[Bloodlines]

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the Vampire Academy series, I anxiously awaited for "Bloodlines" release and now after reading it, my only disappointment is that it ended too soon! That's because I read too fast for my own good!

"Bloodlines" picked up soon after the events of "Last Sacrifice." The Moroi Court is facing consequences of Lissa being made queen. Not everybody is happy with the change. Certain Moroi are tying to kill Lissa's only living relative, her half-sister Jill, because politics require members of the Royal bloodline to have at least one living relative in order to hold the throne. That's where Sydney comes in. She is recruited to help keep Jill safely hidden from danger until the law is changed, by posing undercover as Jill's sister at the prep school Amberwood in Palm Springs, CA.

Even though no character could ever replace dhampir Rose, I loved reading about the Moroi world through the eyes of a human Alchemist. Sydney couldnt be more different than Rose, but the contrasts between the two characters is what makes "Bloodlines" work for me. While Rose is a fighter and full of attitude, Sydney is more reserved and cautious. I've read a lot of reviews that complained about the lack of action in the book, especially since VA featured some great action scenes with Rose, but truthfully that didnt bother me at all. Rose relied on physical strength, but Sydney has her on strength and that is her intelligence and though the book lacked action, it had several mysteries to unravel. And even though it was easy to figure out a few of the mysteries before the actual revealing, it didnt make the book any less interesting.

The only thing that annoyed me about Sydney is her prejudice towards Moroi, especially their ability to use magic. I think her prejudice is going to make her character development even more interesting as the series continues and cant wait to see how her mind changes in the future. The number one taboo in the VA world is Moroi/Human relationships and even that annoyed me about Rose, so I cant wait to see whats going to happen once Sydney realizes she has feelings for Adrian, assuming she does in the future!

Speaking of Adrian, he was my favorite part of "Bloodlines." The part where Sydney was helping in the job interviews was probably the single greatest thing in the entire book! I couldnt stop laughing because everything he did was so typical of him! Loved it!! Aside from Rose, Adrian was my favorite character in the VA world and I cant wait to see what all changes his character goes though in the future. Even though I wasnt rooting for him and Rose, my heart broke for him and I'm already rooting for him to get a happy ending this time around.

Romance wasnt the main focus of "Bloodlines" though, at least not for the main character. Sydney was too focused on making sure Jill was kept safe and Jill was giving the role of the object of all the guys affections, which didnt bother me. Even though I wasnt that fond of Jill in VA, I warmed up to her in "Bloodnlines." It was nice to see Rose again, even though her role very short and limited. I wish there had been a small update on Christian though, since he was another character I loved. I'm hoping that maybe he'll be mentioned somewhere in the future.

Overall, I have absolutely no complaints about "Bloodlines." I think Richelle Mead did a fantastic job. I'm glad she chose to write through the eyes of Sydney and I cant wait to learn more about the Alchemists. I also cant wait to see how Adrian is going to deal with a certain unexpected guest!