Golden Lily in general was slow paced, uninteresting and boring. The last scene though was what kept the book alive for me and gave me hope for future...moreGolden Lily in general was slow paced, uninteresting and boring. The last scene though was what kept the book alive for me and gave me hope for future installments. It certainly saved an otherwise run of the mill, borderline mediocre YA paranormal book.
Let's dissect this sucker, shall we? First the characters.
I don't like Sydney. I didn't like her in VA and I don't like her now and frankly, I am not seeing myself liking her in the foreseeable future. She's bland, needy, neurotic, absolutely no fun and, what I hate the most about her, an obnoxious know-it-all. That is not what I consider a heroine. Everybody keeps telling her how badass and amazing she is and I'm trying really hard to see it. The girl, besides thinking she's smarter than anybody on the planet, has nothing else going for her. No personality whatsoever. She even tells Adrian at some point that she feels she has to take her amazingly bright mind down a notch so as to stoop to everyone else's level. Seriously now? Come on. No way. In a perfect world, Sydney would be a character everyone would laugh at or ignore in a book. Somehow in this one, she's the heroine who is supposed to inspire her peers. Yeah. No. I hate hate hate her aversion to magic. I don't wanna hear "That's her lifestyle, she grew up like that" and all that crap. Because it's so unbelievably wrong of her to denounce magic because it plays with people's lives and minds, and may I add rightly so on one hand, and on the other when it's convenient for her, she uses it like it's nothing. That's not cool at all. It reminds me of people eating chicken and when they see other people killing chicken they freak out. Well, where do you think it came from when you put it in your mouth, buddy? That's Sydney for you. Bad, but if it helps her purpose it's good. Awesome principles.
Adrian remained his adoring self. I was a fan of Adrian's since VA so no problemo there. Well, that's not exactly true. Adrian's character had major flaws and I don't mean as a person, I love his vices, I mean as a written character in a book. In Golden Lily he was more of a caricature most of the time than a solid character. He was the comic relief, everyone will have a laugh seeing Adrian drunk and slurring. Har har. Yeah, it wasn't so funny and after a couple of times, it got old. Also, even though as I mentioned earlier I loved the last scene, there were some things said there that were totally inconsistent with his character, things that Adrian as we know him would never say and honestly, they hit me hard and I'm still on the fence about them. Do I like and embrace the change, or want the Adrian I grew to know and love back? Can't decide.
The others pretty much remained the same. Jill, Eddie, Angeline (the dhampir from the Keepers, remember her?), Sonya, Dimitri. I don't know what will happen with Jill and Eddie's relationship dynamics because, what do you know, once again Sydney meddled and ruined everything. So no idea how it's gonna play out. Speaking of relationships, in Golden Lily Sydney meets and dates briefly someone who is horrible, whiny, needy as hell and dislikable in general. Someone who everyone, including Sydney, thinks is exactly like her and they're the perfect fit. ... Rest my case.
Story wise, there is not a lot happening. Actually, nothing happens as far as action and intrigue and mystery is involved. Most of the time we have to deal with Sydney's freak outs about vampires and magic, her abysmal love life, dances and parties. Something resembling an action scene happens towards the end, but don't get too excited. Now the last scene of the book, was something else entirely. I loved it. As simple as that. I loved it regardless of the two people participating in it. In fact, I love it in spite of them, it could have been anyone. And even though I disagreed with a lot of what was said, the writing was brilliant and it stuck in my head a long time after I finished the book. I finally got a glimpse of Mead's talent which I haven't seen since Spirit Bound. It's been a long time coming.
