Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise

by Richelle Mead

series: Vampire Academy

April 2010
Penguin
Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Action


Why I read it: It's the 4th installment of the Vampire Academy Series.

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

*******SPOILER FOR BOOKS 1, 2 & 3!!!***********

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri.

He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa - the one she has sworn to protect no matter what - and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

*******SPOILER FOR BOOKS 1, 2 & 3!!!***********

So from book 3, we know that Rose has quit school to find Dimitri... And kill him. Lissa finally realizes what Dimitri means to Rose: more than just a mentor/teacher. This is a different turning point book. Book 2 was a turning point for Rose's personality. She calmed down after the aftermath of Mason. Book 3 was a turning point for the strigoi vs. moroi and dhampir races and Dimitri. Book 4 (this one) is a turning point for the story and the entire world.

Rose goes to Russia. She figures that's where he would go. Though I don't understand why it's so "obvious" he'd go there. His family is still where he grew up, in Siberia, but as strigoi, you don't think he'd go there to be with his family. I think he once said his mom would let him come back home for any reason, but I don't think that carries on over to him being strigoi.

Regardless, that's where Rose goes. Which leads to a whole different way of life. Not because she's American in Russia, but because she's a dhampir (with no guardian mark but a molnija -pronounced: molnia - mark that represents her killing lots of strigoi in a battle) where strigoi are roaming around through the human night life in major cities.

She meets a lot of new people, one of which is a new type of "species" that we didn't know before. Because Rose quit school before she was told :D. She keeps in touch with Lissa via their connection. Adrian visits her dreams a lot, trying to figure out where she is, she disconnects it when he gets too close to finding out.

Dimitri's in the story.... Richelle Mead did a really good job on him. It made me like Adrian even more than I did before. I don't want to give away anything. But since you know she's hunting him, that's the whole point of the book, it would be cruel and unusual punishment if Mrs Mead didn't have him in it. You really see more in to the psyche of the strigoi and their world. Things are drastically different than what they thought, while other stay the same. I wouldn't have been able to guess the things that Richelle gets in to.

Rose still does a lot of ass kicking. Beautiful ass kicking. The only kind she knows how to do ;p.

The ending of the book is soooo long and painful in so many ways (all good, I promise... and by "good" I mean in the writing.... I definitely am not referring to the way the story ends in this one. That would be rude). I don't know where I would rank this in the whole series, it's not the best, but the good thing about this series is that there isn't a worst. 

Anyway! Action packed, twists and turns, she keeps you on your feet, non-stoppable, etc. Great addition to the series. Richelle's writing is fabulous, as always.

Ratings: 
1.Cover: +1
2. Hooked: +1
3. Finished the book: +1
4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2
5. Re-Readability: +1
6. Suggest to others: +2
7. Lost time: Nope +18. Readability:+1

10 out of 10. A well deserved 10. love this series


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Other's in series (in order):

Vampire Academy

Frostbite

Shadow Kiss

Blood Promise

Spirit Bound

Last Sacrifice

One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren

One Bite With A Stranger

by Christine Warren

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: The Others

St Martins Press Oct. '08


**Favorite Quote**

My God. I think I'm dead, she mused, too tired to get worked up about it. He fucked me to death


Not yet, milaya, he chuckled. But there's always next time.


Back of the book:


When Regina's friends insist on setting her up  on a "Fantasy Fix" to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It's time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun...


The Vampire Ball in Manhattan's East Village isn't really Dmitri Vidame's idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs The Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on the fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for...until she-and her feisty friends--discover her sexy new lover's bloodsucking secret...

*******************************************************************************************

Right off, this book reminds me of the good ol' days when I actually had girl friends. Then I remember all the drama of having girl friends and I see once again, why it's best if I don't mingle with other females :P. But I did like the idea of the "fantasy fix" I actually think that would have made for a better series than including or starting off The Others Series.

I couldn't ever get a good read on Regina. She seemed a little like me, but too flimsy. So, she was stubborn and thought her friends were crazy (that'd be the me-relating part) but she just turned to absolute putty around Dmitri (--the not me part). She just seemed to be so conflicting. I think the thing I enjoyed most about her was that she had red hair... i believe. (hahaha... I read it somewhere in the book, but then it never mentioned it again. So... I may have made her a redhead.)

