The Golden Lily

Bloodlines #2

by Richelle Mead

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

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California - tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and her sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi - the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die. But it's her fear of being just that - special, magical, powerful - that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Braydon, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else - someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists - or her heart?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic

418 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2012

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

RICHELLE MEAD, I AM ABOUT TO TURN INTO A RAGING STRIGOI.
THAT WAS SERIOUSLY THE WORST ENDING EVER. LIKE WHAT THE--I CAN'T EVEN COMPREHEND HOW IDIOTIC SYDNEY IS. ADRIAN IS CLEARLY MEANT TO BE WITH HER.*HEAVY, MURDEROUS BREATHING*

THIS IS WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING TO SYDNEY:


Okay enough with the caps.
The only thing is, I found it annoying how Adrian kept reiterating that he was a better person because of her. Like that hasn't ever come up in YA lit before..but still. He was pretty swoon-worthy. And I don't usually fan girl for this type of thing.

In conclusion, I hate you Richelle Mead.

Just kidding. I don't know how I would survive without your books, but still. I might turn into a monster if you don't allow Adrian and Sydney to be together.

[image error]

[~Calliope~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ever had that happen? Once you can’t have something, you want it that much more.”
“Yes,” he said bitterly. “It happens all the time.”

"I don't care if he's not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.”

“Sage?" Adrian lightly touched my arm, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. "You okay?"
"I don't know," I said softly. "I just thought of something crazy."
"Welcome to my world.”

Ohhhh my god!!!! I love it!!! I love Adrian so much <3 <3 And right now I hate Sydney! First Rose and now Sydney! Why they keep hurting Adrian? Just give him to me :P


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1)A lot of things happen in this book but all I can think about is that kiss! Oh my god! It rocked my world and Sydney's even though she doesn't want to admit! And then he admits his feelings about Sydney(shock) but she was like "ohh I am human ..you are vampire... we can not be together...BULLSHIT"
My poor Adrian. Once again he is hurting.

“And I don’t choose you. That’s what you’re missing in all of this.”
Adrian stilled. His smile dropped. “I don’t believe you.”
I scoffed. “Let me guess. Because I kissed you back?” That kiss had made me feel more alive than I had in weeks, and I had a feeling he knew that.
He shook his head. “No. Because there’s no one else out there who understands you like I do.”

2)In the entire book Adrian found excuses to be around Sydney(He acted like he didn't know how to drive) and she didn't get it until the end of the book. It was so obvious.

“Sage," he said. "What are you wearing?"
I sighed and stared down at the dress. "I know. It's red. Don't start. I'm tired of hearing about it."
"Funny," he said. "I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at it.”

“You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. I'll get you out of here, no matter what.”

See? He says all those things and she is completely oblivious.


3)Hayden?No! Brandon? No... Brayden! That's right. Almost everyone forgets his name except for Sydney and Trey. So, that guy is Sydney's love interest!


The only thing Sydney and Brayden have in common is that they are both smart! Their dates were boring and a little bit funny(shake hands). Their kisses was not memorable. She didn't feel anything when they were kissing. In the end, Brayden broke up with Sydney. We were all glad about it.

“You're in an awfully good mood," he observed. "Was there a sale at Khakis-R-Us?”
"Nope. Brayden broke up with me."

I also liked Adrian's jealousy. Of course!

“Really, Sage? A date?”
I sighed. “Yes, Adrian. A date.”
“A real date. Not, like, doing homework together,” he added.
“I mean like where you go out to a movie or something. And a movie that’s not part of a school assignment. Or about something boring.”
“A real date.”

4)Vampire hunters exists after all. And guess what? Trey is one of them. I did not see that coming. Although I still like Trey. He is so funny and cute. He is not the bad guy here. He is a lot like Sydney. He grow up believing what they told him.


5)Sonya, Adrian and Dimitri are doing some experiments to determine the changes a person who has been restored to Strigoi. Especially, Adrian is very "happy" about it.

“Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated.
-Prisoner 24601”

Adrian is also really really happy about the fact that he spends a lot of time with Dimitri!

“What do you think Dimitri? Is this a good idea, Dimitri? Please give us your blessing so that we can fall down and worship you, Dimitri.”

Anyway, once again Sonya is in trouble. Vampire hunter or the "Warriors" believe that Sonya is still Strigoi and they wanted to kill her. They kidnapped her but Sydney, Eddie, Dimitri and Adrian rescued her.


6)Adrian's father. What an asshole! He wanted to know how his mother was and he treat Adrian like shit. He also blamed him that it was his fault that his mother was in prison!Asshole!
I will admit though that Adrian did some things on purpose.

“Adrian ordered a martini, earning disapproving looks from his father and me.
'It's barely noon,' said Nathan.
'I know,' said Adrian. 'I'm surprised I held out that long too.”

But something good came up out of that disastrous meeting!

“The other thing that bothered me… well, he said all that in front of you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been with much more abrasive people than him.”
“No, no… I mean…” Adrian looked at me and then quickly averted his eyes. “After what he said about me, I can’t stand the thought that you might think less of me.”
"Adrian.” I laid my hand over his and felt a warm spark of connection. He jerked his head toward me in astonishment. “Nothing he said could change what I think of you. I’ve had my mind made up about you for a long time… and it’s all good.”

7)Even though Jill and Micah were cute together, I am glad that they break up! They are better as friends.


8) I loved Angeline! At first she had some adjusting problems. In other words, she was always in trouble. I loved it! But in the end she became more responsible and Eddie saw that change and she ask her out. I love Angeline but I want Eddie with Jill. Eddie is in love with Jill and Jill likes him. What a mess.


9)I also loved the self-defense classes Sydney and Adrian were taking. Wolf was awesome.

“You were totally unprepared for her.”
“That's for damned sure.”

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adrian & Sydney Fan Fav Scene!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNFudW...

Adrian & Sydney Blackout Scene!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...


Adrian YA Crush Tournament Winner!

That was soooo good! Adrian is soooo wonderful! I just want to lie naked at his feet covered in alcohol and cigarettes and beg him to have his way with me!



Adrian, my poor, sweet, sexy Adrian, he goes through a lot in this book. Working with Dimitri continues to bring up how inferior he feels. I thought Dimitri was rather rude to him a few times but then again I am very protective of my Adrian. Also a visit with his dad reminds us how much Adrian has been put down all his life. They will sure be sorry when Adrian cures all the Stroigoi, saves Moroi kind, and becomes a big hero and they build statues of him. Adrian is very smart, caring, loyal and talented and just needs someone to believe in him. And Sydney does. She continues to support him and I felt them grow so much closer but we still have a very long journey ahead.

I am not a big fan of Sydney but she did grow on me a tiny bit in this one. Trey sets her up with Brayden, her twin basically. Sydney tries to have fun with him since he is on her level intellectually but she finds herself worrying about someone else... I felt Sydney finally letting down her guard with the vampires and she really worried and cared about my Adrian, so big bonus points! As much as I am growing to like her, I was still disappointed with some of her actions. (Like not immediately jumping Adrian?! lol) She does have a lot of lifelong prejudices to overcome. The alchemists are scary, bad people, and we see in this book what happens when someone is too friendly with the vampires. Sydney will need a lot of strength to break away from them like I hope she will eventually.

It didn't help that Jill was discussing her own troubled love life with her. Jill was a bit annoying to me in Bloodlines and while she is still naive, I found that she was maturing. She wants to date and thinks that maybe she can have something casual with Micah. She quickly realizes how difficult keeping secrets can be and that being with a human could never be a permanent thing. Jill begins to take her position as sister to the queen seriously and a human/moroi relationship is simply not allowed. I do feel really bad for Jill and the position she is in.

Eddie is still her loyal protector. I love Eddie and also felt a lot of growth with his character. I was very happy with all the character developments. In Bloodlines I really didn't enjoy anyone but Adrian and of course he is still the absolute best part, star of the show, wouldn't be anything without him, but I enjoyed everyone during this book. Eddie is so kind even when trying to keep the new frisky Angeline off his back. She likes to rub up on him during training and well who wouldn't. Angeline was so funny. She was completely out there and did whatever she wanted, causing a lot of trouble for Sydney.

I just want to go on and on, especially about Adrian, but I must stop myself. I've probably said too much already! I'm very happy it was the next level of action, romance, character development and Adrian awesomeness that I was hoping for. Adrian continues to swoon an amaze me. I shall head back to my Adrian altar and continuing worshiping until the next book. Feel free to join me. Can't wait to see what happens next.






Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated.
-Prisoner 24601


"Really, Sage? A date?"
I sighed. "Yes, Adrian. A date."
"A real date. Not, like, doing homework together," he added. "I mean like where you go out to a movie or something. And a movie that's not part of a school assignment. Or about something boring."
"A real date."


