Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

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.

I am a little late on reading this series, and that is because I was hesitant. I thought that it would be like quite a few other YA vampire books I had read and focus mainly on the romance with the supernatural part being on the side. Let’s face it, I thought that it would be like Twilight, which I did enjoy but not something I want to read much of now. However, Vampire Academy was not what I expected it to be and I devoured it.

I liked that the main relationship that the story focused on was the friendship between Rose and Lissa. I loved how much they cared about each other and the focused so much on protecting each other. In a way, with these two, opposites attract. At the start of the book Lissa was the sensible one and Rose was the one who was reckless one and it was interesting to see the contrast. However, as the book went on you felt that each of their personalities rubbed off on each other. Lissa became more reckless, particularly when she wasn’t in control of her emotions and Rose became a little more responsible because of her need to protect Lissa. I will admit that I also enjoyed the romantic relationships. I loved the tension between Rose and Dimitri and I really loved the relationship between Lissa and Christian.

I really liked the different characters. I liked that Rose was so kick-ass and protective of Lissa and I liked Lissa’s kindness. I found that I could relate to both characters. I liked the mystery that surrounded Dimitri and also his dedication and sense of honour and duty and I loved Christian’s frankness and observation. I felt that Mia was a great character even if I wanted to strangle her. I also thought that Victor was a great character and that he and Natalie didn’t fit the moulds that people had given them

I loved the plot. The story just sucked me in and kept me engrossed the whole way through. At times I was able to predict what was happening but some events completely surprised me. I liked how things were revealed bit by bit, offering you clues here and there as to what might happened. I also liked that the story covered some darker themes like torture, self-harming and abduction. It certainly added some meat to the story and also had you questioning things.

It was a great start to the series and I look forward to reading the rest. I give it 5/5 stars!

I read Vampire Academy for the Take Control March 2013 and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenges.

Mel.

Up next: April Releases I am looking forward to!

Wrap-up/Preview

This week was a fairly big week for me personally, but a fairly quiet one on the blog.

What happened on the blog this week?
Thursday: Review - The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Saturday: Seven on Saturday - Books on top of my TBR pile

What will happen on the blog in the coming week?
Tuesday: Review - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Wednesday: April releases that I am looking forward to
Thursday: Review - Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Saturday: Seven on Saturday - Series I haven't finished yet

Hope you had a great week!

Mel.

Up next: Review - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Seven on Saturday - Books on top of my TBR pile

So Saturday has yet again come around, which means another addition of Seven on Saturday. (Where does all the time go?) In honour of doing the Take Control March challenge I decided that the topic for this weeks Seven on Saturday would be books that are on top of TBR pile at the moment!

So what books are on the top of my TBR pile?

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.
I am currently reading this book, but I thought I would put it on any way. I am a little late to this series, I just kept putting off reading them, but I have decided now to start.

2. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

3. Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

4. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

6. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

7. Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Of course, this may not be the order that I read these in, or the next seven books that I might read, but they are currently the top on my TBR pile at the moment.

Mel.

Up next: Wrap-up/Preview

Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I am sorry that this review is late. If you saw my post on facebook and twitter you will know that the reason why this wasn't posted on Tuesday was because I graduated on Tuesday and I was a little busier than I expected I would be. This review was meant to go up last night but the power went out so I had no internet to put it up.  

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

 This was such an enjoyable read. It was fast paced and action-filled, with really interesting settings and characters. I loved the combination of pirates and assassins for a great story with plenty of twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the characters that Cassandra Rose Clarke created, particularly Ananna and Naji. Ananna was such a feisty, fierce character. She knew how to handle herself in a fight and she certainly wasn’t a whiny character. She was very stubborn, which annoyed some other characters (I am looking at you, Naji), but added to the plot. Naji started of just how I imagined an assassin being, but as you got to know him better he softened a little and let us see his humanity. It was interesting to watch his character develop. I loved that the two main characters weren’t the most moral heroes/heroines. Ananna was a thief and Naji was a murderer and it made for some interesting reading.

I also particularly liked the relationships of the different characters. I loved Ananna and Naji’s reluctant friendship. It was a friendship that started out of necessity, and grew from there. The development of the friendship was slow and realistic. I also liked the different relationships that Ananna had with her parents, which we saw through flashbacks. Even though she had the right to hate them, she didn’t and it was nice to see the reasons why.

