Something finally happened to Jill! I swear, I almost fell off my chair when I heard the news. This whole endeavor started to protect Jill from ill intentioned Moroi and yet nothing ever threatened her... until now. Sydney and Adrian want more than anything to retrieve the sweet girl, but locked away at court to stay protected from the Alchemists is making it very hard to run an investigation. When an escape opportunity presents itself though, they can't let it pass...

I really enjoyed this last installment in the series. Life as a married couple isn't like exactly like either characters thought, especially with Adrian's mom in the way, but they make the best of what they have. At least they are together now. Both are as determined as ever to retrieve Jill and will work really hard toward that goal and I can only command them for their determination and resourcefulness.

The investigation to locate the moroi princess was full of action and surprises and I truly enjoyed every twist. I never in a thousand years guessed who the villein was until it was revealed, and that's always a thrill when it happens! I think my favorite element was the side plot with the quest to find Olive, the moments at the commune and the tiny (literally) surprise. And who would've thought those two were cousins! WOW!

Something I really like also was that Rose and Dimitri held a more important place this time around. They've made guest appearances in the past, but now they are really part of the support team. I love how Mead wrapped up everything and I really really appreciated the epilogue. It was so nice to see how everything went a bit over a year after the big final smackdown.

Richelle hinted that even though this series was over, there might be more books int his universe in the future. I wonder what she has in mind!



 

What a difficult situation! Sydney has been kidnapped by the Alchemists and sent to re-education. Can Adrian find her before they completely brainwash her? Or will he fall to despair and get back to his old way to cope?

This Bloodlines series is getting more and more intense! Mead really raised the bar when she split them apart, exposing their weaknesses and strengths in turns. I truly loved and respected Sydney's determination to not bend her will, and even though she had to to survive, she still managed to play the system. She's extremely intelligent and resilient and she more than prove it in this novel. As much as I love Adrian, it wasn't so easy for him to stay on the right path. He struggled a lot with his inner demons with his shield (Sydney) gone and he has to work extra hard to find the strength to be the man she needs him to be. I really felt for him in his dark moment, and I totally would've held his hand.

Nina, a moroi we met in the previous installment disappointed me. She allegedly has a crush on Adrian, yet she can't grow a spine and stop him from destroying himself in despair. I wish she'd have been a better friend to him instead of a weak tag-along. On the other hand, Marcus, Eddy and Neil worked really hard to find a way to get Sydney out and I command their effort. I felt particularly bad for Eddy who thinks he failed to protect her, just like he did Mason, in the original Vampire Academy series.

*very slight spoiler ahead* When Sydney and Adrian finally got back together (I mean they had too, right?) it got really intense in a very different way. I loved seeing them fight to avoid the alchemists and how Adrian managed to turn the tides. It was one hell of a conclusion and I NEVER saw it coming. I mean WOW. If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about!

Normally this is the point where I would tell you how I am dying to read the final novel in the series, The Ruby Circle. But truth is, I already read it before I even wrote my review lol I went from this book right next to the following installment. And I do have a lot to tell about this one too in my next review *winks*

If you haven't read Richelle Mead's books yet, I strongly urge you to. Pick a series, any of hers, and you'll be pleased I am sure!

Sydney finally accepted to open her heart to Adrian but with her sister now in Palm Spring, it's even more challenging to hide her illicit activities. Romance isn't her only point of interest though, She's working on a new ink to stop Alchemist from brain-washing people, and she's helping create a sort of vaccine that would prevent strigoi from turning damphirs and morois against their will. All in all, she's pretty busy!

I really started to like Sydney in the last book, The Indigo Spell, and now I love her even more. She gets really involved in dangerous situations and will face every challenge thrown her way with her head held high. And really, I just love to see her with Adrian. It's weird because they are sooo different from each other, but they work perfectly together.

Adrian is simply great as usual. We really see a better and more determined side to him and I admired him for his determination. He still has his witty self available when needed, but he lets his mask down most of the time. Sydney has really been good to him.

Plot wise, things gets really busy, really quickly and I don't know how Sydney can manage it all. I'm sure her name is written as definition for 'Superwoman' in the dictionary. Things are pretty action packed with a 'vacation' at court, a blizzard, a strigoi fight and some alchemist action. One thing is sure, you won't be bored.

The conclusion is simply a killer and I am terribly grateful I didn't read this novel as soon as it was released because I would've died because of the wait for sure. I have the next novel handy, and I plan on starting to read it tonight.

Bloodlines has not replaced the original Vampire Academy series in my heart, but now it feels more and more like it's own series instead of a half-decent attempt to repeat a success (ok that's a harsh image, but I wasn't sold at first!)

After the events of the past two books, Sydney tries to focus back on her studies, and her job to protect Jill, but nothing is ever that easy. Ms. Telliwinger won't let her off the magic hook that easily, especially with a evil witch on the loose, and Adrian is more determined then ever to have a romantic relationship with her. It is simply impossible though. She also got this quest to find Marcus Flinch, an Alchemist runaway, and add to that Angeline's troubles, to say Sydney has enough on her plate would be the under statement of the year.

I am an undying fan of the Vampire Academy series, and thus far, the Bloodlines series really left me on my appetite, until now. I finally started to feel something when reading this series and I'm glad the magic is finally happening. I think the main reason is that despite the fact that Sydney isn't naturally as likeable as Mead's past heroines, she finally grew on me and stepped up her game in this novel. She felt more emotionally involved in the events and it was about time she got out of her shell. She'll take big risks this time around, which is so unlike her old self, and it finally feels right. I also particularly appreciate that she finally embraces her magical ability and uses them to achieve her goals.

Adrian is of course as charming as ever, the light in the night, and I can only cheer him for his determination toward Sydney. It would be easy to pity him in his situation, but it's not the way I felt about him. He was strong, affectionate, focused and oh such a sweet talker. There some lines of his I particularly liked, here's an example:

“Can you come over to Amberwood? I need you to help me break curfew and escape my dorm.”
There were a few moments of silence. “Sage, I’ve been waiting two months to hear you say those words. You want me to bring a ladder?”

I literally laughed out loud. Of course there are some romantic lines and stuff, but this represents Adrian better :)

The ever present humor is also an highlight for me in this novel, and I always enjoy this side of Richelle's writing, in each of her series.

The plot was smartly built to keep us entertained the whole time. Between all the subplots, namely the romantic one, the quest to end the evil witch, Sydney's involvement with Marcus, and the possible threat to Jill, there was always something going on and Mead managed to intertwined everything perfectly to keep the action smoothly moving forward. I have to confess I had my doubts on the outcome of some of the plots, and even though the end wasn't as bad emotionally as The Golden Lily was, I still felt an intense 'no way' moment when I reached the last pages.

I don't think Bloodlines will ever replace Vampire Academy as my favorite series, but it's still a great one and if you haven't read it yet, I urge you to. Especially with Vampire Academy's movie releasing in February 2014, you want to get on the bandwagon before everybody else does! Richelle Mead is an amazing writer and every single one of her books is worth reading, I urge you to give her a shot!

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