Movie Review: 'Vampire Academy'

So, I finally watched the movie adaptation of ‘Vampire Academy’. And in a year of so many YA books coming to the big screen (The Fault in Our Stars, Maze Runner, The Giver, Mockingjay … the list goes on) the adaptation of Richelle Mead’s hugely popular urban fantasy series will probably be quickly forgotten … which is probably for the best.

Issues for me started with the sickly pink/green movie poster. It proudly proclaimed the movie was; “from the director of Mean Girls, and the writer of Heathers” (no mention of Richelle Mead, oddly enough?) Both are really, really good teen movies … but my hesitation was proven right because the overall tone of the film was one of humour. This is a real shame, because Mead did such a great job of mixing horror, comedy, romance and action in the book series. The movie probably hits two of those four notes – and it’s no wonder, because that’s also true of ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Heathers’. It was like the director and writer couldn’t fathom a multi-dimensional teen movie, when that is the very strength of the book series.

In the first few minutes of ‘Vampire Academy’ Lissa (Lucy Fry) and Rose (Zoey Deutch) feed each other lines to quickly and sloppily catch viewers up on what’s happening; “I’m still adjusting, Rose. It has been less than a year since we ran away from the academy. Two years since the crash. Do you really think the academy is still trying to track us down?” These awkward conversations run throughout the film; you could probably play a pretty decent drinking game for every supremely awkward line – although once you get to “You were fornicating, weren’t you?” it’s time to chug, chug, chug! and then you’re down for the count.

The next major disappointment comes with Dimitri Belikov – who probably has more fan-girls than Edward Cullen and a mighty expectation placed on him for that very reason. And, look, the casting director clearly tried because the actor Danila Kozlovsky is actually Russian – so they’ve ticked the authenticity box (although, I don’t think they ever gave Danila a chance to actually speak in Russian? So, what was the point?) But they had a seriously hard task before them, because nearly every single fan-made trailer cast Ben Barnes in the role. You guys; Danila Kozlovsky is no Ben Barnes, I’m just sayin’. He seemed a little too old (like, creepy old) for Zoey Deutch’s Rose, and he did not rock the male-ponytail at all. The main issue though is that Danila Kozlovsky and Zoey Deutch had none of the chemistry that Rose and Dimitri have in the books – which practically smoulders the page.

While we’re on the topic of casting – Lucy Fry as Lissa Dragomir was another serious miss. I will say this was another problematic casting because (as I’ve mentioned in every ‘Vampire Academy’ book review) I feel like Lissa is a very hard character to like, mostly because I thought she had too much power in her and Rose’s friendship. Lucy Fry is fine, just a little too bland for a character who is already pretty boring in the books. And what was up with her mouth? Did the director make her wear false vampire-teeth the whole time, because her lips looked painfully stung and sometimes it was like she struggled to talk. Not to mention the fact that Lissa and Rose’s being shadow-kissed translated horribly in the movie, when it’s pretty much the only thing that connected them in the book. It didn’t help that the director chose to use a fish-eye lens sporadically to convey when Rose was in Lissa’s head – and then change to the camera as a voyeur looking on. It was just sloppy, and confusing when the fish-eye technique was also used when Lissa was hypnotising people.

The one bright spot in the whole movie is Zoey Deutch. I know when she was cast people grumbled about her not being voluptuous enough to play Rose Hathaway – but, trust me, in a whole movie of pretty awful, she is an absolute marvel. I 100% agree with the Huff Post entertainment reviewer Mike Ryan, who said; ‘This movie would have been better if it was just Zoey Deutch, sitting on a stool, reading the book to the audience. I’m being serious." At one point she throws her arms wide and asks, “Are you not entertained?” and, gosh darnit, I was! She’s fabulous, and I hope she’s in more (better) things.

The movie has a 104-minute run-time. They tried to cram all 332-pages into those 104 minutes, and it just didn’t work. If anything, it highlighted for me how much ‘Vampire Academy’ would make a better TV series than movie – because all the subplots and flashbacks, foreshadowing and Lissa and Rose’s love lives do not work in a single movie. It’s a real shame, because Richelle Mead’s ‘Vampire Academy’ is ripe for adaptation – just not by the director of 'Mean Girls' and writer of 'Heathers', and not necessarily in a movie. Though Zoey Deutch tried damn hard with what she was given, and has a new fan in me.