Dmitri was ... well, a vampire. He was the suave and dangerous type as would be expected. He could read minds, some more clearly than others. He can also put his thoughts in yours too... which also means that he can mind rape you. Now, I don't consider pulling psychological bullsh*t on another "mind raping" like most others do. If that were the case, every female would be at fault. With all the games they play with both men and women, if that were turned into a legal offense.. then we'd all be guilty and sent to jail. So, when I speak  of "mind rape" in this instance, I'm talking about him actually putting a thought (literally) into someones mind and coaxing it mentally. Not with words or actions... but he's using his mind connection to do that. That's what I consider "mind rape". At the end of the book of course he claims that he could never do such a thing, but what he can do is take something that's already there and make it stronger or less in that person's mind. So he can't force you to do something you never considered doing. Like trying clams... Or stabbing myself in the stomach. etc. 

But where Dmitri screws himself with the mind reading, he makes up for a very tiny bit in his nick name. I LOVE nicknames, especially the ones of a different language. "Misha" is his nickname.. and as you saw above, he calls Regina: Milaya. Nothing particularly pretty about either name, but it just makes me happy. It did make me a little uncomfortable when other people outside of their lovers embrace called him Misha. It kind of dulled it down a little bit, thus, bringing him back to square one with the mind reading.

The only way to sort of redeem himself is through the sex though. Holy cow was the first "sex scene" hot! In fact, on my cheat note card, I wrote: "1st sex scene-Holy Moly!" They're hot, and of course, as present in this book as they are in the others of the Other series.

My FAVORITE scene of the whole book, has to go to one of the almost very last ones. When I read through it, all I could think of were her friends looking disheveled and crazy-eyed holding pitchforks and fire-lit torches.... :D

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh +1

5. Re-readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: +.5

8. Readability: +1

So, I give this a 6.5 out of 10. I would only suggest this to those that have already started or would like to read all of the Others' series. Or if you just love series. It's not a bad read, but it's not amazing. And besides trying to figure out the actual order this series goes in, I don't think I would read it again. This book does feel like it's first (as says Barnes and Noble)

Anxiously Waiting for....

Hey friends!

I believe I'm behind on just 1 book of the series (don't worry, it's sitting on my shelf, taunting me), but I am having a hard time waiting for work to be over with so I can go buy Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter! It's been on my Waiting on Wednesday meme every single week!! So you better believe I'm not stopping until I've licked the cover of my future copy at Borders... Hopefully they let me walk out of the store with it before they carry me away in a straight jacket where "everything will be okay".

Actually, is there something called a tongue sanitizer? Because I can only guess how many people have handled each book before it gets to my hands (my guess would be pretty accurate since I know how many it takes to get it in to grocery stores) so I would hate to catch something by licking it. And I can't not lick it... that's how you're supposed to claim things.. even cars! Plus, it would be just my luck that I would grab the last copy at the store and someone tries to steal it from me. Imagine if you did that and I yelled after you "I licked that!!! It's mine!!!" OR... WHAT IF!! I don't get any copy, but I see someone walking around with the last one, and I steal it from them... then lick it. They can't very well ask for it back... I licked it!

So you see, I need tongue sanitizers... (besides the obvious brushing teeth... I can't carry a tooth brush around too) If you can create/test/mail me that before 3:00pm today... that'd be cool.


AnYwAy! Go get your copy today!!!! OORR EELLSSE!!! :P


Gena Showalter's blog - website

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Series: The Others

Paranormal/Romance

March 2006

St Martin's

$6.99

Why I read: I was looking for a new series to start and enjoy, and this one had several done already.


One Favorite Quote: "Did you just call me Benji?"


[update: I realized recently *cough*today*cough* that I read the series out of order... I thought this was the first in the series. But no, it's the 4th. I'm going back to read the 1st! Of course, I also read the 6th before realizing this, so I'm all mixed up. Please note that if there were any inconsistencies that I noticed, it's probably due to coming in to the stories in the middle of the series. I can't change what I said because it was how I felt. It also proves that you should start at the beginning of every series! Bummer, I know. I can't believe I messed up! Ugh]

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

Christine Warren’s spellbinding new series takes you into the enthralling world of The Others—mystical creatures who have long kept their true natures hidden from human eyes. Now, these werekin, shapeshifters, vampires, and witches must choose between revealing their powers or fighting a sinister sect hell-bent on their destruction…

WHEN DANGER MEETS DESIRE…
Sullivan Quinn didn’t travel 3,000 miles from his native Ireland and his wolf pack just to chase rabidly after the most delectable quarry he’s ever seen. Quinn is in America on a mission—to warn his Other brethren of a shadowy group willing to use murder and mayhem to bring them down. But one whiff of this Foxwoman’s delicious honeysuckle fragrance and he knows that she is more than a colleague or a conquest…she is his mate.

