Vampire AcademyAuthor: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy (#1)
Publisher: Penguin Group
How Received: borrowed
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.
Once again, I read this courtesy of Kellyn and her vampire obsession. She and I were talking today, and she pointed out another similarity between us - we didn't even notice vampire novels until we read Twilight. Just another thing we can blame Stephenie Meyer for!
I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would after sitting through so many vampire novels this year. Vampire Academy brings in the new element of dhampirs, and it stuck to the traditional Slavic - or was it Romanian? - terms for vampires.
All in all, the book was very well written. The characters were believable - with the exception of Mia, who's irrational hatred of Lissa was somewhat unbelievable - and I was able to relate to both Rose and Lissa.
I do have one issue to address - what is it with the main characters in vampire novels falling for older guys!? In Twilight, Bella falls for Edward, who is 109. In Glass House, Claire falls for Seth - who is 20, while she is 16. In The Vampire Diaries, Elena falls for Stefan, who was alive during the Renaissance. Marked seems to be the only vampire book where this doesn't happen. Is it just me, or am I seeing a trend?
Overall Rating: 9/10
Vampire Academy or Marked?: Marked and Vampire Academy were similar in the respects that it involved the schools, and I was able to relate to both of the main characters and was easily drawn into the books. However, I liked the romantic pull and the action in Vampire Academy more than Marked, so I'd go for Vampire Academy if given a choice.
Happy reading!
~Nicole
PS: I saw The Other Bolyen Girl movie yesterday, and, as with all movie-books, the book was better, but it's an enjoyable movie on it's own.
Okay, I'm definitely going to have to read this if you think it's better than Marked!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with Chelsea. I love, love, love the House of Night series so if this is better then it is definitely something I'm going to have to read!
ReplyDelete-Liv (livsbookreviews.blogspot.com)
yay another vamp book! this one sounds good too! i'm reading vampire diaries right now. i will be adding this to my list as well!
ReplyDeleteChelsea: -grins- What can I say? I just enjoyed it more. ^^
ReplyDeleteLiv: Ooo, I'm so linking you. Nice blog! =] I loved the first House of Night book but have yet to read the second...
T.S.S.: Hahaha, yeah, another one. And I'm getting Betrayed soon, too... xD
I loved loved!! this book.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the sequel. I preordered it already =D
Ohh, right. Do you want to exchange links? xD
RR: My friend has it on pre-order... no sense in wasting trees, right?
ReplyDeleteNo, of course I don't want to exchange links. You stink. :P JK. Of course I want to! ^^
No need to waste trees ;) I agree. Too bad none of my friends here seem to want to...buy books *shudder*
ReplyDelete;) Added
RR: It's great to have bookish friends that spend more than one hundred dollars five minutes after wandering into Borders... -cough-Megan-cough-...
ReplyDeleteI must say that it is a pleasure to find young people out there you love to read - anything. I read Twilight and was enthralled from the first page. I continue to read all type of literatiture, however paranormal topics are by far my favorite. Please continue to read, no matter what it is. You will grow young with age....and Barnes & Noble will continue to profit.
ReplyDeleteH! I've just finished it, and really it's great. I really like this kind of complicated organization of classes among those moroi strigoi and dhampirs. What I've found really interesting is this way to translate in another wolrd the hardness of relationships between different social classes...
ReplyDeletein the marked series she does fall for an older guy.
ReplyDeletegeez. I love this series!
ReplyDeleteI'm so psyched for the next book.
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer will keep me busy until then!
The covers look so lame but I can't help but love this story. I can't wait till Shadow Kissed comes out in November.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I found your blog-- It's bringing up a slew of books I had forgotten about or overlooked, or even never heard of! You're making me want to read something new again, and for that, I thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis Is an awesome series and I recommend it 2. I made a fansite for it
ReplyDeletewww.freewebs.com/vampire-academy
please check it out!
I just finished reading Frostbite last night. It was wicked sweet. The romance, the adventure, the drama. I can't wait til Shadow Kiss comes out.
ReplyDeleteA bit of a spoiler but, the Third one, Shadow Kiss, was incredibly depressing. The others were really good, as well as three-fourths of this one, then it all goes down hill.
ReplyDeleteIn the House of Night novels, Zoe turned into such a Mary-Sue... she had sex with a teacher, two other boyfriends... Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few parts of Frostbite that I skimmed though - that time when Rose goes down to the spring and gets a little drunk and most of the parts when she describes Dimitri's hotness, but it was way, way cooler than Marked.
Check out my Twilight+Vampire Academy fansite :) and be a member too!
ReplyDeletehttp://vampirehut.blogspot.com
OMG! Vampire Academy is the best book ever! I haven't read Marked yet, but... Twilight also isn't as good as Vampire Academy. Can't wait until book 4 comes out!
