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Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)

by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author)

4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 · rating details · 49,054 ratings · 4,330 reviews

Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. 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...more

Hardcover, 421 pages

Published August 23rd 2011 by Razorbill

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Jul 17, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

My reaction after reading this book.

I have this shock-type face right now, which I usually get when I read a disappointing or a really good book. I don't even know if I am disappointed or happy...

I was so excited for this book. I was screaming with happiness when I got it read it. But Bloodlines was so NOT what I was expecting. I thought it would be an action filled story with awesome characters and some romance here and there. But what did I get after reading this book? NOTHING. Yes, people who...more

211 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Krista (One Love) (Critical) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: august-2011, best-character-s, funny, heroine-i-wanna-slap, own-ab, read-around, vampires, ya, yst

118 days, 30 hours, and counting...

IT HAS A COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I have to say is Adrian better be in this series, and he better find someone to love him, or else I'm going to have to jump into the book and make him mine.

Update: According to Mead's blog:

Bloodlines is the spin-off series to Vampire Academy (it's the name of the first book and of the series). It's set in the VA world but will be about different characters: Sydney (our narrator), Jill, Eddie, and one of the love interests from...more

148 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who liked the Vampire Academy books in spite of their flaws

Shelves: 2011-reads, surprisingly-liked, exceeded-my-expectations, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, love-it-for-the-characters, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, reviewed

The short of it: I'm going to offer the unpopular opinion here and say that I enjoyed this book more than some of the VA books (and this is coming from someone who gave all the books three to four stars each). I love Sydney, Adrian, Jill, and Eddie, and I love the chance to learn more about the Alchemists.

49 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Arlene by: Street Corner Bookers - ARC Tour Alexa

Shelves: arc, read-2011, vampires, ya-paranormal, young-adult

Whack! Pow! Holy alchemist! Punch in the face Batman! What a beginning and what an ending to a series kickoff that I just know is going to be a helluva ride. Team Adrian fans get ready because what you didn’t get in Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead delivers ten-fold in Bloodlines. Our favorite Moroi is back with a vengeance and fully loaded with squee-worthy moments. Can’t wait for more!

Yes, it’s no surprise I’m Team Adrian, and I have been ever since Dimitri uttered in Spirit Bound those sucktast...more Whack! Pow! Holy alchemist! Punch in the face Batman! What a beginning and what an ending to a series kickoff that I just know is going to be a helluva ride. Team Adrian fans get ready because what you didn’t get in Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead delivers ten-fold in Bloodlines. Our favorite Moroi is back with a vengeance and fully loaded with squee-worthy moments. Can’t wait for more!

Yes, it’s no surprise I’m Team Adrian, and I have been ever since Dimitri uttered in Spirit Bound those sucktastic words I've given up on you. Love fades. Mine has... to Rose. That was gut-punch harsh and difficult to let go no matter his real purpose and ultimate choice. So when Vampire Academy concluded and Adrian was left shattered and rejected, I knew he deserved so much more and the hard lesson that the good guys don’t always win was waved in the faces of Team Adrian fans. But now we’ve got a whole new story to be told and that’s pure EXCITEMENT!

In this first installment of Bloodlines, the story picks up shortly after Vampire Academy ends. I’m thinking about a couple of months or less. The court is in turmoil over Vasilisa Dragomir’s reign as queen and some people want to see her gone. However, rather than striking directly at the target, they go for her sister Jill because by getting rid of her, Lissa will be forced to forfeit her throne. To circumvent this plan of attack, Jill is tucked away at Amberwood Preparatory Academy with a posse of guardians including the Alchemist Sydney Sage, the dhampir Eddie and our beloved Adrian. They band together to keep Jill safe and try to move on and build some semblance of a life in the aftermath of VA.

I feel Sydney was the perfect choice to narrate this story as the main character. She might not be punk-rock tough like Rose...yet, but you can see her slowly developing from timid, yes-girl to don’t-mess-with-me badass. She has a lot to prove to her people because of her involvement with Rose’s escape. But as the story progresses, she realizes that sometimes she needs to take some risks and make some hard choices to discover the truth and uncover her full potential.