THEY’LL DISCOVER…
Anthropologist Cassidy Poe is a world-renowned authority on social interaction, but the overpowering desire she feels around Quinn defies every ounce of her expertise. Working by his side to uncover The Others’ enemies poses risks she never expected—to her own safety, to those she loves, and to her heart, as every encounter with Quinn proves more blissfully erotic than the last…

THE ANIMAL WITHIN…
Now, with no one to trust but each other, Quinn and Cassidy face a foe that’s edging closer every day, threatening to destroy the life they’ve always known, and the passion they’ve just discovered…

****************************************************************************************************

My review:

It took a while for me to get in to the book. Even the initial contact between the two main characters kind of bothered me. Quinn seemed really stalker-ish. Given enough time, I found that not to be the case, but that initial feeling was uncomfortable.

I felt that plot took a distant second place after a while. Or maybe I misunderstood the plot. Which is very possible! They have to find who is trying to "out" the Others before they do, and it felt slow getting to the finding part. In fact, I don't even know if they did find the who/what. They found the root cause, just not the who/what [does that make sense? you're probably staring at this thinking "what the hell are you talking about crazy]. wAt this point, I keep telling myself.. who cares? They got to the root of it, what more do you need? But I felt like this whole time I wanted to know who the puppet was and I all I got was a sort of puppeteer. Maybe I need to re-read the last few pages to make sure I'm not being an idiot.

I did something really weird with this book though. I stopped reading it for about a month at the very end... What?! Who does that? I think I was in a reading slump and I just was hung up on the root cause and who the Light of Truth that's trying to expose them is, and the fact that I didn't understand what was going on. Once again, my problem. I'm sure Christine Warren explained it perfectly for the non-challenged people.

The only honest and true complaint I have is that the resolution to the conflict of exposure ended too suddenly for it to be normal. But the ending for me is huge. I understand the need for the fluff at the end, but nothing is wrapped up in neat little packages in real life, and I just feel that books should portray that sometimes [yes... i know it's not real, but for it to be relatively believable even in a fictional world, I don't like neat endings--that's one reason I hate chick flicks]. 

OKAY! That was the bad.. Here's the good:

Christine Warren's writing was great! Most of it flowed together flawlessly [I say mostly, because as with all books, some sentences had to be re-read several times to understand what she was saying].  Their romance, though it had a rough start... a really awkward rough start, it was believable. Some parts were fluffed, but whatever. I could believe that they actually had a connection to each other. Their foreplay and/or sexual encounters were.... awesome! :D Very blush worthy if someone catches you reading those pages. ;)-

Another really neat thing she did was that she didn't make Quinn an Alpha. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Alphas [mmmmmmm]. But he didn't need to be an Alpha to be dominant. He also had a great and unique role in his pack that I haven't heard of before. I think it might have been too much, so that was a perfect decision made by Christine Warren.

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +.5

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh: +1

5. Re-readability: +.5--might skim through

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: ... not really +1

8. Readability: +1

Looks like it's a 7 out of 10. Which makes me happy that I have my rating system. I would have felt that after the month of a break [from all books really] that I should rate it lower.

Website

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borneby Patricia Briggs

March 30, 2010

Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance

Penguin

Why I read it: I've read all the others in the series, and I love Mercy, Adam, Samuel, Jesse, Warren, Kyle, Darryl, Aurielle, Honey, Bran, Charles, etc.

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

********************************************************************************************************

Despite already knowing about the series and wanting to read it so desperately, the cover looks amazing. As always. One thing that someone told me they noticed is that her tattoo's don't match on ever cover. Which, I've never put to the test, but I can see that there's a lot more. And I can't remember her ever talking about tattoos in the book [besides the wolf paw--erm, coyote paw], but that's probably my early Alzheimer working its magic. Even if her tattoos change, I still love the girl on the cover.

I can't remember how the hook was, but I didn't really need one. The hook was already in place when I finished the last book. I always want to know the deep secrets of Mercy and Adam's relationship. But I don't know why I expect it when every time, Patricia Briggs lets me know that Mercy doesn't want to show that part. Or maybe it's Adam. He is the chauvinistic quiet guy that doesn't like "claiming" his woman with the other ultra-sensitive-eared werewolves in the house. *giggle*

I really really really didn't want to finish this book. Which is a sign of an awesome read. Because if I did, then I would either find the last of their story. OR [and hopefully it's this rather than the other], I'll have to wait way too long for the next one. And really, 1 day is too long.

