Review: Bloodlines

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb:
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Timesbestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive--this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Review: 

This book is part of the Bloodlines series which is a spin off of Richelle Meads Vampire Acadamy series (which also gets 5 stars). This book was pleasantly surprising. I had read all six books in the Vampire Academy series and loved them all, especially the heroine Rose Hathaway. When I found out about this new series I was a bit nervous about it because although it was set in the same world it was told from the point of view of a totally different character. Not only a different character but someone completely opposite from the strong brash heroine I had come to know. Thankfully I gave this series a chance.

Sydnay Sage is smart, loyal, and very relatable. She has been trained in alchemy since she was a child. In her line of work she has to deal with vampires (also known as moroi and strigoi) and the messes they leave behind. We first meet Sydney in the Vampire Academy series. She is seen as professional and a bit uptight. Despite her alchemy training telling her otherwise Sydney agrees to to help the vampires as in the long run it is for the greater good for everyone involved.

In Bloodlines we meet up with Sydney a few months down the road from the last VA book. We discover that although her intentions were good and ultimately her actions were proven to be the right move the alchemists were not happy about her helping the moroi and they even threaten to "reeducate" her. Luckily they instead give her a chance at redemption. Her new assignment; helping to protect the young and talkative moroi princess Jill Dragomir. In protecting her the alchemists hope to prevent a full fledged war between the vampires.

Luckily Sydney isn't the only one looking out for Jill; she's also got Eddie Castille a half vampire (also known as a dhampir) who wants to prove his worth and Adrian Ivashkov a snarky moroi with a heart of gold who's vices include drinking and smoking.

Some of the best parts in this book are when Sydney is dealing with her warring emotions when it comes to vampires. All of her alchemy training tells her to be disgusted with them and their unnatural ways, while another part of her starts to see them as her friends.

I have grown to love this series even more than Vampire Academy which I didn't think could happen. My advice is to read pretty much any Richelle Mead book you come across because she is an amazing author who writes some of my favorite characters ever.