at St Vladimir's Academy. It's set in Russia as Rose goes off to hunt and kill Dimitri, the man she loves.
The reason it's so hard to read is because it's kind of boring. The first half of the novel is Rose's adventures in Russia as she finds Dimitri's family and delivers the news, finds another shadow-bonded couple and learns more about spirit, and discovers an ally in Alchemist Sydney (who's pretty cool, but because of her name I...more This is, in my opinion, the hardest VA book to read.
It's not set at St Vladimir's Academy. It's set in Russia as Rose goes off to hunt and kill Dimitri, the man she loves.
The reason it's so hard to read is because it's kind of boring. The first half of the novel is Rose's adventures in Russia as she finds Dimitri's family and delivers the news, finds another shadow-bonded couple and learns more about spirit, and discovers an ally in Alchemist Sydney (who's pretty cool, but because of her name I keep reading her as Australian, not American).
The second half of the novel is what happens when Rose finds Strigoi-Dimitri.
And it's a big book. 500 pages worth. Not only is it thick, but my copy is very battered because it's physically larger than my other books. I'm scared to read it again because of the sheer weight of it wrecking the spine and the covers.

My favourite parts of this book was when Rose is Dimitri's blood whore - allowing their romance to blossom, and Rose's weakness to come through. Reading the biting and the blood as an addiction and Rose as a junkie is just fascinating.
My other favourite part is when Rose watches St Vladamir's through Lissa's eyes. I love the introduction of Avery - she's possibly my favourite 'guest-starring' character. I love what Mead did to Avery, and I love how her story is a tale of warning for Rose and Lissa.

Although I am beginning to notice some inconsistencies that Mead tries to get away with.
One of them is that Rose claims she's not used to adults listening to her right away - she apparently had 'trouble' getting the adult guardians at the school to listen to her when Lissa was kidnapped in the first book, and when the school was attacked in the previous book.
But if you remember clearly, she didn't have any trouble at all. All the adults responded rather quickly.
So Mead sometimes sneakily tries to add impact to Rose's story by claiming things that didn't actually happen in the past, and that annoys me. Like when she gave us like a billion Rose-Dimitri flashbacks that supposedly happened during the relationship that we for some reason never saw as they were happening.

Also, Rose likes to constantly remind us that even though she's not graduated, she kicks a lot of butt as a guardian. I know she's meant to be, like, the most talented guardian EVER (not just because she shares Lissa's bond) but once again, Mead kind of cheats because we're only TOLD these things, and never really shown. I mean, in last book Rose pretty much sucked at her guardian work experience because of her whole Mason's ghost deal, and even though she managed to catch up to the rest of her class because of Dimitri's extra training, we're only ever really told that Rose is an awesome guardian by Rose herself or by other people. We're not actually shown Rose in action.
Even in the previous book, Rose needed help from Christian to kill all those Strigoi.
When we DO see Rose in action, she's doesn't seem particularly more skilful than her un-graduated peers - just not totally freaking dumb like them. There is a big point made that before Rose came along, the others lost team mates quite often. Rose is like some goddess or something - not sure if it's because she's been educated in America... but there's really nothing there in the prose that really explains why Rose is better than them. She just is.(less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone, especially vampire fanatics

Shelves: young-adult, vampires, books-i-go-rabid-over, books-i-own, my-hottie-harem, author-richelle-mead, signed-by-author, necromancer, favorites, read-in-2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I absolutely love this entire series and I cannot believe that I stopped reading this book to focus more on school. Blood Promise is an amazing book! It's probably one of my favourites. This fourth book made me fall in love with Dimitri (even as a Strigoi). For some odd reason, I was infatuated with Christian and Adrian from the beginning that I never took any notice of Dimitri ... until now. And it may be too late because Rose and Dimitri may never be together again. It's quite heartbreaking.

Th...more I absolutely love this entire series and I cannot believe that I stopped reading this book to focus more on school. Blood Promise is an amazing book! It's probably one of my favourites. This fourth book made me fall in love with Dimitri (even as a Strigoi). For some odd reason, I was infatuated with Christian and Adrian from the beginning that I never took any notice of Dimitri ... until now. And it may be too late because Rose and Dimitri may never be together again. It's quite heartbreaking.

This book is a lot more brooding and sensitive. Even though I already loved Rose from the very first book, I felt like she was more real in this installment. She was heartbroken, and lost, and lonely and the only way to fix herself was to fix the world (and kill Dimitri).

The "love scenes" between Rose and Dimitri are so sweet and memorable that you wonder why Richelle didn't let any of this happen between them earlier. You desparately wish for something more to happen between them. You can see how Dimitri's presence makes Rose a happier person. The weight of the world is lifted from her shoulders once Dimitri is there. It shows how much she loves him and you see her as a lady in love.

Lissa and Rose also reunite in the novel and I'm so glad for it. They belong together. Lissa is simply not herself when Rose is away. As a result, her relationship with Christian falters and there's trouble in paradise. On that note, the only complaint that I have about this book is the lack of scenes with Christian. I wished we had more of his funny comments and sarcastic personality.

Another character, Avery Lazar comes into the picture and messes around with the perfect circle of friends that has serious consequences. Adrian also gets tangled with Avery (which makes me hate her even more).

Nevertheless, this book was awesome. There's a really good twist towards the end that makes the wait for the next novel a living hell. I think I may die just waiting for it. Kudos to Richelle Mead for making such wonderful and successful books that keep readers wanting and yearning and pinning for the next one.(less)

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Dec 02, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 5-star-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jesus Christ! Really, I mean, really, I never knew how much of a sook I was. This book was sooo good but I swear it almost killed me.

Rose… oh, Rose! I was patting this book on so many occasions that after a while it just felt natural (and yeah I got some looks!) but my heart ached pretty much the whole way through and yes, I was sobbing from about two thirds of the way onwards.

I had to put it down and walk away many times because my heart was breaking and I couldn’t handle it. Even the times w...more

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About Richelle Mead

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away f...more

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“I’d said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass.” — 3,590 people liked it

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Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

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