Review: The Golden Lily

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead
Release Date ~ June 12, 2012
Razorbill ~ Penguin
ISBN13: 9781595143181
ARC won from whatchYAreading?

My review is spoiler-free but the synopsis may have a few spoilers for Bloodlines- you can also check out my review for Bloodlines (the first book in the series) here. And the top 10 things I loved about Bloodlines :)
Goodreads Synopsis:
The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Bloodlines (and Sydney Sage!) ever since I first read the new Vampire Academy spin-off last year. I've yet to read Vampire Academy, but I still highly recommend Richelle Mead's new series to those new to her VA world; you'll be spoiled for a few things but it's kind of intimidating at times to start a new series with a large number of books that are already released. So this is another good way to immerse yourself in Richelle's world and writing :)

I loved Golden Lily- it had all the same elements I loved about Bloodlines, just amped up a bit more! Which is fantastic because I like a strong sequel that picks up where the first book left off and then improves on a solid foundation.

1. Real issues that we can relate to:
   Not everyone is going to have the same problems that Sydney has, but I love that she's a realistic character with issues often found in real life, so that the Bloodlines books blend the distinction between paranormal and contemporary. Usually we think of paranormal books as largely (or only) dealing with paranormal issues (you know, like vampire problems). And contemporary books tend to deal with real issues (like eating disorders or relationships). But I LOVE it when a book can have both and The Golden Lily is another fantastic example of this (another good book that does this, if you're interested, is Storm by Brigid Kemmerer). And while they aren't completely dealt with, we do get to see a better picture of how toxic Sydney's self-esteem issues are and even relationships with others, such as Adrian's failing relationship with his father.
2. More EVERYTHING (including romance):
   One of the biggest complaints I read about Bloodlines was that there wasn't enough romance for readers- I think The Golden Lily will amend this for them! I actually didn't mind the lack of romance in Bloodlines (I'm a fan of the anticipation/build up, what can I say!) and The Golden Lily doesn't involve a LOT either. But it's there and it's good- Richelle's talent for writing chemistry between two characters and gradually amping it up is phenomenal! Plus there's more development for characters- we get to see some different sides to Sydney, Adrian, Trey and Jill in particular. And more drama (of course- what's a good book without drama?) but the good kind. Action too, because that's necessary in a good paranormal book ;)
3. Sydney & Adrian:
   I know that everyone and their mother is rooting for Sydney and Adrian to hook up finally, but I want to talk about how much I love their pre-romantic relationship as well. I adore that we can see all the little ways they pay attention to each other, and the ways they show that they care. They have a friendship, a bond, that just seems to grow stronger with time. And while it isn't perfect, especially since he's a vampire and she's an Alchemist so they really shouldn't get along that well, it's refreshing to see two people that care about each other... as friends. It's sweet and I love it!
4. And I just really love Sydney:
   I love Sydney for a multitude of reasons, but largely because she isn't your typical YA character. She's extremely awkward (and not always in an endearing way), she's realistic and analytical to a fault (there aren't that many analytical characters out there- they tend to be more impulsive in YA) but it's nice to see a type of personality that stands out. Sydney is a lot more what I'm like, both as a teenager and even at my age now. She's a control freak and picky, and she doesn't want to let anyone get to close to her... but somehow she starts to let a few people see the real her. I love her, and she's one of my favourites because of this.

We get a few more answers in this one about what's going on, but the sense of mystery stays strong. I still have so many questions regarding some of the weird things happening! But there's so much packed into this book, I couldn't put it down! An excellent sequel for a fantastic series that I'd recommend to most YA readers :)

Purchase Links

United States	Canada	International
Amazon	Amazon Canada	The Book Depository
Barnes & Noble	Chapters Indigo

Waiting on Wednesday {25}

Jill @ Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly meme where we can share a book that we are so excited for and are anxiously awaiting their upcoming release!

This week my WoW pick is...

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead
To be released ~ June 19, 2012

Note: even though this is a sequel, the synopsis and my comments are basically spoiler free. I hint at one detail, but I don't give anything away. So read away!

Goodreads Synopsis:
Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

Bloodlines was my first introduction to Richelle Mead, and I know that it's almoost blasphemous in the YA world to say I haven't read Vampire Academy yet but... I haven't! I have plans to, and I actually have the first few books. I'm just trying to find the time to read them soon :) but the real reason I decided to go back and read them was because of Bloodlines.

I have a soft spot for Sydney as a character, and I LOVED Bloodlines but it was especially the last couple chapters where it really picked up speed that I had a hard time putting it down. And now I'm incredibly excited for the release of The Golden Lily! I just HAVE to know what happens to them, and see how the appearance of a certain person (*cough*) might change the dynamics...

Also, it's probably a good thing that the description says the romance is steamier because it was pretty non-existant in Bloodlines. I didn't think it was a bad thing personally, because I like to see some development of romantic relationships BUT anything is an improvement in The Golden Lily when it comes to that! ;)

Have you read Bloodlines? Are you as excited for the sequel as I am?