Adrian is absolutely perfect in this book. He delivers his ever-smooth performance of carefree slacker, but when you take a closer look it’s obvious he has some recovering to do in the wake of Rose’s ultimate choice. You can clearly see he’s trying to get away from his past and find a purpose for himself. He’s realizing his love for Rose was misguided and begins to take strides to steady himself after the fallout.

This book covers some heavy ground by showing how life lessons, character development and unpaid debts are just a few struggles to overcome. The bond between the four main players, Sydney, Eddie, Adrian and Jill is forming and I can’t wait to see where their journey will lead. Great series kick-off that Vampire Academy fans will enjoy!

Thank you so much to Alexa for lending me her ARC because she knew I couldn't wait one more day for my Adrian fix. ~HUGS~ XD(less)

74 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There has been so much talk about this book in recent months. Those lucky enough to get their hands on ARC’s have seemed to think that Bloodlines isn’t as good as VA and while I do see what they mean, I don’t exactly agree. Going into this book I was sooo excited about it. VA remains one of my all time fave series and I had high expectations for Bloodlines and, for me, it didn’t disappoint. I can see the differences in this and VA, but I loved it none-the-less.
The world within this book is very...more There has been so much talk about this book in recent months. Those lucky enough to get their hands on ARC’s have seemed to think that Bloodlines isn’t as good as VA and while I do see what they mean, I don’t exactly agree. Going into this book I was sooo excited about it. VA remains one of my all time fave series and I had high expectations for Bloodlines and, for me, it didn’t disappoint. I can see the differences in this and VA, but I loved it none-the-less.
The world within this book is very different from that in VA. The minor characters in VA now have a larger role and they have the chance to shine. The world within the Amberwood boarding school was quite normal, and the book lacked the Moroi magic found in VA, but I discovered that I actually didn’t mind that. The pace of this book was slower as Richelle Mead set up the characters and storyline, but I enjoyed the pace and everything that happened.

It was nice seeing the new characters in this book. After the way the Vampire Academy series ended, there were a lot of questions left unanswered and a lot of loose ends left untied. In Bloodlines those characters whose stories weren’t completed are front and centre and we get the beginning of their own tales. Sydney, Jill and Eddie are all back and their lives are now our focus.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Sydney. I liked her in Blood Promise and I knew she had promise, but I wasn’t expecting to love her as much as I did. And I did actually love her....a lot. She has her issues and fears in regards to Moroi and vampires, but she’s strong too. One of the things that was a stand out about her for me was her morals. I liked that she still has issues with vampires and still considered them and their world to be evil and unnatural at times, and yet unlike the other alchemists, she treated them with respect and decency; interacting with them in a way that was kind and not unnecessarily cruel. Throughout this book Sydney continued to grow and her ideas change and I think she has the potential to be an incredible heroine as the series continues. Personally I can’t wait to witness her becoming the kind of lead I know she can be.

I can’t say enough how much I love Adrian. While Dimitri always had my heart in the previous series and I always wanted him to be with Rose, I’ve always thought highly of Adrian—ever since he appeared in the VA books. He’s such a great character. He’s funny and charming and underneath he’s got such a great heart. There’s so much about him that’s a front and not completely the truth that I adored the moments when his kindness and his true feelings shone through. It’s clear from this book just how much Rose’s betrayal hurt him at the end of Last Sacrifice, but at the same time I could see that he’s ready to move on and that he can be okay again. There’s nothing I want more than him to reach his potential. The relationship he has with Jill is so adorable. He’s always cared about her, but in this book it’s finally clear how strong that affection is. He treats her like a little sister and I don’t doubt that he’d do anything to keep her safe and happy.

I can’t deny that Bloodlines lacked the romance that VA did and yet I wasn’t disappointed by this—not in the least. The chemistry is there between Adrian and Sydney and Mead has set up a great stage for what I can foresee being a terrific romance. The seeds have been sown and I’m excited about the prospect of seeing their relationship develop over time. It’s obvious from the way they interact with each other that something really deep could develop between them in future books. While they’re very different in a lot of ways, they’re also very similar and I think they could find strength in themselves from each other. Adrian certainly is charming enough to help change Sydney’s thoughts on Moroi and sweep her off her feet and I can’t defiantly see her helping to heal his broken heart. I cannot wait to see how this relationship changes in the next few books—it’s so exciting.

