Review: THE INDIGO SPELL by Richelle Mead

Title: THE INDIGO SPELL

Author: Richelle Mead
Other books by Author: BLOODLINES, THE GOLDEN LILY, and THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY series
Publication Date: 02/2013
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you want something complex, romantic, and very entertaining 

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

My Thoughts...Book #3 in the BLOODLINES series delivers!!!
Okay, so I'm obsessed with Richelle Mead!  Her young adult novels are always so consistently--consistent being the key word here--wonderful.  You can always expect a nice mix of action, suspense  humor, romance, and friendship.  I'm very happy to report that this one delivers just like all the others.  I look forward to the release of her books all year!

So if you are unfamiliar with Richelle Mead here is what you need to know.  She writes romance novels and young adult novels.  I've only read her Young Adult stuff (YA).  Her first YA series was the VAMPIRE ACADEMY books (6 of them).  They were about best friends--Rose and Lissa, a living vampire and a half vampire.  Richelle Mead's second YA series is called BLOODLINES.  It's a spin-off from the VAMPIRE ACADEMY books, involving many of the same characters, and this novel is the 3rd of that series.  BLOODLINES's main character is Sydney.  Sydney is an alchemist--someone who covers up vampire activity, hides it from the rest of humanity--and she's been assigned to keep Jill (one of the living vampires) in hiding--the half sister of Lissa from the VAMPIRE ACADEMY books.  Did I confuse you yet?  It's really hard to explain the series without giving away the previous novels.  Not only that--although written for teens--these novels are very complex!  The relationships are very intricate and intense and vastly developed.  You can't help but get carried away into this world Richelle has created.  I genuinely care for these characters.  And after 6 books in the 1st series and 3 in a 2nd, I'm totally hooked.  I promise they will hook you too!
That explains the general series.

So for those of you have read the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series, BLOODLINE, and THE GOLDEN LILY.  (Basically those up to date.)  Here's all you need to know about THE INDIGO SPELL: it's just as good as all the rest, except better!  (If that's even possible.)  Adrian is as charming as ever!  His relationship/friendship with Sydney gets plenty of air time.  More is revealed in the world of magic and Ms. T.  Marcus--the guy who used to be an alchemist--presents a new dynamic to the story.  Basically, everything is bumped up a notch!  It's fantastic.  I loved every minute of it.  It's going to be torture waiting another year for the next novel.

Bottom line:  Read it!! Read this whole series, but be sure to start with THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY series first.

Book Review: THE GOLDEN LILY

Title: THE GOLDEN LILY
Author: Richelle Mead
Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY series, BLOODLINES
Publication Date: 06/12/2012
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible!  Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you're a fan of the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

My thoughts... 
Once again, I'm totally obsessed with this new series!  It's a spin-off series from Richelle Mead's VAMPIRE ACADEMY series.  This series follows Sydney--the Alchemist (a group whose purpose is to cover up the existence of Vampires from regular humans) Rose met in Russia.  This was book #2 in the new series.  Book #1, BLOODLINES, was an excellent debut.  A bunch of my favorite characters were back again!  Sydney.  Adrian.  Jill.  Eddie.  And in this second book we also see Dimitri and Sonya!  It's a fantastic addition to this already awesome series (one that's quickly becoming a favorite).  I liked this novel even more than the first!  They both were awesome so that was hard to do.  I found myself neglecting everything else in my life to hurry through read this novel.  I just couldn't get enough.  And the ending was the best part.  It defiantly left room for more books to come, but it was so dramatic that I had to reread the last chapter three times.  It's been stuck in my head for days now. 

Basically, I can't praise this book enough.  Go out and get BLOODLINES and THE GOLDEN LILY right away!  They won't disappoint.  (Still I recommend reading the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series first, just so you have a better understand of the characters' backgrounds.)  

Overall recommendation: READ IT NOW!

Book Review: BLOODLINES

Title: BLOODLINES
Author: Richelle Mead
Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY series
Publication Date: 08/23/2011
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible!  Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you're a fan of the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.

