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sarahsbookss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, and Gun violence
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
God I loved this series so much as a teenager and I’m so glad that it has held up well in the years since. Things were slow to get started but breaking out of court when you’re accused of murdering a queen would take awhile. Old enemies come back, spirit causes and fixes problems, and there’s a cute twist on the lost Dragomir. I’m so sad to see these characters go but everything was truly wrapped up in the best way possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Classism, Confinement, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Self harm
martamae77's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Islamophobia, Sexual content, and Infidelity
madeleineelr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
adrian ):
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Sexual content
isabella_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
[sixth read, June 2023]
I thought I was all out of new ways to experience this series, but no. I tried the audiobook as a way to hopefully combat my reading slump and, while I’m not sure it worked, it certainly helped me get through the book faster than I would’ve otherwise. Though, on the other hand, the awful very-not-Russian accent the narrator used for Dimitri is stuck in my head, on loop even when I was reading other formats. So that’s… something.
(I’m not sure if it’s better or worse than TV Dimitri’s also-not-Russian accent. Like, seriously, can no one do a proper Russian accent???)
Also, as I was skimming the earlier parts of my review, I realized my series ranking has changed. Last Sacrifice is still very much my favorite, but now I’d say: Last Sacrifice, Shadow Kiss, Spirit Bound/Blood Promise, Frostbite, and then Vampire Academy. [nods] Yeah.
[fifth read, September-October 2022]
“I could see myself revisiting these novels again, maybe even every year.” —me in 2019, after finishing my first reread
Well, past Liv, you might’ve had some awful opinions, but you were right about that. This is the fourth consecutive year I’ve reread the series, and my fourth reread. I’ve made it an annual tradition at this point, one I’ll continue upholding.
And it doesn’t stop there. I realized a few weeks ago that I’ve been in this fandom for six years. I’ve spent dozens of hours thinking about, discussing and analyzing different parts of the story, even though I hated doing that in my high school English classes—proof that enjoying the book you’re analyzing makes all the difference. I’ve grown up with this series—the first time I read it, I was 15, just like Jill. Now I’m 21, nearly as old as Adrian, who (if my calculations are correct) turned 22 in this book. It was with me throughout high school. It’s gotten me through the pandemic, a myriad of health issues and even brain surgery. I’ve memorized these books, the timeline and the trivia and way too many quotes. I know this universe as well as I know myself, maybe even better. It’s probably in my DNA at this point. Every time I reread, as much as it hurts, it’s also comforting, in a way. Like coming home.
And now thinking of all of this has me emotional. Saying this feels simultaneously like too much and not enough. I don’t know how I ended up getting all sappy, but I’m going with it. I just really, really love these books. They have such a special place in my heart. 🥹🥹💖💖
(Also—if I’m right about Adrian’s birthday… that makes the end of this book hurt a hell of a lot more. Crap. I’m so sorry, my sweet boy. 😭😭)
[fourth read, August 2021]
Fun fact: this book is the only book I own not written by Rick Riordan that’s been read so much, it’s falling apart. And the difference there is that I’ve had that beaten up copy of The Lightning Thief for thirteen years, whereas I’ve only had this copy of Last Sacrifice for five. Some of my other VA (and Bloodlines) books are kind of worn in some places, most of them on the spine, but this one literally has pages about to come loose from the binding. I’ll need to buy a new set of the series so that my next reread won’t destroy the battered, annotated set that I have now.
If that isn’t an indication of my love for this series, and in particular, this book, I don’t know what is.
No matter how many times I read this book, Rose and Dimitri still drive me up the wall when they repress and refuse to talk about their feelings, and warm my heart when they do. They’re one of the book couples I’ve shipped the longest. I feel all their highs and lows. Is that dramatic? Possibly, but it’s nearly 5 a.m. and it feels right.
I love Lissa and Adrian and Christian and Sydney too. There are so many other characters to love, but I’m not going to list them all because a) I’m tired and b) spoilers. All I’ll say is that I’m so proud of my girls, and as always, my heart breaks for my boy. He gets the short end of the stick and I get more emotions than I know what to do with. No one wins here.
That’s a lie. I absolutely adore every other part of the ending, so I do win, especially after the hellish roller coaster ride it took to get to where we are now.
Romitri forever!!! 💖💖💖
Next up: Bloodlines, and more pain. :)) (I’m not diving in right away because I’m waiting to buddy read, but I’m hoping to start relatively soon. This will be a major test of my self-restraint.)
[third read, June 2020]
My heart has been broken and healed again by these books so many times. I can’t explain why I love it or why I keep coming back to it. Romitri forever. Adrian deserves better.
