Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead Series: Vampire Academy #1
Published by Penguin Books Limited on February 4th 2010
Genres: Young Adult, General
Pages: 464
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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.
I know, I know. I have JUST recently read the Vampire Academy series. Shannon at Twilight Sleep and Judith at Paper Riot persuaded me to get the book to read and I absolutely loved it!
First thing I’ll address is that there’s a lot of people who mention similarities from VA to Jennifer Armentrout’s Covenant series and consequently don’t like one or the other. I’ll just say that sure, there’s a half thing going on, and yes, there’s a school where they go and train in both series. There’s some similarities but to me, none that detracted from the stories themselves. I adore the Covenant series and also VA! After the first book, the stories really do go in very different directions. So, don’t let that dissuade you from checking out either series!
Anyway. In the Vampire Academy world there are Moroi and dhampirs. What are they? Dhampirs are half vampire and half human. They have traits from both sides — they can walk in the sun but have greater strength than humans. Moroi are “good” vampires — they live normally and don’t kill for their food. They’re born, not made. So what are made? Strigoi. They can be considered “bad” vampires. You have to choose to kill and turn into one or are forcibly turned into one by a Strigoi. They are feared (obviously) and the dhampirs train to be guardians for the Moroi against the Strigoi.
Rose Hathaway is a dhampir and is best friends with Lissa Dragomir, a Moroi and the last remaining member of the royal Dragomir line. I loved Rose! She is the fiercest fighter and extremely loyal. She acts before she thinks, is rash and has a mouth that continuously gets her in trouble but she has the best intentions. She would die to protect her best friend.
Rose is such a kick ass character. Her motivation to be the best guardian that she can be to protect Lissa helps drive her to train until she catches up for two lost years of training at school. She did have extra training lessons though — from her new mentor, a guardian named Dimitri Belikov.
Dimitri. Standing at 6’7, and fantastically built, he is the most awesome bad ass warrior guardian. There is something so terribly alluring about his incredible fighting skills and a man who can earn the reputation of being a “warrior god”. He is strong, emotionally controlled, seven years older than Rose. He is her mentor and she should not be attracted to him. But let’s be honest, who really could be immune to this amazing specimen of a dhampir? And I am always a proponent of forbidden love.
I fell for Dimitri as Rose fell for him. I love that he’s so amazing at what he does and that he will place his job and Rose over himself.
I loved the story and got really wrapped up in it. I kiinda wish I could go to St. Vladimir’s Academy. Hey, it’d be kind of cool. Minus the whole danger aspect. =\
My absolute FAVORITE line:
“If I let myself love you, I won’t throw myself in front of her. I’ll throw myself in front of you.”
Ahhhh! Cue heart melting. So much love for Dimitri. <3
I’ll be posting reviews for the rest of the books in the series! They’ll be more my reactions to the books instead of “reviews” since I figure most of you guys have read it already. So keep an eye out for those!
If you have not read Vampire Academy — go read it right now! =)
Great review! Okay, I am going to need to read this very soon 🙂
I am so glad you finally read this series- and loved it! I remember waiting forever to pick this up because even though I saw VA in stores, I was like, that’s a really lame name for a book. But the idea interests me. And still- I never got it! Until finally I hit my YA craze last year, saw these at the library and knew: it was time. Rose has got to be one of my favorite YA heroines. I absolutely loved her spunk, her attitude, and her loyalty. And yes Dimitri. Sigh. Oh, Dimitri. It’s really no wonder he won the Crush Tourney….
OMG, I love that quote… when he said that to her I literally melted into a puddle. He takes the cake for book boyfriends.
I’m nervous about the comparison with VA and JLArmentrout’s other series! You know how irritated I was with the similarities between Lux and Twilight with book 1…. but I ended up LOOOVING the series as it went in a different direction, but still… Twilight and VA are on different levels. VA is the series that owns my heart forevvver! haha
So what do you think? Should I read Covenant?
I am so happy you loved this book!!!! <3
Yay! VA is one of my all-time favorite YA series. I just love Rose & Dimitri so much. I am one of the readers who just had to quit Covenant b/c the first and second books had too many similarities, and I couldn’t get past it.
But I can’t say after the second book if they continue.
Great review, Sweetie!
Can you believe I haven’t read this series yet?! My hubbi bought me the entire series for xmas, but I have yet to read it bc my TBR pile is atrocious, lol. I am determined to read it before the movie comes out though. And yes, I hate how people compare the two books, and they don’t even give the rest of Covenant a try to see how its different. Great review!
And didn’t you just love Nibbles?? Poor little bastard…lmao okay okay I’ll stop now…maybe!