My thoughts... 
I'm totally obsessed with this new series!  It's a spin-off series from Richelle Mead's VAMPIRE ACADEMY series.  This series follows Sydney--the Alchemist Rose met while in Russia.  A bunch of characters are back from the original series too.  Sydney, obviously.  Eddie.  Jill.  Adrian.  And I honestly love reading from Sydney's perspective even more than Rose's!!!  She's spunky and sassy and smart.  Her perspective of the vampire is very unique and fun to read.  And of course, Adrian fans will rejoice for his return!  If you're a VAMPIRE ACADEMY fan then I strongly suggest you pick this novel up today!  Don't delay.  I read it sooo fast then I bought the second in the series (THE GOLDEN LILY which is already out) and read it immediately too!  I can't get enough!

Overall Recommendation: READ IT NOW!  Own it!

Book Review: LAST SACRIFICE

Title: LAST SACRIFICE (VAMPRE ACADEMY Book 6)
Author: Rachelle Mead
Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY, FROSTBITE, SHADOW KISS, BLOOD PROMISE, SPIRIT BOUND
Publication Date: 11/14/2011
My Rating: 4.5/5--Really good! Worth your time.
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you want something dark, dangerous, romantic

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting wrongful execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and to question those they thought they could trust. . . . But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other.

My thoughts... 
LAST SACRIFICE is book #6 in the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series.  This was the last and final book.  And I'm sad to see the series ending.  I enjoyed it immensely.  It's so rare to find a series that can capture your attention after 2 books, let alone 6!

SO to recap--Rose is a dhampire (part vampire part human) bodyguard sworn to protect her bestfriend Lissa.  Lissa is a Moroi vampire (the good kind of Vampire) princess.  In the early books we saw the girls in school, then graduate school, and now they've at court since Lissa is a princess.  You also have the guys too--Christian, Dimitri, and Adrian.  This novel is just another great addition to their stories.  Rose is still the same kick-butt strong sassy female she's always been, Lissa and Rose's friendship still drives the story, the boys are still very much swoon-worthy, and all the action/romance make these books hard to put down.  Book #6 was right on par with all the other books in the series (I still think book 3 was the best though) and I loved how it ended.  It felt very complete, even if a little predictable.  But no disappointments!  I do, however, hope to see Adrian's story more in the author's new spin-off series.

Read this one!!  Read them all!!

In case you are interested...here are all my reviews of the past novels:
Book 1: VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Book 2: FROSTBITE
Book 3: SHADOW KISS
Book 4: BLOOD PROMISE
Book 5: SPIRIT BOUND

Book Review: BALTHAZAR

Title: BALTHAZAR

Author: Claudia Gray

Other books by author: EVERNIGHT

Release Date: March 6, 2012

My Rating: 3.5/5-- Decent. It was okay.

One Word Plot: Vampires

Good if...you're looking for something more after the EVERNIGHT series

For hundreds of years, the vampire Balthazar has been alone—without allies, without love.
When Balthazar agrees to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel, seductive master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Now Redgrave plans to use Skye’s powers for his own evil purposes.
Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. As Skye and Balthazar stand together to fight him, they grow closer—first unwillingly, then undeniably. Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by her. . . .

My thoughts...

BALTHAZAR is the companion novel to the EVERNIGHT series.  Basically this book picks up right where the last EVERNIGHT book left off...expect now instead of following Lucius and Bianca we're following around Balthazar and his (soon to be) new love interest Skye.  That being said, you don't really have to have read any previous Claudia Gray novels if you want to read this one.  It's basically a brand new story and a brand new start.  Many of the same characters from the EVERNIGHT series are part of this novel, but no prior knowledge is really needed to enjoy this book.  However...

This novel is no EVERNIGHT!  It was alright, enjoyable, and semi-entertaining--I read through it rather quickly--but never once did it sweep me off my feet nor capture the same mystery/intensity I felt while reading EVERNIGHT.  In EVERNIGHT I loved the romance between Lucius and Bianca; In BALTHAZAR I only liked the romance between Balthazar and Skye.  Which was disappointing since I've always been super fond of Balthazar and found him particularly swoon-worthy.  But I guess it just turns out that I prefer the stereotypical 'bad boy' to win the girl.  I prefer my romantic to have friction and that forbidden factor.  Claudia Gray tried to give Balthy and Skye those things, but it didn't really capture what I wanted.  So--like I said before--BALTHAZAR wasn't a bad novel...it just wasn't knock-your-socks-off-spectacular either.  