I'd mentioned this odd wardrobe choice to Adrian a couple of weeks ago:
"Isn't Dimitri hot?"
Adrian's response hadn't been entirely unexpected:
"Well, yeah, according to most women, at least."


"I'm not really qualified to install a security system," said Dimitri.
"Really? There's something that you can't do?" Adrian's voice was so soft that I could barely hear him, and he was sitting right next to me.


"You'd give up drinking to go see your dad?"
"Well, not permanently," he said. "That'd be ridiculous. But maybe I could switch to something slightly cheaper for a while. Like...slushes. Do you know how much I love those? Cherry, especially."


"I don't know," said Adrian thoughtfully. "I find prostitutes vastly important."


Adrian ordered a martini, earning disapproving looks from his father and me.
"It's barely noon," said Nathan.
"I know," said Adrian. "I'm surprised I held out that long too."


"Never thought I'd see the day when you'd throw your arms around a vam - someone like me."


"Doesn't matter. I've decided I don't like him."
"Because he's too smart?" I said. I remember Jill and Eddie's early comments. "And unmemorable?"
"Nah. I just think you can do better."


"He shouldn't have said that," repeated Adrian, eerily serious. He leaned his face toward mine. "I don't care if he's not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'"


"You're in an awfully good mood," he observed. "Was there a sale at Khakis-R-Us?"


"Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?"
"Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it isn't. I did it so I'd have a reason to be around you-one I knew you couldn't refuse."

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'

Oh my god...this book! Wow. After enjoying Bloodlines immensely, it was pretty much inevitable that I would love The Golden Lily. This book exceeded all my expectations, and I'm more obsessed with this series now than I already was before. I just can't get enough of it!

In Bloodlines, the focus was on learning about the Alchemists and Sydney bonding with her new group of "siblings." We do learn a bit about the Alchemists, magic, and even the so-called vampire hunters in The Golden Lily, but I felt the story mostly revolved around getting to know Sydney more and her evolving relationships with the characters around her. There was slightly more action than in the previous book. It might not be as much as some want; however, I think there's lots of action to come later. And I can't help but to trust where Richelle Mead is going with this story because so far I'm very happy with how she's developing these characters and their relationships. Likeable characters and great relationships are always what I want in the books I read and this series has that, which is why I want to focus on my two favorite characters: Sydney and Adrian!

I adore Sydney and Adrian so much. Those two are some of the most awesome characters I've read about. They are both kind, funny (although, I don't think Sydney realizes how hilarious some of the things she says can be), smart (yes, Adrian is; just give him a chance!), and protective of others. And when they're together, they challenge and bring out the best in each other. Their relationship is perfect! I get a big smile on my face and my heart flutters whenever they interact or are even in the same room. I about died from happiness a couple of times while reading this book because of them. They are definitely the main reason why I love this series.

Sydney is still uptight at times, but she's opening up quickly and we're starting to see another side of her. While she hasn't gotten over her Alchemists beliefs just yet, she continues to make decisions based on what she believes is right. And some of her actions won't be viewed favorably by the Alchemists at all. It worries me, but I'm impressed with her bravery and glad she has a conscience, unlike other Alchemists. As for Adrian, he keeps surprising me. I feel so guilty now for not caring about him in Vampire Academy. We get to see more of his vulnerable side in this book, and it really hurt to see him down and upset because of the situation with his father and with what spirit does to his mind. I could also include the whole thing with Rose, but I won't. I really don't think it's about that anymore. He deserves a huge hug and so does Sydney!

I'm just loving and having lots of fun with the Bloodlines series. And if you thought the ending of the first book was crazy, wait until you read the ending of The Golden Lily. I had to reread it a couple of times because it was that good. It made me wish I had the next book in my hands right now! (I'm already stalking following Richelle Mead's tweets, hoping for ANY mention of the third book.) Thankfully I have other books to distract me in the meantime, but seriously. I need book three.

With amazing characters and relationships and a very intriguing story, Bloodlines is well on it's way to becoming one of my all time favorite series. I cannot wait to read more!

First reading: April 16-17, 2012
Second reading: February 16-26, 2013

[mrsj · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm done.
No more.
Not interested. Thank you very much.
I am once again, the minority here among all my other goodreads friends.

So why don't I like this book?

These are my answers:
1) The whole book is BORING!!!

The only action that I read about is when they got jumped and that's it.

2) Sydney - IRRITATING as hell. There is only one Rose Hathaway. She is no heroine. No fighter. And she is annoying. The "intellectual" talk with the so called "date"?

3) Jill - seriously?
Just get killed already. People are trying to protect her but no...she wants to be featured on magazines. Thinking about love and oh.. she's just useless in this book.

4) Angeline - a joke. Another rose wannabe? With the clothes, the rashness?
NO!

5) Eddie -

whatever you are there for. I don't know.

6) Adrian - what in the world has happened to you?

I am heart broken. My Adrian is no more. Goodbye. Pair off with whoever you want. If I miss you, I will read the VA series but not these.

7) The whatever love triangles that will be happening there from book 3 onwards. The denial. The wrongs of being together and etc etc.
W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R!

SO, I am done.
4 more books to go? NO WAY!

I will always love Richelle Mead's work but not this spin off.
No.

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But when I'm around you, I want to be better because... well, because it feels right. Because I want to."


"You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance."

sTOP IT, ADRIAN.
You're going to make me cry.🥺


"I look at you, and you're like... like light made into flesh. I said it on Halloween and meant every word: you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don't even know it.

You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine."

*swoooon* AHHH I CAN'T TAKE THIS

This is literally a repeat of my Bloodlines review except shorter, but seriously Adrian is e v e r y t h i n g.😭

And that ending??? It gets at me.
Every.
Single.
Time.

"Adrian stood there leaning against the doorframe, watching me with his heart in his eyes.
In my chest, my own heart was breaking. On my cheek, the lily reminded me who I was.

I turned from him and walked away, refusing to look back."

And this is my 3rd reread, so you'd think I'd be used to this
but NO

MY HEART IS IN P A I N

sTOP THIS TORTURE

ADRIAN, MY LOVE😭💔

Adrian deserves all the love in the world, and I cannot wait to to reread the 3rd book—my favourite altho i literally love all her books and once again see it all.🥺


And then of course, I loved seeing Adrian bait Brayden. It's just too good hehe

"And they were prostitutes, right?" asked Adrian. "These hetaerae?"

"Some were," agreed Brayden. "Not all. I think the usual term is courtesan."

Adrian was completely deadpan. "So. You're saying my sister's dressed like a prostitute."

Brayden eyed my dress. "Well, yes, if we're still speaking in hypothetical - "

omg Adrian😭😭😂

Adrian being jealous of good ol' Brayden-who-everyone-forgets-his-name I CANT-


sdfgdsfs I can't wait to see more Sydrian moments, which I live for.

curse you, richelle mead, for making me fall so hard for adrian :(

“But perhaps the best part of all was that I, Sydney Katherine Sage, guilty of constantly analyzing the world around me, well, I stopped thinking.”

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another successful buddyread with my sis Bea. You'll see her beautiful review when you click her name. :)

One word to fully describe the awesomeness of this book: ADRIAN.



Holy craaap! This boy is one of the best, swoon-worthy fictional guys and it's so unfair we could not see him in the flesh!

After reading this book, I was left utterly speechless and blown away. It was way too good! Most sequels in a series tend to give me some doubts with their potentials because oftentimes an author changes his or her tune and the end product sometimes disappoints me. But in this sweet, sweet sequel, I put all my faith and 100% belief that it will turn out good and I was right. It was one of the most amazing installments in a series. Because Richelle Mead apparently does not disappoint.

I loved how The Golden Lily lived up to the interesting plot and romance that made the first book Bloodlines an enjoyable read. In this book, Sydney Sage and Adrian Ivashkov's character was greatly developed as they continued to hide under the radar of the enemies of St. Vladimir Academy. There were lots of things that happened here and new characters were introduced, too.

I wasn't disappointed with the way things had panned out in this book. The plotline was so good and the pacing was fast. No dull moments as well. It was also nice to see the (non-insta-love) romantic development between Sydney and Adrian. Their romance, in a way, was slow-burning and tension-fueled and I totally loved it!

What also basically got me hooked was how likable the characters were. Sydney is a female lead that I will love to befriend in real life because she is so smart, determined, and mature. I loved how she has this positive attitude that everything can be done-- no matter how difficult that thing is. She especially encourages and inspires Adrian to be the best that he can be, and that is something. Adrian is also one great male lead. Since Vampire Academy, this guy already took my breath away because of his humor and romantic gestures. He didn't change in this series. In fact, his character became even better!

