Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead (Spoiler Free)

Two races of vampires walk our world. One, the Moroi, are alive and wield elemental magical. The other, the Strigoi, are undead and evil-feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway-a half-vampire with poor impulse control-is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors...

My Rating: 3.9/5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal (Vampires), Romance, Young Adult








MY REVIEW:


The first time I read (and finished, of course) the Vampire Academy trilogy was back in March 2013. I remember I loved most of it back then and I still do, even after the two times I re-read the series all over again. The writing style is easy and R. Mead keeps it entertaining and casual, which I sometimes resent since it kills my imagination time and time again. If you are looking for a light, interesting read with an awesome kick-ass heroine, slow-building romance, original background and lots of material to go through, then the VA series is the one for you. 

Unfortunately though I wouldn't recommend this series to old-school vampire fans. Most of our paranormal fellowship in this series falls in the category of "good" vampires, called Moroi. The only thing they have in common with the well respected Dracula, is the blood-drinking habit, and even that is done in a neat fashion. They are mortal, meaning that they can die of old age. They use magic. And also, as if the above are not enough to draw the line, the Moroi do not kill the humans they drink blood from. On the other hand, the Strigoi, the immortal "evil" vampires are absolutely emotionless and they mostly remind me of ghouls. I compromised with all of the above early enough, but I wouldn't blame you if you don't do the same. Still, I found the dynamics between the three races (Dhampirs, Moroi, Strigoi, since humans do not mingle with the vampire world) interesting and they made this series stand out from the fray.

As far as the plot and the character development goes, i don't want to say much because i want this review spoiler-free. I grew to like every single one of the main characters - not a single Mary Sue here! Everyone has a flaw and a trait, a preference in food, a nervous habit or even a favorite piece of clothing (e.g, a duster...) as usually normal everyday people do. That bunch of people is my favorite bunch of fictional people EVER. I wish though I could say the same for secondary characters, who were as flat as a board (with Victor, the only glorious exeption).   

Vampire Academy (Book #1) was a rocky start, lacking in character development and honestly, I found the plot profound and boring. I tagged along though, because the background was promising and my opinion on the series remained the same until I reached the last 20% of Frostbite (Book #2). Rose Hathaway, the main character, through some very brave and selfless acts won my heart over, and that was it. I was hooked.


I read my way through Shadow Kiss (Book #3) and Blood Promise (Book #4) in two days, barely taking breaks to breathe, nap and eat. Specifically, Blood Promise made me cry in the end (The scene on the bridge, anyone?). I found Shadow Kiss flawless, the main plot finally established and the relationship between Rose and the main love interest hot and tender at the same time. The only thing that dismayed me a bit in Blood Promise is that the interactions between Rose and the people she met in Europe seemed shallow and empty to me. 


Spirit Bound (Book #5) was... fine. It was a mild ride in comparison to its prequels, mostly setting the foundations for Last Sacrifice to happen. Again, I found that most of the plot was predictable. The ending is a serious cliffhanger though!!

Last Sacrifice (Book #6) was packed in action, shifts of landscapes, shocking revelations, plot twists.... And probably that's why it felt rushed and the most beloved to me characters suddenly behaved in silly, reckless, shallow and dishonoring ways. What annoyed me most was that for every problem, no matter how big or small, a very plot-convenient solution would magically appear off the blue and save the day. No thanks. I'd really prefer a nastier ending, if that's what it took for a decent story. 

All in all, I had a good time with the Vampire Academy series, and I do not doubt that if I ever ran out of reading material (again) I will re-read it all over (again). 


My Ratings For Each Book:

• Vampire Academy (#1): 3.2/5 Stars
• Frostbite (#2): 3.4/5 Stars
• Shadow Kiss (#3): 5.0/5 Stars
• Blood Promise (#4): 4.5/5 Stars
• Spirit Bound (#5): 4.5/5 Stars
• Last Sacrifice (#6): 2.9/5 Stars