All in all--the most I can really say for this book is that it was OK. 

If you liked BALTHAZAR; then you might also like...
EVERNIGHT by Claudia Gray
NEED by Carrie Jones

Overall recommendation: Skip it?

Book Review: SPIRIT BOUND

Title: SPIRIT BOUND (VAMPRE ACADEMY Book 5)
Author: Rachelle Mead
Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY, FROSTBITE, SHADOW KISS, BLOOD PROMISE
Publication Date: Paperback, Feb 2011
My Rating: 4/5--Really good! Worth your time.
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you want something dark, dangerous, romantic

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's - and to her best friend, Lissa. It is at long last graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.  She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him . . . forever.

My thoughts... 5 books in  and I'm still addicted!  I think I will never grow tired of this series nor of Rachelle Mead's writing.  Rose and Lissa's characters continue to grow and grow with each novel.  It's almost as if I've become connected to them and to their world.  Isn't that what we always want in novel?  I love it.  I'm sad that I only have one more novel left in this series.  I've been reading them extra slow just to prolong the end.  :(  I guess it's really good that Rachelle Mead has started to newer series which is a spin-off from this series. 

Oh, and a nice love-triangle has developed by this point.  I can't decided who I want Rose to end up with.  I think it's inevitable that it will Demitri, but I still like both guys a lot.  :)

Book Review: MY BLOOD APPROVES

Title: MY BLOOD APPROVES
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publication Type: ebook
My Rating: 4/5--Really good! Worth your time.
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you want something for your e-reader

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham's life feels out of control after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave hits aside, Jack's unlike anyone she's ever met. Then she meets his brother, Peter. His eyes pierce through her, and she can barely breathe when he's around. Even though he can't stand the sight of her, she's drawn to him. But falling for two very different guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood...


My thoughts...
It's official!  I'm a huge Amanda Hocking fan!  So if you're unfamiliar with Amanda Hocking...here's what you need to know: she's e-published several books, all available from $0.99-$2.99, and many of them are now available on paperback.  I bought a couple because they were cheap and because I recently got an iPhone and the kindle app and heard they were good.  Anyway, since I've breezing through all Amanda Hocking's books at hyper-speed.  Her books aren't perfect, but yet, I can't put them down and now have downloaded them all to my phone.  :)

As for MY BLOOD APPROVES...it certainly is a mixture of TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, but still a refreshing and new twist on Vampires.  I love Jack's character and his friendship with Alice.  And then Peter makes for an awesome badboy type/bad guy even.  Me wondering which A;lice will end up with kept me eagerly flipping through the pages.  :)

Book Review: SHADOW KISS

Title: SHADOW KISS (VAMPRE ACADEMY Book 3)
Author: Rachelle Mead
Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY, FROSTBITE
Publication Date: November, 2008
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you want something dark, dangerous, romantic

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven't felt quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all ...might be seeing ghosts. Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world - and make her choose between the two people she loves most.

My Thoughts...Wow.  Double wow.  These VAMPIRE ACADEMY books just keep getting better and better.  The actions, the romantic tension, the friendship, the mystery--all of it's just doubled since the last book!  Rachelle Mead is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  I can't wait to get my hands on book 4 and I doubt I will ever get tired of reading these novels.  Good thing there are 6 in the series and all of them already published!!  :)

If you like the VAMPIRE ACADEMY books; you might also like...

The UGLIES Series by Scott Westerfeld

Book Review: FROSTBITE

Title: FROSTBITE
Author: Rachel Mead

Other books by Author: VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Publication Date: April 2008

My Rating: 4.5/5--Really good! Worth your time!