'Vampire Academy' graphic novel by Richelle Mead

From the BLURB:

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana.  But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger . . . and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guards down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever . . .

‘Vampire Academy’ is the graphic novel adaptation of Richelle Mead’s immensely successful paranormal young adult series of the same name. Illustrated by Emma Vieceli and adapted by Leigh Dragoon, this is the adaptation of the first novel, and tells the story of how Rose Hathaway and her best friend, Moroi (vampire) princess Lissa Dragomir, are dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy after being on the run.

Let me just start by saying that this graphic novel adaptation is one of the most thorough retellings I have come across. Nothing is left out; and the four primary characters are well established. We get to see Lissa and Christian Ozera’s initial flirtations, which turn into a full-blown love story. I actually thought that the Christian/Lissa love story works better in graphic adaptation than it did in the original book – mostly because in the book we’re always reminded that what we know of Lissa and Christian is coming through Rose’s special Spirit connection. That’s put-aside in the graphic novel, and instead of getting clouded with Rose’s hesitations about Lissa and Christian, we’re left with just their unusual connection and chemistry.

Something that didn’t work so well in Leigh Dragoon’s back-story details was the explanation about the various species in this vampiric world – the Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampir. The graphic novel explains them with this weird mannequin chart, which just reminded me of the Greendale Human Being mascot from ‘Community’.

What really, well and truly worked for me in this novel was the graphic representation of everybody’s favourite hero and heroine; Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov. Emma Vieceli did a fantastic job of bringing these two to drawn life – Rose is that perfect mix of fiery beauty and disarming strength. She has fly-away hair and is quick with a scowl – and I feel like Vieceli did a great job of communicating her vivacious nature just in these tell-tale facial quirks and physical appearance.

But, all that really matters is whether or not Dimitri’s comic adaptation lives up to fan-girl’s hopes and dreams. . .  Let me assure you, drawn Dimitri meets, and exceeds expectations and is extremely deserving of fan-girl squeals.

 With the hair of Ben Barnes and physique of Taylor Kinney – the true triumph of this graphic adaptation lies in the pitch-perfect drawing of Mr Belikov. Ahem:

I was also happily surprised that this graphic adaptation brings the heat to the page. Everyone knows the scene I’m talking about – when a spelled necklace puts Rose and Dimitri into a compromising situation that is the catalyst they needed to reveal their true, forbidden feelings. This scene requires a bit of PG13 representation, and I was happy to discover that Vieceli doesn’t shy away – I'd even say that this scene in a movie would be a lot more watered down than it is in this graphic novel.

I’m really glad that I finally got around to reading the graphic novel adaptation of ‘Vampire Academy’. I will definitely be hunting down a copy of second novel, ‘Frostbite’ now that I know Richelle Mead, Leigh Dragoon and Emma Vieceli have gone above and beyond in representing this beloved series in graphic format... and, yes, because I want to drool over a drawn Adrian Ivashkov!

5/5

'Last Sacrifice' Vampire Academy #6 by Richelle MEAD

From the BLURB:

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!
Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

The beginning of the end

It’s here! It’s here! The sixth and final instalment of Richelle Mead’s epic ‘Vampire Academy’ paranormal YA series. . .

I have been waiting, nail-biting and anticipating this final instalment for MONTHS! And now that it’s finally here and I have consumed the book in one sitting my overall response is. . . okay. It was pretty good. I wasn’t overwhelmingly in love with the book, I didn’t hate it, but it won’t make my 2010 favourite’s list.

‘Last Sacrifice’ picks up where ‘Spirit Bound’ left off. Queen Tatiana is dead, staked in her sleep – and all evidence points to Rose Hathaway. Now Rose awaits trial in the court prison, and it is very likely that she will be found guilty and sentenced to death. . . But not if Rose’s friends have anything to say about it.

Dimitri, still recovering from his Strigoi-turn, is determined to break Roza out. Adrian, Christian and Lissa want to wade through political intrigue and find out who really killed Tatiana. . .

