Bloodlines Overview – I. AM. HOOKED!!

So while reading the Vampire Academy series, I initially planned to take a break before reading all three Bloodlines novels, however certain parts of the ending left me so surprisingly bereft of satisfaction, I was eager to see what Richelle Mead planned to do to fix it. So I picked them right up and didn’t let them go!  I am so glad that at least three of the novels were out before I read them because Mead is certainly a fan of cliffies (if that’s not an already coined short form of “cliffhanger” then I’m coining it now), and the end of book 2 would have driven me nuts.

I didn’t really expect myself to become invested in this spinoff to the extent that I have considering its predecessor didn’t impress me much, though I enjoyed it a bit at times. The main character this time is Sydney. While I didn’t mind her in Vampire Academy, she wasn’t a major standout for me and I wasn’t particularly attached to her.  Not to mention, her alchemist background didn’t seem intriguing enough to carry a whole series.  These were my initial thoughts and reservations of course.  However as I read the books I found their background to be one of the most fascinating of the entire series.  Their politics, their history, their secrets, it’s all so very well-played out and I am excited about how Sydney’s evolution as a character is going to impact their world and ideals.

While they have a few cameos there’s not a lot of focus on Rose, Dmitri, Lissa or Christian, and I can honestly say I don’t miss them at all, even though Dmitri a scent amount of screen time in the second book.

Adrian has catapulted onto my top fave vamps list.  Again, like Sydney, I didn’t completely love him in VA, but I liked him and was extremely sympathetic towards the raw deal he got at the end.  But this spin-off is where he’s really started to shine.  He’s in a great environment with Sydney and everyone else. I am totally invested in this ship , their forbidden love, and the inevitable challenges it will bring.  Though these books are YA, I’m convinced Richelle Mead is a master at writing steamy scenes without going into the rated R territory, but she does push the PG-13 limit.  She certainly gets an A in chemistry because these two really have it.  This is the first ship this year for a new series that I genuinely care about even with their impossible odds that just seem to become more and more impossible as the books go on.  It’s more complicated than what I was expecting in a YA, but I don’t feel the same sense of angst and hopelessness like with Rose and Dmitri.  Adrian can be hilarious at times so maybe that’s why.

As I said, my love for this series caught me completely off-guard.  It’s now easily one of my favorite series ever and I cannot wait for Book 4.  I get worried when I care this much because I don’t know how things will go, but if all goes well the ride will have been fun and rewarding.

The true test for me is when an urban fantasy series with a strong vampire presence is able to make me care about other species and plot lines within the story.  The Hollows managed to pass that test as I am now more invested in the elf/demon plot than the vampire plot.  And now I can safely say that Bloodlines has joined that shortlist. Heck, it’s the reason why I can now make one!