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Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4)

Richelle Mead

Start date: January 1, 2011

Finish date: March 31, 2011

Why we're reading this: Part of first group series read. Group voted and this is what they picked.
[close] Part of first group series read. Group voted and this is what they picked.

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What Members Thought

Feb 28, 2015 Delitealex rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, vampire, young-adult, pick-me-a-book

4.5

I enjoyed the new setting and seeing Rose have figure things out for herself in Russia. I loved reading about Dimitri's family and learning about where they lived. It was great to meet new characters one of my favorites was definitely Sydney. I hope to find out more about the Alchemists later in the series. I can't wait to see what happens next. ...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Nairabell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, teen-ya-paranormal, read-in-2013

St Vladimir's has been attacked and as a result Rose has lost everything she holds dear. She had to choose between Lissa and Dimitri and has now journeyed to Russia to fulfil a promise to Dimitri. As Rose travels she doesn't realise the horrors and revelations in store for her, nor does she realise just how much danger she has left Lissa in and it quickly becomes clear that the risks are greater than ever before.

This is the fourth book in the Vampire Academy series (after Vampire Academy, Frostb St Vladimir's has been attacked and as a result Rose has lost everything she holds dear. She had to choose between Lissa and Dimitri and has now journeyed to Russia to fulfil a promise to Dimitri. As Rose travels she doesn't realise the horrors and revelations in store for her, nor does she realise just how much danger she has left Lissa in and it quickly becomes clear that the risks are greater than ever before.

This is the fourth book in the Vampire Academy series (after Vampire Academy, Frostbite and Shadow Kiss) and if you're new to the series I'd recommend going back and starting with the first book. This review is also likely to contain spoilers for the earlier books.

I was really looking forward to this installment after the dramatic end of the previous book, but I have to say I ended up a little disappointed. The book has a dark and at times dismal feel and is much heavier in subject matter than the previous installments. The storyline is divided between Rose's quest to find Dimitri in Russia and Lissa's school life at St. Vladimir's which means there are two entirely distinct plots at the same time. The plots are well written and both build to dramatic endings, although I felt Rose's dragged at times.

Rose has travelled to Russia in search of Dimitri, essentially in order to kill him. Along the way she is introduced to Sidney and the existence of Alchemists who have existed for hundreds of years to protect humans from vampires (both moroi and strigoi) and their dhampir guardians. Syndey took a lot of getting used to as she is pretty bigoted against non-humans at the start, although I gradually warmed to her and ended up liking her a lot by the end of the book. Rose also meets Dimitri's family and experiences what life is like for dhampir's who choose not to become guardians.

Rose also learns more about spirit users and being shadow kissed and her reunion with Dimitri is dramatic. At times it felt like Rose stayed too long in certain situations and that is where the storyline felt dragged. One thing I loved that I didn't expect to was little flashbacks to Rose and Dimitri at happier times as these helped lighten the overall darkness of the storyline.

Meanwhile back at St. Vladimir's Lissa has befriended new girl Avery on the prompting of the Queen. It's interesting to see her reactions to political manipulation, and also how Lissa chooses to act when Rose isn't around. It quickly becomes clear that rather than being a bad influence, Rose was the only thing helping Lissa make good choices and before long her relationship with Christian is on the rocks and Lissa is putting herself in real danger.

All in all this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Spirit Bound.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50 ...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Irene Hollimon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh God!!! Old Yeller's gone rabid. But give to Richelle Mead she always comes up with a good ending. ...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Seahorse Library rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-ya, genre-fantasy

See more reviews at Words Read & Written

I hated this book when I first read it. I waited for it to come out and just hated it. I don't think I even finished it and never finished reading the series.

Re-reading it a couple of years later - I still don't think it had the same spark as the first three. But at least I finished it this time and will move on to the next book :)

Keeping my same star review - 2 stars ...more

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