What pissed me off is that Golden Lily was so mediocre overall, that I don't know if I can find any excuse to hold on to this series anymore. Being written by Richelle Mead is not gonna cut it. Unless of course she stops playing it safe hoping that her millions of fans will read anything she writes regardless the quality, and starts writing something really spectacular. She's done it before, she can do it again. Some people think I'm way over thinking this and I should take it easy and chillax or whatever. Honestly, I don't care. I'm passionate about reading and books and I get invested in what I read and what I love. If you don't get it, then you've probably never been and never will be passionate about anything.(less)
Bloodlines is without a doubt the most anticipated book of 2011 for me. Even though I was immensely dissatisfied by Vampire Academy series last book,...moreBloodlines is without a doubt the most anticipated book of 2011 for me. Even though I was immensely dissatisfied by Vampire Academy series last book, Last Sacrifice, I believe in Richelle Mead and her writing. That, and also I was sooooo curious to see what happens to the characters I came to love all these years. I can't say I was disappointed in Bloodlines but I was not exactly thrilled, either.
Bloodlines takes place in Palm Springs immediately after the events in Last Sacrifice. Well, if not immediately maybe after a couple days, a week tops. Jill is sent to a boarding school to disappear among humans and Eddie and Sydney are sent there too, to watch over her. That was my first objection. Why Sydney? Why not another dhampir, who is strong and know how to fight? Who would protect Jill from a Strigoi attack?Sydney?Seriously? Also, let's not forget the fact that Sydney has the personality and charisma of a paper napkin(harsh but true)so why she's protagonist material, I'll never know. I hope there's a reason to it, which we'll get to see in the next Bloodlines books. Actually, I got that a lot while reading Bloodlines, the -this will be explained later on-feeling. BL is introductory, like Vampire Academy was. However, unlike VA, Bloodlines lacks the passion and the drive characters in VA had. They fell kinda flat and unfortunately not only Sydney, which I expected. But Adrian? Come on! Don't get me wrong, he was still he's annoyingly adorable self but I guess he was brooding too much for my taste. Yeah, Rose and Dimitri did a number on him(and we see Richelle admitting it through Sydney's voice in the book-thanks, Richelle!)but please can't he get over it already?Rose wasn't worthy of him then and she won't certainly be now or in the future. No need for him to continue to cry over her(thankfully, no real crying took place).Also plot wise, there was some things that were really unnecessary and trivial. Jill's promising modeling career? Please.
OK this is getting long, I have to finish up here. So basically I think Bloodlines, although different from VA as far as the characters are concerned, its structure is completely the same. Jill is the royalty(Lissa)who lives in a boarding school(St.Vladimir's)and has people protecting her: Sydney(Rose) and Eddie(Eddie). And that's only the half of it!There are so many similarities that are a bit spoilery so I can't mention them here. But you'll understand when you read the book. As for Adrian, I don't know what his part is in all this. Is he like Dimitri?No way. But then again, he is kind of the male protagonist. I don't know, lines are blurry and I hope everything will start to clear out in the next installments.
What I did like however, was the information we get about Alchemists and their way of life and upbringing. I knew they kinda hated vampires, but man! They really really hate them! As in, they can't stand the mere sight of them! They also hate magic which I wouldn't thought possible since that tattoo of them that heals them?Yeah, kinda magical. I also think Sydney's relationship with her father and sister was very interesting and I hope we get to see more of that in the future. Whatever had to do with the spirit and spirit users was very interesting too.
Will I continue to read the Bloodlines series?Ha! Of course I will! But given Richelle Mead's undeniable writing skills, I expected a lot more out of the first book. Here's hoping the next will more than make up for it!
*About the cover - Guys, guys ... *shakes head* what were you thinking? (less)
Whoa. What was that??? I feel like I've just been hit by a truck. Hurt, bewildered but mainly pissed off. I liked Darkness Becomes Her, I really reall...more Whoa. What was that??? I feel like I've just been hit by a truck. Hurt, bewildered but mainly pissed off. I liked Darkness Becomes Her, I really really did, and I was particularly eager to read A Beautiful Evil. I don't know what happened to Keaton, but ABE for me was very, very bad.
First off, it never once managed to catch my attention. Nothing that went on was interesting or important to me. The character development was non existent and there was no chemistry not only between Ari and Sebastian, the alleged love interest, but also between Ari and her father, Violet, her friends. Not that secondary characters had any role to play. They were as useless as a toothbrush to a fish. I'd have liked to see more of the school and the classes.