And Rose wants to get to the bottom of Tatiana’s cryptic final message. A hand-written note warning Rose that danger lies ahead, and Lissa is not the last of the Dragomir line. . . she has a sibling, an illegitimate child who could change the course of Moroi royal history forever.

Big surprises

This is a MAMMOTH final instalment. Following in the footsteps of Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Breaking Dawn’ and JK Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, ‘Last Sacrifice’ is a whopping 594-page ending extravaganza. That being said, because it’s 594 pages there’s a fair bit of legwork on Richelle Mead’s part; lots of scene setting and plot strategizing to set up all the players and orchestrate this grand finale. The first 200 pages seem quite slow, revolving around Rose’s imprisonment, the political implications of Queen Tatiana’s death and Lissa’s standing in Moroi society. I would warn that the plot doesn’t start to satisfyingly thicken until about chapter fifteen (page 236).

She said, she said

The book is broken up between Rose’s perspective as she hunts for the lost Dragomir child, and Lissa’s pseudo-narrative as she hunts for Queen Tatiana’s (real) killer.

‘Last Sacrifice’ follows a similar structure to book #5 ‘Spirit Bound’, in that the book is often split between Rose’s ‘real-time’ perspective, and her shadow-kissed bond with Lissa. The bond with Lissa allows Rose to pull a ‘Being John Malkovich’ perspective-swap, and let her see through Lissa’s eyes. I’m not a big fan of this tactic; Mead used it quite heavily in ‘Spirit Bound’, when Rose was in Siberia and Lissa remained in St. Vladimir’s. I think the reason this point of view structure doesn’t sit well with me is because it means Rose and Lissa aren’t actually in scenes together. I know the storyline calls for them to be apart, but I've always struggled with Rose and Lissa’s bond (mostly because I can never get past the idea that Rose is slave to Lissa’s princess) so not actually having them in scenes together means I am missing out on evidence of their devotion to one another. I know that’s quite an outlandish response to have, and few VA fans share it, but it’s just the way I feel. I've never much liked Lissa, purely because I think she puts Rose in a position of servitude (even if Rose wants to be there).

Stake, Treason and Plot

The good news however, is that both plots are equally fascinating.

The political storyline is wildly absorbing – not least of all because Rose is the accused murderer at the centre of it all. This plot sees Lissa, Christian and Adrian unearthing court secrets and political intrigues – sex, violence and royal assassinations are at the heart of their investigations. And the court politics runs nicely alongside Rose’s hunt for the elusive lost Dragomir, with help from Dimitri and her Alchemist friend, Sydney. Rose’s adventure in this book isn’t as grand as past instalments – she travels to West Virginia instead of Russia, for example. But the stakes are higher than ever when the hunt for the missing Dragomir could potentially change the course of Moroi history. Even if I have never responded to Rose and Lissa’s powerful ‘friendship’, I appreciated the fact that they are both working for the other in this book – Lissa is trying to clear Rose’s name, while Rose is hunting for Lissa’s lost sibling. It’s a nice compliment and balancing act that Mead juggles throughout. . .

I think I love you. . .

But let’s not beat around the bush or walk on eggshells – what fans really want, what made the 12 month wait so excruciating and the prospect of this finale so delicious was the romance. Will Rose choose Adrian, or Dimitri?

Once upon a time, Rose’s choice would have been simple. Dimitri was her teacher, mentor, lover and firmly set upon a god-like pedestal. Adrian was once nothing more than a drunken flirtation – a boozed royal amusing himself with Rose’s affections. Then Dmitri became Strogoi and everything changed. . . Adrian became a true friend and shoulder to cry on, and then so much more. Rose’s romantic entanglements got flipped around and turned inside out, and fans are desperate to know who Rose ends up with. Well, I will say that Rose makes a choice; Mead doesn’t take the option away from her.

In ‘Last Sacrifice’, Dimitri is still reeling from his Strigoi turning – and still standing by his ‘Spirit Bound’ decision to stay away from Rose. Adrian, mean while, is as devoted to his little dhampir as ever. It’s a tough choice for Rose, and a romantic triangle that Mead didn’t write lightly. I loved that she built Adrian’s character up from his first appearance in ‘Frostbite’, making him a real contender for Rose’s affections. Adrian was once a drunken flirt, but over the course of five books he has made some real changes and become an admirable character and fan-favourite.