I liked the side story of Jill and Lee, although I saw Eddie and everything he feels coming. I’m eager to see where this leads and what it means. There were enough twists and turns in this book to keep you on your toes and the entire time I was reading I didn’t want to stop. I think there a tonnes of possibilities for the characters in this book and the ending was one that left me wanting more....stat!
Bloodlines proves that Mead can indeed keep her VA world alive and has captivated me once again. I think this the start of what looks to be a brilliant series and I for one cannot wait to get my hands on The Golden Lily, although the wait is going to kill me!

(less)

58 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour, 2011-reads, young-adult, arc, favorites, exceeded-expectations, own, series-i-love, 2012-reread, 2012-reads

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

I liked the Vampire Academy series. It was entertaining enough, but I never felt that reading it was a top priority. For some reason, though, I REALLY wanted to read Bloodlines. I was way more excited for it than Last Sacrifice. I think knowing that Sydney, a human and an Alchemist, would be the main character made it sound very interesting to me. I liked Sydney from the VA series, and I wondered how different her story and her character would b...more

34 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: STRONG lovers of Vampire Academy

Today I'd like to hone some of my (poor) mathematical skills and entertain you with some simple but self-explaining equations:

Bloodlines: Richelle Mead= x: Cassandra Clare

Hint: Spin-offs? Bad idea. You either planned them from the very beginning or anybody in this solar system can see that you're clutching at straws here.

Lissa : Rose = Adrian : x

Hint: Spirit users have a most peculiar ability. If you're familiar with Aladdin like I am, you'll know it's one of the wishes that the genie cannot g...more

40 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2011 Maja rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, books-i-can-t-wait-to-read-in-2011, glistening-fangs, huge-disappointment, moments-of-great-frustration, wake-me-up-next-year, reviewed-in-2011, own-a-dtb

I do not relish, nor have I ever relished writing negative reviews. I would like to be able to say that Bloodlines exceeded my very high expectations. I would love nothing more than to write a glowing review for it. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. My love for the Vampire Academy series is the sole reason why I haven't abandoned this book after about 40%.

Let’s start with the most obvious reason: the narrator. When it was announced that Richelle Mead chose Sydney as the viewpoint charac...more I do not relish, nor have I ever relished writing negative reviews. I would like to be able to say that Bloodlines exceeded my very high expectations. I would love nothing more than to write a glowing review for it. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. My love for the Vampire Academy series is the sole reason why I haven't abandoned this book after about 40%.

Let’s start with the most obvious reason: the narrator. When it was announced that Richelle Mead chose Sydney as the viewpoint character, I can’t say that I was thrilled, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It is now clear to me that she made a mistake. Not only does Sydney fail to evoke sympathy, but she inspires hatred with her racism and plain stupidity.

Eddie, who in my opinion had the most potential, was left on the sidelines and only brought in when it was strictly necessary. Adrian… I would rather not go into that at all: spoiled, selfish, mopey, reckless, utterly self-absorbed… do I really need to continue? He was my biggest disappointment. Those few funny moments Mead generously threw in didn’t even come close to the Adrian I used to adore. And Jill… poor little princess. My heart bleeds for her. Except that it doesn’t.

After reading 11 of her books, I obviously know how Mead’s brain works. There wasn’t a single thing that surprised me in Bloodlines. The only real surprise was how weak I found it plotwise. However, I must give credit where credit is due: she still writes excellent dialogues. It is such a shame that terrible characters prevented me from enjoying them more.

Nevertheless, my plan was to go with three stars until I read the very last sentence. That made me so angry! Was it really necessary to resort to such cheap tricks? Those of you who’ve read the book will know exactly what I’m talking about. I should be anxiously awaiting the sequel because of the main characters, not because she decided to bring HIM back on the last page of Bloodlines. It doesn’t matter that her trick worked. In fact, that makes it even worse.