I also loved the humor and the witty exchange of dialogues here. When you pair Sydney and Adrian together, everything collides so perfectly!!!



Apart from that, Richelle Mead also made this book even more interesting because of the side characters like Eddie, Jill, Angeline, Sonya, Trey, Dimitri, etc. The value of friendship and family love was so touching!

These are my favorite lines from Adrian that basically knocked me off my feet:

"I tried to be a better person for her (Rose)– but it was to impress her, to get her to want me. But when I’m around you, I want to be better because… well, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh. You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine."

*gasps

All in all, I had a great time with The Golden Lily. After reading it, all I wanted to do was read the next book which is The Indigo Spell. :) It was just everything I wanted in a sequel!

Rating:

[MischaS_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, I read this for Adrian.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

When Vampire Academy ended and I found out we were getting a spinoff series, I was a little skeptical. I mean how to you top Rose and Dimitri? But after I found out it was centered on Sydney Sage, the awkward Alchemist, and Adrian the sexy, flippant but loveable Moroi, I was totally on board. I loved Bloodlines and after reading this, I think the series just keeps getting better.

In this installment, we pick up right where we left off in Bloodlines. The group is minus the traitorous Keith, with Sydney making points for handling the situation so well. Dimitri and Sonya have arrived to study spirit with Adrian. Both the vampire community and the Alchemists want to find out why, once a Strigoi is changed back into their original state, they will never be able to be turned back to Strigoi again. Sydney, Jill, and Eddie continue to attend Amberwood Prep as siblings but they have a new addition to assist in the protection of Jill: Angeline, the dhampir from the Keepers, a separatist group of Moroi, dhampir, and humans who don't care for the rules of the Moroi court. Angeline is a fun addition to their group, and I like how she mixes things up for Jill and Eddie!

Richelle Mead really shines in character development, and this is my favorite part of this story. Sydney had come a long way since we first met her in VA. Her prejudices are slowly breaking down. She is finally seeing the Moroi, and dhampirs as people, not as evil, unnatural creatures. My favorite part of her growth, though, is that in relation to Adrian. To see them grow close, and lean on each other was a real pleasure. There are many moments of swoon and hilarity. Adrian is his usual wise-cracking self, and then Sydney can just be so clueless with social situations, you can't help but laugh. The best part with them is seeing how much they genuinely care for one another. I've always had a soft-spot for Adrian. In VA, he helped Rose so much without questions or strings attached (well, maybe a little bit of string!). But I always thought he went above and beyond for her, as well as Jill. He's even more of a sweetheart in this book. There were times I would be sighing, oh Adrian! I don't want to give anything away, but fans of "Sydrian" will not be disappointed. Alexa used this quote in her review, but I have to put it in mine too because I LOVE IT!!!:

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don't even know it."

And I have to give you this one too:

"Sage," he said. "What are you wearing?"
I sighed and stared down at the dress. "I know. It's red. Don't start. I'm tired of hearing about it."
"Funny," he said. "I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at it."

Yep, there was definite swooning!!

There is not as much action in this series as there was in VA. I think this is because both Sydney and Adrian are not fighters. I have a feeling we will see more action in the coming books, though, and I don't think these two will be on the sidelines. Sydney's reluctant education into the world of magic continues, and I think Adrian will feel the need to be more proactive with defense, in the future. These are just speculations on my part, we shall see. As for the ending, all I can say is WOW!! I can't wait until the next book!

Thank you so much, Alexa, for lending me your precious copy!! I had a blast with all the notations!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh. This book was awesome. I really really enjoyed the first book, but I think this book was a lot better! I can't wait to get the next!!

If you're reading this on your phone, there are spoilers ahead, so beware!

So I kind of guessed that Trey was a vampire hunter. We kept hearing about these hunters over and over... And after the first book, I kind of wondered if maybe all of those deaths were just Lee and not hunters...
After Trey started getting those bruises I wondered if there was something more... Then after Sydney's attacker reacted the way he did, I figured out it was him. I'm really nervous about how the hunters act towards the Moroi and what will happen in the future books. They better not hurt Adrian or anyone like that.

Naturally I've been waiting for Adrian to tell Sydney how he felt for some time now. Who else picked up on how Jill was acting to Sydney was actually coming through the bond? I thought it was pretty funny how she just kept talking about how beautiful she was all the time. I loved the night of the Halloween dance, her "teaching" him to drive (who else guessed he was just pretending? ), the self defense class, and of course the last chapter of the book. I think it's so adorable that Adrian paints. The lily part was so cute! Obviously I was thrilled when they finally kissed and he confessed his feelings. But I dont think any of us were that surprised with how Sydney reacted. She's been terrified of vampires her whole life. Just because she's friends with them now doesn't mean she's going to be okay with them making out with her.... I'm sure she'll get over it soon. ;) or at least I hope.

Who else was super bored with Braydon? I think he was an awesome FRIEND for Sydney, and they definitely have a lot they can talk about, but everyone could see there wasn't any passion. Not like the way it is with Adrian. I thought it was hilarious when he broke up with her for being "irresponsible" LOL

I feel about for Jill and her love life again. Once again the book is over and she's still not with the right guy. I guess it would have been just TOO easy if her and Eddie had gotten together right away. I'm kind of tired of Angeline though...

What does everyone think about Sydney's weird blood? Is it connected with her being able to do magic maybe? Guess we'll find out later.. I know she's terrified of anything magical but I think it's pretty awesome that she can make amulets and things.

I can't wait to get the third book! I'm away from home at the moment, and won't return until tomorrow. I had no idea I'd finish this book so quickly or I'd have brought the third as well...

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

2019

Just as amazing 2nd time around!!!!

2012

OH.MY.GOD!!!

I have to say that I loved book 1, it unexpectedly took me to knew heights and a totally different route to Dimitri's and Rose's. I had no idea that this new path would just over-take one of my all-time favourite series Vampire Academy...

Let me just tell you, Adrian was a likeable character, a character I could think of a mediocre or average but likeable just the same... somewhere along the line, mostly this book, Adrian began to tug at me, whether this was through the times I simply creased up at his sense of humour, or maybe the times I beveled at his pain... somewhere along the line I simply fell in love with him, move over Dimitri, Adrian step inside!!!

This book had me from the beginning, my adorable Sydney is growing up fast and she grabs me everytime! Jill is taking on much more of a staring role now and even Eddie and the new Angeline are main characters in their own right...

I wasn't ever sure that Richelle Mead could compare her new series to Vampire Academy and truthfully, she doesn't have to, this series is FREAKIN FABULOUS in its own right and I can't wait for book 3....

I simply can't put into words how fantastic this series really is - I LOVE IT!!!!

[Flameholly161 · Rating 5 out of 5]

SERIOUSLY????????????? I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL JUNE NOW??????????????????????? WTF HAPPENED TO THE MARCH RELEASE? OR EVEN THE MAY RELEASE???????????????

all I'm gonna say is that if Adrian and Sydney don't kiss AT LEAST once in this book I will be forced to go out and kill someone

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OK so now that I finished the book

I WILL GO AND CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP TONIGHT BECAUSE I NOW LOVE ADRIAN AND FEEL SO FREAKING BAD FOR HIM AND I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR JILL AND HAVE COMPLETELY CONFLICTING FEELING FOR SYDNEY

I mean honestly I don't know if I should admire her or hate her with a passion right now

[is mee... kissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
holy jeezbus that was some ending! one word people: goosebumps.
my favourite bits were the ones with Adrian in it =D - typical Kissa response. He's just so damn irresistible.

the thing with the two books in this series is that I'm not particularly crazy about it in the beginning or the middle - not that i don't like it, it's just that it's not a "whoa!" kinda thing. But the lead up to the ending (and most importantly: the actual ending) grab me and whip me out of my "non-whoa!" state, only to throw me into an "Oh my God what the hell just happened?!" kinda position. I wish that would happen more throughout, but it doesn't. Still, i like this one better than the first book.

***

i just re-skimmed the VA series and Bloodlines. =( i really miss Adrian.

***

yeah! chapter 1 and 2!!!!!!
http://richellemead.com/excerpt/excer...

wow, this site is awesome if you want a few teasers. i warn you though! they are very heavy on the teasers. they're all the ones that know just where to hit me: Adrian and Sydney

***

okay, i still haven't actually read this book, but I just wandered onto The Indigo Spell, and now i feel like i really, really, really have to read it! watch, I'm gonna buy it two days from now and finish it within a day or two depending on how much time i have to read it. Argh! there's something about Adrian! oh, Adrian, I'm scared to read this just because of everyone's crazy reactions to the end of The Golden Lily (as seen through the Bloodlines 3 link) and i know it's about you! So don't hide from me Mister!

***

GIVE. ME. THE. BOOK!

