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Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Book #1 in the Vampire Academy Series

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.


My Thoughts:

I didn't really know what to expect with this book, I'd heard a lot of great things about it, but didn't really know what it was about. I took a chance and bought it at Barnes and Noble a while back. So I finally decided it was time to read it about 2 months ago. I read the first chapter and wasn't really drawn in. So I put it down. I picked it back up and read a few more chapters and ended up putting it down again. The last time I picked it up I finally really started getting into it.

This book does have a slower pace, it keeps moving and things are happening, but they're not dramatic or big things. I think that's what caused me to keep putting it down. I'm used to pretty fast paced and action packed books. About half way through I got the lovely feeling of wanting to constantly read it until I finished it. I was starting to think that feeling wasn't ever going to come. It did get a lot faster when the climax/plot twist came into play. That was pretty good, because I was going crazy trying to figure it out myself.

I really liked the writing style. This is the first book I've read by Richelle Mead. Sometimes it was weird, because it would flash back, but I wouldn't realize it until I was like "Whoa! What the hell is going on?!" And then it would go right back into the present. It was just a little awkward, but it didn't happen very often.

I loved the story and the characters. Rose and Lissa's friendship and bond was amazing to read about. Everything that they had been through and how they had survived. And then everything that they went through in this book. It was the ideal best friend/practically sister relationship I've ever read about. Mostly because they both seemed to only care about the other, and not so much about themselves.

Lets talk about the love interests: Christian was pretty creepy at first, I didn't really know what to think about him. But he ended up being a really great character and a really good friend. Then there's Dimitri, oh my, I just knew that I was gonna like him from the first moment his name was introduced. And as he started doing the training sessions with Rose, he just got hotter and hotter.

Overall, I loved the book, I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. I will be continuing with the series. I'm eager to see what else will happen and what other adventures they can get into. The ending of this book left you feeling content for now, but left it open to the next one. And I really enjoy endings like that. I feel complete.

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

Have you read any of the V.A. Books?

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Swoon Thursday: Vampire Academy

Swoon Thursday #3!

Swoon Thursday is a HOT meme hosted by YA Bound.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished,

tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, 

your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, 

post it in the comments, or grab the adorable 

button above and share it on your blog!

This week my swoon comes from:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

[Goodreads - Amazon]

He walked off ahead of me. Studying him carefully, I realized I couldn't let the opportunity go by. I leapt at his back, positioning myself exactly the way he'd taught me. I had the element of surprise. Everything was perfect, and he wouldn't even see me coming.

Before I could make contact, he spun around at a ridiculously high speed. In one deft motion, he grabbed me like I weighed nothing and threw me to the ground, pinning me there. I groaned. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

His eyes looked levelly into mine as he held my wrists, but he didn't look as serious as he had during the lesson. He seemed to find this funny. "The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time."

"Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?"

He thought about it. "No. Probably not."

I sighed loudly, still in too much of a good mood to really let this disappointment get me down. There were some advantages to having such a kick-ass mentor -one who also happened to have a foot of height on me and outweighed me considerably. And that wasn't even considering his strength. He wasn't bulky but his body had a lot of hard, lean muscle. If I could ever beat him, I could beat anyone.

All of a sudden, it occurred to me that he was still holding me down. The skin on his fingers was warm as he clutched my wrists.

His face hovered inches from my own, and his legs and torso were actually pressing against mine. Some of his long brown hair hung around his face, and he appeared to be noticing me too, almost like he had that night in the lounge. And oh God, did he smell good. Breathing became difficult for me, and it had nothing to do with the workout or my lungs being crushed.

Have you read Vampire Academy?

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