So to conclude this ~~rant~~ review, of course I’ll read The Golden Lily. What choice do I have? But it makes me infinitely sad that I’m not looking forward to it at all.
(less)

55 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Hayden Casey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-with-author, i-heart-the-characters, mega-sucky-cover, series-just-end-already, deathly-long-descriptions, ending-rocked, fantastic-series, funny, just-bought, lots-of-action, main-character-deserves-death, own-it, this-series-might-be-okay, wish-series-was-shorter

This is gonna be in third person . . . *forehead slap*
C'mon, Richelle. You're not meant for third person. We found that out in KISSES FROM HELL.

EDIT 5-16-11

YOU NEED TO COME OUT TOMORROW. What if Judgement Day on Sunday strikes me down and I die not knowing what happened to Sydney? (*knock on wood*)

EDIT 8.25.11

It's coming today!, Oh, golly, IT'S COMING TODAY!
IN THREE HOURS!
description

Hopefully I don't fall out of love with Mead and become like these:
description

EDIT #2: 8.25.11
It just arrived. Just now.
HolyshitI'mg...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one - seriously!

Shelves: paranormal-fix, me-no-like-at-all, ya-is-dead, fat-kitty-judges-you, fanged-and-deadly, dafuq-did-i-just-read, is-it-just-me-goddammit, fucking-love-triangles, whiny-bitches, kill-it-with-fire, reviewed-2011, a-bit-of-mush, masters-of-snoozeville, cheesetacular, i-am-disappoint, just-kill-it-already, facepalm

Caution: a lot of bitchiness will be used in this review. Fangirls beware!

I have to admit that I didn’t start this with a smile on my face. My first thought when I saw this spinoff start was "But why?"

I have a problem with authors (and not only) milking their products too much. That was exactly my impression when I saw this book. But then I said “Hey, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this will be the start of something beautiful.” Broken dreams…

”A picture is worth a thousand words”

This is why my review w...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

Adrian.Adrian.Adrian...

ahahahahaha sorry, I needed to fangirl a bit...

Awesome plot. Finally an Alchemist as a protagonist!
It was exciting to read how it goes on! Rose appears, fabulous as always, Eddie and Jill and Adrian finally get a chance to show who they are and...this book is just WOW!

After the story with Rose Adrian is broken. He has mixed feelings and this is pretty obvious. On the one hand, he somehow hates her, on the other hand, he still loves her. Nevertheless, he gets a distraction...more

14 likes · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, bite-me, read-2011, young-adult, re-read-challenge, mead-madness, re-read-2013

The Vampire Academy series is one of my all time favorites so it's needless to say that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the spinoff, Bloodline!!

Richelle Mead has done it again! This book is a fantastic start to a bright new beginning for some of our most beloved characters.
To be honest I didn't fall in love with this book like I did with VA, but I think within time and more character growth I'll be able to appreciate it for what's it's truly worth.

My experience with this book reminds me of t...more

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2011 Lissa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroine, 2011

Some people are Team Dimitri. Some people are Team Adrian.

Me?

I'm team EDDIE.

Seriously, folks, Eddie is like the coolest big brother/guardian/protector/teddy bear EVER.
Teddy bear hero

Eddie's always there when you need him. He's completely focused on being a guardian and he's always on duty, even when he's not. He won't hesitate to put his body before yours and save your life. He's not dependent on narcotics and he's not a freaking emotional mess who thinks he knows best and breaks your little heart.

In short, Ed...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Jess (Gone with the Words) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, vampires, read-2011, female-narrator, autographed

Read my review on my blog! --> Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

First thing’s first: Adrian Ivashkov...will you marry me? Once you get your life together, of course. Yes? Great! :D

I’ve always loved Adrian and his humor. Admittedly, I was always Team Dimitri when it came to Rose, but that didn’t mean I didn’t love Adrian and all of his charms. Experiencing him through someone else’s eyes was actually really nice. You get to consider him in a different light. He is still dealing with what happened w...more

26 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Alyssa rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Hardcore fans of VA and The Curse Workers.

