Sully ’s Comments (group member since Mar 23, 2015)

Sully ’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Still not quite finished (up to Chapter 22)

So, it is just me or does it seem obvious that (view spoiler)[Jill is paying attention to Sydney's look and looking at her with glassy eyes because of how Adrian's feeling through the bond (hide spoiler)]. I realize that Sydney is kind of oblivious when it comes to relationships, but I thought it should be pretty obvious.

I'm also a little confused about Warriors of Light. If they have been around for generations (view spoiler)[(long enough for Trey to be automatically a member because of his family heritage) (hide spoiler)], how come they've never heard of them before? Especially if they are out hunting Strigoi, you'd think the Moroi or the Alchemists would have heard of them before. Or did I skim over something in the read that explained that (or maybe it's coming later).

The pace is definitely picking up now, and I see how all the elements that Mead slowly threaded through the novel are slowly coming together.

Hi Mods,

Can Sarah and I please get a buddy read thread for starting Saturday, February 6th?

Thanks! Anyone else who wants to join is more than welcome to =)

I haven't read what you wrote yet since I still have a little ways to go but wanted to see if you wanted to start the next one this Saturday =)

Sarah wrote: "I am not a fan of Angeline either. But I want to know more about her Keeper society. Speaking of Keith, I want to know more about the facility they sent him to. That first part with Keith really set up a juxtaposition of what he did versus what Sydney is doing. Because even though she still has an aversion to magic for the most part she is very friendly with the Moroi and dhampirs. They would have to have a worse punishment for her, because although Keith made a deal with Clarence and was selling his blood and saliva, he still didn't like the vampires."

I keep waiting for Angeline to evolve, but she doesn't. I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of her character, if she even has one. But I agree about the Keeper society.

You make a great point about Keith. (view spoiler)[Sydney seems to toe the line every day with what is part of her job and what is her personal relationships with the group. (hide spoiler)] And while Keith was farrrr from a saint in the first novel, he still had his ideology in line with the Alchemist teachings. Sydney, however, seems to be straying further and further away. It wasn't surprise me if that is one of the fundamental theme throughout this series, as it seems to be so far. I think she's going to have an internal personal struggle of beliefs when it comes to vampires, and I'm thinking a lot of that is going to come from her relationship/interactions with Adrian and Jill.



Sarah wrote: "There's something weird about Trey's cousin. Also, with Trey, he acted strangely when he saw Jill for the first time. If my prediction of him being a vampire hunter is correct then I think he knows what Jill is and maybe he's worried that Sydney is one too. Brayden is a good match for Sydney but what if there are ulterior motives for putting them together. He's knew so he might be in league with Trey. I'm getting a little ahead of myself. LOL.."

I don't know what the heck is up with those two. On one hand, Sydney and Brayden are adorkably cute, for all the seasons that Trey seems to believe they are perfect for each other. On the other hand, they don't seem to have much chemistry. Like, at all. I don't know if it's because both are clueless when it comes to relationships or what. I've definitely been in a relationship where on paper we were perfect for each other, but when we were dating I realized I was only ever going to like him as a friend. (view spoiler)[I kind of get the sense that this is the direction Sydney and Brayden are heading down (hide spoiler)].

And Trey? I have no idea about him. I'm further along (Chapter 15), so I don't want to get in specifics, but I'm starting to definitely buy in on your theory that he has something to do with the vampire hunters with a couple of weird things Sydney has noticed/pointed out in her narrative. Although, in Bloodlines, I jumped to some conclusions I thought were obvious (that the guys running the tattoo place where the vampire hunters) and I was completely off, so now I'm a little more cautious lol!



Sarah wrote: "I feel so bad for Adrian. He's stuck doing something he really doesn't want to with a person he really hates (Dimitri) and Sydney seems to be his only escape but now she's interested in Brayden. I think it's subtle but you can tell that Adrian has feelings for Sydney, and Sydney really doesn't realize that what she feels sometimes for Adrian goes beyond friendly. It'll be interesting if they ever become a couple."

I think it's impossible to read either this series or the VA series and not relate to Adrian on one level or another. i.e., Rose breaking his heart by dating him even though she was in love with someone else the entire time, his fractured family relationships, his unique talent and tortured soul, and the way that no one can really understand him because no one truly knows what he's going through. How do you not pity/sympathize someone who is going through all of that at the same time? Plus he's snarky and kind of a bad boy. Born to be a lady killer lol. I definitely see Mead planting the seeds of a relationship for them down the line, and I think that plays a major part in my theory that one of the subfocuses of this series is Sydney's prejudices and how they are changing now that she's actually interacting with these people she's always judged.