Dimitri and Rose still have all the spark that’s been there since book one, but Mead piles on the romantic obstacles for these two. . .

The rage on Dimitri’s face completely gave way to desperation. . . and then that gave way to despair.
I tugged gently on his arm. “It’s over. You’ve done enough.”
“It’s never enough, Roza,” he whispered. The grief in his voice killed me. “It’ll never be enough.”
“It is for now,” I said. I pulled him to me. Unresisting, he let go of his stake and buried his face against my shoulder. I dropped my stake as well and embraced him, drawing him closer. He wrapped his arms around me in return, seeking the contact of another living being, the contact I’d long known he needed.

The romance has been a big selling point of the Vampire Academy series. Rose and Dimitri’s clandestine student/teacher affair was a risky and somewhat revolutionary coupling in the young adult genre (and hardly mainstream). But more than that, Mead’s doses of romantic tragedy kept fans reeling and devastated. Richelle Mead clearly does not shy away from heartbreak or moral conundrums (as evidence when she sent Rose off to kill the man she loved). ‘Vampire Academy’ marks the first of Mead’s series’ finales (with ‘Georgina Kincaid’ and ‘Dark Swan’ still continuing). Fans will be going into ‘Last Sacrifice’ not knowing what to expect from Mead’s wrap-up style – does she like happy-endings, or will she leave the series on a sombre note???. . .

Last Goodbye

And on that note, I will say that the ending was so-so for me. The foreword from Richelle Mead (which may only appear in international copies of ‘LS’, to clear-up a name-change error) deflated what could have been a dramatic ending. . . I can’t go into too much detail, but if you read the foreword from Ms Mead you will see that she makes mention of the much-anticipated VA spin-off series. Because of this small mention, the ending of ‘Last Sacrifice’ is more of a whimper than a bang, purely because that foreword gave away what could have been a curveball ending for some (like those who haven’t been reading spoilers about the spin-off).

I was also a little disappointed by the romantic wrap-up. I expected. . . more. The romance’s conclusion ended up being a little more ‘teen melodrama’ than anything else, and instead of a dramatic scene we get a lot of inner monologues and heart-to-heart’s. Which is fine, but for the finale a bit ho-hum when not coupled with memorable action. Unlike past VA books, there really wasn't a single memorable romantic moment that stuck with me.

So long, but not farewell. . .

The good news is the spin-off series cast of characters become apparent by the end of ‘Last Sacrifice’. . . and I dare say a few fan favourite’s will be coming back for more! And it looks as though the ‘Vampire Academy’ title will be relevant once again, as the spin-off will most likely take place back at Vladimir’s Academy – YAY!

The ‘Vampire Academy’ series has been a hallmark of the young adult paranormal genre. It has been an epic series of love, hate, violence and kick-ass girl heroics. This series is a work of unparalleled teen brilliance and Richelle Mead has cemented her place amongst not only the teen heavyweights, but paranormal-writers. If you haven’t read this series yet, then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Even if I wasn’t thrilled with the finale, I can appreciate the series as a whole and will forever count it amongst my all-time favourites.

3.5/5

'Spirit Bound' Vampire Academy #5 by Richelle MEAD

Received from the publisher

From the BLURB:

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

But Rose can’t forget what she learned on her journey – whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose’s prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what – and who – matters most to her. And in the end, is true love really worth the price?

The following review is spoiler-free for those who haven't yet read 'Spirit Bound'. But there are spoilers of books 1 - 4

Loose ends

‘Blood Promise’ started out on a somber note, with Rose going off on a journey to kill her lover turned Strigoi, Dimitri. ‘Spirit Bound’ has a somewhat more peculiar beginning. At the start of this, the 5th installment to the ‘Vampire Academy’ series, Rose is intending to find Dimitri… and undo his Strigoi ‘undead’ curse. Yet she also understands that if worse comes to worse, she will kill him.

It’s a slightly less crystal-clear mission statement, and as a result ‘Spirit Bound’ gets off to a shaky start. It’s made even rockier by Richelle Mead’s need to tie up loose ends at the Dragomir Academy. Since ‘Spirit Bound’ takes place primarily outside of the school grounds - minor characters like junior Jill Mastrano are all but given a send-off (but also a hinted return… possibly for the VA spin-off?) and Rose passes her final guardian test.

I’d say the first 100 pages of this 496-page book are dedicated to tying up loose ends, setting the scene for this and the final 6th installment and just generally meandering along until Rose discovers the secret to saving Strigoi souls.

It’s not until halfway through that you appreciate those first 100-pages of filler and calm, because once the action starts, it does not let up. Richelle Mead is a master of suspense – be it action or emotion – she leaves readers in a constant state of heart palpitating, blood boiling, edge-of-your-seat wonderment.

'A Rose by any other name...'

Rose has definitely changed. Over the course of four books she’s become a bit harder, a bit tougher and a lot meaner. Fair enough. Rose has had to grow up quickly since returning to St. Vladimir’s – she’s seen people she loves die, she’s killed more Strigoi than Vladimir’s can give molnija marks for… heck, she’s even set-out on a mission to kill the man she loves. And all of those trials and tribulations have come to form this new Rose Hathaway in ‘Spirit Bound’. She is a woman changed, and I found myself not liking all of those changes. In this novel she does the unthinkable and consciously puts her friends, including Lissa, in danger. This is something Rose of previous books would have never even considered, but in ‘Spirit Bound’ she is desperate - hell-bent on obtaining hope and proof of Dimitri’s salvation.

This is not to say that Rose is any less impressive. She's still the same ballsy, brash, sharp-tongued, kick-ass heroine we've come to know and love. Just with slightly sharper edges. And if you still think the beloved Rose of past books is gone for good, look forward to a hilarious scene in which Rose hands moroi queen, Tatiana, her ass on a plate. That's the Rose I love.

Much Ado about Adrian

I didn’t like the way Rose treated Adrian Ivashkov in this book. At the beginning of ‘Spirit Bound’ we discover that Adrian’s hot-pursuit in ‘Blood Promise’ paid off, and he and Rose have been dating for a few months. I admit, I didn’t start warming to Adrian until ‘Blood Promise’, but in that book he proved how much he cares for Rose, and he really stepped up to the plate. He will never be on-par with Dimitri as a love interest for Rose, but I do like Adrian.

In ‘Spirit Bound’ it feels as though Rose is using and disregarding him – he seems very disposable to her and she never takes their relationship too seriously, though it seems Adrian does. I wish Rose had treated him better. He may not be her HEA, but in ‘Spirit Bound’ he is a romantic casualty to Rose’s hardening character and I couldn’t help but sympathize for him.

I really hope Adrian has a big role in the VA spin-off. It feels like he will. We won’t know until the final book, of course, but Richelle Mead has done such a great job at reforming his character and making him into a fan-favourite. It feels like Mead is saving up his storyline for the upcoming spin-off series, but that’s just my own speculation (and hope!). It just seems like such a waste if she built his character up to such great heights, only to write him as Rose’s cast-off, silver-medallist to Dimitri.

Lissa steps up

This is the first book in which I started liking Lissa. I know, I know! She’s Rose’s best friend – but I never responded to Rose’s impassioned speeches about how much she treasured Lissa – I could never get past my interpretation of their friendship as being master/slave. Lissa the dragomir princess, and Rose her lowly bodyguard. In this book Lissa really holds her own and has Rose’s back. It only took four books, but I can finally see Rose and Lissa’s kinship. Lissa certainly steps out of her role as dainty dragomir princess, and shows her worth.

School's out

One of the concerns I had going into this fifth instalment, was setting. I liked but didn’t love ‘Blood Promise’ – partly because a good chunk of the action occurred in Siberia, although Mead used the shadow-kiss bond to keep a portion of that book on school grounds. It’s tricky, because the series is called ‘Vampire Academy’, but the way the way that the storyline has progressed means the series will have to adapt and depart from the Vladimir school grounds. Hey, even Harry had to leave Hogwarts eventually.

‘Spirit Bound’ takes place in Alaska, Las Vegas and the Moroi Royal Court. With these scene settings the story expands and becomes more layered – particularly when court politics becomes the focus. And when some big changes are made to dhampir/moroi society Mead effectively ensures the longevity of this series. I really loved all the court politics. It's adding a new perspective to the series and effectively taking it out of the small-scale school setting to play-out on a much grander stage.