Recommended to Alyssa by: Jillian -always aspiring-

Shelves: must-get-asap, really-excited-for, a-favourite-author, highly-anticipated, ya-romance, own, 2011-read, actually-funny, great-books, mystery-suspense, only-okay, surprised-me, ya-loved, kick-ass, mystery, thriller

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve loved a YA paranormal romance; nowadays, ones of quality are damn difficult to find. To me, Bloodlines, despite all those negative reviews, was in between the ILOVEDITOMG and EWHOWWASTHISPUBLISHED states. I truthfully did find myself wholly captivated and unable to put the book down – this may have been because I was covered and paralyzed beneath snotty tissues and Vicks, so whatever – but I also had my problems with the novel, as you’ll see. Of course know...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Marina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-class-vampires, all-things-paranormal, favorites, funny-and-easy-reads, great-fantasy, in-one-word-good, kick-ass-heroes-heroines

Adrian Ivashkov.

“They’re waiting for you. Go on in.” Adrian leaned close to Keith’s ear and spoke in an ominous voice. “If.You.Dare.” He poked Keith’s shoulder and gave a "Muhahaha” kind of monster laugh.”

“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shootin

...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-happened-to-you, boys-that-make-me-swoon

Why people are blabbering and rating this book without even reading it is beyond me. Lack of common sense, I think yes.

You all remember Sydney don't you? One of the least memorable characters from the VA series. Yup, that's our protagonist, the joy!

It never really stood a chance.

Sure in typical Richelle Mead fashion the book is fast paced, engrossing and heck of a page turner. There are those moments that have your heart racing, mentions of Strigoi that have you on edge. Things that only VA ca...more

25 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Zemira Warner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Vampire Academy

Shelves: boarding-school, vampire, romance, hot-guys, i-own, disappointed, triangle-of-bermuda

Please don't do this to me,Richelle Mead!

How am I suppose to rate this book? It's so hard.

How am I suppose to rate this book? It's so hard.

I was SUPER excited about Bloodlines. SUPER! SUPER!!! Most of us who read this book or soon-to are either huge fans of the VA series or just stragglers hopping on board after we convinced them that this book is going to be epic.
I can tell you now that all it ended up being was an epic disappointment. It is really hard for me to say this,it really is. But I did not love it as much as I though I would.

Lets start with Sydney. I had a problem with her. She is a type of person I wouldn't like to hang out with. Sydney wasn't a great choice of narrator, and constantly got on my nerves. The fact that during VA we had this strong, caring, determined badass chick as an minor character has given us certain expectations. No matter what I think of her for what she did at the end, we respect her, admire her and to be frank, she's pretty awesome. And then we are presented with this judgemental, spineless girl who thinks she's better than everyone else and who is pretty useless in my opinion. I did not connect with her as much as I did with Adrian.

And Adrian, well, it's pretty obvious that I love Adrian and I am more than enjoying his company here because he was the only character who hadn't changed. I kept thinking just one thing while reading parts with him-Adrian is the male version of me(except for the drinking and smoking)!

Then we have Jill...Jill is Lissa's replacement who is even more useless. Jill is even more selfish and careless than Lissa. Should I judge her? She is fifteen and is dealing with a lot. There were so many guys all over her. Shouldn't one guy be enough? The whole scenario with her and all these boys just came out of nowhere and it seemed pretty unrealistic. I felt bad about Eddie. He was just a sweetheart and he deserves better.

Compared to Vampire Academy, Bloodlines was boring because there wasn't much action yet I know Richelle still isn't done with this storyline. I'm going to be more open minded and go along with what I got. This was just the beginning of the spin-off.

One of the big let-down points I'm going to point out was that, the plot was a predictable. While reading, I didn't get surprised.I almost immediately saw there was something fishy going on with Lee. Shouldn't the villain be the least person you would suspect?

I have so many conflicted thoughts on this book. Maybe I'm being unfair. After all it's the first book in the series, and I am sure Sydney will grow on me, and maybe I should just accept the fact she's not our favorite bad ass girl Rose, but it's not that simple.