I still want lots of Adrian in this. In fact, I demand it! Ohh... I love the guy. I don't want him to hurt anymore. Something must be done.

Please have some romance, please have some romance. You know, most preferably with Adrian. Mead will probably shove Trey into the mix, but I don't mind. Just give me something!
Yes! I just read the blurb and noticed the "forbidden romances" part. whew! I suppose that could mean heaps of people, but I want it to be either about Sydney with Adrian/Trey or Jill with Eddie/Micah oh! or Eddie and Angeline! Oh whatever! I just want some controversy!

oh, Jill is a cutie. Hm... Jill was so central in the first book, I wonder how much more central she's gonna be in this one since she's on the cover this time. Or what I assume is her anyways. Oh! Unless it means her character is going to develop, cause Adrian was on the front of Bloodlines, but he wasn't in it that much. Not like Jill was.

oooooooooh! i especially like the 'Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her' part. ;) so long as this 'someone' is Adrian.

***

...and a Q&A from entertainment weekly:


Did you know that the last line of Bloodlines would create such a stir?
I kind of hoped it would, but some of the reactions surprised me! I had a few people say they threw the book across the room in happiness when they read that line, which is funny since a lot of people also threw Shadow Kiss across their rooms in frustration when they read the last line of that book. I guess my books are just destined to take a beating… but hopefully it’s a compliment. Something tells me The Golden Lily may see a few walls.

What can you tell us about Dimitri’s role in the second book?
Well, since Sydney, Adrian, Jill, and Eddie are our stars in this series, Dimitri’s in more of a support role here compared to the other series. That being said, fans can rest assured that he’s still doing plenty of what he does best: being hot, kicking ass, and dropping words of wisdom with a Russian accent.

How will the bond between Sydney, Eddie, Adrian, and Jill continue to evolve?
This group really is like a little family. Each of them grows and faces new challenges in the series, which then affects their relationships with each other. They have their dysfunctional moments but are ultimately close and supportive of each other. Angeline from the Keepers joins their circle in this book, which adds an even more unpredictable (and fun) element to it all.

Was it hard to get used to writing from Sydney’s point of view in the first Bloodlines?
Very difficult. In any series, whether it’s a spin-off or not, you have to really know your narrator well in order to pull off a good voice. A lot of that can only be learned “on the job,” after you’ve written a fair amount. I’m working on the third book in the series now, and I think I’ve got the hang of Sydney — though I’ll never be quite as smart as she is.

Will there be more romance in Golden Lily?
There’s romance everywhere in this book.

“The World of Richelle Mead” app just came out – what do you like most about this new way of connecting with your fans?
I love seeing where people are reading the books around the world. I get e-mail from readers from all different places, but seeing it right there on a map takes it to a whole other level. It’s amazing and very humbling. I feel so lucky that my books have all that support!

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Reading it:

WHAT?
I MEAN...
WHAT???????????????????????????
YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, RICHELLE, YOU CAN'T. THIS IS JUST CRUEL. C-R-U-E-L.

Ok, I can't really write what I feel right now. I don't think there are words to describe what I'm feeling, so I will just...


[image error]






I WILL NOT WAIT TILL FEBRUARY (but sadly, I will *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*). THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*


***
FINALLY RELEASED!!! Finally on my shelf <3 My love, keep waiting just a little bit till I finish my exams and then we will finally be together.... *____*

P.S. I HATE MY EXAMS. SO MUCH. ç_____________________________ç

****
10/06/12 - Two days.... Just two days.... JUST TWO DAYS... Thank God, I don't think I would have been able to make it another week. I'm losing it.

17/05/12 - I can't visit Tumblr anymore till the 12th of June.



01/05/12 - ONE MONTH!!!! JUST ONE!!!!!!! And the new teaser quote...?

Perhaps the best part of all was that I, Sydney Katherine Sage, guilty of constantly analysing the world around me, well, I stopped thinking.

This teaser is simply cruel

***
20/04/12 - Ok, I keep thinking about this book. Richelle, what have you done to me?? Can't you see what damages you're doing to my brain/heart????

P.s. Please, let the forbidden guy be Adrian!




***

The Golden Lily, dearest, why can't you fall from the sky directly in my arms? WHY?

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rose once told me about this poem she'd read. There was this line, 'If your eyes weren't open, you wouldn't know the difference between dreaming and waking.' You know what I'm afraid of? That someday, even with my eyes open, I still won't know."

We always knew Adrian battled with the darkness that comes along with wielding spirit magic but something about this book really drove it home to me. In the original VA series, Adrian hid so much of his pain with a heavy dose of alcohol and humor. He still continues to do this but his defenses have started slipping around Sydney. I appreciated that he wasn't quite as wussy in this book. We got to see a tiny hint of protectiveness. Big nod of approval over the growl!

I was going to come back and write an actual review but realized that there was no need. I love Richelle Mead. Her characters always get inside of my soul. Her world building and stories stay with me long after I'm finished. The idea of trying to summarize any book of hers with intelligent thoughts is always daunting and I'm pretty sure I fail every time I try. So instead, I'm not going to try this time. I'm just going to have a moment of fangirl gushing over my favorite author, since I rarely allow myself to let my inner preteen jump for joy.

Adrian (age 21) He had me at "little dhampir," but his wit is what continues to keep me coming back. I'll admit that it's interesting to see his tortured soul, as long as he doesn't lose the humor just because his dad's a douchebag. Adrian's self-pity sort of hampered his usual vibe and I missed some of the old personality, but I understood why the story is going down the path that it is.

He was more good-looking than he had any right to be. He wore his dark brown hair stylishly messy and had eyes that sometimes seemed too green to be real. He smelled like he'd been smoking recently, which I didn't like.

Eddie (age 18) I've always had a soft spot for Eddie and have wanted to know more about him ever since the beginning of the original Vampire Academy series. His determination to do right by the people he protects has always made me compare him to a junior version of Dimitri and it made me smile with a sense of pride when he was told that exact same thing in this book. Eddie - keep up with your bad-ass-ness. You'll get the girl someday, even if she has no clue how you feel.

Eddie was lean and muscled, but most people underestimated just how strong he was. Adrian sometimes called him mini-Dimitri.

[image error]

Dimitri (age 24) Okay, so you're not a prominent character in this book but thanks for being there in some form, even if it's just to assist and protect. Good job holding it down for the less experienced peeps. You'll always be my number one.

Even if I'd been wide awake, I knew Dimitri would've taken my suitcase anyway. That's how he was, a lost remnant of chivalry in the modern world, ever-ready to help others. That was one of the many striking things about Dimitri.

I'd seen him fight before, but it never got old. He was captivating. He never stopped moving. Every action was graceful and lethal. He was a dancer of death.

Sydney (age 18) She's come a long way from the days of Blood Promise, when I didn't even like her. I know that she's not Rose but that's okay. Mead's biggest strength as a writer is not recycling stories and characters in too big of a way (sometimes you can't help a few similarities). So many authors don't know how to come up with new concepts!!! It's very cool to see a main character who uses her intelligence to solve problems - especially when a good portion of the people around her seem to be fighters. In order for this series to be different from VA (especially when most of the characters have crossed over), it was completely necessary to have a lead role who was drastically different from the last one.

It's never a Mead book without tons of random silliness sprinkled throughout. I would have shared the fistfight in the gym that was started with the anti-drug group (because it's always fun to see cheesy mascot people punched out) but it was far too long. So we'll go with Adrian and Sydney at their first self-defense class :

"If you're here," he began. "You probably want to learn to use those right away." He pointed at the nunchucks.

I caught sight of Adrian's face in the mirror. His expression said, Yes, that is exactly what I want to learn.

"Well, too bad," said Wolfe. "You aren't ever going to use them. Not in this class, anyway. Oh, they've got their uses, believe me. Saved my ass more than once when I was out bow-hunting in Alaska. But if you pay attention to wht I'm going to tell you, you won't ever need to pick those up, seeing as we don't have a rabid moose problem here in Palm Springs."

The new mom raised her hand. "You used nunchucks on a moose?"

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Warriors of light Stars



*********Major Spoilers in this Review/Recap**************






The Golden Lily starts with Sydney being calling into a creepy underground Alchemist bunker to give her opinion on Keith's re-education and punishment. It scares the crap out of Sydney seeing Keith like that. Seeing that drives home the fact that getting close to Adrian, and the others put her at risk of re-education herself.
Sydney has a lot going on in this book. Sonya and Dimitri are in town working with Adrian to try and find a cure for Strigoi after finding out that Lee couldn't become Strigoi again once healed. Her teacher is still trying to teach her magic even though Sydney doesn't want to learn it and thinks it wrong. Sydney starts dating a smart guy named Brayden. It's her first time going on a date, her first kiss, but there are no fireworks.



