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Mead, Richelle
8 Reviews
(3)
YA
Fleeing an arranged marriage, the young Countess of Rothford joins a group of poor but pretty girls training to marry rich men in the New World. Her plans begin to unravel, however, when she realizes she's willing to risk everything to protect one of the procurer's sons. Fantasy elements take a backseat in this page-turning, love-conquers-all romantic epic.
Reviewer: Barratt Miller
(3)
YA
Newlyweds Sydney and Adrian, human and vampire (respectively), alternately narrate this adventure. They're in hiding from the anti-vampire Alchemists and hoping for news about kidnapped friend Jill, until another crisis results in their caring for an orphaned baby while on the road. This (possibly final) volume in the Vampire Academy companion series is supernatural-soapy but full of satisfying romance, action, and snarky banter.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
Fei's mountain village's only link to the outside world is a zipline that carries precious metals down the mountain and food back up. The villagers have been deaf for generations, but Fei's hearing has miraculously returned. Themes of romantic love, family, loyalty, and equality play out powerfully against the backdrop of Chinese folklore as Fei seeks to save her people.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(3)
YA
Sydney, whose taboo friendships with vampires cause her to question her anti-vampire Alchemist training, learns of a conspiracy high in the ranks. Meanwhile, a mentor asks for her help in stopping magical attacks--requiring Sydney to break more rules. Sydney's satisfying development from obedient follower in Bloodlines to the critically-thinking, action-oriented heroine seen here supports the supernatural romance series' arc.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
Alchemist Sydney usually protects humans from vampires; her new mission is to hide Jill, the vampire queen's only surviving relative, from assassins at a human boarding school. Straight-laced Sydney, a secondary character from the Vampire Academy series, is more staid than butt-kicking Rose, but those books' engaging elements of magic, romance, and suspense carry over well.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(4)
YA
Vampire Academy series.
Rose, falsely accused of assassinating the queen, calmly awaits execution. Her friends stage a jail-break while BFF Lissa campaigns for the role of queen, buying time to clear Rose's name. Flashes between Rose's perspective and Lissa's (made possible by their psychic bond) can feel disorienting, but court intrigue, magic, romance, and an unexpected but well-supported conclusion create a satisfying end to this series.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(4)
YA
Vampire Academy series.
The fifth installment of this supernatural romance series finds Rose facing her long-awaited placement as a guardian. Rose risks her promising future--and her relationship with new beau Adrian--on a chance to transform her first love, Dimitri, back from being a soulless Strigoi. While the pacing of this volume is unsteady, Rose, complicated and feisty, is as strong as ever.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
YA
Vampire Academy series.
When Rose's mentor/lover Dimitri becomes a vampire, she must destroy him--despite the logistical and emotional obstacles in her way. Meanwhile, best friend Lissa faces her own troubles at home. Rose's sassiness balances the dark undercurrents, but her increasingly disturbing relationship with Dimitri has a queasy subtext that may push romantic angst too far for the series' target audience.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
8 reviews
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