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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I want to say I was pleasantly surprised. I can't quite say that since a lot of BookTubers/Reviewers I follow insist that this is a good series. I never picked it up because it appeared around the Twilight era and I was sick of dreamy vampires and then the concept of a school for vampires sounded dumb. (And to top it off, the cover is not pretty, either). However, I saw it in the library and decided to finally give it a try.
It IS very good. I love the relationship between the two main characters, Rose and Lissa. Lissa is a Moroi Royal, a mortal vampire who can perform magic and Rose is her guardian, a dhampir (half-human-vampire) who is sworn to protect her at all costs. Rose protects Lissa mainly from Strigoi, vampires who were once Moroi but killed a human (or where forcefully turned) to become an immortal vampire. Moroi are able to use magic, but Strigoi lose that ability in order to gain a lot of supernatural strength on top of usual heightened vampire senses (and be immortal). Strigoi thirst for blood badly and kill humans for it while Moroi drink blood from volunteers just to keep their strength but don't crave it as uncontrollably.
I went a bit off track there, but the friendship and bind between Lissa and Rose is great. It's nice to see a story where friendship triumphs romance. Don't get me wrong, there is romance, but it doesn't outshine the dedication Rose has to protect Lissa. Though the story is told in Rose's POV and it appears that Rose is perhaps more dedicated to Lissa than the other way around, throughout the story is is shown that Lissa cares for Rose just as much.
The academy setting itself is that Rose and Lissa attend this college-like high school to learn of the Moroi culture/lifestyle, general high school classes, and then either magic classes for Lissa or guardian/fighting classes for Rose. The setting allows for typical high school drama, too, and as I said it allows for a college-like setting for a teenage audience, but it isn't that focused on classes and learning. Don't think that is like that even though the title makes it seem that way. It is more about learning about Lissa's potential as a vampire Royal and how to keep her safe from the wrong people. I don't want to give too much away, so I will leave it at that.
As for the romance, both Lissa and Rose have love interests. I love Lissa's love interest, and that may be in part because I relate more to Lissa, a nice, follows-the-rules, blond, girl (versus Rose who is kick-butt outspoken party-goer), but he is great. Just great. He gives off a shady bad boy appearance with his emo past, but its great, I swear. Rose's love interest is a nice match for Rose. That's all I will say for him (though I imagine him more hunky than Lissa's). I definitely have a crush on Lissa's. ;P
It is a simple writing style, making it a quick read, but totally worth it. I am moving soon, so I won't be getting the next book from the library that quickly, but I would like to continue the series.
It IS very good. I love the relationship between the two main characters, Rose and Lissa. Lissa is a Moroi Royal, a mortal vampire who can perform magic and Rose is her guardian, a dhampir (half-human-vampire) who is sworn to protect her at all costs. Rose protects Lissa mainly from Strigoi, vampires who were once Moroi but killed a human (or where forcefully turned) to become an immortal vampire. Moroi are able to use magic, but Strigoi lose that ability in order to gain a lot of supernatural strength on top of usual heightened vampire senses (and be immortal). Strigoi thirst for blood badly and kill humans for it while Moroi drink blood from volunteers just to keep their strength but don't crave it as uncontrollably.
I went a bit off track there, but the friendship and bind between Lissa and Rose is great. It's nice to see a story where friendship triumphs romance. Don't get me wrong, there is romance, but it doesn't outshine the dedication Rose has to protect Lissa. Though the story is told in Rose's POV and it appears that Rose is perhaps more dedicated to Lissa than the other way around, throughout the story is is shown that Lissa cares for Rose just as much.
The academy setting itself is that Rose and Lissa attend this college-like high school to learn of the Moroi culture/lifestyle, general high school classes, and then either magic classes for Lissa or guardian/fighting classes for Rose. The setting allows for typical high school drama, too, and as I said it allows for a college-like setting for a teenage audience, but it isn't that focused on classes and learning. Don't think that is like that even though the title makes it seem that way. It is more about learning about Lissa's potential as a vampire Royal and how to keep her safe from the wrong people. I don't want to give too much away, so I will leave it at that.
