Bloodlines

By: Richelle Mead

Narrated by: Emily Shaffer

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

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. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times best-selling 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.

©2011 Richelle Mead (P)2011 Penguin Audio

A little bit of OCD and a little bit of insanity!

As a 33 year old male you would think this book would be way down my list, however as always Richelle Mead pulls you in quickly and holds you there. This is a branch off from the Vampire Academy series, and you will see your favorites but the focus is no longer on Rose.

The Main is well written and her back story is revealed at a pace that is just right, her slow change in thought is very much like real life. There is no sudden jump from I am a coward to I am a hero. Everything is paced and balanced perfectly! Action,mystery,romance all tied up in a nice little bundle.

If you are looking for the almost nonstop action from Vampire Academy you wont find it here, however if you want to know more about the Alchemist and Vampires as well as life OUTSIDE court and school, give this book a read.

A warning, each book in this series does end with a lot left open, until it is all closed up in book 6, so if this is not you sort of thing avoid this book.

Love anything by Richelle Mead!

Perfect beginning to another series. Great Characters and story line. I love Richelle Meads. books

VA Fans will love it!!!

This is one of the better starts to a spin off series I have tried. I will admit I am partial to Meads writing. As I have said in other reviews I have everything she has ever written. But I think If you give her a try you will enjoy her books too.

predictable but good

even though you could see what was coming from the beging it was still enjoyable.

Richelle Mead Has Done It Again!

Richelle Mead has delivered another great book! If you loved VA you will celebrate the arrival of Bloodlines. This story picks up where Last Sacrifice left off and there is not a dull moment along the way. I honestly did not believe that this book could fill the void left from the end of the VA series, but Mead does a great job of spinning interesting plots and introducing new realationships that keep the pages turning. She also gives the reader just enough information on old VA friends to satisfy some lingering questions that readers may have been left with at the end of Last Sacrifice. If you enjoy magic, mystery, romance and humor, give Bloodlines a chance. You won't be disappointed!

A great first book for the new series!

Sydney has been brought up to believe that Rose and those of her kind are evil. After her last several interactions with them she is starting to think that there is more to them than what she has been taught. That is why the Alchemists have fired her. Jill’s life is in danger now that everyone knows that she is Lissa’s half sister and a plan is hatched. Sydney gets dragged right into the middle of it in order to keep her little sister out of it. Now it is off to high school, someplace she has never been. For the first time ever she is starting to have a life that has nothing to do with the Alchemists. Friends, fun and sports are things she has never had the chance to experience before. As she starts to adjust she realizes that there is more going on at her new school than anyone could have anticipated.

I really like getting to see this new side of Sydney but my heart breaks for poor Adrian who I have always loved! He cannot get over Rose and for every step forward he takes he takes two steps back.

A great first book for the new series.

Better than the 1st series?

Sydney is a much more thoughtful protagonist and has unique and clearly defined character flaws that make her easy to sympathize with. Her romance with Adrian feels equal and mutually healing, and watching her work through her anti vampire and magic bias while also making emotional connections feels really human and real. I enjoyed rose, but her act before thinking personality and superhuman confidence and willpower made her harder to relate to. Rose wasn't as observant or quick to figure things out, so I hopefully found myself picking up on clues chapters before she did which at times got frustrating. Sydney is much faster to figure out mysteries leading to much more satisfying twists. I love seeing the author's growth throughout this series.

Loved the Characters Especially the Heroine!

Any additional comments?

If any of you were like me, you did not care too much for Rose as a brazen heroine. I was really excited with Richelle Mead's new series, because I liked the overall layout of the world she created of Moroi vamps and damphirs and all. With this new series, we are introduced to a whole new vision into the world through the eyes of the alchemists, the fearful guardians between the world of the vamps and that of the humans. I loved how responsible and smart this heroine is! She doesn't have to beat everyone up to take charge of situations, and she is an excellent role model for all young girls! The only thing I didn't care for in this book was the lack of romance between Adrian. I understood it with all the heartache brought on by his breakup with Rose not to mention the fact that she seriously used him to further her own gains in the VA series, but that is neither here nor there. Bloodlines is an excellent spin off! I suggest everyone listen or read it!

fun read, well written, and with substance!

I'm about a decade out of my teenage years, but have a secret weakness for young adult fiction, and this is one of the best I've read in a while. Mead's character development is phenomenal. I love the concept of a heroine who is a somewhat neurotically-organized high school student/chemist/secret agent whose two greatest personal passions are classical art and muscle cars. But none of those quirks completely define who the heroine is - she's definitely defined more by her desires and insecurities than anything else. It's fantastic! Because Mead's characters are complex, the love story is also much better than your typical YA romance. The romance is certainly not inevitable, but it is believable because you can really see how the two individuals involved compliment and reinforce each other as characters. Mead really takes her time to give some substance to her story-telling. It's much better than the clichéd "it was destiny" approach that other romance authors often take.

Also, just in terms of general plot, Bloodlines is really just fun to read. The reader gets enough little clues along the way to tell where the mystery is going and to guess at the ending, but it is never so obvious to the point of becoming boring. Mead has also embedded lots of hints at what will happen next and I'm excited to see how these play out in the next books in this series!

Regarding performance, Shaffer does a good job developing distinct voices for all the characters. My only complaint is that she occasionally gets a little breathless and can place emphasis on odd words at times. But it's a good performance anyway. Definitely worth the credit.

Epic

If you could sum up Bloodlines in three words, what would they be?

Beautifully written story

What other book might you compare Bloodlines to and why?

I would compare it to Vampire Academy because it is a spin off of it after all.

What about Emily Shaffer’s performance did you like?

Yes she did an amazing job with the narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I would not make a film of this book because that will ruin the book and I don't want that to happen.