My ranking of the books in this series:
1. Last Sacrifice - The plot thickens, but everything wraps up beautifully. Everything is finally, miraculously okay. It’s a bit bittersweet, but so, so good and worth all the pain from previous books.
2. Spirit Bound - Such a wild plot! The romance, or lack thereof, breaks my heart but there’s so many layers here... also quite the cliffhanger.
3. Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise - I honestly can’t pick between the two. SK finally gives readers some fantastic romantic content, alongside interesting plot development. The cliffhanger is one of the most evil things ever written. Meanwhile BP, though the pacing is much slower, is about grief and love and it’s so emotional. There’s a lot of focus on characters and their development.
4. Vampire Academy - The beginning of it all. It’s a train wreck you can’t look away from.
5. Frostbite - Still good, still emotional, but so help me, the amount of petty drama here is ridiculous. That’s the main reason I put it last.
[second read, August-September 2019]
I forgot how brilliantly heartbreaking Mead’s series conclusions are. Last Sacrifice is a masterful finale that demonstrates all of the development each character has undergone throughout the series, while still keeping track of an unpredictable plot and heartbreakingly complicated romance.
This novel has it all: a murder mystery, political intrigue, a prison break, epic fight scenes, royal travail, relationship drama, and oh, so many emotions along the way. Though I remembered a handful of details from my original read three years ago, the gaps in my memory allowed me an experience similar to reading this for the first time. I enjoyed it just as much, possibly even more, so props to Mead for that.
One element I appreciated was the pace at which Rose and Dimitri’s romance was rekindled. Though the “one step forward, two steps back” routine did tug at my heartstrings, I believe it was the right choice. It allowed Mead to explore Dimitri’s trauma and truly let him move past it, thus making the end result even more wholesome and satisfying. (But it didn’t make that end scene with Rose and Adrian any less devastating... I’m glad I already know that my boy ends up okay in the end.)
To be honest, I’m not sure what else to say. Rereading the Vampire Academy series is one of the best decisions I’ve made this year thus far. Last Sacrifice is now my favorite book in the series, alongside Blood Promise, and I could see myself revisiting these novels again, maybe even every year. I’m extremely excited to dive into my Bloodlines reread.
(I LOVE ROSE AND DIMITRI.)
[first read, September 2016]
A bittersweet but perfect ending to an absolutely amazing series! I just adore these books, and characters, and relationships, and everything else about it. The series is a wild ride, and if you haven't read it yet, you should! :D
I thought I was all out of new ways to experience this series, but no. I tried the audiobook as a way to hopefully combat my reading slump and, while I’m not sure it worked, it certainly helped me get through the book faster than I would’ve otherwise. Though, on the other hand, the awful very-not-Russian accent the narrator used for Dimitri is stuck in my head, on loop even when I was reading other formats. So that’s… something.
Also, as I was skimming the earlier parts of my review, I realized my series ranking has changed. Last Sacrifice is still very much my favorite, but now I’d say: Last Sacrifice, Shadow Kiss, Spirit Bound/Blood Promise, Frostbite, and then Vampire Academy. [nods] Yeah.
[fifth read, September-October 2022]
“I could see myself revisiting these novels again, maybe even every year.” —me in 2019, after finishing my first reread
Well, past Liv, you might’ve had some awful opinions, but you were right about that. This is the fourth consecutive year I’ve reread the series, and my fourth reread. I’ve made it an annual tradition at this point, one I’ll continue upholding.
And it doesn’t stop there. I realized a few weeks ago that I’ve been in this fandom for six years. I’ve spent dozens of hours thinking about, discussing and analyzing different parts of the story, even though I hated doing that in my high school English classes—proof that enjoying the book you’re analyzing makes all the difference. I’ve grown up with this series—the first time I read it, I was 15, just like Jill. Now I’m 21, nearly as old as Adrian, who (if my calculations are correct) turned 22 in this book. It was with me throughout high school. It’s gotten me through the pandemic, a myriad of health issues and even brain surgery. I’ve memorized these books, the timeline and the trivia and way too many quotes. I know this universe as well as I know myself, maybe even better. It’s probably in my DNA at this point. Every time I reread, as much as it hurts, it’s also comforting, in a way. Like coming home.