Jill is starting to heal from finding out her boyfriend Lee died trying to turn Strigoi. She is now dating Micah. Eddie is still loving Jill in secret. Angeline is hitting on Eddie even though they are suppose to be "cousins". On top of that Angeline isn't fitting in well and is getting in trouble left and right.

Adrian is in college and taking art classes. He has real grown in this book as a person. He is healing from his heartbreak with Rose and finding himself. He is also starting to fall for Sydney. Sydney takes Adrian to meet with his father Nathan who I hate. He is such a dick face to Adrian. He basically tells Adrian he is worthless and a loser and the reason his mom is in prison. He is also keeping Adrian from his mom. My heart broke for Adrian and so did Sydney's. She sticks up for him, tries to cheer him up, and has Lissa talk to his dad and go on about all the good that Adrian is doing for the Moroi. Which does help even thought Nathan is still a dick face!



Sydney having a bad day goes to Sonya and Dimitri to talk it over and they all go to dinner. While out Rose calls Dimitri so Sony and Sydney go walking to give him privacy while he talks. While on that walk they are attacked by masked men. One holds Sydney while another calls Sonya evil and pulls out a sword getting ready to cut Sonya's head off. Dimitri comes just in time to save the day in his sexy kick ass way. Now the gang realizes there is a group of Vampire hunters out there.
After the attack and with the past attack from Lee Sydney is having some PTSD and wants to learn to defend herself. Her and Adrian start taking self defend classes with a guy name wolf. They grow closer. Adrian starts to find ways to spend more time with Sydney. He even buys a car he knows Sydney would love and acts like he doesn't know how to drive a stick shift to get her to teach him.



After some digging Sydney finds out the vampire hunters are a group that use to be alchemist, but they felt that killing was the way to go with vampires in order to protect humans. They broke off from the alchemist and started their own group called Warriors of light and Trey and his family are part of them. She also hears of a man named Marcus Finch who help save a Moroi from the vampire hunters and is an ex alchemist.

The warriors of light kidnap Sonya believing she is still Strigoi and they plan on killing her. Sydney goes with trey to meet with the warriors to try and talk them out of killing her. Of course they don't listen and she is disgusted with the blind zealous in the warriors and their beliefs which aren't to far off from what the alchemist believe. She starts to realize it's not the race of a person but their actions. Seeing humans be so evil and violent starts to open her eyes to the lies the alchemist have been feeding her. Thank God Dimitri and the others didn't believe that the warriors would listen to reason and had a back up plan. They tracked her to the warriors compound and save Sonya. Sydney gets lost in the attack on the compound and Adrian finds her and helps her get away. Later after all the dust settles Sydney goes to meet with Brayden and he breaks up with her. Not that she cares she not sad at all over the break up. Then she goes to Adrian and confronts him over the fact that when they were running from the warriors Adrian knew how to drive his car perfectly. Adrian admits that he lied about not knowing how to drive a stick shift to spend time with her and that he has feelings for her then he kisses her.



OMG it was just soo soo OMG I loved it so much. Also Jill breaks up with Micah and starts to get feelings for Eddie. Eddie who is now dating Angeline. So much angst. Now I'm off to read The Indigo Spell!

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)

The honest truth: coming into reading The Golden Lily, I remembered next to nothing of what had transpired in the first book, Bloodlines. I had some vague recollections of things Adrian had said (because, come on, who can forget what Adrian says?), the climax, and the scene where Adrian remarked about Sydney's eyes being like "molten gold." At first, I thought, "Oh, it's just you; the first book couldn't have been that unmemorable" -- but, after reading The Golden Lily, I'm not so certain.

On the one hand, I understand: in terms of plot arcs, Bloodlines is proving to be a tamer beast than Vampire Academy. Though both series have their instances of romantic drama and tension, the Bloodlines series really does have a more flippant air, what with the setting (California) and focus on "lighter" affairs (high school, dating, modeling, etc.). Though I could excuse such things in Bloodlines as a "start-up book" to the series, I honestly expected more plot tension, danger, and immediacy in The Golden Lily. To my dismay, I didn't feel that I received any of those things.

I once read somewhere that, if a writer doesn't enjoy what he/she is writing, then the reader will fail to enjoy it as well -- and I think that's part of the problem with The Golden Lily. There are sparks of life and enjoyment in certain scenes (such as interactions between Sydney and Adrian), yet then that verve dissipates into a dullness over the course of much of the book. If I were a betting woman, I would place my money on the belief that Mead really didn't enjoy writing most of this novel. It's a wonder she didn't somehow have all the characters thrown out of their Californian setting and shipped off back to Court, to the heart of the intrigues and danger involved with Moroi politics and Strigoi attacks, because -- honestly -- the new setting and "focus" really don't seem to be serving the story (or characters) as well as they should.

As much as I loved the growth of companionship between Sydney and Adrian within this installment, I will be the first to admit that relationship-building and romantic tension alone do not a good book make. They help, of course (especially if you latch onto good characters and their relationships as I do), but there needs to be a strong plot supporting them. Not all of the Sydney-Adrian scenes in this book were directly related back to the plot or its roots; rather, many of the scenes occurred for the simple function of building a bond between the two. That's not reprehensible, no, but it's disappointing, especially given that a few of the Vampire Academy novels really managed to strike a balance with characterization, relationship-building, and plot. With all that being said, I still enjoyed the Sydney-Adrian moments scattered across the book, but I wish that their presence hadn't been at the expense of suspense, mystery, and danger within the plot.

Sadly, another weakness of The Golden Lily is that Sydney proves to be a detached narrator, even more so than I noticed in Bloodlines. As much as I like her as a character (really, she's been a favorite of mine since she first appeared in Blood Promise), her narrative in this installment lacked vibrance, and -- perhaps most detrimental of all -- she really didn't seem to have much of an interest in the people around her. Even despite some considerable character growth for Sydney between Bloodlines and this installment, the only interactions where she really seems to come to life are with Adrian, and even those could be explained away by the fact that the two are the most obvious "couple-to-be" in the series. Everyone else seems throwaway and inconsequential -- a stark contrast to how side-characters were treated in the earlier installments of Vampire Academy. We never get a sense that these characters are continuing to move, breathe, and interact when they're "off-stage" (i.e. not within Sydney's sight and thought process). Rather, it sometimes feels that the characters are mechanism-driven puppets that cease functioning if they aren't related to Sydney or the plot at hand -- and that's a shame since Jill, Eddie, Angeline, and Trey really should be more than just tools or props within the story.

Another minor issue is that I'm a bit disappointed that this series is branching off into common paranormal intrigues with vampire hunters and witches added into the mix. Even though innovation can be injected into such groups by way of an author's execution, the way Mead tackles them feels tired. If only the vampire hunters and the witches seemed as intriguing to me as the Moroi and the dhampirs did when I first started reading Vampire Academy years ago.

As disjointed as my thoughts on this novel seem, I guess they can be all chalked down to this: I'm disillusioned by the Bloodlines series thus far. I want to love these books even as I devour them, but they're rather like not having a full meal: after the fact, I feel hungry for something I didn't receive. No doubt The Golden Lily left me with some moments where I smiled or laughed, but overall my experience was ultimately unsatisfying. Hopefully, the third book, The Indigo Spell, will bring back some more of the storytelling I remember and miss from the Vampire Academy days.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly hugged this book when I finished reading it! It was that amazing and heartwarming. The awesomeness that began at the end of Bloodlines starts immediately on the first page of The Golden Lily.

Richelle Mead is again the master of memorable scenes and addicting writing in The Golden Lily. I absolutely love how Mead planned a perfect installment to the series. She obviously has a plan for the Bloodline series where Sydney, Adrian, Jill, Eddie and Angeline will grow throughout and stand strong through grievous challenges.

I could not imagine a better cast of main characters. They are all alike in how they have strained relationship with their biological family (after all Eddie has no idea on his dad’s identity) and are all struggling to achieve their wish of true love. But different in what causes me to love to be their friend them the most.

Sydney: I love to be Sydney’s friend because she is an empathetic observer who is not afraid to stand up for what is right. Like me, she is always constantly thinking and hoping she is doing what is right.

Adrian: I would rejoice in being Adrian’s girlfriend not just because he is handsome but for his sense of hilarious humor and how fiercely loyal he is to those he cares about.

Jill: Jill because of her maturity, her drive to protect herself despite being the guarded and how she is super funny. I think I laughed the most during Jill’s lines.

Eddie: Eddie is so selfless and I adore all he does to protect his friends. He is an amazing, nice guy and an extraordinary fighter.

Angeline: Angeline starts the book clueless of normal life but quickly adapts and grows into an intelligent character that learns from her earlier mistakes. In one scene, Angeline asked the sagest question ever.