Since The Golden Lily is already pre-ordered I just hope it will be better than Bloodlines.

And what do you guys think about the last sentence? I was like KICK HIS ASS ADRIAN!!! Russian Gods are overrated! :D(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Jean Pearl rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
Judging from the not-so-good rates and reviews by others of Bloodlines, I admit, my anticipation and over-enthusiastic eagerness to read this had kind of sloped down. Note the 'kind of'. But it wasn't a surprise at least. After all, Bloodlines was the first book in VA's spinoff. That was a cue for me to brace myself for the 'adjustment' I was about to invest, a defense mechanism in my part to not totally ruin my love for the VA series (if it would ever come to that), especially when I h...more 3.5 stars
Judging from the not-so-good rates and reviews by others of Bloodlines, I admit, my anticipation and over-enthusiastic eagerness to read this had kind of sloped down. Note the 'kind of'. But it wasn't a surprise at least. After all, Bloodlines was the first book in VA's spinoff. That was a cue for me to brace myself for the 'adjustment' I was about to invest, a defense mechanism in my part to not totally ruin my love for the VA series (if it would ever come to that), especially when I had become so greatly attached with our controversially formidable VA's narrator, Rose Hathaway. I initially made myself promise not to be overly disappointed and entirely give up if ever Bloodlines would turn out as a flop as what others had been rambling on about. After being done with the book, luckily enough, I could now conclude that Bloodlines was not a total disappointment! Yes, there were some let-down points in the book, but they weren't that bad. Others said Sydney was annoying and wasn't really a good narrator, but believe me when I say I don't think so. Sydney, despite her lack of combat skills and all those kick-ass agility that Rose possessed, she was on her own self, she was true, she was ridiculously smart (which was only a good thing that could be told about her as others pointed out), she was completely different from Rose which was all known and should be braced upon by then. I understood her, understood her 'they-are-monters-don't-let-yourself-be-fooled-by-them-this-is-part-of-my-mission' trait because that was what most of her life growing up to strongly believe with. With all honesty, as I was reading through her perspective, I kind of connected with her, and I find her to be likable as opposed to annoyingly despicable narrator. I won't let myself be dwindled by others' opinions though but I respect them. Jill, well, I kind of hate her. LOL. I still don't have hard reasons why but let's just see if it ever changes in the next installment. And Adrian, well, it's pretty obvious that I love Adrian and I am more than relishing his role here because he was the only character who hadn't changed, although I still couldn't explain why I felt deprived of his character. One of the big let-down points I'm going to point out was that, the plot was a bit predictable, some new certain characters were hinted at so soon I was able to have right assumptions as I reached the 'revelation' parts. In reading, I don't like not to be surprised. Bloodlines compared to VA was boring because of the lack of actions yet I know Richelle still has other up-her-sleeve heaves that she was just righting when to throw at. Let's just all be positive and be more open to embrace the new spectacle and learn to adapt with Sydney. This was just the beginning of the spin-off. ;)(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 08, 2013 Lora is currently reading it

Shelves: g-ya-paranorm, lib-to-read

I promised myself that I wasn't going to read this spin-off series after my mixed emotions over the original VA series (and Rose), but that was before I read Maja's review of Indigo Spell.

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Mikaela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf-for-dimitri-and-his-sexiness, ridiculously-hot-guys

The one qualm I had about this book? The last line. "Dimitri Belikov had arrived" should have been "Dimitri Belikov had arrived BABY! Hellllllllllls to the yeah"

But aside from that... I really did enjoy it. I love Adrian and Sydney as a couple- there's just that spark between them that was missing with Adrian and Rose and it makes me feel like I can finally appreciate Adrian as his own character without the shadow of Rose and (in particular) Dimitri.

Saying all this, something about this book...more

25 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 Kaitlynne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome-covers, absolute-favorites

Okay, so I was extremely excited when I heard bout this book! It meant that Adrian has a chance to get his happily ever after. I was all for Rose and Dimitri to be together, but I NEED Adrian to be happy too.