ReplyDeleteI like Vampire Academy better than Twilight and House of the Night...they are both just kind of chessy but i think Vampire Academy is really good.
ReplyDeleteVampire Academy is way better then Twilight. it has a better polt because unlike twilight this is a story where they can never be together, its a can't. not a can but won't.
ReplyDeletehey! i also start reading vampire books after twilight!!
ReplyDeleteand i also think that vampire academy is better than house of night..but i love them both!
i just finish reading shadow kiss, and almost cry at the end!
is going to be a book 4??
i really like VA than HON series because HON is very long and it does not come straight to the point not like VA... plus, i really like DIMITRI's character and my heart is broken after i read the third book... Now, i'm waiting for the fourth! I hope it would be exciting just like the first 3 books..
ReplyDeleteVampire Academy is just like Twilight except in my opinion better!!! This is such a great book I can't stop reading it over and over again!!!!!! It is just like Twilight be more mature! YOU HAVE TO READ IT! u wont regret it!
ReplyDeletein marked she does fall for an older boy, eric is like a year older i think. And in the chosen she falls for a teacher who is about 23 i think.
ReplyDeletemaybe its a vampire novel thing.
oh well, i love VA i keep reading it over and over.
:)
In the House of Night series Zoey does fall for an older guy...Loren, not that it ends well.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I think I will read this series; it sound good. =]
hey, want some english teacher buzz?
ReplyDeletei thought the vamp academy books were just different from twilight, but seriously, stephenie myers understands writing craft better than most novelists of the day.
however, i loved rose's character in the vamp academy series. she's so tough; yes, book 4 is coming in august. check richelle mead's website. i think it completely outdoes p.c. and kristin cast's books which seem quite trite.
if you're interested, there are some great urban fanstasy writers for adults too. i love charlaine harris' sookie stackhouse novels, kim harrison's witch/cop books, l. a banks' vampire huntress legend (actually finished series now), and the faefever series by ? (always forget her name),and more... the emotional tones are different from ya though.
No doubt Vampire Academy is better than Marked--unlike in Vamp Academy, as the HON series went on, I started to hate the characters, especially Zoe. I couldn't relate to her reasoning at all. But Rose is far more likable. Sure, she has her flaws, but doesn't everyone? It just makes her more realistic.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait till August, Shadow Kiss left me in tears...
Hey, I'm Ruby from Australia :)
ReplyDeleteNice to speak to some other readers!
I just got the series (VA) for Christmas, I'm literally about to start reading Blood Promise, but though I'd check up on the reviews first.
I also love Jacyln Moriality's book, Lili Wilkison's, Jacqueline Wilson's, Jodi Picoult's, Melina Marchetta's, Carole Wilkinson's, Steph Meyer's (Of course!) and heaps of others, too many to name.
Ooops! Sorry! Not Blood Promise!
ReplyDeleteVampire Academy...the first one :)
Hi from another Aussie reader
ReplyDeletei love these series almost as much as the twilight books mabii even more and there better than the house of night series and the evernight series to so whoever hasnt read them u NEED to!
in marked, zoey falls for Lorren, so it's in almost every book, the falling in love with older guys thing.
ReplyDeleteI have read all the books in this series, own the first third fourth and fifth, and have officially quite twilight(aside from the movies). i've read vampire diaries and watch the show with a passion, and i've yet to read house of night, but i will. It is superior to the others by far (in my opinion) and richelle mead is a literary genius... Just saying
ReplyDeleteI just finished Spirit Boud (aka VA5) and I was completely pleased. Ricell mead always knows how to end a book in a way that will leave the reader dying to know what will happen next. Rose and the other characters are all relatable and the sexual tension between rose and her mentor dimitri is very enthralling. I am not able to put this series down and can't wait untill December 14 for Last Sacrifice (aka VA6)
ReplyDeleteVampire academy is definitly the best of all the "vampire" themed books I have read.
ReplyDeleteWith Twilight I think take away the fact that there is a romance going on (make that two romances, one of which actually got on my nerves in the end.) There isn't much to it. Although in VA and HON there are romances going on there is still more than that going on. In HON all the magic, and red vamps and well, loads really. In VA there is the social aspects, with the different races and the fight with the strigoi! I won't say how old I am, but I reckon I'm older than most of you who've commented here, but I LOVE VA! I can't wait for the next one!
hey
ReplyDeletei just wanted to let people know that there is now OFFICALLY a VAMPIRE ACADEMY MOVIE! The website it made by the movie producers!!
these books are the amazing
here is the url
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-VAMPIRE-ACADEMY-Movie/132065663494472
I loved this book! (I blame Stephenie Meyer for my vampire addiction too.) These series are just incredible, and I definately prefer it to Marked. And yeah, there does seem to be a pattern there. This is about a TV show, but in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy falls for Angel who's around 200...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great review!