Together, Sydney, Adrian, Jill, Eddie and Angeline combine into the perfect family!

I also was completely amazed by the story. I was surprised how much Mead incorporated the struggle Sydney and Adrian have with their respective fathers. I really liked the scene with a certain father.

I completely never imagined how alike Sydney and Adrian would become. They both have fathers they strive to impress but fail and have mothers they wish to see again and love. Each scene between them demonstrated to me how they were destined to be a couple. Actually, I believe they are one of my favorite couples ever. Their love is not instant, not clear and not perfect; it is outstanding. They are true star-crossed lovers but also friends who care deeply about the others feelings and safety. I am still reminiscing the conversations between Sydney and Adrian in my mind and rushing home to grab my copy of The Golden Lily to read those scenes again.

Now for the vampire hunter sub-plot and major challenge that the marvelous Bloodline main characters overcome brilliantly. I liked how the problem caused a rift between the characters. I felt that the tricky decision many characters made provided more excitement to the story because of questionable actions.

The vampire hunters caused Sydney and to question the ideals that her family placed in her mind from a very early age. The story causes Sydney to question: Does it matter what being your friend is or what they do? What choice is most rightous: abide to responsibility or defy discrimination?

These questions can also apply to my life because I am also constantly struggling to choose the best decision for my friends, my family and myself. I want to be completely independent, but sometimes I have to acknowledge that someone else might be right. There is no obvious answer in life in how to be responsible as in there is no absolute answer who the true heroes are and the real villains. Mead’s book causing me to speculate about my life decisions again illustrates how powerful The Golden Lily really is.

I will always remember the ending of The Golden Lily as outstanding! The ending tore my heart into tiny ribbons of lilies.

This is a book I will never become tired of praising. It has my favorite characters, an exciting story and humorous, extraordinary lines. The perfect book to read over and over and over again! I will definitely remember The Golden Lily fondly in the years to come.

Go Palm Spring, slushies and surprising families!
On June 12, I urge you to rush to your local Barnes and Noble and grabbed a copy of The Golden Lily!

Originally posted at Unforgettable Books !

[Lazaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a long break from reading books like a maniac I'm back on track at devouring books like snickers. I first gave this 3 stars but then I thought to myself "I am being to harsh" and so I changed my rating to that of 4 stars, and maybe I'm being generous but I liked this a lot, so that's what I made my mind up to.

Back on the amazing world of vampires, Richelle Mead created and which I'm grateful for. I'm no beginner to this world. I read VA two years ago and started Bloodlines a few months ago and after liking the first book in the series considerably a lot, I decided to continue the series, and I stand by my decision.

Sydney is such a smart character and so different from Rose, the only trait I've noticed these two share, is that of being protective of their friends, and that's one hell of a trait to share. Sydney is the definition of brilliance, she's the Einstein-kind-of smart.

While there's not much plot to this book other than some new leads on those mysterious vampire hunters, things get heated up once in a while. We have abductions and revelations and basically we're still at the point where Sydney is being convinced into letting herself embrace the idea of not being such a fanatic, like most of her kind.

As to why I gave this book three stars because other than the cliffhanger at the end of the book, where we finally witness some changes in Sydney and Adrian's relationship, nothing else happens but still overalls the book was incredibly good and a nice follow-up to Bloodlines.

Here, let me tell you how much I adore Adrian. I didn't always use to like him. He got on my nerves actually because he was not himself around Rose, he just kept wanting to change without really wanting to. With Sydney, he's a different Adrian, and they're not even together. This Adrian, the one he is next to Sydney, I love and support fully.

PS: why is Sydney so damn stubborn?
PSS: you'll have to read the last scene to find out what she's being stubborn about.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.75

[Natasha Polis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me longer to finish this one. Still enjoyable but also again very predictable. So far it's mirroring the Vampire Academy series so I know it's just going to get better as the books go along! Adrian is still so lovable, but Eddie is still one of my favorite characters!

[Chelsea Jay]

I can't wait to read this.
I just read Bloodlines & I'm already looking forward to The Golden Lily.

My Assumptions:
Sydney gets over her fear of vampires ( atleast the living ones, not the Strigoi ).
Adrian moves on from Rose & deepens his relationship with Sydney.
Jill gets in a relationship with Mikah ( Mason #2 ) & everyone flips out.
Eddie dates Angeline to get over his love for Jill but fails miserable & someone gets killed ( probably Mikah ).
Dimitri is talking to Rose over the phone, Adrian over hears & then proceeds to flip the fuck out thus messing things up with Sydney.
Adrian & Dimitri get in several heated arguements ( wishing )
Sydney & Adrian kiss.
Jill realizes Eddie loves her f that she loves him too.
Cliff hanger ending like in Bloodlines when Dimitri walked into Adrians house.

LOL, this is going to be interesting.

[Athena ღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don’t even know it. You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine.”



That ending tho.

[Rimsa Ivashkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!!! This book was beyond all my expectations - and they were pretty high! I have been obsessed with this book for a very long time and to finally get to read it was so satisfying because it was totally worth the wait and i LOVED every word of it :)

In The Golden Lily, we get to learn more about the alchemists and the vampire hunters. Although, one of the major twists in this book was predictable for me, i still loved the plot and enjoyed it just as much. This book introduces a lot of new things and hints at secrets the alchemists are hiding, like Marcus Finch. I found all of this new info really intriguing because it kind of gives us ideas about whats to come in the rest of the series. Even though there isnt that much action and it focuses more on romance, i thought the pacing was perfect and there was never a dull moment.

I really liked Sydney in Bloodlines, but in TGL she grew so much more and i found her clulessness very funny and adorable. She has changed a lot since we first saw her in Blood promise and i think she is turning out to be a wicked and kick ass heroine. She has become one of my favourite protagonists. Eddie was as cute and fiercely protective as ever and Jill was pretty cool in this too - she matured a lot. Angeline is a character that i was initially a bit unsure about, but she totally grew on me and i ended up really liking her. I'm not quite sure if i'm Team Jill or Team Angeline for Eddie yet!
Trey was in this book a lot more and i LOVED his scenes with Sydney - particulary, some of the things he said to Sydney about dating made me laugh out loud :D I think Trey is a realy interesting character and i am really curious to see where his loyalties lie in future books. Brayden was a good addition, even though he wasnt my favourite. His scenes with Sydney where quite funny in a totally awkward way and his lack of chemistry with her just reinforced how perfect Adrian is for her.

ADRIAN *sigh* he is such a sweetheart and i fell in LOVE with him even more than before (if thats possible) He was so funny and cute and charming and dreamy and just everything that I so love about him. His scenes were to die for and not a single thing came out of his mouth that didnt make me swoon. His relationship with Sydney is just so cute and endearing - they really bring out the best in each other and their chemistry is SIZZLING!!!! They are a perfect balance for each other and SYDRIAN is definitely my OTP! There are so many swoon-worthy moments with the two of them like the dance, self-defense, pool-side outing and so many more. The last scene was so .....words cant describe just how much i absoluteky adored that scene. BUT, it made the wait for Bloodlines 3 so much worse :(

Overall, this book was exceptional and 5 stars dont do it justice, cuz it deserves so much more!!! Ofcourse, Richelle Mead is an AWESOME author and all her books are amazing, but for me, this one is something special and has hooked me in a way that no other book has.

My fav book of 2012 and totally RECOMMENDED

And some teasers ;) .....

“He finished cleaning my cheek and set the washcloth down. He cupped my face in his hands. ”The only thing true about what you just said was the storybook damsel part - and thats only because you’re pretty enough to be one’

'Nice blouse, Sage,' he told me, deadpan. 'It really brings out the khaki in your pants.'

'Dont worry about it,' Adrian told me. 'If he didnt notice how awesome you were in that dress, he probably wont notice anything now.' He hesitated. ' Not that there's anything to even notice. You're as cute as usual.'


' I feel like I've just crashed someone's date.' Adrian remarked once we were getting on the highway. No one had tailed us out of downtown, making me feel much safer. 'Like i'm intruding on you two. If you want to drop me off somewhere, i'll understand'


'Thanks. And i'll give Brayden a talking to so he doesnt try anything on Thursday'
My mind was full if Latin and Shakespeare. 'Try what?'
Trey shook his head. 'Honestly, Melbourne, I dont know how you've survived this long in the world without me.'
'Oh,' i said, blushing, 'That.'