The plot was great. Each time you thought that something was going to happen, everything changed and it didn’t. The times when I was sure that Ananna and Naji were going to find an answer to their problem they would hit a roadblock. I particularly liked the little twist that occurred on the ocean and in the desert.

The writing style was certainly interesting. It was first person through Ananna, and as Ananna had a pirate’s education more often than not the English wasn’t correct. It did take a little bit to get used to at the start and it stopped me from getting immersed into the story but once I had gotten used to it I felt that it worked really well.

This was a really good book and I am looking forward to reading the second book! I give The Assassin’s Curse 4.5/5 stars!

I read this book for the Take Control March and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenges.

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturday - Books on top of my TBR pile.

Wrap-up/Preview

Another week has passed and this week seemed to fly by! This week, I again brought you two reviews, both of which I read for the Take Control March, Australian Women Writers 2013 and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenge. The first review was for Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, which I had been meaning to read for ages. The second review was for The Silver Door by Emily Rodda, which is the follow up to The Golden Door. I also brought another edition of Seven on Saturday where I looked at my top villains.

This week is a really exciting week for me! On Tuesday I am going to officially graduate from University! So I finished exams last November and got my results in December but somehow I think the ceremony will make it seem real!

So what will happen on the blog this week?
Tuesday - Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke which I am reading for the Take Control March and the 2013 TBR pile reading challenges.
Thursday - Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead which I am also reading for the two above challenges.
Saturday - Seven on Saturday - Books on the top of my TBR pile.

Take Control March Read-a-thon

So yesterday I signed up for this but I forgot to do a post, so I am doing it now. If you want to sign up, which you should because they have some cool stuff going on, then click the picture. Also the hashtag on twiter #TakeControlRAT.

My goal for the read-a-thon is to read The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke.

Join in!

Mel.

Up next: Wrap-up/Preview

Seven on Saturday - Favourite Villains

Well it is another Saturday, which means Seven on Saturday. This week I am looking at my seven favourite villains.

1. Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter

Bellatrix is the character that I just love to hate. Her character is so delightfully evil and malicious. She is such a well written character and I love that she was so crazy.

2. Ariel from The Obernewtyn Chronicles

Ariel is so sadistic and he makes my skin crawl. I honestly can't stand him, but that is what makes his character so good.

3. President Snow from The Hunger Games

I really do like villains that I can't stand. Snow is has such an evil presence and he is just so creepy. 

4. Sarafine from The Caster Chronicles

I have only read Beautiful Creatures but I love how Sarafine is so twisted and complex. I love her convoluted plans and her evilness. 

5. Umbridge from Harry Potter

Umbridge is a character that I just want to strangle. Her little "hem hem" drives me up the wall, but she is so evil and I felt she just had to be put on this list. 

6. The White Witch from The Chornicles of Narnia

She is such an evil witch, who you can't seem to get rid off. I loved her deception, particularly in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

7. Mr Wickham from Pride and Prejudice

Mr Wickham is such a slimy guy, who "has all the appearance of goodness". Plainly put, he is a womanizer who charms everyone. I think that his character and is perfect for the story.

So who are your favourite villains. Do you agree or disagree with my list?

Mel.

Up next: Wrap-up/Preview

The Silver Door (The Three Doors Trilogy 2) by Emily Rodda

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Three magic Doors you here behold.

Time to choose: Wood? Silver? Gold?

Listen to your inner voice, And you will make the wisest choice. 

Rye is willing to risk everything to save his brothers, lost in the terrifying world beyond the Wall of Weld. Sonia is determined to find and destroy the Enemy who is sending the ferocious flying beasts called skimmers to ravage the city. The companions barely escaped with their lives during their first thrilling adventure beyond the golden Door. But they won't give up. 

Their desperate quest must continue. Deep in the ancient heart of the Keep of Weld, two more doors await them.

This was a great follow up to The GoldenDoor. It was great to see the story and characters develop. I felt that the world that Rye, Dirk and Sonia entered going through the second door was much more elaborate and detailed than the one through the gold door. I felt that this story was a little darker than the first. The world was more desolate and destroyed and there was an ominous presence of evil there that I can’t wait to explore even more in the third book.