Sydney is completely different from Rose in some ways, but exactly like her in others. One of the things I didn't like is the fact that certain characters treated her like crap, and she just kind of stood there and took it. I understand why she felt the way she did, but I just wish she'd sta...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: VA fans

Recommended to Steph by: I did

Shelves: vamps, it-wasn-t-all-that-but-enjoyable, could-have-been-better, i-liked-it, i-totally-saw-that-coming, i-didn-t-see-that-coming, 2011-reads, what-kind-of-ending-was-that, books-i-should-hate-but-i-don-t, disappointment, young-adult

Up until around page 320 I was resigned with giving this book 2 stars, but thanks to a well placed plot twist, Bloodlines gets and upgrade to 3 stars.

I think it's important to point out I am a fan of Richelle Mead's work. I really enjoyed the Vampire Academy series (even with the second half less than stellar) and equally enjoyed the Succubus series. I enjoy Mead's witty writing style. It's both entertaining and down right hilarious at times.

However, with the exception of Last Sacrifice, I usu...more

31 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

All you people that said there was no Adrian are a bit loco...he was all over the second half of the book! Plus, there was lots of Eddie and he was a lot of fun to read about. I can't wait to learn more about him!

General note - If you haven't read her other series VA, do not think about starting this series. You'll really want to know the backstory of these characters first before embarking on this spin-off.

The first few chapters were a bit slow, but once Adrian and Eddie showed up, I was having...more

15 likes · like · see review

Aug 30, 2011 Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Vampire Academy fans

Shelves: author-richelle-mead, books-i-go-rabid-over, first-book-in-series, vampires, young-adult, my-hottie-harem, favorites

Sydney Sage makes her debut with the new Richelle Mead series, Bloodlines. Ever since Blood Promise, I was intrigued by the Alchemists and Sydney but it wasn’t until Last Sacrifice that I really wondered what was behind Sydney Sage.

Bloodlines is still set in the Vampire Academy world, but now we’re following the Alchemist, Sydney. Our girl has a lot of work cut out for her. Her task is to protect Jill, the princess and sister of the queen, Vasilisa Dragomir with the help of the Moroi and dhampir...more Sydney Sage makes her debut with the new Richelle Mead series, Bloodlines. Ever since Blood Promise, I was intrigued by the Alchemists and Sydney but it wasn’t until Last Sacrifice that I really wondered what was behind Sydney Sage.

Bloodlines is still set in the Vampire Academy world, but now we’re following the Alchemist, Sydney. Our girl has a lot of work cut out for her. Her task is to protect Jill, the princess and sister of the queen, Vasilisa Dragomir with the help of the Moroi and dhampirs. To keep Jill safe, Sydney, Jill and Eddie enroll in a human boarding school in Palm Springs and play the part of siblings. Along with some high school politics, there are more serious problems that Sydney encounters.

While this book still has the core elements of the Vampire Academy world, such as the Moroi, Strigoi, and dhampirs races, what really set this book apart from other series is the fact that Mead plays up the chemistry aspect of the Alchemists. I loved the tattoo storyline. It was right up Sydney’s alley. It was perfect for her.

In this book, we do find out what went on behind the scenes when Sydney made a deal with Abe, making her in his debt that resulted in her helping Rose out in the Vampire Academy books. And let me just say, it wasn’t what I was expecting....

This is always the case whenever I read a Richelle Mead book! I always have my own expectations about certain plot lines and characters, but Mead always seems to be able to surprise me in the best of ways.

With Sydney as the new narrator of the series, I found that I liked her controlled nature. She’s a far cry from the impulsive girl that was Rose Hathaway, but I thought the change was refreshing. From the get-go, Mead goes straight into Sage’s backstory, showing how the young Alchemist was brought up. Under the scrutiny of her father and Alchemist’s eye, Sydney must also put her best foot forward as she tries to live up to their expectations of her. At first, I saw Sydney has someone who allowed others to walk all over her, but I was wrong.