“He nodded. “The other thing that bothered me…well, he said all that in front of you.”
That was a shock too. I brushed it off, feeling a little flustered that he would think so much of my opinion. Why should he care? “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been with much more abusive people than him.”
“No, no…I mean…” Adrian looked at me and then quickly averted his eyes. ‘After what he said about me, I can’t stand the thought that you might think less of me.”
I was so surprised that I couldn’t muster a response right away. When I did, I just blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. “Of course I don’t.” He still wouldn’t look at me, apparently not believing my words. “Adrian.” I laid my hard over his and felt a warm spark of connection. He jerked his head towards me in astonishment. “Nothing he said could change what I think of you. I’ve had my mind made up about you for a long time…and it’s all good.”



I was astonished to see Adrian watching me, a look of contentment on his face. His eyes seemed to study my every feature. Seeing me notice him, he immediately looked away. His usual smirky expression replaced by a dreamy one.
“The mechanic will wait,” he said.
“Yeah, but I’m supposed to meet Brayden soon, I’ll be-” That’s when I got a good look at Adrian. “What have you done? Look at you! You shouldn’t be out here.”
“It’s not that bad.”
He was lying, and we both knew it.

“Come on, we have to get you out of here before you get worse. What were you thinking?”
His expression was astonishingly nonchalant for someone who looked like he would pass out. “It was worth it. You looked…happy.”
”

[Nadia Awadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian VS Eddie who will you choose?
me: Actually, I will take both. Thank you very much.



Rating: 4-shipping this so hard-stars

Everything is back to normal in Palm Springs. Except, it's never normal when dealing with vampires. Sydney, once again, has to deal with the Moroi living with her. She still hates it. Or does she? She's starting to question everything the alchemists have taught her.In other words: everything she believed in. And after some shocking revelations. Things are about to get even more dangerous. Is Sydney ready for what's coming her way?

The characters
We follow our gang: Adrian, Jill, Sydney and Eddie, once again through another adventure.

First of all: Adrian. What are you doing to me?

“ I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh. […] You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine.”



“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.”


“Adrian stood there leaning against the doorframe, watching me with his heart in his eyes. In my chest, my own heart was breaking. On my cheek, the lily reminded me who I was. ”


If there was ever a reason for me to betray humans. Adrian would be a great one.

After that sentence, I don't think that I need to elaborate on my opinion on Adrian. But, I will try. He was great in this book. He protected Sydney multiple times and started to better himself. He was still hilarious, a little wild but I think Sydney is influencing him, in a good way. Also since Dimitri is in the house, we see how breaking up with Rose affected him. It didn't affect him that hard since Sydney is there.

Sydney

Our ray of sunshine and knowledge as usual. For someone who hates vampires, she's pretty friendly with them. And for someone who's not in love with Adrian, she sure acts like his wife. Which, I LOVE. The fact that Sydney of all people is Adrian's biggest cheerleader, is kind of funny.

She claims that she doesn't know anything about love and relationships but I know better.

“Nothing he said could change what I think of you. I've had my mind made up about you for a long time... and it's all good.”

Am I swooning over Sydney? Absoluetly

“He almost smiled. "There you go again. Why? Why do yo keep helping me?"
There were a million answers on my lips, everything from It's the right thing to do to I don't know. Instead, I said, "Because I want to.”

Ps: I used a BTS gif. J-hope. yaay

She finds out more about The alchemists. And she starts doubting what she believed about magic and vampires. And she has powers!! I look forward to the day, Sydney becomes even more bad-ass.
I really like Sydney, everything she does, is to take care of the people around her. And that makes her such a great character.

Adrian+ Sydney= Sydrian
Their chemistry was off the charts! They already have a healthy relationship. She makes him a better person and so does he. They KNOW each other in a way that makes me giggle. When are you two getting together? I need it! This GIF will explain their current and future relationship.


Eddie
Where have you been all my Li-i-i-fe?? Did I think anyone would compare to Adrian? Nope. But Eddie is so close. He's just rainbows, sunshine and candy. Everything I practically Like in life. The way he loves Jill is just....awww.

Jill
I liked her A LOT! surprising to be honest. She's more mature, responsible and cute! A hamster, honestly.

Jill + Eddie=Fanfiction I'm going to write about
If you can help me with a ship name, that would be great! A guardian and a princess. If that's not a ship I'm willing to root for? What is?

Angeline
Didn't care about her that much.

Trey
Surprisingly, I liked him, too. He was willing to date Angeline even if she was a vampire. Like, whaaaat? Another forbidden love story, I'm shipping.

The amount of shipping I did in this book, was unhealthy.

This Book is not action packed except at the end. But the writing, world-building and characters are worth your time. That's why I recommend it.

Thank you for reading this review, hope you liked it. Time for me to rest my hands and read the next one!

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say, what to say…

Well, I love The Golden Lily. Love it, love it, love it. I had been waiting anxiously for this book for a while, and it did not disappoint me. I won’t lie, these first two Bloodlines books are very predictable, but there’s so much charm and quality that you don’t even care.

First, this is cast of very likeable characters. There’s our protagonist, Sydney, whom I love. Sydney is smart, but naïve, and very much awkward. It’s kind of unexpected, considering how cool and composed she seems, but under all that is a teenage girl with insecurities like any other. She’s cute and very relatable with her own strengths and weaknesses to go around. You get to see her grow more throughout this book.
Adrian… *sighs dreamily and stares into space*. Adrian has always been my favorite character of the VA series, and all you Dimitri fangirls are going to realize just how awesome he is sooner or later, maybe during this book, maybe later. He is just this sexy piece of complex art. There are so many emotions behind that wit. Love him <3
Jill didn’t annoy me as much as in Bloodlines. She’s maturing. And I’m not even sure if it was really Jill that annoyed me or her love life. Eddie’s awesome as ever. Angeline made a great, fun addition to the group. She is hilarious!
Individually, they might not be super interesting, but together this group is totally adorable. What’s awesome is that they really are like a family, even with all those romantic entanglements xD

Yeah, this book has its fair share of romance. SYDRIAN fans won’t be disappointed, just hungry for more. This is definitely one of my favorite couples. Richelle Mead, you are genius for putting them together. Opposites in every way possible, they complement each other perfectly. They make each other better people and know the little things about each other.

"But when I’m around you, I want to be better because… well, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh."

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth."

"'The slush. That thing's like 99 percent sugar. You just drank one, Sage.'
'Maybe you drank liquid sugar. Mine was sugar free.' I hoped I sounded convincing."

“You're in an awfully good mood," he observed. "Was there a sale at Khakis-R-Us?”



Aiden-Brady-Hayden-Brandon was okay, though not all that memorable. Now that he’s out of the way I wonder who will fill his space in the other end of the love triangle. Trey (who I actually really like) has a lot in common with Sydney, and there’s always that Ian guy from The Last Sacrifice. This is assuming there will be a love triangle of course. But this is Richelle Mead, guys. And a Richelle Mead book without a crazy love triangle? I doubts it.
Jill’s love life is… frustrating. After the whole Lee disaster, she found solace in Micah, and Eddie longingly watches all of this. Like I’ve said before, Eddie is the most deserving character in the entire VA /Bloodlines series. In all the seven books he has been in, he has done nothing but help everyone else. I don’t like the idea of him and Jill, but if she makes him happy, whatever.
Jill does the mature thing in breaking up with Micah, but right after she’s like “oh now that I’ve broken up with him, maybe I can go out with him!” and I’m just yanking my hair out. I love the idea of Eddie and Angeline! I had always seen Mia as a perfect match for him, seeing how they went through the same thing, but Angeline is great too. Their relationship is great. I’d like to see a strong, independent, single Jill anyways.

There isn’t much that much action in this book, but that’s only to be expected. We’re with an Alchemist and an Ivashkov. But they’re learning, there are four more books to go, and Sydney will learn to use a gun! This book leaned mostly on romance and character development. And that vampire hunter thing. I loved it all, except for the magic thing. Witches are the last thing I expected in this series, and I can’t say I want to see more of that.

Nevertheless, I can’t wait for the next book.The Indigo Spell is what it's called. What the crap is that supposed to mean? Sounds witchy :/

One thing concerning Angeline bothered me, though. The book mentioned her having a ‘southern drawl’ and the Keepers being from the Appalachians, but wasn’t Angeline from Russia??? Confusion o_O
Just kidding. I was wrong :3 Thanks to all the people who corrected me


UPDATE 6/11/12
I read the first two chapters last night. Tomorrow's the day :D

UPDATE 2/14/12
Whoa, whoa, whoa who's this Brayden dude? What the heck happened to Trey <>_<>

8/27/11

Insanely excited for this book!!!!! The cover isn't very pretty though... except for Jill. The model looks like Dakota Blue Richards, whom I imagined for Jill. 
Predictions~
•love triangle between Sydney, Adrian and Trey (wouldn't it be awesome if it was Ian?) and possibly Angeline. Oh wait, that'd be a love square.
•Jill ends up with Eddie or realizes she has feelings for him after she sees him with Angeline. I like EddiexAngeline much better.
•Dimitri will mess all this stuff up, but in the end bring Adrian and Sydney closer than ever before
•one of Sydney's sorority girl friends (Kristen and Julia) gets killed
•Laurel becomes more important
•Tasha kidnaps Jill

Things I think would be cool if they happened~
•Tasha coming back at all. Miss that evil lady.
•EddiexAngeline. Yeah...
•Jill, having mixed feelings for Micah and Eddie, unintentionally hurts both of them and ends up with neither boy. Call me a sadist, but it would be boring if everyone got together with everyone and they all carried each other off into the sunset.
•Ian instead of Trey :)
•Avery Lazar breaks out of that mental institution place and does all this crazy stuff!