I'm still finding the plot of this novel slow (I think maybe even slower than the first one). There a lot of time spent developing characters and relationships that I'm kind of neutral/bleh about, so I'm hoping the pace/suspense starts to pick up before too long. But I'm still liking it enough (though Jill's starting to irk me a little as well. She just doesn't have much development in her character at all). And Sydney's constant focus/worry of her appearance bugs me.

Up to Chapter 5 (pg 72)

I am not a fan of Angeline so far. She's kind of gotten on my nerves. And I'm curious as to the presence of Keith in the first chapter. I'm wondering if that is going to play a role in the novel down the road.

I can hardly wait! =D

Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Done :)"

Thanks!

Hi Mods, can we please get the Golden Lily buddy reads discussion updated for a revisit starting Saturday (January 30th)?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The unraveling of events towards the end definitely surprised me some. I could tell that something was a little off with Lee, but I never would have suspected the outcome. I feel so bad for Jill, she had the worst luck in this novel.

I'm not sure about the vampire hunters and Trey. I got the impression that (view spoiler)[Lee was the vampire hunter. He already admitted to killing his sister/cousin (can't remember which is was) and to killing the girls in LA (hide spoiler)]. I think the idea that a Stergoi that has been returned by spirit magic can't turn back into a Stergoi is going to play some importance down the line in the series. I also think the concept of some magic with Sydney is going to play into the plots down the road.

Though I knew something was weird with Mrs.Terwillinger and the spells, did not expect the result!

I liked Dimitri too, but I also remember liking Adrian, so I'm glad of glad they are developing his character in this series more. So snarky! =D

Would Saturday work for you (30th)? That'll hopefully give the mods time to do a thread (if so, I can request it right away).

Sarah wrote: "I wish they went into more about what the Alchemists actually do besides keeping humans protected from vampires"

Yeah, that I don't entirely understand yet either, especially since the only part we do know about they jobs so far is to protect the vampires, try to deter humans from becoming vampires, and hiding the existence of vampires from public knowledge. But I'm failing to see how the tattoos and alchemy studies really play into that all that much.


Sarah wrote: "I feel like maybe Mrs. Terwilliger might be looking for more than just doing research. The fact that she wants all of the spells and ingredients seems suspicious to me."

I thought that was really suspicious too. Especially since Sydney already had the spells described in her notes, but Mrs. Terwilliger specifically wanted Sydney to go back and redo it to include every single detail. Definitely odd. I thought it was kind of weird too, how Sydney seems to be focusing more on her own schoolwork than on Jill. Jill, after all, is the entire reason she's there and the number one priority, but Sydney hardly ever seems to see her.


Sarah wrote: "Keith, too, is a weird character. I don't like him and I think it's for most of the same reasons Sydney doesn't. He gives a lot of crap to Sydney for helping Jill and fraternizing with the vampires, but then he wants to act all helpful and sincere. "

There is definitely something off about Keith. As first, I didn't like him simply because Sydney didn't like him, but then I definitely got a gut feeling that something was not quite right with him.


Sarah wrote: "I noticed you rated it 3 stars and I was wondering if you still wanted to continue with the series after this one? I'm still interested no matter what I end up rating this one because I own all the books and I don't want them to go to waste. LOL. "

Oh yeah, I definitely want to keep reading the series (I own the first three myself). I'm probably a harsher rater than most; most books I read end up between a 2.5 - 3.5 generally, so this one was on the high end of that group =D There are a few plot gaps I kind of saw with this book, but I still liked it overall.

Sarah wrote: "I'm almost to Chapter 4, so not quite as far as I've wanted to be. I remember liking Sydney in VA but it's been quite awhile since I've read the series. I, too, don't remember Abe Mazur that well, very vaguely recall someone being called a serpent for a nickname which was also mentioned in this novel. I think she's summarizing the important bits from VA as she goes so it's not so vital to have to reread the whole series. I felt bad for Sydney and that she's so misunderstood. "

I'd totally forgotten about Adrian even until I got a little further in the story. I do like how Mead doesn't overhaul you with details from VA series, but does give enough information to help trigger more of the important aspects to remember (I spent a little time on a Wikia page though lol).