One Word Plot: Vampires

Good if…you're looking for dark/dangerous/fun

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! 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 create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

My thoughts...  As the 2nd novel in the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series, I was very impressed.  Not only was it even better than the first, it broke the '2nd novel curse' as in it didn't suck.  Usually middle novel books are just stepping stones, but this one held it's own.  So why am I rating it 4.5 instead of 5?  The truth is that I can't really come up with an complaints.  It's just a feeling.  Although very good and I'm surely going to start reading #3 later today, the 'it-blew-me-away-feeling' wasn't quite there.  Still worth the purchase and the time.  :)

Book Review: VAMPIRE ACADEMY

Title: VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Author: Rachelle Mead
Publication Date: August 2007
My Rating: 4/5--I mostly enjoyed it
One Word Plot: Vampires
Good if…you're looking for dark/dangerous/fun

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 (quick b/c I'm tired) Review...  Surprisingly pretty good.  Another vampire series worth reading.  What I enjoyed most was the friendship between Rose and Lissa.  That was the central theme in this novel and you just don't see that too much in YA.  Usually the central theme is some guy the love-at-first sight reaction he has with the main character.  (Not that I don't love that too!)  So, all in all it was pretty good and I will be buying the 2nd soon to see where this series goes.  :)  

Book Review: TWILIGHT

Title: TWILIGHT
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Other Books By Author:
NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, BREAKING DAWN
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Vampires
Good if...you're un-biased to all the Twilight media

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

What I Think...So in Ireland I visited a book store here and I found these beautiful copies of Twilight.  I bought the first book even though I already have a copy.  The cover was just too pretty to pass up.  And since I have lots of free time, I have been re-reading it.  This was my third (maybe fourth, can't remember) time re-reading and the reason I'm reviewing it now is because it was very different this time around.  Maybe I've read it too much, have heard too many options from too many people, seen the movie.  Or maybe it's because now I've started writing myself, reviewing lots of teen books, and reading way more.  What I'm trying to say is that I found more flaws this time around.  Bella was a little whiny.  Edward wasn't so charming.  And I don't think I can still call it my favorite-ever-book.  (Maybe Wings is now.)  But even if that was the case, I still love Twilight.  I'm still a huge fan.  I'm still going to read every other book Stephenie Meyer will ever publish for the rest of my life.  I just recommend not over reading any of them.

Book Review: HOURGLASS

Title: Hourglass

Author: Claudia Gray

Rating:

Other Books By Author: Evernight

Good if...you a fan on the Evernight Series

Summary (Amazon):

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas. After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option. Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny. Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

My Thoughts...

This is the 3rd novel in the Evernight Vampire Series. Check out my review for Evernight here. Overall I've been really happy with this series. I would say each novel has been a consistant 4 out of 5 stars. What I love most about this novel (and the previous ones) is Bianca and Lucas's relationship. The love between them only grows stronger and stronger. And even though the characters got together a while back, with every single kiss my heart still beats a little faster. I blame it on Claudia Gray's wonderful writing skills. I can't wait for the release of Afterlight, the fourth novel of the series. It will be released March 2011.

Book Review: BLUE BLOODS

Title: Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods Book 1)

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Rating:

Good if...you want another Vampire series.

Summary (Amazon):

Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she’s starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it. Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger? Melissa de la Cruz’s vampire mythology, set against the glitzy backdrop of New York City, is a juicy and intoxicating read.

My thoughts.....
I thought I'd give this Vampire Series a try and see if it was any good. And for the first in the series it was pretty entertaining. I read it in about a day and half. It kept my interest and kept me wanting to read on. Although I must warn you: its not really about Vampires. I mean not the typical comes-out-at-night/burned-by-the-sun/stake-through-the-heart Vampire type. The Vampires were really just immortals who kept being re-born over and over. It was an interesting twist. I enjoyed it. But the author should have called them something else. Immortals. I dunno. I guess "vampire" sells more these days.
Anyway. Let me tell you what I liked and disliked: LIKES: Schuyler. Jack. Oliver. The characters were really great. The suspense. Right pacing for it. Never too boring. The mystery and how it all came (somewhat) together at the end. DISLIKES: It was written in 3rd person omniscient (I think that's what its called). Schuyler is one of three main characters. There is also Bliss. And Mimi. Bliss was alright. Mimi was just plain annoying. I kept longing to read only the chapters from Schuyler. And because it jumped between the 3 some of Schuyler's scenes were skimmed/ retold by another and I just wanted to see more of her.
All in all--a good read. I will be getting Book 2 in the Blood Blue Series.