I enjoyed how this story built on the first, with underlying characters and themes. I especially enjoyed the development of the relationships, in particular the different relationships between Dirk, Rye and Sonia. I also liked viewing the difference in the brotherly relationships between Dirk, Rye and Sholto. I really enjoyed Sholto as a character. In The Golden Door, I didn’t particularly like him because I found him to be cold and uncaring, but in this book you saw that most of that was a façade. I love his cleverness and his ability to think quickly in a dangerous situation.

I found the new characters introduced in the story interesting. The difference between the people of the Scour, the people from Nanny Pride’s farm and the employers of The Master was interesting to see contrasted. I loved the people from Nanny Pride’s farm, even if at times desperation made them ruthless. I felt that they were just trying to keep their family together and do their best to survive. I also really liked bones from the Scour, even if he was creepy at times. I found that the provided a little humour to the story when it was needed.

The magical creatures in this story were definitely a lot more menacing than the first. The thought of flesh eating snails that could clean up a body in one night was slightly terrifying and the serpent birds are not a creature that I would ever want to cross paths with. As always, the skimmers sound terrifying, particularly with their new features.

Reading this story has definitely made me want to read The Third Door. It was more captivating than The Golden Door and I give it 4 ½ stars!

I read this book for the Take Control March 2013, 2013 TBR Pile and the Australian Women Writers 2013  reading challenges.

Mel.

Up next: Seven on Saturday - Favourite Villains 

Review: Rowan of Rin (Rowan of Rin #1) by Emily Rodda

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Bravest heart will carry on when sleep is death, and hope is gone.Rowan doesn't believe he has a brave heart. But when the river that supports his village of Rin runs dry, he must join a dangerous journey to its source in the forbidden Mountain. To save Rin, Rowan and his companions must conquer not only the Mountain's many tricks, but also the fierce dragon that lives at its peak.

  

This was a sweet, easy read. I would definitely class it as a children’s story, but it was still a really enjoyable read. I loved the world that Rodda created. Despite it being a rather small book, the world still had depth and we learnt some of the history. I loved how compressed the story was. It was fast paced and yet it was still descriptive and detailed. Rodda did a great job of keeping the story flowing and being very concise with the descriptions. I particularly liked the little riddles in the book, that weren’t only warnings and instructions for the explorers, but clues for the readers in what was to come.

I particularly enjoyed the messages that were carried through this book. I really enjoyed the exploration that to be brave you also need to have fear. It looked at how you can only be brave if you face your fears. The village of Rin praise strong people who are not afraid, yet when the strongest and fiercest of them all were tested they failed and the weakest and most afraid of them all succeeded. It also looked at how humans treat people who we think are different to us, that we may think someone is inferior because they were brought up differently or act differently to us, and it showed how often we are wrong.

I really enjoyed the plot. It was at times a little bit predictable, but I think if was in the age group that it targeted I wouldn’t have found it so. I enjoyed the quest and idea that each person was tested and forced to confront their fears. I loved each test and how they differed, and I have to admit I know where I would have failed. I liked that the solution to the main problem of the book wasn’t through violence but through healing.

I really enjoyed this book, the ending was really touching and I will definitely check out the other books of this series. I give this book 4/5 stars.

I read this book for the Take Control March 2013, 2013 TBR Pile and Australian Women Writers 2013 reading challenges. Click the pictures to find out more!

Mel.

Up next: Review – The Silver Door by Emily Rodda 

Wrap-up/Preview

This week has been sweltering here in Melbourne, so I had plenty of time to lie in front of a fan and read. This week I brought you two reviews, one for Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and one for Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger. I also bought you another edition of Seven on Saturday where I looked at my favourite series. Monday, I revealed what books that I am most looking forward to this month.

So what do I have planned for the week ahead?
Tuesday - Review: Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, which I am reading for a the Take Control March reading challenge and the TBR pile reading challenge.
Thursday - Review: The Silver Door by Emily Rodda, which I am again reading for the above two challenges.
Saturday - Seven on Saturday: Most Favourite Villans

Hope you had a great week and are looking forward to the week ahead.

Mel.

Up next: Review - Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda