Richelle Mead writes urban fantasy novels for both teens and adults.  In 2007 the first of the Georgina Kincaid series was published (Succubus Blues) and in the same year the Vampire Academy series was published for young adults.  Vampire Academy ended in 2010 but Bloodlines continues the story,  with a different main character.

I read the Vampire Academy series and loved it!  The main character in that series, Rose, is a feisty and impulsive Dhampir (half vampire, half human, very strong). She’s deeply in love with Dimitri, but is in training to protect her best friend Lissa, a Moroi (vampire of royal blood). Her duty to protect comes before anything else, including her love for Dimitri. Naturally that doesn’t work out very well, and Rose often finds herself in dangerous situations trying juggle her feelings for Dimitri with her duty to protect Lissa, whose life is constantly threatened by Strigoi (insanely strong, evil vampires out to kill, well, everyone: Dhampirs, Moroi and humans).

To prevent humans from finding out about vampires, Alchemists (a secret group of humans that dabble in magic and bridge the world of humans and vampires) keep a close check on vampire activity and hide or clean up vampire messes where necessary. Sydney, the main character of Bloodlines, is an Alchemist who knows Rose – and so the link is made to this new series.

It really helps to have read the Vampire Academy series before starting with Bloodlines.  I tend to fear for the quality of a book if it continues where a perfectly good series ended, but I must say that Bloodlines is really worth reading! It’s good!  Whereas Sydney comes over as a pretty stiff character in the Vampire Academy books, in Bloodlines you understand her a lot better. Alchemists are disgusted by vampires (understandably, as they drink human blood), but Sydney finds that she almost likes Rose and her friends. This causes her great trouble with the Alchemists, and with herself. She is called a ‘vamp lover’ and there is no worse insult. She tries to break away from that label by proving herself worthy on an important assignment, but discovers that one of her own kind is sabotaging her.

Anyone who loved the Vampire Academy series, will love Bloodlines (Richelle dedicated it to the Adrian fans, need I say more?? ).  And if you loved Bloodlines… part 2, The Golden Lily came out this summer! Enjoy!

Reviewed by Nyjolene.

Tags: book review, Nyjolene, recommendations, richelle mead, Science Fiction/Fantasy, series, staff review, urban fantasy, vampires, when a good series breeds another good series, young adult

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