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Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel #1

Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel

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After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It’s filled with intrigue, danger—and even romance.

Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2011

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About the author

Richelle Mead

99 books67.1k followers
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 from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

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5 stars
8,091 (50%)
4 stars
3,732 (23%)
3 stars
2,699 (16%)
2 stars
861 (5%)
1 star
565 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 854 reviews
Profile Image for Anna.
48 reviews44 followers
July 29, 2016
When I first heard there was a graphic novel for Vampire Academy, I was ecstatic. I love the books and was excited to see the characters and scenes layed out for my visual enjoyment. Then I saw the cover.




As an avid manga reader, I'm very picky about art. Disliking it will either kill the story or any chance of me even picking it up. I almost didn't pick up the Vampire Academy graphic novel. Rose is nothing like I imagined her and Lissa... WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOUR FACE??? I don't really know what she's doing with her arm and fingers either but it looks painful.
Just tried it. It kind of is.

Despite this I still wanted to give it a chance because maybe, just maybe, the rest was better. The rest turned out to be okay. Just okay. Not bad enough to turn away from but nothing above the level of decent. This is crucial for graphic novels because I already know the story so the images are really the only thing keeping my attention, which they failed to do.

I found myself progressing from skimming pages to skipping pages to not even bothering to finish. The scenery was just poor, like the artist was too lazy to add any real detail and just wanted to splash on some quick basic color. Some scenes were better than others but for the most part I was left unimpressed.

The characters were okay. The poses sometimes seemed awkward but my biggest peeve was that the eyes were often small and unproportional to the rest of the face. This was especially the case with Lissa, who's eyes were practically non-existent.

Another thing about Lissa is that she's very plain. She's supposed to be beautiful but is really just kind of homely. Rose may not be what I imagined but she is pretty and a major design improvement compared to Lissa.

All the males are very nicely done. There were still a few problems but overall the men were easier on the eyes. Especially Dimitri. It made me wonder if the artist is simply more comfortable drawing men than she is women. Especially because Rose actually kind of looks like a man in some scenes.

So I guess the enjoyment of this is purely about taste. I for one have a huge stick up my butt when it comes to art, one that can only be pulled out when it's amazing. The art in the VA graphic novel was more the type that shoved it a little further in. It wasn't awful but it wasn't able to keep me.
Profile Image for Anastasia.
134 reviews68 followers
August 6, 2016
4/5 stars.

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.


I really enjoyed the Vampire Academy series and after reading the Bloodlines series, I needed to reread Vampire Academy. But I didn't have enough time on my hands. So my options were either read the graphic novel or watch the movie. And if any of you have watched and read Vampire Academy you know that the movie was very poorly done and didn't really do the book justice. So, I decided to pick up the graphic novel.

This graphic novel was very similar to Vampire Academy, at least what I remember of it. It hit all of the major plot points, but didn't really delve into the small twists and turns that really made the book interesting. They did add in all of the sexual tension between Rose and Dimitri though, they definitely didn't leave any of that out.

The book was very fast paced. I feel like they rushed through all of the important and crucial parts of the story. I was a little confused with the plot even though I had already read the book. They should have taken more time explaining the world, class system, characters, and bloodlines. It might have even been great if they had added a family tree. This way you could identify who was related to who, especially since most of the royal families are intertwined.

The art style gave me a very big anime vibe. It was simple with lots of very bold black outlines. I thought the style really complimented the fighting ad action scenes that were in the story. The art complimented the story and characters perfectly.

All in all it was nice revisiting the book that started it all. The graphic novel seemed a little too fast paced and I wish they had delved into certain story lines like the book did, but all in all it was a good book. If you are looking for a quick refresher, this graphic novel was very loyal to the original and is worth the read.
Profile Image for Cheese.
63 reviews15 followers
Shelved as 'maybe-read'
April 13, 2012
What is the deal with all the graphic novels popping up?? I have nothing against them, I just don't get it. I like having my own visions of the characters, thanks.
Profile Image for Lavinia Reads.
240 reviews243 followers
May 25, 2021
I loved it!
I was so excited to be back in this world and now I want to reread the books :))
Profile Image for Anne.
3,864 reviews69.2k followers
January 30, 2018
So, here's what I liked about it:

1. Unlike a lot of books turned graphic novels, this one actually does the entire book in one shot.
Hey, at least it's over with, right?

2. The art was decent.
And by that, I mean that not every guy in it looked like a chick.

description

Other than those two things, I thought it had all of the same problems you tend to see with these kinds of books. Which means unless you've already read the original novel, the story is going to come across as disjointed, lame, and missing hunks of pertinent information. The information you are given comes at you in the form of jerky dialogue and info dumps.

description

I wasn't personally a huge fan of the books, so that may have tainted my feelings for this.
But I doubt it...
However, if you've read the Vampire Academy series and you find yourself yearning for more from this world...well, have at it.
Profile Image for AleJandra.
821 reviews415 followers
April 1, 2018
2 MEH STARS

description

Tercera versión que leo de esta historia.
Primero vi la película, después leí el libro y ahora le di una oportunidad a la novel grafica.