There are countless times when she stands up for herself in this book and I was surprised to see this, but also glad. One thing I didn’t realize about her was the fact that Sydney has more control than anyone else in this series. While Rose would have yelled and punch someone if they insulted her, Sydney would rather bite her tongue. It takes a whole lot of control to do something like that and I respect her a lot. I’m definitely looking forward in following the series through her eyes.

One of the characters I was most excited to read about was Adrian. After what happened in Last Sacrifice, I was hoping that Adrian would get his HEA. And while he hasn’t found that yet, I’m sure that Mead has it in the works. There’s already sparks flying and I can’t wait to see more of it. Not to mention that Adrian also has some of the best lines in book!

Then there’s Eddie Castile whom I just adore. I wished there was more of him! I know, I’m selfish. But Eddie’s the man and he just needs his own chance to shine. I love the romantic story Mead has made for him. He’s such an honourable guy! He deserves the best!

Jill has been having a bit of a rollercoaster ride. So many things happen to her that I wonder how the poor girl can deal with it all. One big shocker is revealed about her and another important character in this series so I am so excited to see how that works out!

While I thought the beginning of the book was a little slow, the book does increase in pace, especially towards the end. Mead loves hitting you with all she’s got at the end of her books, revealing secrets that will blow your mind. But it’s the very last sentence of this book that made me groan out loud and say, “OH COME ON, MEAD!” Needless to say, I’m ready for The Golden Lily.

Read combined review with Francesca here on UTC (less)

14 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-ya-ya, urban-street-cahoots

The prior-to-reading spiel, circa January 2011

*deep breath* Man, I love some aspects of Richelle Mead’s VA world (and hated other parts too, but—irrelevant!) and some of the characters. So really, it is with some great deal of relief that I can finally say goodbye to Rose and Dimitri (both of whom I really didn’t like much...no wait I'm lying-I hate them. Hate, loathe, and detest with the strength of a thousand suns. Yeup.), and herald the arrival of a story focused on MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS! :...more

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Glass rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, favorites, vampire, girls-reading-together, tanja-zemira-miss-glass-book-club

DRAGE ČIKE I TETE IZ ZNANJA, MOLIM VAS PREVEDITE I OVAJ SERIJAL!!! :D

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for this book and finally it's here. I was so scared to read it, to be honest - like with all the others series, I had a big expectations. Unlike most of the others, Bloodlines didn't disappoint me. Sydney is awsome, Jill reminds me of Lissa in the first VA book, and Adrian...oh, Adrian!:) Some twists in the story were kind of predictable, but still fun to read and I have few ideas abou...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2012 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people with time to waste

This was a disappointing 1st book of the new series. Somehow instead of improving on the mistakes of the VA series it some how got a lot worse.

First of all if your still reading the series Vampire Academy, do not jump ahead as this book is a total spoiler and tells you everything that happens in the end book.

The introduction of this book took way too long, it covered everything we already knew and took up four chapters that could of been done in two. The main problem of the book is, nothing happ...more

10 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2011 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-or-paranormal

I would give this book 1.5 starts if I could - I don't think it's quite worthy of 2.

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pn-vampires, young-adult, heroines-wimpy, huge-disappointments, read-2011, 2011-publication

2.5 out of 5 stars Here's why I normally love Richelle Mead. Her books always contain:

* Strong, kick-ass heroines
* Fun action sequences
* Completely immersive urban fantasy
* Snarky humor
* Strong emotional story arcs
* Cute, cute boys.

Always, that is, except in the case of her most recent book, Bloodlines, a new spin-off series from her Vampire Academy books. I've read all thirteen of the author's previous novels, including her adult urban fantasy series Dark Swan and Georgina Kincaid, and I'...more

95 likes · like · see review

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We ♥ YA Books! : * DISCUSS: May Theme: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead	6	35	May 09, 2013 07:18pm
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Am I the only one who loved Sydney's character from the beginning?	14	45	May 07, 2013 01:22pm
! YA Heroines !: Bloodlines series	8	12	Apr 26, 2013 06:52pm

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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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“Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try." (Adrian)” — 972 people liked it

“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.” — 681 people liked it

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