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lindaunconventionalbookworms's review
5.0
This book was great as we got to move around a little with Rose, and I love having a girl heroine who is strong, can fight, and doesn't really need anyone else's help. Of course, she still needs other people, but she can totally function and fight on her own. She doesn't need a man to validate her.
reviewsmayvary's review
I really liked this series... but then I read the summary of this one AND the next one and it totally ruined it. I might go back to finish it.
thefox22's review
4.0
Welp, if I shipped Dimitri/Rose, I would've liked this a lot more. I understand why the focus was on their relationship FOR REASONS, but that made it drag for me, because I hadn't found them believable since the first book. (And tbh, I still think Rose has more chemistry with Adrian, but I digress). But the last 15o or so pages were freaking awesome! I feel like this has happened in all VA books. Haha. The beginnings are a bit slower, a lot of time spent on keeping readers up to speed on what happened in the previous books. The middle of this one slowed down, for me, even more. I did love that there was so much time spent with other characters (I esp loved the scenes with the Belikovs) and that Rose had some time to come to terms with Things, but again, I don't ship the ship, so. But the rest of the book was intense and action-packed and full of SO MUCH. There is so much going on in this book, but it all came together fairly well, while leaving room for even more secrets to come to light near the end. I cannot wait to read Spirit Bound especially because of those revelations, though I'm wary of a few aspects. Also I keep forgetting to mention this: I love that these books are sex positive! And that Rose is confident and flirty and who isn't condemned for her romantic choices. It's honestly so great to read about. And so is the amazing friendship between Lissa and Rose. I LOVE it. It made me sad it wasn't prominent at all in this (and the bond they have is REALLY convenient for plot reasons), but it's still such an important part of Rose's life. Ain't nothing coming between these two, and I hope we get to see them working together more in the next book.
ONTO SPIRIT BOUND BC THIS SERIES NEEDS TO GET FINISHED THIS WEEK.
ONTO SPIRIT BOUND BC THIS SERIES NEEDS TO GET FINISHED THIS WEEK.
kellyhager's review
4.0
I'm pretty sure that there is almost literally nothing I can say for this that isn't a spoiler.
It's not quite as good as books two and three but is still really, really good. And I'm so glad that book five is coming out in a little over a week. I think if I had to wait much longer, I might actually literally die.
It's not quite as good as books two and three but is still really, really good. And I'm so glad that book five is coming out in a little over a week. I think if I had to wait much longer, I might actually literally die.
katekat's review
5.0
Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy is one of the best YA vampire series I have read. I was completely invested in the characters and the story from the first page. The writing style engaged me and followed plenty of plot twists without getting overly complicated. The ending was expected but how the author gets you there is completely not. I highly recommend anything Richelle Mead writes.
caveatlectors's review
5.0
I was taken aback by the events with the alchemists, my jaw dropped about who Abe is, interesting events with Oskana & Mark to the love felt on Rose’s journey made this a lovely read. My heart pounded, I cried, I got angry, I cheered Rose on, and was nervous for her. I think this was the toughest to read emotionally.
bookgoonie's review
3.0
Rose left the Academy and it felt like an old western movie. She walks out alone, walking away from all she knows and heads out on a perilous journey into the unknown frontier of Siberia. If she’d have just donned Dimitri’s trademark duster, I think I’d heard the theme song from The Rifleman in the distance. I love that she does something so unexpected for her world, but not at all unexpected for the Rose we know.
The world of the Maori expands. We meet new and interesting people. Sydney and her disdain for their whole world, but she finds herself caught in it nonetheless. Then there is Abe, the Russian gangster Maori, and he has taken a keen interest in Rose. Things that make you go…hmmm.
I know that this book was an emotional roller coaster, but I was kind of checked out. I think a lot has to do with the audio. EMILY SHAFFER actually does a great job. She is perfect for a connectable YA heroine. But she just wasn’t who I imagined for Rose. I think she is perfect for Sydney. She does capture my vision of Lissa and made me not care about her even more. So whiny and weak. But it was her male voices, that really shifted the feel of this series for me. Her Adrian is wonderful. He is cocky and sexy. But unfortunately Russian isn’t as pretty, so my love for Dimitri withered with his Strigoi self. He just sounds so gangster. It isn’t EMILY’s fault, Russian is Russian. So when Rose is riding the roller coaster of emotions with Dimitri, I was kind of meh and found myself rooting for Team Adrian. So if you want to continue to melt with the thought of Dimitri, I recommend sticking with paper.
The world of the Maori expands. We meet new and interesting people. Sydney and her disdain for their whole world, but she finds herself caught in it nonetheless. Then there is Abe, the Russian gangster Maori, and he has taken a keen interest in Rose. Things that make you go…hmmm.
