The Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
Summary:
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. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
Confession: I started this series because Oprah recommended it. I couldn’t remember Oprah ever recommending a young adult series so I figured I just had to check it out despite low expectations. Expectations killed, I LOVE-, LOVE-, LOVED this series!
This series is a fangirl’s dream of genre mashups. Rose is a badass reminiscent of protector knights; Lissa is a vampire princess; evil in the form of the Strigoi; magic (!) and let’s not forget a school that reminds me of the one in “Gossip Girl”. All-in-all this story had everything I could ask for and more packed into one book without ever falling back on stereotypes. Despite a lot of things going on and multiple layers, I never felt like it was forced or that Mead had taken on too much. The one major disappointment will be when the book is over too soon and you find yourself compulsively buying the remaining books in the series!
Warning: Contains some violence
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? All paranormal fans and anyone who hasn’t checked them out yet…this is a guilty pleasure worth indulging in!
Want to read the whole series?
Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)