And now thinking of all of this has me emotional. Saying this feels simultaneously like too much and not enough. I don’t know how I ended up getting all sappy, but I’m going with it. I just really, really love these books. They have such a special place in my heart. 🥹🥹💖💖
(Also—if I’m right about Adrian’s birthday… that makes the end of this book hurt a hell of a lot more. Crap. I’m so sorry, my sweet boy. 😭😭)
[fourth read, August 2021]
Fun fact: this book is the only book I own not written by Rick Riordan that’s been read so much, it’s falling apart. And the difference there is that I’ve had that beaten up copy of The Lightning Thief for thirteen years, whereas I’ve only had this copy of Last Sacrifice for five. Some of my other VA (and Bloodlines) books are kind of worn in some places, most of them on the spine, but this one literally has pages about to come loose from the binding. I’ll need to buy a new set of the series so that my next reread won’t destroy the battered, annotated set that I have now.
If that isn’t an indication of my love for this series, and in particular, this book, I don’t know what is.
No matter how many times I read this book, Rose and Dimitri still drive me up the wall when they repress and refuse to talk about their feelings, and warm my heart when they do. They’re one of the book couples I’ve shipped the longest. I feel all their highs and lows. Is that dramatic? Possibly, but it’s nearly 5 a.m. and it feels right.
I love Lissa and Adrian and Christian and Sydney too. There are so many other characters to love, but I’m not going to list them all because a) I’m tired and b) spoilers. All I’ll say is that I’m so proud of my girls, and as always, my heart breaks for my boy. He gets the short end of the stick and I get more emotions than I know what to do with. No one wins here.
That’s a lie. I absolutely adore every other part of the ending, so I do win, especially after the hellish roller coaster ride it took to get to where we are now.
Romitri forever!!! 💖💖💖
Next up: Bloodlines, and more pain. :)) (I’m not diving in right away because I’m waiting to buddy read, but I’m hoping to start relatively soon. This will be a major test of my self-restraint.)
[third read, June 2020]
My heart has been broken and healed again by these books so many times. I can’t explain why I love it or why I keep coming back to it. Romitri forever. Adrian deserves better.
My ranking of the books in this series:
1. Last Sacrifice - The plot thickens, but everything wraps up beautifully. Everything is finally, miraculously okay. It’s a bit bittersweet, but so, so good and worth all the pain from previous books.
2. Spirit Bound - Such a wild plot! The romance, or lack thereof, breaks my heart but there’s so many layers here... also quite the cliffhanger.
3. Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise - I honestly can’t pick between the two. SK finally gives readers some fantastic romantic content, alongside interesting plot development. The cliffhanger is one of the most evil things ever written. Meanwhile BP, though the pacing is much slower, is about grief and love and it’s so emotional. There’s a lot of focus on characters and their development.
4. Vampire Academy - The beginning of it all. It’s a train wreck you can’t look away from.
5. Frostbite - Still good, still emotional, but so help me, the amount of petty drama here is ridiculous. That’s the main reason I put it last.
[second read, August-September 2019]
I forgot how brilliantly heartbreaking Mead’s series conclusions are. Last Sacrifice is a masterful finale that demonstrates all of the development each character has undergone throughout the series, while still keeping track of an unpredictable plot and heartbreakingly complicated romance.
This novel has it all: a murder mystery, political intrigue, a prison break, epic fight scenes, royal travail, relationship drama, and oh, so many emotions along the way. Though I remembered a handful of details from my original read three years ago, the gaps in my memory allowed me an experience similar to reading this for the first time. I enjoyed it just as much, possibly even more, so props to Mead for that.
One element I appreciated was the pace at which Rose and Dimitri’s romance was rekindled. Though the “one step forward, two steps back” routine did tug at my heartstrings, I believe it was the right choice. It allowed Mead to explore Dimitri’s trauma and truly let him move past it, thus making the end result even more wholesome and satisfying. (But it didn’t make that end scene with Rose and Adrian any less devastating... I’m glad I already know that my boy ends up okay in the end.)
To be honest, I’m not sure what else to say. Rereading the Vampire Academy series is one of the best decisions I’ve made this year thus far. Last Sacrifice is now my favorite book in the series, alongside Blood Promise, and I could see myself revisiting these novels again, maybe even every year. I’m extremely excited to dive into my Bloodlines reread.
(I LOVE ROSE AND DIMITRI.)
[first read, September 2016]
A bittersweet but perfect ending to an absolutely amazing series! I just adore these books, and characters, and relationships, and everything else about it. The series is a wild ride, and if you haven't read it yet, you should! :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Infidelity
Minor: Blood, Sexual content, Grief, Alcoholism, and Gore
Guns: only present in a couple of scenes; there’s only one scene where someone actually gets shot. Infidelity: mentioned in passing in regards to a side character; there’s one much more significant instance toward the end of the book. Sexual content: consensual, mild, toward the end of the book. Alcoholism: in regards to a love interest. Content warning also needed for severe PTSD, prominent in another love interest.
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