Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
| February 7, 2012 | Posted by ljquillyn under Reviews |
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
In a nutshell: This is the first book in a series of six by Richelle Mead. The story follows Rose Hathaway, a dhampir* teenager whose life’s purpose is to protect her Moroi* friend Lissa. Lissa is the last of her family and is being hunted by somebody creepy. Rose and Lissa were so creeped out that they ran away from their protected vampire school to get away from the mysterious threat. After two years on the run, they were caught by a group of Guardians led by the delicious Dimitri Belikov, who becomes Rose’s personal tutor (to make up for that two years of missed school). Sadly, the threat to Lissa has not dissolved in the two years that she was gone. This book brings all that to light.
*Useful Definitions:
Dhampir – Offspring of Moroi and another dhampir or Moroi and human. Always turn out half vampire, half human. Dhampirs live to protect the Moroi (most of them grow up to be guardians).
Moroi – Living vampire. Seem kind of like the enlightened class of vampires. There are 12 royal families that sort of switch off ruling duties. There are nobles and non-royals as well among this class.
Strigoi – Undead vampire. Humans can be made into Strigoi if they are drained and then fed vampire blood. Moroi can become Strigoi by killing the person on whom they are feeding. Strigoi are thought to be immoral and evil by Moroi and Dhampirs.
What I like about this book:
1. It is awesome. Such a great read! I was so enthralled that I hardly put it down (I was even a little annoyed at having to take piddle breaks).
2. Rose Hathaway is a well-written character. She’s got so much attitude. Mead does an excellent job of using dialogue, Rose’s thoughts, and actions to show that this is one girl you don’t want to mess with. She’s rough around the edges, but has a good heart. She doesn’t mind taking the heat for trouble she didn’t cause if it will protect her friends. Love her.
3. The emotional tensions in Vampire Academy are gripping. I seriously felt the teenage angst coursing through the veins of this book. There was all kinds of social drama, guy drama, and confusion about what’s right. Richelle Mead has truly captured the essence of high school life.
4. I feel like this is how the first book in a series should be done. There’s a stand-alone plot in this book, so there’s resolution at the end. At the same time, this book sets the stage for the rest of the series by explaining the political and social stuff and getting the subplots started. Plus, there are times when characters say absolutist things like “If I turned Strigoi*, I’d want to be killed.” Oh jeez, I hope none of them do. However, I couldn’t help but think, “Those are famous last words, if I’ve ever heard them.”
5. I love the way magic is used in this book. Moroi specialize in elemental magic. I won’t say too much about it, other than that I like it and am excited to see how it develops in the series.
Drawbacks to this book:
1. The love story with Dimitri and Rose is a little weird…. Not sure what I think about the message there. But I’m reading the rest of the series, so I’ll let you know what I decide. I can tell they’re made for each other, so I want them to be together, but why does he have to be older? And her instructor? Ugh, forbidden romance. At least he’s not putting the moves on her…..
Urgency to read: Now! If you like YA fiction and vampires, this should be at the top of your list.
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