...in books

I wish you all a very Spooky Halloween!

I think I found the appropriate review for a day like this:

Review

Vampire Academy

by Richelle Mead

The author:

source

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.
A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

source: Goodreads

First sentences:

I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

Summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

source: Goodreads

My opinion:

I’m pretty sure everyone out there heard of Richelle Mead’s famous Vampire Academy series. I had too but I didn’t pick it up until I saw several of Camilla’s book videos on her YouTube channel (check it out-she is amazing!) and heard her rave about these books. I wanted a new cool book and downloaded it on my Kindle. I read it in two days straight and loved it!

Vampire Academy is the first book in the Vampire Academy series and the introduction into the world of Moroi, Strigoi, Dhampirs and the world of the school, St.Vladimir.

I am not a huge fan of vampire books mostly because I get scared easily. Each vampire or werewolf book I read was either funny or had a steampunk/phantasie background. Vampire Academy however is set in today’s United States and that made it feel more real than any other vampire book I read.

Regardless, I liked it a lot. The story is told from Rose’s point of view. She is a Dhampire and Lissa’s best friend and she tries to protect Lissa, a vampire princess, from her past and all the pressure she and society puts on her. The two girls fled from St. Vladimir two years before the beginning of the first book, something no one ever done before but unfortunately they run out of luck and get caught and brought back to school. The story is totally gripping and I saw the whole book as a film before my inner eye (which is an indicator of a well written book for me). Some scenes are described in such accuracy and detail that I felt uncomfortable while reading them, for example the moment Rose and Lissa come back to school and everybody stares at them. Richelle Mead has the gift of telling a paranormal story so believably that you can feel the tension. This story felt so real to me and that made it even more gripping and sucked me into it immediately.

Rose is an awesome main character. She is strong willed, loyal and always ready to protect her friend against everything and everyone. Rose was the head of their escape from St. Vladimir and her determination enabled the girls to live a “normal” live for two years. She would do anything for Rose and is ready to die for Lissa if it would safe her best friend. Lissa’s and Rose’s bond is so strong that Rose can feel Lissa’s fears, feelings and anxieties and sometimes she is even able to see through Lissa’s eyes without her knowing.

Lissa is a famous vampire princess who suffers after the death of her parents and her brother and tries to uphold the degree of socializing her brother did but it slowly kills her and so Rose decided that the two girls would flee the vampire society. Lissa often tries to be stronger than she can be, she tries to make the best out of their return to St. Vladimir and she has two rather unusual gifts which make her special even in vampire society.

Vampire Academy is a wonderful first book and I will definitely read the next one soon. It was a book that fascinated and gripped me and I can recommend it to everyone who loved paranormal books.

Vampire Academy is available at Amazon in paperback and for your Kindle too. You can also buy it at Book Depo.

The Books in the Vampire Academy series are:

• Vampire Academy
• Frostbite
• Shadow Kiss
• Blood Promise
• Spirit Bound
• Last Sacrifice

For more information about Richelle visit her Homepage, her Blog and her Facebook and Twitter pages.