Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: August 23, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir--the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir--is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. the last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside--and within--the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

I don't think I would be lying if I said that Bloodlines was the book I anticipated the most this year. After I finished the final Vampire Academy book, I couldn't wait for August to come so I could go back to the world I love so much. So you can imagine just how excited I was to finally be able to read Bloodlines.

When her father wakes her up in the middle of the night and tells her to get dressed, Sydney is worried the Alchemists have finally decided how to punish her for having helped Rose Hathaway escape from the Moroi Court. But it turns out that's not what they have in mind at all. Before she even has time to realize what is happening, Sydney is being told to pack her bags and she is on her way to Palm Springs, California. There she will be going to Amberwood Prep boarding school, rooming with non other than Jill Dragomir, sister of the Moroi Queen, who has been sent into hiding after threats on her life were made. But that's only the beginning for Sydney as she soon finds out she will have a lot more to deal with than just trying to keep the Dragomir princess safe safe and hidden. For someone who isn't particularly fond of vampires, Sydney will now be getting close to a lot more of them than she could have ever imagined. 

When I first started reading Bloodlines, I couldn't wait to go back to the world and characters I had first been introduced to in the Vampire Academy serie. I was also quite apprehensive because I was afraid the book wouldn't live up to my expectations. As it turned out, I was definitely not disappointed by Bloodlines even though I've heard of quite a few people who had the opposite reaction. I'll just say that if you expect it to be just like Vampire Academy, odds are you'll end up disappointed. As far as I was concerned, the story was fantastic and I enjoyed every page of it. In this book, Richelle Mead wrote a great story that is more than enjoyable with all the wit, humor and sarcasm that I've come to expect from her.

Sydney is no Rose Hathaway but she is awesome and kick ass in her own way. She if definitely a rebel, going against most of what the Alchemists stand for, especially when it comes to vampires. I definitely loved getting to know her better and finding out who she really is. I also really loved finding out more about Jill. It always felt like there was a lot more to her and I was finally able to see what it was. The same thing goes for Eddie. He was always there but I never really knew much about him beyond what I saw happening. Now that I know more about him, I'm definitely liking him more and more. And I was more than happy to have Adrian back. He made me laugh pretty much every time he spoke or did anything. What was even more amusing, to me at least, was everything that seemed to be going on with him and Sydney. I definitely can't wait to see where that's going to go.

Bloodlines was definitely everything I expected, and maybe even more. Richelle Mead definitely had the right idea with this spinoff series and I can't wait to see where she's going to take it next. June 2012 and The Golden Lily, the second book in the series, cannot come fast enough.