No hay mucho que decir, ya que esta adaptación es fiel a la historia original, obviamente un par de cosillas fueron omitidas, pero aun así es bastante fiel.

Lo que no me gusto, fue que los gráficos son mediocres, parece que la ilustradora no les puso ganitas a los diseños. Aparte de ser cero originales, el reciclaje constate de viñetas era demasiado obvio, por eso los personajes tienen la misma expresión todo el tiempo.

Al igual que con la Novela Gráfica de Legend, creo que las editoriales solo publican estas adaptaciones para sacarle mas dinero a los fans, no porque realmente nos estén dando algo de calidad.
Profile Image for Melissa.
322 reviews135 followers
February 8, 2015
I’m a huuuuuge fan of the Vampire Academy and yes, I even liked the movie. So I was super excited when I finally decided to read this graphic novel!

The story is not as complete as in the actual book (obviously), but it didn’t bother me at all. It was like having a recap of the actual book. I’ve been wanting to reread the 6 books, but you know… rereading 6 books with all the new unread books I have is pretty hard. So this graphic novel was perfect for me! I had my dose of Rose and Dimitri and I’m satisfied :D

Oh by the way, the drawings are BEAUTIFUL!!! Like really really beautiful. Dimitri and Rose are so beautiful! I mean, judge for yourself:



I cannot wait to read the next one!
Profile Image for ❤Ninja Bunneh❤.
263 reviews174 followers
March 1, 2014
Is it just me or did Dimitri look like a 40 year old cartoon porn star?

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Not loved as much as the original books, obviously. I actually was afraid I may have cartoonish dreams.

2.5 to 3 Ninja-Bunneh-Dude-You-Don't-Look-Like-That-In-My-Mind stars


Buddy read with Nidah
Profile Image for Natasha (books_n_dreams).
295 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2015
So this was my very first graphic novel I have ever read, and I have already read Vampire Academy... I have to say in actually shocked on how much I enjoyed it, it follows the story line, it's a lot easier to read then I thought it would be, and I love how quick and easy it was to read while getting to experience the story all over again just in a faster pace.

I enjoyed the illustrations, they were a lot better then what I was expecting.

I look forward to starting frostbite here as soon as I'm done with this review
Profile Image for pstreads.
264 reviews62 followers
September 23, 2014
Hmm. Let's see. Soooo.... the art was shitty. Every guy looks like a female. Could have done so much with the Rose-Lissa connection, bond thing. I really do hate to see the potential being so wasted. I had higher expectations, because the actual books were good. La da da da, something something... I finished it anyway. (I don't know if it is telling, but I don't feel like writing a whole, proper review.) Just know it was crap. Don't buy this, read the actual book.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
189 reviews102 followers
September 26, 2015


This is my second Graphic Novel to read! Before that I only read the first 2 "books" of The Walking Dead but absolutely loved them. Vampire Academy is a series very dear to my heart and therefore I just couldn't resist and had to get the Graphic Novel as well! And ... I DON'T REGRET IT!

Graphic Novels are such fast reads and because I wanted to be on track with my Goodreads challenge I thought I should finally pick it up! It's a great revision and made me remember the book very good. Ohhh, and I absolutely adored the drawings! I didn't like Lissa a lot but Rose and Dimitri look both really, really hot! For real ... shirtless Dimitri? HELL YES.

Of course it's not as detailed as the book itself but I still think they did a pretty good job at summarizing everything. It's lovely to look at, very interesting to read and definitely a great addition to my Vampire Academy collection.

I'm really looking forward to starting Frostbite. I mean ... ADRIAN IVASHKOV. I NEED THIS!!! <3 I definitely have to buy it soon ... and I think 10€ is pretty cheap! The TWD graphic novels are a lot more expensive. Sadly. *sigh*

www.aworldbetweenfoldedpages.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Stacia (the 2010 club).
1,045 reviews3,947 followers
September 17, 2011
Obviously this is a condensed version of the full-length novel. I enjoyed it for what it was, and was digging on most of characters in picture form, especially Rose and Dimitri because I felt like they were drawn very close to the author's description. Lissa, Mason and Mia all fell short by a mile, but who cares when they got Rose and Dimitri right?

Even though I had fun breezing through this fast read, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who hasn't read the book first. Most of the main book points and favorite lines were included (including one very hot lust charm scene...uh hell yeah!), but I found myself tripping over a few parts where the story transition wasn't very smooth. If I hadn't already known what was going on, I might have become easily confused at how one scene ran into another, often without much to tie them together.

I'd give this a big thumbs up for fans of the series who can't get enough. I'll be purchasing the second book when it's available, curious for a glimpse of Adrian.

Are you a fan of Richelle Mead? Come join the chat as we get ready for the release of the first VA movie : Blood Sisters! Richelle Mead Fan Group
Profile Image for Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten).
1,601 reviews203 followers
September 27, 2011
It’s true I’ve been dying to get my hands on this ever since I heard it was going to be released and I can’t say I was disappointed. With the exception of the movie rights being sold, this is Vampire Academy coming to life; in picture and at its best!

I admit I’m not a graphic novel fan, but I couldn’t help but love this! The illustrator has captured the characters perfectly in classical graphic form and you can’t help but love it for what it is. Staying true to the original book, the majority of the major scenes were there, even if some of the wording changed, although I think you have to have read the actual book to really appreciate what it is you’re seeing. Feelings and emotions don’t necessarily come through with a graphic novel so it helps to have some knowledge of what was going on as you read the novel.

It’s easy to read; took me no time at all and is a light and carefree read. Just the kind of thing you can relax and enjoy. As a VA fan it’s impossible not to be excited as you read this, knowing you’re seeing the characters you love and adore in colour. Whether you’re a graphic novel fan or not, this is a must have for any serious die-hard VA fans!


Profile Image for Prabhjot Kaur.
1,039 reviews141 followers
September 14, 2020
This is the first graphic novel I ever read and I loved it. It explains the whole book using illustrations and it didn't leave out any key details. An easy and fast way to know the whole story and also if you just want to get the gist of the series without actually having to read the book first which was how I got one of my friends to get into this series. I handed this graphic novel to her and she loved it then she read the series and loved that too.

5 stars
Profile Image for h o l l i s .
2,371 reviews1,834 followers
Read
November 27, 2022
This wasn't terrible and I will read the others (I think they stopped after the third) but it's not my favourite art style. I think this is less rushed through than other graphic novel adaptations but as it typical the story can't really breathe this way because, well, it's a bit rushed. But, again, it's definitely far from the worst one. It actually made me realize how closely the movie stuck to the source material (as opposed to the show, so far) and that's a pretty good sign. Also, I'm now even more tempted to pick up the series (and spinoff!) and read them. Must.. resist..

2.5-3ish?
Profile Image for Χριστίνα Ψύλλα.
Author 2 books355 followers
June 18, 2020
this graphic novel was soooooo good!!
The art was stunning and the book itself reminded me how much I love Vampire Academy❤️
Profile Image for Bookphenomena (Micky) .
2,378 reviews375 followers
November 30, 2022
I thought this would be a great way to briefly recapture my love for this series but I didn't gel at all with the way the story slashed through what I know is great plot, nor did I care for the illustration. I've decided not to read the other two for fear of it taking my attachment to the series away. I need to just do a proper reread.
Profile Image for Alice Rachel.
Author 22 books282 followers
January 11, 2018
This book was really entertaining and original and I really loved the art.
Profile Image for Ali.
54 reviews3 followers
April 26, 2022
So the art style in this doesn't feel quite right to me, and I get now why the graphic series wasn't completed, but this is still one of my favourite stories (and I may be overdue for a re-read!)
Profile Image for Sharon Mariampillai.
1,986 reviews86 followers
September 5, 2015
This was an awesome read. It is cool to see how the illustrator drew each character and scenario. It was a great recap of the first book. I love Rose and Dimitri. I still have a little bit of annoyance for Lissa. Overall, a funny read that made me remember why I loved the series so much. Great start to the Graphic Novel series.
Profile Image for Tracey.
97 reviews28 followers
July 20, 2015
I really like it. The art work was great and it was in colour but I feel like it was all over the place. If someone did not read the novel Vampire academy first before reading this, they be lost and would not understand what going on.

It was a nice refresh to VA world without reading the book but not going pick up the other ones
Profile Image for Dianne.
98 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2011
Even though this is a teen series, I found it to be pretty, ummm....adult-ish. However, I loved the whole series. I pretty much devoured them!
Profile Image for May.
182 reviews10 followers
December 12, 2019
I enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of the Vampire Academy! My only problem with this was the pace. This book felt really rushed and I wished they made it longer by adding the scenes they skipped from the novel.
Profile Image for ✨Rosé Reads✨.
467 reviews15 followers
February 27, 2021
This series is so nostalgic for me, I love it! But I know I read this a year or so ago and am so confused as to why I never rated it??? I swear I did but who knows haha, this was great and I can't wait to read the rest as I continue my reread of the series! It's upsetting they didn't finish making these for the entire series, but three is better than none!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 854 reviews

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