Summary - A massive strigoi attack changes everything the Moroi and their dhampir guardians know. This attack puts St. Vladmirs on high alert, and with Christmas break coming the school decides all of the students, and their families will go to a remote royal ski resort.
Lissa and Christians relationship heats up, while Rose looks to Mason to help her put her feelings for her mentor Dimitri behind her. As if that’s not hard enough on Rose, she walks into a guardian class one day to suddenly see her mother for the first time in years.
After a second strigoi attack, 3 students leave the lavish ski resort in search of the strigoi to try to kill them. Rose joins forces with Christian to try to bring them back. But heroism rarely comes without a price…
Review - I was tough on Vampire Academy and I stand by that review but this book is a big improvement on the first in the series. Rose is still annoying as all heck - impulsive, ridiculous, selfish beyond belief then self-sacrificing and unbelievably petty. I still can't believe I am reading a novel when the main character grates on my last nerve. I maintain that I am reading it because of Dimitri. He and Christian are by far the most interesting of the bunch, Lissa's the personification of tepid bath....zzzzzz.
I love the whole exploration of the elitism of the Moroi/Dhampir class structure, especially in relation to the defence of both their species. That meeting where Tasha had her say was by far the most interesting scene I have experienced in this series (and by that, I mean I could have done without the voyeuristic Lissa/Christian love scene).
In my review of the first book I stated that I found Rose's mother to be immensely appealing despite her non appearance. This continues for me for one main reason, she kicks the protagonist's butt literally and figuratively. I loved every second. The relationship between mother and daughter is tense and strained. I love the development of this pairing and hope to see more of it. Yeah that's right, I am going to read Shadow Kiss.
One thing though, I couldn't stomach the prologue. If people need a catch up, they shouldn't be reading the book as far as I am concerned. I also think there was some lazy writing there. This series is capturing my attention and it's not due to Rose's fascination with describing how outrageously attractively she is or how outrageously attractive Dimitri is...I really have no idea why. Actually I think I do - the Strigoi attack and repercussion were quite well written and really captured my attention. As was the classist debate that was raised in the book. I do have to say though, I prefer Rose when she's in any other mode than man-eater becaue ultimately it's her flightiness and irresponsible dealings with guys that gets me offside.
Published: February 2009
Format: Paperback, 327 pages
Publisher: Penguin Aust.
Origin: USA
**UPDAT E Having read my review on the previous title I realised I wasn't actually all that hard on it. In fact I apparently like d Rose. So it was this book that made me dislike her...weird.
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2 comments:
Cool review. I love all things vampires and am always looking for an alt to Twilight.
Thanks for this review. I'm trying not to read this one (I hated the first book for the same reasons as you; it's become my go-to punching bag, actually), but from your description, I feel like I would like and hate the same things as you.
Big word on the immense irritation of Rose, Lissa being boring as all heck, Dimitri and Christian being actually interesting characters (if only we saw them through a lens other than Rose's petty schemes and generic lust), and the sociology of the book's world being the most potentially interesting and under-explored element.
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