There are HUGE repercussions and upheavals in this book, ones that will impact the upcoming VA spin-off as well as the sixth and final instalment. I won’t give anything away, except to say; ‘the times, they are a changing’.

Rose/Dmitri - the saga continues

And what’s a ‘Vampire Academy’ book without the Rose/Dimitri saga? Rose and Dimitri are epic. True love, star-crossed, heart-meltingly epic. But I was a tad disappointed with their storyline in ‘Spirit Bound’. I won’t say too much, except that I expected a bang and got a whimper. To be fair, a lot of their arc in this book is laying groundwork for 6th instalment, ‘Last Sacrifice’.

“You’re beautiful in battle,” said Dimitri. His cold voice carried to me clearly, even above the roar of combat. “Like an avenging angel come to deliver the justice of heaven.”

“Funny,” I said, shifting my hold on the stake. “That is kind of why I’m here.”

“Angels fall, Rose.”

I got the feeling that Mead is holding her cards close to her chest regarding these two, and things won’t become explosive until the end. If you’re a Richelle Mead fan and read her other series’ then you know that the path to true love never did run smooth in Mead’s worlds – I’d say keep that in mind when reading ‘Spirit Bound’.

Finally...

I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. I stayed up until 1AM so I could finish reading and now I fully intend to go back and do a re-read. I am a Richelle Mead fan-girl, from ‘Georgina Kincaid’ to ‘Dark Swan’ – she never fails to please, and that’s certainly the case with ‘Vampire Academy’ and this 5th book. Mead had a lot of cliff-hangers to tackle, and scene-setting to pave for ‘Last Sacrifice’ – and she does both in ‘Spirit Bound’, to the nth degree.

‘Last Sacrifice’ comes out this year, December 14, and will be the last VA book narrated by Rose Hathaway. But Richelle Mead has a spin-off series secured… but we won’t know who the narrator or other players are until the curtains are drawn on ‘Last Sacrifice’ and we know who the lasting characters standing are.

I. Can’t. Wait.

4.5/5

Vampire Academy

'Vampire Academy' SERIES by Richelle MEAD

St. Vladimir’s isn’t your typical boarding school. It’s here that the next generation of vampires, also known as ‘Moroi’, are educated. Vladimir’s is also where the Moroi’s half-human bodyguards, called ‘Dhampir’s’, are trained to defend their full-blooded vampire charges.

Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir are the daredevil darling’s of St. Vladimir’s. Lissa is the Dragomir princess – a mortal vampire, the last of her royal line, with a strong bond of earth magic. Rose is her Dhampir bodyguard, and best friend since childhood – and it is her job to protect Lissa from the evil and immortal ‘Strigoi’ vampires.

When we first meet them, Rose and Lissa are on the run from St. Vladimir’s – convinced that someone is out to kill Lissa, and the school isn’t safe enough to protect her. But hot on their heels is Dhampir bodyguard and Vladimir teacher – Dimitri Belikov, assigned with the mission to drag both girls back to school and teach Rose a thing or two about being a guardian to the Moroi.

This is one of my all-time favourite YA serials. ‘Vampire Academy’ was my first Richelle Mead read, and I absolutely fell in love with her story and writing. From ‘Vampire Academy’ I went on to read (and LOVE) her ‘Georgina Kincaid’ and ‘Dark Swan’ series.

I read ‘VA’ soon after discovering Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ series. I was itching for some more vampire teen romance – and at the time ‘Vampire Academy’ (first book published in 2007) was one of the only other series that fit the bill - the other was Rachel Caine’s ‘Morganville Vampires’ (first published in 2006).

I love Mead’s series because I think she really ‘gets’ teenagers. This may be a genre-book about vampires, but her character’s go through lots of typical and relatable teen problems, among them: best friends drifting apart because of new boyfriends, feelings of estrangement from a career-obsessed parent, breaking a boys heart because he likes you more than you like him, and crushing on an unattainable ‘idol’.

The last one is my favourite. Rose and Lissa each have their own ‘HEA’ love story – but it’s Rose’s romance that has fans frothing at the mouth. From book #1, Rose feels a certain tingly-toes infatuation for her teacher, Dimitri Belikov. Rose is 17 to Dimitri’s 24 – but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s tall, dark, Russian and the type of guardian Rose aspires to be.