After I finished, I felt angry, sad, happy, excited, eager, sweet, and all the above. It left off one way, but I couldn't help but feel everything that happened in the book and everything that would happen in the [hopefully soon] next book

I will probably re-read this book several times. Just like I have every other Mercy Thompson book. I will however, skip over the fae parts. I read on someone's blog (can't remember where, sorry) that the fae parts could have been left out and it would still have been a great story. And to be honest, I would probably skip over those parts when I re-read this book. MOstly because I love Adam and Mercy and they're every thought/desire should be out there for me to read consecutively.

This book is great for EVERYONE. It doesn't have any feel like Twilight werewolves. There is romance there, but it's minimal, the development of the characters is fantastic. Male, female, 16-73. All can read the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.

Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Grammar:+1

so it looks like I have my first 10 out of 10. My 2nd book in my 30 books this year, and I get a 10! I'm so excited :D. I know I won't be able to get this lucky for long, so I won't expect it, but doesn't it feel nice to have awesome books to read? YESS!!!

Others in series:

Moon Called

Blood Bound

Iron Kissed

Bone Crossed

Silver Borne

Homecoming (Graphic Novel Series #1)

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi

Stake That

by Mari Mancusi

December 2006

Romantic/Paranormal Young Adult

Penguin
$9.99


Why I read it: To decide whether or not my boss should put it in our stores (along with the rest of the series).

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

The edgy young vampire series continues!

A fresh voice and fresh blood-it adds up to one very sassy vampire series...

Sisters. They'll swipe your clothes, your boyfriends, your destiny. But it wasn't exactly Rayne's twin Sunny's fault. Magnus, a vamp hottie and coven leader, mistook Sunny for Rayne last month and bit her instead. Now they're doing the inter-species dating thing.

Turns out that for every generation, there's a Vampire Slayer-and this time around, it just happens to be Rayne MacDonald. Her first mission: infiltrate a seedy vamp bar downtown and expose its vampire owner for purposely spreading a blood disease he created himself-a task almost harder than passing trig.

After going it alone once, Rayne realizes she needs help. So Magnus sends his sexy Goth buddy Jareth to go undercover with her. And, frankly, Rayne wouldn't mind going under the covers with him. Maybe fate doesn't bite after all...

*****************************************************************************

This time with this series, I actually couldn't wait to keep reading this book. Once you get past the valley-girl language (which I never thought I'd say... what's next? Gray hairs?), and the sometimes hard to follow sentences, it's a great story. Oh, and once you got past the slow start and a money hungry troll... Okay, the troll wasn't real, I made it up. She started it out in a blog format, which I thought was really neat! It tied in the last book with this second one. But then she stopped because stuff got hard for Rayne. The comments at the end were the best part. They were witty and showed a bit more of the character and how she deals with other people that aren't so close to her. Plus, just about every blog of hers was commented on! That's something I don't know much about ;).


Along with the slow beginning, there was way too quick of an end. And for the 2nd time, I will complain about the 1 thing I had a problem with... cute, neat packaging at the end. Everything in their plan works semi perfectly. The only hiccup didn't seem as detrimental as I would have thought it would be. Once again, she left me wanting more from her. Rayne's not made of stone! Let her feelings seep through!!!! Because I would love to see it, read about it, hear it. I dunno, it just seems cheesy to me. And I don't do well with cheese :(. [I don't mean the delicious dairy product that tastes like a slice of heaven... no!]


The difficulty I had with the characters where the same as before. Mom's out of her flippin' mind. Those girls deserve better than her. The dad is a pathetic loser. I'm sorry, I have  no sympathy for selfish parents. But that's a hot button with me already... and Mari pushed the button! hehe. Rayne seems even more dramatic and illogical. She doesn't make good decisions, and she doesn't know how to be responsible for her bad decisions. She has that sense of entitlement sweating out of her pores. I think Jareth was my favorite. Magnus had a few cameos in the book,


There was a surprise at the end! I won't spoil it, but it is neat :D Oh, and it's not the very very end... it's the end of the trouble that was wrapped up nicely ;)


Should you read it?: I definitely think you should read Boys that Bite first! But in this instance, the sequel is better than the original. If you liked the first one, you'll love this one better. If you didn't like the first one... read this one anyway to give it another shot.

Would I read it again?: Probably not. Just because it's too short and it didn't leave a lasting impression on my mind. I was interested in the well being of the characters, but it was just too neatly wrapped I think. And the passion in there was lacking a bit.




Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +0

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +1

5. Re-Readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+0. 5

so it looks like this gets a 5.5 out of 10.

Others in series:

Boys That Bite

Stake That

Girls that Growl

Bad Blood

Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

Boys That Bite

by Mari Mancusi

April 2006

Romantic/Paranormal Young Adult

Penguin

$9.99

Why I read it: To decide whether or not my boss should put it in our stores (along with the rest of the series).

Synopsis (provided by BarnesandNoble[dot]com)

This is not your typical boybites-girl love story.


Technically Sunshine can't get killed-because she's immortal. Well, not quite yet. Due to the worst case of mistaken identity with her dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth club called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for Sunshine's innocent neck. Now if she doesn't reverse it in time, Magnus will be her blood mate forever and she's doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. That would seriously bite.


And now, after the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, Sunshine, her sister Rayne, and Magnus must find the one thing that can solve her problem: the Holy Grail. They wish it were a joke but it's not. It's absolutely necessary that Sunshine gets out of this in time, because somehow she scored the hottest prom date in her school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. So she just can't be a vampire for the prom-let alone the rest of eternity.

I got this book from work as an "assignment". One of my bosses (book buyer) was having a hard time deciding what was good Young Adult material to put in our stores (mainly grocery).

This book is the 1st in the "Blood Coven" series:

Boys that Bite

Stake That

Girls that Growl

Bad Blood (as of January 5, 2010) 

Mari doesn't waste much time getting into the grunt of things. Which, with the first in the series is always good since when you first pick it up, you don't know what it's about. You have no predetermined thoughts on how this will be. I learned very quickly that the language was very young. Mari used "like" a lot. And I finally understood what my dad was always bitchin' about when I was younger. It was scary to think that I couldn't relate to a young talking book though. Last time I checked, 23 wasn't that old!


So, Sunny's a bit different. I didn't feel Sunny as a character. In fact, she seemed more of like an actress playing a part. I couldn' get a grasp on her. Do you know what I mean? I wanted to like her, I really did! I wanted to love her, relate to her, feel her pain of what was happening to her. But it was as if she went from "what the hell" to "meh, whatev" in an instant. I wish I could have seen more into her mind. Feel her pain. Rayne, her twin sister is such a drama queen. But it's almost a forced drama queen. I really dug Magnus though :D The love interest in the story :D. He seemed to be more real than the others.


I'm really bummed about this, because I think Mari missed out in an awesome opportunity to go more into her characters and how they tick than she did. I understand that she was writing more to a short attention span audience, but it doesn't help when I can't connect with the characters. Sunny couldn't be upset that she was turning into a vampire. She couldn't fume, because she'd practically told to shut up. And then Rayne could have been angrier than she was. I'm sorry, but if you work for so long and hard on something, and the night that it's all coming together, your twin sister gets it instead.... I would be livid!!!! I'd hate the world. But Rayne... just brushes it off. I know she never knew the guy, but come on!!! [pst.. that's  not a rant towards Mari Mancusi, that's a rant towards the character Rayne... yes, as if she were a real person :D]. I just felt like a lot of sisterly bonding could have happened and I'm bummed I missed out on it. Because, not all of us get along swell with our sisters, so it's nice to see it go wrong and be worked on.


Their mom is one horrible piece of work. She doesn't know where her kids are, she's oblivious to EVERYTHING!! She's an emotional wreck... I feel like she should have 50 cats around her at all times. I don't wonder why the girls are as bad as they are. Though I do wonder how they got to be as good as they are.


Like I said above. I loved Magnus. He was probably my favorite character. His back story seemed real. And I felt that there was a genuine connection between Sunny and him. I would have loved more time with them finding each other, but it seems to be the theme here. I'm always wanting more!!! Which I would take as a compliment. If I didn't want more, I'd tell you ;). The vampire aspect of it was really neat to find. I like the "donor" system, instead of the "vegetarian" or the "stab everyone in the neck with your fangs" kind. If there were real vampires [I sorta wish there were], I could imagine them using a donor system these days. Although, if you did have to do the "stab everyone in the neck with your fangs" thing, can you at least get all the murderers, rapists, child molesting crack jobs before you go after innocents? Thanks :D


I know what I've written so far sounds like I'm bashing. But I'm not. I liked the book. The ending was the best part, and no, not because it was the end. That's where all the excitement happens! If that excitement could have gone on throughout the whole book, I could have honestly rated it higher. And most of what I've said that was bad was about the characters. I just couldn't be friends with them. It doesn't mean someone else wouldn't.


