Book Review - Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I read this book back in 2011 but I decided to read it again because I recently re-read the entire Vampire Academy series and thought it was the perfect time to finish the Bloodlines series as back in 2011 I never read past this first book. My original review of the book can be found here. 

First of all I loved how Vampire Academy seems to be aging well. I found I loved the series just as much as I did when I first read it before I even started this blog.

Whilst I wasn't quite convinced at first at having the alchemist Sydney as the narrator, there were enough familiar characters from Vampire Academy (like Jill, Eddie and of course Adrian) to keep me reading until I started to warm up to her.

I'm still not Sydney's biggest fan. I find her rather stuck up but I do like a having a human perspective in this world of unique vampires.

For the most part I found the school drama a little boring and this was largely due to the fact we were seeing all this through Sydney's mature eyes.

I loved the greater insight we got into the strigois as most strigoi activity is told via third person however Sydney witnesses a moroi attempt to become strigoi which was something that was hinted at in Vampire Academy but never in the great detail it was in this book.

Overall, whilst I don't think this series is going to be anywhere near the quality of Vampire Academy, I am really excited to be back in this world.