Mead keeps things PG-13, as per the YA genre, but the Rose/Dimitri pairing is quite a mature one. I think Mead appreciates the fact that not all teenagers follow paint-by-numbers romances – sometimes our first relationships are tricky, complicated, unrequited or questionable. Mead does an impressive job of rolling all that angst into one Rose/Dimitri shipperdom.

Mead saves Rose/Dimitri from becoming creepy and inappropriate because she really develops their romance. Their relationship is an evolution– and while readers witness their unfurling feelings, she also reveals their true characters. Rose is a sharp-tongued, tough-as-nails sweetheart. She is a completely loyal friend to Lissa – the type of friend who ‘has your back’ and will gladly flatten anyone who raises a finger or bad word against you. But Rose also dons pretty impressive armour – her mother is a famous Dhampir guardian who all but abandoned Rose to pursue her body-guarding career. Rose also has the weight of a friendship on her shoulders – she is Lissa’s future guardian, and with Lissa being the last Dragomir princess Rose definitely feels the pressure of her future guardianship. All of this amounts to Rose suppressing a lot of her inner turmoil and donning a ‘brave face’. Except with Dimitri. With Dimitri Rose can be herself – share her fears and lament the price she has to pay always being in Lissa’s shadow.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “You shouldn’t. I’m going to become something terrible. I might already be something terrible.” I thought back to past behaviours, the way I’d been snapping at everyone. The way I’d tried to scare Ryan and Camille.

Dimitri pulled away so that he could look me in the eyes. He cupped my face in his hands. “You aren’t. You won’t,” he said. “I won’t let you. No matter what, I won’t let you.”

One of the best things about Mead’s teenage characters is the fact that she lets them be their own heroes. More often than not, her characters will save their own butts and be their own saviours. She really gives her YA readers some characters to look up to, and be inspired by.

One of the best things about ‘VA’ is the microcosm universe Mead has created. She’s blended vampiric gothic myth with modern teen romance in a most impressive concoction. She uses vampiric etymology and origin concerning the Dhampir/Stigoi/Moroi, but St. Vladimir’s is quite an inspired YA setting. Move over Hogwarts – there’s more shenanigans in the halls and dorms of Vladimir’s than in the entire enchanted castle.

‘Vampire Academy’ is a teen vampire series rivalled only by Stephanie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’ saga. And to be honest, if that rivalry was based on ‘content’ over ‘commercialism’ – ‘VA’ would win, hands down. Richelle Mead is a phenomenal writer. She writes action scenes like Tarantino, and romances which adults and young adults alike can sink their teeth into and get invested in.

Book #5, ‘Spirit Bound’, comes out 18 May. Book #6 ‘Last Sacrifice’ comes out 7 December and marks the conclusion of ‘Vampire Academy’… but a spin-off is on the way. At the moment this series is narrated by Rose – but ‘Last Sacrifice’ will mark the end of her series, and kick-off a spin-off narrated by a new character. Yay!

If you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you get on the ‘Vampire Academy’ bandwagon.

5/5

Book #5 'Spirit Bound' 18 May 2010

Richelle Mead Q & A

So I went to listen to Richelle Mead's Q&A at the Knox Civic Centre (her first reading in Australia) as apart of her worldwide promotion for 'Blood Promise'.

Here's the scoop;

- Rose has 2 more books told from her perspective in the 'Vampire Academy' series. But Richelle has been contracted for 6 more books set in the VA universe, but told from the perspective of a new character. The new character is someone we have met before - but Richelle obviously can't reveal who the narrator of the spin-off series will be, because that would give away who lives and dies in the next 2 books.

- The 'Dark Swan' series was contracted for 2 more books, but Richelle tentatively said there is potential for more Eugenie books.

- While the 'Georgina Kincaid' series is Richelle's personal favorite (mostly because Georgina's sense of humor is very close to Richelle's own) it sounded as though that series will be wrapped up in the next 2 books ('Succubus Shadows' released April 2010).

- Richelle said a big inspiration for her novels came from reading the 'Dragonlance' series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis.