The book itself was very short with basically no story at all, except maybe for the action scene in the last couple of chapters which pretty much includes everything you need to know about ABE's plot. There was no need for a whole different book for that. Maybe if it was a novella or a companion novel, it would still be pretty bad, but at least it wouldn't count as a sequel.
Ari was not at all the assertive and strong young woman I remembered from DBH. She rather acted like a silly schoolgirl throughout the whole book. She is in enemy territory, her friend and father's lives are at stake, she could die any minute, and as she and Sebastain are moving stealthily towards their target, first thing that comes to mind is ask Sebastian about a girl that looked at him funny the other day and announce to him that she is not interested at all in love triangles. WTF?? Eww. Just please, stop talking.
I am so so disappointed in A Beautiful Evil. So much so, that reading it made me doubt if Darkness Becomes Her was even that good, and I hate second guessing myself. Unfortunately, I'm breaking up with this series :( (less)
Darkness Becomes Her is an unbelievably original novel that completely won me over!
Granted, Darkness Becomes Her has somewhat of a rocky start.Fi...more4,5/5
Darkness Becomes Her is an unbelievably original novel that completely won me over!
Granted, Darkness Becomes Her has somewhat of a rocky start.First 40 pages or so.You have to get used to Ari's character, who comes on a little too strong for a 17 year old girl and acclimate to the utterly new, semi-dystopian/futuristic surroundings. DBH takes place in New 2, which actually is the city of New Orleans, partially rebuild by the Novem(made up of 9 families)after the hurricane Katrina in 2005.So, as you probably have guessed there is a lot to absorb at first.However, as you continue reading you'll quickly find yourself lost in this amazing world Keaton has created!
I loved all the characters in DBH.Brace yourselves, there are a lot, but each and every one of them is memorable because they have their own voice and distinguishable personalities. Ari is a tough, VERY tough teenage girl.She has survived several foster homes and very bad living conditions. She is determined to find her true origins and nothing will get in her way.Then she meets Sebastian, whom she likes instantly. Now you know I am not a fan of the 2 minutes head over heels thing.Fortunately, Ari wasn't either!I loved how she constantly chastised herself for falling for a stranger so quickly.She knows it's not "natural" to like someone she barely knows and she is not afraid to say it.That made me admire Ari and made her feelings towards Sebastian all the more believable to me.That and her abhorrence to snakes(I can completely relate!), had me practically adoring her by the end of the book!
As for the story...where do I begin?Vampires, warlocks, shifters, harpies, mythical monsters, vengeful Greek goddesses, all of them part of a unique and imaginative story you will not want to end!Add to that a shocking revelation towards the end, and you have yourself a book that you just don't wanna miss! Recommended. (less)
Haven unfortunately left me feeling disappointed, and rolling my eyes most of the time while reading it didn't help much, either.
I cannot think of one...moreHaven unfortunately left me feeling disappointed, and rolling my eyes most of the time while reading it didn't help much, either.
I cannot think of one word that could describe Haven. I can think of three, though: lack of originality. In my opinion, Haven is a combination of scenes taken from very popular YA series, like Twilight and Vampire Diaries. To make it perfectly clear, when I say "taken", I by no way mean stolen! These small pieces obviously drew Cook's eye when she read them and thought that it'd be awesome to change them a little bit(some were left almost exactly the same!)and add them all in one book, thus very easily ensuring a YA audience. Apparently, this infamous YA recipe has worked really well for her, seeing how many people loved this book. Me? Not so much.
Pretty much every aspect of Haven left me with a "Meh.So?" comment. I didn't find Violet's character interesting, or Aidan's or any of the characters, for that matter. They weren't obnoxious or anything, but they were so bland you just couldn't bring yourself to like them. And what was with all the crying?? Doesn't matter what was going on, "Violet felt hot tears blurring her vision". I mean, she cried at almost anything! That's a recurring theme in YA books lately and I don't like it one bit! Needless to say I didn't detect even the slightest spark, attraction, chemistry whatsoever between Violet and Aidan. That off-and-on-again situation made me feel like they didn't like each other all that much, in the first place. The ending was also kinda meh(see?). We kept hearing of Violet's visions about Aidan's impending doom and how it was of the outmost importance she trained because these guys that were coming were so bad ass like nobody's business, but in reality nothing like that ever happened because the fight of all fights was 3 pages overall! And after that battle of obviously epic proportions(NOT), the next morning Violet wakes up only to learn that everything had been resolved and settled. That's some of the reasons why I didn't enjoy Haven. What was the worst for me though, was its complete unoriginality. It was exactly like every other Twilight clone out there and I am not a huge fan of clones of any kind. It's called "creative" writing for a reason, people!