I definitely feel bad for Sydney as well. She is basically being shunned for doing exactly what she's been told to do on her current mission. Similar to what you said about them completely despising the vampires, and yet they have no problem trying to help them. I still don't quite understand that thought process. It seems like they are willing to help them, but only to a certain extent, which Sydney seems to be constantly battling against in this novel. I wonder what their thought process is for drawing the line in what is their duty versus "being nice" to the vamps they hate. An interesting dynamic, to be sure.

Feel free to post at any progress; I kind of powered through it this weekend since I had a lazy one (for once!) with my work computer in the shop for repair, but would love to discuss any thoughts you have along the way =)

Up to page 251 (mid-Chapter 17)

I feel like this is so obvious it's probably not the case, but doesn't it make sense that (view spoiler)[the vampire hunters are the people running the tattoo parlor? After all, they are taking the vampire blood, but not draining them completely - maybe as humans they don't know how? - and then cutting their throats, which everyone has already pointed out is extremely odd. I'm a little miffed that Sydney hasn't thought of the possibility yet, since she just discovered a buttload of vampire blood at the tattoo parlor (hide spoiler)].

Also, any guess as to who the guy on the cover is? I thought at first it might be Keith, but I swear I read he's blond. And then I thought it might be Adrian, but he has green eyes, not brown.

Up to Chapter 4 (13%)

So, I kind of remember Sydney being in the Vampire Academy, but some of the things mentioned so far in this novel are not ringing any bells since it's been so long since I read it. For instance, I don't remember Abe Mazur at all, and based on the emphasis Sydney is putting on his importance, I feel like I should. But I'm hoping it isn't going to be too important to the overall plot, since I don't have time to go back and reread the entire Vampire Academy series lol.

What do you think Keith's big secret is? I feel a bit as if Sydney might be playing it up a little bit, since we only though through her POV, but it was definitely suspicious how much stink he put up at even the idea of her going on the assignment.

I thought Sydney's family dynamic was kind of weird/felt a little forced in the writing. The (view spoiler)[argument between her and her sister right before she left felt over the top (hide spoiler)], but at the same time I can see where both of them are coming from. And her relationships with both her parents is a little weird.

What do you think so far? I'm liking it at the start.

Me too!!!

BUDDY READ REVISIT!

Starting January 23rd 2016



This topic is open for discussion of by Richelle Mead.



Book Synopsis:
Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

Sarah wrote: "How's the 23/24th? Or any time really. I'm not that busy."

Sounds good!

Mods, can we please get a thread for a Bloodlines series BR starting on January 23rd? Thank you!

Sarah wrote: "I'd love to! I've had them for awhile and never got around to actually reading them! "

Awesome!!! =) Do you have a date preference to start?

Is anyone interested in doing a series buddy read of Bloodlines with me starting late January/early February? I've never read them but liked Vampire Academy so want to binge read the series now that it's done. I own 3 of the 6 and am on the waitlist at the library for the other three:

Jen wrote: "I agree that it makes a story more fun to read when the main love interests don't hook up immediately. Unfortunately, I don't remember who Mr. Bingley was. (Or Jane, for that matter"

Jane is Elizabeth's sister, and Mr. Bingley is Mr. Darcy's friend. Up to Chapter XXXV, where I've just found out that (view spoiler)[Mr. Darcy's whispering in the ear of Mr. Bingley is the reason that he up and left town and went back to London early, which is ironic because Mr. Darcy just professed his feelings for Elizabeth and asked her to marry him (hide spoiler)]. Things are definitely starting to ramp up in the plot now, and it seems like the relationship between Jane and Mr. Bingley was added in order to complicate things between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth (as if she needed any more reasons to be mad at him, lol).

Considering everything Elizabeth just found out from Darcy's cousin, I'm in the same boat with her. I would be extremely upset and insulted (even though I'd be flattered by his proclamation as well) after what she just came to learn with regard to Mr. Bingley's departure.

Jen wrote: "but then later, when we see them at home together (I can't remember when that was; maybe you haven't got to that point yet?)"

I'm up to Chapter XXXIII now and at the point where Elizabeth is staying with the Collins and I have to agree that they do seem well matched for each other.

I was rather surprised by (view spoiler)[Mr. Bingley's sudden disappearance and move back to London and the sudden halt in the courting between him and Jane (hide spoiler)]. Though I feel for Jane, I actually like how Austen played out this aspect of the plot (so far). I'm a little tired of novels where the main character falls for the first person they meet in the story, so I like that the relationships in this novel are fluctuating and weren't set right out of the gate. It certainly does better at holding my attention.