I know that this book was an emotional roller coaster, but I was kind of checked out. I think a lot has to do with the audio. EMILY SHAFFER actually does a great job. She is perfect for a connectable YA heroine. But she just wasn’t who I imagined for Rose. I think she is perfect for Sydney. She does capture my vision of Lissa and made me not care about her even more. So whiny and weak. But it was her male voices, that really shifted the feel of this series for me. Her Adrian is wonderful. He is cocky and sexy. But unfortunately Russian isn’t as pretty, so my love for Dimitri withered with his Strigoi self. He just sounds so gangster. It isn’t EMILY’s fault, Russian is Russian. So when Rose is riding the roller coaster of emotions with Dimitri, I was kind of meh and found myself rooting for Team Adrian. So if you want to continue to melt with the thought of Dimitri, I recommend sticking with paper.
arachnistar's review
5.0
Wow, that was just a ride to read especially the second half of the book. I couldn't bear to put the book down though I kept on having to for various reasons (breakfast, appointments, etc). It was really excellent.
I'm only saddened that Christian wasn't more prominent in the book because he's my favorite character. Everything else was great and I'll be waiting anxiously for the next book.
I'm only saddened that Christian wasn't more prominent in the book because he's my favorite character. Everything else was great and I'll be waiting anxiously for the next book.
caffeinatedbibliophile's review
4.0
This series is going to kill me, uuuugggh. I don't have it in me to write a real review, so the spoiler is just a lot of me rambling about this book and series and does contain spoilers.
I hate what happened with Dimitri, I hate that Rose had to suffer through attempting to kill him twice in a short space of time, I just hate it all. But I love to hate it. Or hate to love it? I figured out that Abe was her dad pretty quickly, so that wasn't particularly shocking for me. What did shock me was her mom's reaction when Rose got back to St. Vlad's and saw the scarf. I'm curious about Rose's parents, now, more than I was before.
The thing with Avery was so bizarre and really pissed me off. I figured out she was a spirit user like two seconds after she was introduced. I started to doubt it for a while, but the way Lissa started acting so weird and Avery kept pushing alcohol at her seemed too much for coincidence. Her having two people bonded to her was really weird and I wish more had been explored with that.
I'm curious about the Alchemists and hope we learn more about them in the next couple of books. I didn't really like...uh...Sydney? But I also found her kind of amusing. I'm hoping she makes an appearance again later on.
Part of me wants to cheer for Rose and Adrian and ship them, but I'm too loyal to Dimitri. Maybe it's because he reminds me so much of my husband and Rose reminds me of me, idk. I just love them and I want there to be a HEA for them. Or at least something better than what it looks like they're going to have. I accidentally spoiled myself (probably for something that doesn't happen until the last book), I think, so I'm not giving up on that hope.
I loved meeting Dimitri's family and I loved all of them. I'd like to see more of them at some point. I also thought the spirit user and shadow kissed couple Rose met were interesting, and I think they'll be showing up again, too. Lissa, Rose, and Adrian have a lot to learn still, and I'm kind of hoping for there to be some kind of gathering of the spirit users so they can all compare notes and maybe learn more about what they can do. I'm still confused about why there are so many things they can't do, like how Lissa can't dreamwalk and Adrian struggles with healing, and I don't think either of them can do the mind entering thing Oksana can do.
While I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down, it wasn't my favorite. It was also probably the most painful book. My heart hurt for Rose throughout the entire book, but I thought she was kind of stupid to have not considered that Dimitri would want to make her strigoi. I still think he loves her, even if he never gave that as a reason for him wanting her. Maybe that's foolish of me, but I want it to be true.
The thing with Avery was so bizarre and really pissed me off. I figured out she was a spirit user like two seconds after she was introduced. I started to doubt it for a while, but the way Lissa started acting so weird and Avery kept pushing alcohol at her seemed too much for coincidence. Her having two people bonded to her was really weird and I wish more had been explored with that.
I'm curious about the Alchemists and hope we learn more about them in the next couple of books. I didn't really like...uh...Sydney? But I also found her kind of amusing. I'm hoping she makes an appearance again later on.
Part of me wants to cheer for Rose and Adrian and ship them, but I'm too loyal to Dimitri. Maybe it's because he reminds me so much of my husband and Rose reminds me of me, idk. I just love them and I want there to be a HEA for them. Or at least something better than what it looks like they're going to have. I accidentally spoiled myself (probably for something that doesn't happen until the last book), I think, so I'm not giving up on that hope.
I loved meeting Dimitri's family and I loved all of them. I'd like to see more of them at some point. I also thought the spirit user and shadow kissed couple Rose met were interesting, and I think they'll be showing up again, too. Lissa, Rose, and Adrian have a lot to learn still, and I'm kind of hoping for there to be some kind of gathering of the spirit users so they can all compare notes and maybe learn more about what they can do. I'm still confused about why there are so many things they can't do, like how Lissa can't dreamwalk and Adrian struggles with healing, and I don't think either of them can do the mind entering thing Oksana can do.
While I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down, it wasn't my favorite. It was also probably the most painful book. My heart hurt for Rose throughout the entire book, but I thought she was kind of stupid to have not considered that Dimitri would want to make her strigoi. I still think he loves her, even if he never gave that as a reason for him wanting her. Maybe that's foolish of me, but I want it to be true.