However, there were some parts in Haven I did like. I liked that Cook regarded vampirism as a disease, with a possible cure and everything. I like the cynicism in that. I also liked the scene with the licking. Ewwwww, guys!Get your minds out of the gutter right now!That's SO not what I'm talking about!Anyway, it was a sweet and sensual moment and the only time the possibility of anything serious happening between Violet and Aidan, ever crossed my mind.
All in all, despite its OK first half, Haven let me down big time. However, I do believe that hardcore "Twilight and co." fans, will love this one. So I guess I can safely recommend it to them. (less)
Lost In Time is the 6th installment in the Blue Bloods series.I write this review assuming that you have read all the Blue Blood novels up until this...moreLost In Time is the 6th installment in the Blue Bloods series.I write this review assuming that you have read all the Blue Blood novels up until this point
Lost In Time is once again split into 3 parts. One part is about Schyler and Jack and their journey to Alexandria and Cairo in order to find the gate and protect the guardian. Another part is about Mimi and Oliver going to Alexandria as well, to descend into Hell and bring Kingsley back, and the last part is focused on the past and tells the story of Allegra and Ben(Schyler's parents),how they came to be together and finally the mystery of Allegra's illness. Parts are alternating and are written in 3d person.
Love it loved it loved it!!!! Never thought De La Cruz would have so many aces up her sleeve for the second to last book in the series. Turns out her insanely dense plot is so carefully weaved, that even this far in the series when usually stories have become weak and readers have lost their interest, everything clicks perfectly into place and there is still enough space for surprising twists.
I liked all 3 parts in Lost In Time. All 3 were connected and they all presented you with long-awaited answers. Especially the part with Allegra and the reason that she ends up in the hospital(as we get to know her in book #1) is beautifully written. Honestly, I didn't expected it but in retrospect it explains a lot. The one tinsy tiny thing I wanted from Lost In Time and didn't get was more Deming time. But that's OK. Book managed to be awesome even without the kick-ass Venator. I still believe Mimi is the most well developed character. She is miles away from the spoiled rich girl we met in book 1. She has grown and matured beyond my expectations but also has managed to still show the perky and fun side of her whenever and to whomever she wants to. At some point in the book the difference between the old Mimi and the new Mimi is made perfeclty clear and I have to say I've forgotten how scary the old Mimi was! You'll see what I mean.
There is not a dull moment in Lost In Time. There are equal parts mystery, action, heartbreaking romance and suspense. There are tons of stuff going on and all of them important to the story. I hope you took my advice and kept some notes because I for one know that if I hadn't read my notes before I started Lost In Time, there was no way I could read it. Lost In Time for real! I have no idea how people decided to start the series reading this book. It really is beyond me.
Lost In Time is amazing-go pick it up immediately! After reading the previous 5 books, of course :) Unfortunately next book will also be the last,The Gates Of Paradise. Says in Melissa's web site: "The seventh and final novel in the first Blue Bloods cycle will be published January 2013." I think I fainted a little bit. 2013???????Seriously, that long???? UGH!!!! On second thought, maybe you want to keep Lost In Time for a "little" while longer and read it after the last book comes out so you won't have to wait.(less)
Remember when I said that Half-Blood was one hair away from being Vampire Academy? Well, Pure was the same deal kinda. As in Frostbite, the third whee...moreRemember when I said that Half-Blood was one hair away from being Vampire Academy? Well, Pure was the same deal kinda. As in Frostbite, the third wheel, in Pure's case Seth-in Frostbite's Adrian, gets a lot of exposure and we get to know him better. We also get a death. Not trying to spoiler shower you, but if you've read Frostbite you already know either way.
