A review by krshmnsh
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall this was a pretty light read. At times I felt that although it was as fast-paced as the Vampire Academy series, Bloodlines still managed to introduce new concepts in Mead's fantasy world without it being too rushed or overlooked - for example,

Sydney's outlook on witchcraft and the introduction of the Warriors

There were however some plotlines that didn't seem too necessary and could've been rewritten altogether to have a more impactful meaning,

Nina searching for Olive, Declan's birth, Neil as the father and even Jill's kidnapping. With the latter especially, it made more sense -considering the overall plot line- to have Jill's kidnapping as public knowledge with the attacker being someone who wanted to overthrow Lissa. Even if this series was meant to focus on the Alchemist world, it was still disconnected from the Moroi politics despite Sydney mentioning frequently how involved they were in it.