As for the romance, both Lissa and Rose have love interests. I love Lissa's love interest, and that may be in part because I relate more to Lissa, a nice, follows-the-rules, blond, girl (versus Rose who is kick-butt outspoken party-goer), but he is great. Just great. He gives off a shady bad boy appearance with his emo past, but its great, I swear. Rose's love interest is a nice match for Rose. That's all I will say for him (though I imagine him more hunky than Lissa's). I definitely have a crush on Lissa's. ;P
It is a simple writing style, making it a quick read, but totally worth it. I am moving soon, so I won't be getting the next book from the library that quickly, but I would like to continue the series.
I really liked this book. I thought the plot was really good and I thought Rose was a good main character. She did get annoying at times but she was ok.
3.5 - it would be a bit higher but there was some slut shaming and possibly not slut shaming that still seemed a bit like slut shaming that pushed it down a bit.
I've missed these characters so much. Rose and Dimitri, my babies.
First read in February 2014
First read in February 2014
Ok, so I thought that by now I'd be pretty tired of vampires and all of this young adult fantasy. But... hell no! I love vampires and I thought that Rose was awesome and Dimitri was awesome and they were really badass, and OMG I loved every character in this book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
"If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I will throw myself in front of you"
This is the first time I read a book about vampires and it was not as bad as I thought it could be. I actually enjoyed it a lot. It's the perfect teenage angst/drama vampire school story.
I really like to see how Dimitri and Rose's relationship will develop in the next books. Oh! and Lissa and Christian are a super cute couple too.
This is the first time I read a book about vampires and it was not as bad as I thought it could be. I actually enjoyed it a lot. It's the perfect teenage angst/drama vampire school story.
I really like to see how Dimitri and Rose's relationship will develop in the next books. Oh! and Lissa and Christian are a super cute couple too.
Man, I was so ready for another YA! This book was veeeery welcome, and I am glad that I enjoyed it as much as I did! True, many of the concepts weren't explained much so the start is probably very confusing for new readers, but, having seen the film, it felt like returning to my own cozy corner in that world - so very nice. I must say that the high school drama and relationship trouble was a little tedious, but it was bearable because of Rose. Rose is an awesome narrator. She's sassy, she's funny, and she's not the strongest/most special person walking the earth - which is a nice change from other YAs. I laughed a lot reading her thoughts.
The other characters were also so nice to get to know. Lissa is interesting and I see a lot of myself in her, and reading her thoughts through Rose's eyes was different and cool. Christian is awesome - although I am not yet sure whether I think that because I actually like him or whether I just like him and Lissa together - or perhaps even because I get to picture Dominic Sherwood every time I read about him. Dimitri didn't move me that much, although I admire his sense of duty and the effect he had on Rose (as in how they built up their trust, not their unlawful relationship...).
I'm curious for the rest of this series, and hope to get to them soon!
The other characters were also so nice to get to know. Lissa is interesting and I see a lot of myself in her, and reading her thoughts through Rose's eyes was different and cool. Christian is awesome - although I am not yet sure whether I think that because I actually like him or whether I just like him and Lissa together - or perhaps even because I get to picture Dominic Sherwood every time I read about him. Dimitri didn't move me that much, although I admire his sense of duty and the effect he had on Rose (as in how they built up their trust, not their unlawful relationship...).
I'm curious for the rest of this series, and hope to get to them soon!
4.5
This book was so fantastic, I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book! It truly did live up to the hype! My only complaint about this book was that it should have been a F/F romance and I stand by that >.< I loved the relationship and chemistry our two main characters had!
This book was so fantastic, I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book! It truly did live up to the hype! My only complaint about this book was that it should have been a F/F romance and I stand by that >.< I loved the relationship and chemistry our two main characters had!
▪ ACTUAL RATING: 4.5 ☆ ▪
I'm rating this entire series as a whole because I read this so long ago that I forgot what I thought of each book and I wouldn't know what to individually rate each one.
I'm rating this entire series as a whole because I read this so long ago that I forgot what I thought of each book and I wouldn't know what to individually rate each one.