But I do have 1 complaint. Just 1! Everything seems so easy for the characters. Dodging their mom, getting to far away places, wrapping up the "case" and not to mention, everything gets wrapped up into a ribbon in the end. I'm sorry, but with all their problems they have with their parents, school, boyfriends, the whole vampire thing... It shouldn't have been so easy to accomplish their goal.


Okay! phew! I got that off my chest. Overall, good book and easy to read. I would recommend this. Though more of to be a filler.  I am going to suggest it to my boss to put in the YA section at grocery and grocery-type stores across the west side of the states, once I finish all 3 other books in this series and enjoy it. I'm a firm believer in keeping a series together, and I can't have 1 book in stores and not the others.




It's a quick and easy read, that is actually, well, enjoyable. Most of those that are quick & easy aren't very good. But this kept me entertained. The love interest in the story was expected... BUT... it took just long enough to get started where you start to second guess yourself. And it developed nicely. I was a bit disappointed in the end, but that's because it just went to quick and worked out fine without a hiccup... I would have preferred it to be a bit more dramatic.

Anyway, I would suggest reading this book. However, being that it's $9.99, I suggest getting it from your library or borrowing it from a friend. If they decide to make it the mass market version [the small books], for just a couple $$ cheaper, then buying it is warranted.


Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +1

5. Re-Readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: a lil bit +0.5

8. Readability: +0.5


So, that's a 6 out of 10 on my rating system.

Vamps by Nancy A Collins

When the sun goes down, New York's true elite all head to one place: Bathory Academy, where the young ladies of

the finest vampire families are trained in shapeshifting and luring their prey.

Bathory's reigning queen, Lilith Todd, is the daughter of a powerful vampire businessman, and she knows exactly what she wants from life. She wants to look beautiful for eternity and party till the sun comes up with her gorgeous boyfriend, Jules. And she doesn't want any New Blood upstarts standing in her way.

Enter Cally Monture, an unexpected threat from a trash zip code. When their first meeting leads to tragic results, Lilith is hungry for revenge.

It started out confusing, like all books do I suppose. It did go too much into expensive things and designer brands, and I think that's what confused me so much.

Recommended for: If you're not in for immediate action and don't mind hearing

about rich and spoiled kids, this book is for you.

Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow kiss

[edited 4/12/10. added rating system and labels]

 Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.
After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fr

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aught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through

this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...

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This is a classic "don't judge a book by its cover". Richelle Mead did a wonderful job creating an alternate reality inside our own world with Vampires, Damphirs and the undead (aka Strigoi). She makes it easy to relate to the characters despite the major differences (like the whole blood sucking thing).

The two main characters have an incredible bond that is unlike anything you will experience. The way that Rose wants to protect Lissa is so selfless. It makes you re-evaluate the way you feel about your best friend.

The romance is very well done. It's both loving and frustrating to the core. You will fall in love with the love interest yourself by the time you're done. =).

1.Cover: +.5

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+1

Same 9.5 out of 10. If it weren't for the cover, I'd give this the well deserved 10 out of 10. But I have to be fair.

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian. (So not cool).

Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

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The relationship between Dimitri and Rose makes you frustrated beyond belief.

The relationship between Lissa and Christian gets steamier and you actually kind of enjoy his company.

Rose is VERY strong, tough, and independent. There's a threat to Dimitri and Rose's not quite there relationship. One that will leave you breathless in the end.

There's a new character who you love to hate and hate to love! Only because they're as smooth as lotion and they feel just as good on the skin ;).

Despite all the good, it's a tragic story.

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+1

10 out of 10 :D

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all...might be seeing ghosts. As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line--and choose between the two people she loves most.

Oh. My. Word. It made me laugh, made me cry, I wanted so much more to happen, and yet I was still happy on how it went. Rose kicks some more butt and Dimitri is still sexy. Yes, a fictional character is sexy. They're love reaches new hights and is explored beautifully by Richelle.

Rose's vision on her life changes more and more with each chapter. Until you finally hope she comes around to your own kind of thinking. Lissa gets a little irritating. Just a little bit.

You learn to love Adrian more than you hate him. He becomes a real person with feelings, rather than an annoying rich kid. He's charming for an alcoholic =).

But just when you think the last one is so horrible, you get to the end of this one and realize that the whole world can shatter in an unexpected instant.

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2

5. Re-Readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+1

Same 10 out of 10 :D

****Check out my YouTube Reviews here:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss

The author's website:

http://www.richellemead.com/index.htm