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Bloodlines, and yet still only as good as the last Vampire Academy book, in my opinion.

Sydney: much less annoying than in the previous book, but her issues are so predictably and rather clumsily written that it's hard to get attached to her. Still, she has a couple of decent, non-mousy scenes towards the end.

Jill: seriously, just let a hunter have her.

Adrian: some redeeming scenes here and there, but not nearly as attractive or as intriguing as he was in VA. It's disappointing that one of my favorite (formerly) crush-worthy boys has become so sullen and uninteresting.

Onto book three next year! Hopefully it's the last one in this series, though. This trilogy already seems to be stretched pretty thinly, even though the books are decently sized.

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I can finally wear color again! My VA mourning-days are over;)
It's true, the first time I read Bloodline, it left a bit of a stake in my heart. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but I was mourning the fact that Rose and Dimitri's story is truly over, but after re-reading it again to prepare myself for Golden Lily, I'm pleased to say that I properly fell in love with this series like I was meant to from the beginning.

You know, I'm not sure what I should say in this review. A big part of me want to scream and gush about everything that happened, but since this doesn't come out till June, I'm gonna try to keep this spoil-free as much as I can.

I really loved this installment. The Golden Lily has a lot of great moments. And I mean great, but it felt more like a filler then anything else. Not that's necessarily a bad thing. This gave us a chance to get to know more about the newer characters since the other obvious characters have already been established. I felt like I finally connected with Sydney and the Alchemist world.
Since turning over Keith, Sydney is back in good graces with her organization. There is a lot of honor in her accomplishments that are recognized, but there are also true horrors if one goes against Alchemist code. Like the RE-education. I'm equally fascinated and scared to death to see what that is all about and only hope that Sydney does't ever have to.
She's walking a very fine line between duty and friendships. Friendships she shouldn't be wanting much less needing. But I loved the conflict. It looks good on her. As we know, Sydney lacks certain social skills and don't even get me started on the whole dating process. This girl is so clueless, but that's what I loved about her the most. She doesn't expect to be accepted or liked or even desired, but a part of her still wants those things. Wants more then just being a job. She's won my respect and admiration. She's a true friend, selfless, brave and kind.
I'm not sure what else I can say about the rest of the gang. I still don't quite have a hold on Jill's character yet, but I'm hoping that will come in future books. I still love Eddie and I think it's pretty amusing how his predicament worked out. Dimitri fans will be pleased to know he's in this book a lot more then expected. Which is awesome. I've gotten attached to Sonya and Trey, I'm still not sure about Angeline though. We meet a new character, Brayden. He's....swell.
And last but never least, Adrian. He's still the best! I swear I lived for his moments. He's still such a punk, sarcastic and funny and completely melt worthy. But we got to see a more vulnerable side to him that made me want to hug him so so hard.

I'm not sure what to say about the plot line, since, well it mostly wrapped around Sydney. We do find out a few new Vampire related developments which is really cool and we even see a bit of magic in this one which is an element I've always enjoyed and hope will be even more explored. There is some action, but not much. The ending is what had me aching for more...and that's all I'm gonna say about that cause I don't trust myself right now;)

Bottom line, I loved this book. It felt easier going into this one then the first and Mead made it so easy to fall in love with these characters. As always her wring is remarkable. I may have had a shaky start to this series, but I'm a screaming fan girl now!

LOVE! NEED MORE!

(Special thanks to Alexa for sharing your Arc! Big Hugs!!)

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with sis Pearl --> click to check her fabulous review :)

After 2 years, I have finally continued the Bloodlines series. I purposely put this off for a while and wait for the books to be released (now they are all out. i'm gonna binge read the series. I'm just not a fan of cliffhangers). It's a bit tough getting into the story and I'm glad Richelle Mead wrote snippets to refresh my mind on the events happened from the previous book.

Golden Lily is a fantastic sequel. The twists are better and it puts me on the edge of my seat. I'm enjoying this more than the Vampire Academy series because it's more complex, has darker theme and filled with wonderful characters.

The story starts on what's left on the previous book as Sydney continues to protect the remaining family member (aside from Vasilissa Dragomir - who is now a Queen) of the Dragomir clan, Jill Mastrano Dragomir along with the dhampirs, Eddie & Angeline. Oh, let's not forget the hot vampire, Adrian Ivashkov who is still healing from a heartbreak from Rose Hathaway (grr). As her duty goes on, Sydney's relationship with the gang develops an attachment towards them. It's like she found a family who supports her regardless of what they are but as an Alchemist, she shouldn't be. The mere idea conflicts her whether she should trust her Alchemy beliefs or choose what she wants to believe in. There are so many things happened in this book. More secrets in the Alchemy world, a new group threatening the vampires, an experiment to prevent Strigoi conversion and Sydney exploring relationship. I just enjoy every single one of them.

Sydney Sage is an intelligent, genuine, selfless, caring, loyal and amazing heroine. Her character exhibits such a great character development throughout the story. She may not be as badass as Rose Hathaway but she's an incredibly likable character. I love how she believes in one person's abilities and talents when no one else does. She appreciates someone's effort and continually motivates a person to excel. That's what she did to Adrian Ivashkov. I just love this guy more than anything. He's protective, adorable, swoon-worthy, loving,and has a great sense of humor.

I cannot take this anymore and let's get to the point: SYDRIAN.

I SHIP SYDRIAN FOREVER. I ship these two when they were in Vampire Academy. It's obvious there is an attraction between them but it's still underdeveloped. Their relationship progressed really slow just enough as they get to know each other. I FEEL SO GIDDY. IT GIVES ME BUTTERFLIES. THANK GOODNESS THIS SPIN-OFF SERIES EXISTS! THAT ENDING? OMFG. MY FEELS. HEART EYES. I seriously want to swat Sydney on that part. I just can't imagine if I've read this ages ago and I WILL WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL? I'll go damn ballistic.

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With The Golden Lily, Richelle Mead once again proved that the world she created for Rose and now Sydney is magical and alluring and that, due to that fact, she can get away with a lot.
First half of The Golden Lily is essentially plotless. The reader gets to spend time with all the familiar characters, and it’s reminiscent of spending an uneventful Sunday afternoon with your friends: everyone is relaxed and happy they’re there, and the entire thing is absolutely tension-free. The second half showed signs of an actual plot – certainly an improvement over the first, or the almost plotless Bloodlines. There is a group of vampire hunters determined to kill Sonya Karp because they think she’s still a Strigoi. With Adrian’s help, Sydney uncovers a shared history between these Hunters and the Alchemists, and slowly she starts to realize how far she’s drifted away from the Alchemists’ views.

Once again, I found Sydney to be vexing and difficult to relate to. I understand her social ineptitude better than you might think, but there were times when simple logic would have allowed her to see things that she just failed to notice. It is hard to accept that a character that is, above all, described as insanely intelligent, can be so infuriatingly dense at times. There was a noticeable improvement over Bloodlines and I certainly liked her more this time, but making her seem stupid in order to further complicate the plot (or hide the fact that there is none) isn’t the way to go.

Unlike Sydney, Adrian showed radical improvement. Fear not, ladies, he is still the same old rambling alcoholic who uses too much hair products, but the hero in him is starting to shine through and it is a beautiful sight indeed.

Love triangles remain Richelle Mead’s trademark. Her ability to neglect plot, pacing and character development and focus solely on complicated relationships is quite scary. This time we have the ever-present Adrian-Dimitri-Rose (although, to be fair, it’s starting to fade), replaced by Adrian-Sydney-Brayden. Continuing from Bloodlines we have Eddie-Jill-Micah, and then, of course, to make matters even worse, Jill-Eddie-Angeline.

Although I smell yet another love triangle coming in The Indigo Spell (poor Adrian just can’t catch a break), I know I won’t be able to resist immersing myself into this world once again. Besides, I already preordered because I’m slightly OC and I need to complete the series on my shelf. As Lisa would say, being obsessive-compulsive is expensive. ;)

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library