As for the basic story, I admit it's quite different from VA but I still can't see the endgame, the reason behind all this, the purpose. What are the supposed heroes set to do and why? There is no apparent arch story yet, at least not one I can detect. Also the fact that everything had to be about Seth and Alex and her finding him annoying and an arrogant jerk but liking him at the same time, and with him shamelessly flirting with her, didn't help any.The ending gave me hope however, that maybe book 3 will focus more to the story. Less dilly dallying, please! Oh and Furies? Dementor's first cousins. Or identical twins. Just sayin'.
I don't know how I feel about Alex. Seth, I don't care for. He is one of the million jerks in books whom the heroine feels an attraction too, despite having repeatedly expressed her undying love for another guy. And that's what bothered me with Alex in Pure. She seems to have shed her bad-assness and assertiveness completely and suddenly decided to go through a girlie-girl phase which honestly was painful to watch (read, whatever). I can't stand a heroine who says she loves someone with all her heart and is ready to sacrifice everything for them to be together and then she makes out with someone else just because he is a major flirt and she is insecure=recipe for disaster. Suffice it to say that Aiden fans, you are not gonna love this book!
Pure is the poster child for YA paranormal books and I bet it will be extremely appealing to tweens and teens. For me, despite it being all in all a fun and easy read, I expect a whole lot more from the series. There is so much more to a book than romance and love triangles. Have a kick ass story and then maybe I will turn a blind eye to the exaggerated romance. Until then…
"You were staring at him like an ugly chick stares at the last cute guy at the bar when they make the last call" A bit offensive but so funny!(less)
Let me start off by saying that those of you who have already read Half-Blood must have noticed its eery similarity to another very well known book of...moreLet me start off by saying that those of you who have already read Half-Blood must have noticed its eery similarity to another very well known book of the genre. Come on, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! Yes, Half-Blood is a great book. Yes, it has a nice romance and well built story. Yes, it has a very hot male character(or should I say hot male characters?) Half-Blood had all that and still couldn't reach Vampire Academy's (by Richelle Mead) potential, seeing as the former was almost identical to the latter.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about plagiarism. Nothing of the kind. I'm just saying that the story of Half-Blood is exactly the same as the story in VA. And I don't use the word "exactly" lightly. The whole mythology, the Moroi, the Dhampir guardians, their frowned upon intimate relations, Dhampirs' infertility, Strigoi and so much more was pictured the exact same way in Half-Blood, under different names of course. Granted, there are a few differences that thankfully are there to help us readers tell the books apart. But overall, it's undoubtedly a repetition of Vampire Academy's story. That's why I feel I don't have to "review" it, tell you my thoughts about the characters and the plot(ha!). If you know me, you know I love VA so you know what my thoughts are on the book(s).
I'm really sorry if I sound totally obnoxious referencing Vampire Academy so much. You know, before I read Half-Blood friends who had already read it warned me about the inevitable VA comparison. But I never expected for those two to be so alike! And I agree with what people say that there's no originality in art, especially in literature. Besides, expecting to read something truly original in the YA paranormal genre is utopic, to say the least. However, I draw the line in reading the same(almost verbatim "copied")story in two different books. And between you and me, Vampire Academy was way better.
I mean no disrespect to Armentrout, on the contrary. I enjoyed her book and applaud her effort. It's obvious she can write and she can write very well. I just don't understand why she didn't choose to build a new paranormal world of her own, instead of borrowing one from another book. I don't know, I just feel she can do so much better. I enjoyed Half-Blood, no question about it, but in all fairness, probably because it made me want to read Vampire Academy again.(less)
Nothing really interesting went down in this book. It was OK but that's it. Also it always amazes me how Harris can destroy a character she built...more3,5/5
Nothing really interesting went down in this book. It was OK but that's it. Also it always amazes me how Harris can destroy a character she built in over 10 books, in just a few pages. She did it with Bill, she did it with Alcide and now with Eric. Shame. Also I know a devastating spoiler for the last book *snif*
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