- I asked Richelle about any new series/books in the works, and she said something about a new potential adult project.

- There are no plans for a Vampire Academy movie. No studios have bought the rights to her books, and while Richelle knows about the many youtube trailers for a fictional VA movie, she can't bear to watch them. She said she reacts oddly to seeing people's representations of her books - even fanmade pictures and videos.

'Blood Promise' (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle MEAD

From the BLURB:

The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? 

Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

‘Vampire Academy’ is one of the best YA series I have ever read, and ‘Blood Promise’, the 4^th book in the series, is just further proof that Richelle Mead is deservedly one of the reigning queens of the Urban Fantasy genre.

‘Blood Promise’ had a lot of hype surrounding it – mostly because of the explosive cliffhanger at the end of ‘Shadow Kiss’, which had Rose Hathaway dropping out of school to kill the man she loves. Richelle Mead definitely had a hard task ahead of her to live up to the expectations of that Grand Canyon-sized cliffhanger.

The best way I can think to describe the book is to compare it to one of my all-time favorite TV shows; ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Remember that season 3 opening episode, ‘Anne’? Set a few months after Buffy killed Angelus, the love of her life, and fled Sunnydale… we pick up with Buffy waitressing in a diner under the pseudonym ‘Anne’. She’s really just going through the motions, mimicking life, just trying to get through the day nursing her heartache and guilt.

Well, that’s kind of the somber tone permeating ‘Blood Promise’. Rose has found her way to Russia and is fighting Strigoi (vampires) while also searching for her red-eyed lover. She frequently lapses into bleak moods as she traipses through Dimitri’s homeland and muses over their love affair as well as all the things now lost to them.

Also dragging on Rose’s mind is Lissa. In setting out on a mission to free her lover’s soul from vampirism and eternal damnation Rose has left behind her bondmate and best friend. While on her Russian exploration Rose checks in on Lissa through their spirit-bond, which allows her to slip into Lissa’s mind and see through her eyes (without her knowing it). During these ‘Being John Malkovich’ moments, Rose sees that Lissa and the flirtatious Adrian Ivashkov are moving on with the help of party-girl Avery Lazar who is the daughter of St. Vladimir’s new headmaster. Avery seems to be taking Rose’s place as Lissa’s new bestie and Adrian’s new crush.

I have to say, the parallel storyline of Rose’s search for Dimitri and Lissa’s high-school dramas felt a little odd at times. I have never really warmed to Lissa as a character, which isn’t surprising because from the first book Rose and Lissa’s friendship has been strained by secrets, resentments and pent-up frustrations. And since the books are currently being told from Rose’s perspective, as a reader we side with her and understand her struggles with the dhampir/Moroi master/slave society.

But in ‘Blood Promise’ Rose is setting out on such a heartbreaking, weighty task. She is going to kill the only man she has ever loved. Meanwhile, the plot occasionally veers off into teen-melodrama with Lissa’s story and it detracts and distracts from Rose’s more compelling and serious mission.

Regardless, Richelle Mead has written yet another edge-of-your-seat drama that seamlessly blends fantasy and romance for the YA audience.

I read this book in a few hours because I could not tear myself away from the story. Richelle Mead writes fantastic action scenes that read like screenplays for the vivid direction.

In this book Mead has also introduced some fabulous new characters – from Dimitri’s Siberian family to the mysterious Abe/Zmey who is following Rose around Russia. I really hope these become recurring characters, because some great and intriguing back-story was given that has me eager to meet these characters in future books. Mead also does a fantastic job of expanding on the character of Adrian. In previous books he has been little more than a drunken flirt on Rose's periphery. In this book we see a different side to him, and he suddenly becomes a very legitimate love interest for our girl Rose.

** SPOILER AHEAD **

My one complaint has to do with the ending. Yes, it does end on another cliffhanger, that doesn’t bother me. What was frustrating was the fact that nothing was properly resolved in ‘Blood Promise’. By the end, nothing has changed. The story is in exactly the same place as it started out, and the lack of resolution and progression is keenly felt.

Regardless, I did enjoy ‘Blood Promise’, and I fully intend to troll the Vampire Academy chat boards to further dissect and speculate on the events in ‘Blood Promise’

4/5