Bloodlines Blog Tour & Giveaway

Starting on August 23, there were 20 blogs participating in a blog tour event organized by Penguin Canada! And today I'm stop #16, so welcome!

Penguin Canada very kindly provided all of us with ARCs of Bloodlines, so I read it back in July- and I have to say it was amazing. I was so pleased with it, and I really can't wait for all of you to read it as well! It was the first book I read by Richelle Mead, so I'm now hoping to go pick up some more of her books soon. You can read my review of it posted here, where I gave it FIVE shiny gold stars!

And because I loved it so much, I'm going to give away a copy of Bloodlines from The Book Depository. Contest will run until September 20, when you can come back here to find out who won and stop by for the blog tour that day! The entry form is found at the bottom of this post, my regular contest rules apply. Since it's from TBD, this is open internationally as long as they ship to you.

But in honour of Penguin Canada's Bloodlines blog tour, I decided to post the Top Ten things I loved about Bloodlines:

1. Sydney Sage
   Simply put, I love Sydney. I totally related to her, and I think she's going to prove to be a fantastic heroine, one with real, applicable issues that are important ones to deal with. Plus, she comes across as such a different character from Rose (so I hear, and have that impression) that it's refreshing.
2. The Alchemists
   As much as I enjoyed the Bloodlines vampires, I have to admit that I adore the concept of the Alchemists. One of my favourite parts about Bloodlines was getting to read all the history and background information Sydney provided about the Alchemists.
3. Character development
   I like interesting and complex characters, with their own issues to work out. And Bloodlines only hints at the kinds of problems which will arise later on, but I'm already pleased to see teensy bits of development happening.
4. Vampires that are actually creepy
   I like reading about vampires that actually drink human blood (because that's just what vampires do!) and I thought it was great how Richelle Mead worked out a system for them to do so, even with difficulties.
5. A stand-alone spin-off
   I haven't read Vampire Academy. But I had NO problem at all following along with Bloodlines. Sure, there are some spoilers that I pick up from Bloodlines about VA, but reading this has actually convinced me to go and read VA sometime soon!
6. Adrian
   I like Adrian, even though I don't know him from Vampire Academy. But he was significantly less angsty and depressing than I thought he would be at first.
7. That ENDING!
   I won't spoil anything. But the ending is good. I REALLY can't wait for The Golden Lily now! Full of action and surprises.
8. The lack of insta-love
   I'm kind of getting sick of books where the main characters just see each other across a dark room and are instantly in love, and do everything to end up together. So needless to say, I appreciated that there was very little romance in Bloodlines- I know, I know. I enjoy some good romance as much as the next person. But I'm confident that when Richelle Mead actually DOES bring up more romance in this series, it will be amazing. Epic.
9. The nifty lily tattoos
   You know what? I actually really liked the Bloodlines cover. And I like the lily tattoo, I think it's a neat idea. Plus I think it's really pretty- so pretty I went and actually bought a necklace of it from Cadsawan.
10. The twists
    Confession: I didn't see most of them coming. And I really liked that they were surprising, and kept me guessing so that I wasn't sure of what to expect.

If you're curious about Richelle's new series, make sure to check out the Bloodlines official website: there are tons of trailers, extras, and info on the book there.

As well, if you want just a little teaser of the book before you buy it, you can read the first chapter!

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, Chapter 1


Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the Bloodlines tour, even if you missed some of the earlier ones! :)
Aug 23 Tynga's Reviews
Aug 24 Me On Books
Aug 25 A Cupcake and a Latte
Aug 26 whatchYAreading
Aug 29 Dreaming of Books
Aug 30 Just a Lil Lost
Aug 31 He Followed Me Home
Sept 1 Evie Bookish 
Sept 2 Ever Expanding Library
Sept 5 Knit Purl Stitch Read & Cook
Sept 6 Wicked Lil' Pixie
Sept 7 Hands and Home
Sept 8 Snowdrop Dreams of Books
Sept 9 Just Another Story
Sept 12 Bibliomama
Sept 13 Esther's Ever After
Sept 14 Simply Stacie 
Sept 15 Krystal's Stellar Book Blog 
Sept 16 Today's Adventure
Sept 19 Lost for Words

Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Release Date: August 23, 2011
Razorbill/Penguin
ISBN13: 9781595143174

5/5 Stars!

Goodreads Synopsis:
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

I have a small disclaimer to add first:
I have never read Vampire Academy. Or anything by Richelle Mead for that matter.

So, Bloodlines was my very first taste of this living and breathing world created by Mead.

Bloodlines didn't disappointed me at all, even though I was wary of reading it since I hadn't read VA and I'm not into vampires that much. But I can happily say that I am HOOKED. I won't speak for those who are VA fans, but for those unfamiliar with VA or Mead, Bloodlines is the perfect introduction. You want to meet this book and be best friends with it.

Sydney was the perfect main character. I don't think I have ever related more to a character than I did with her. Mead writes her story excellently, and I was fascinated by this alchemist trying to fit in, but not fit in too much with vampires who are trying to blend in with humans. I actually enjoyed reading about the alchemists more than the vampires, because it offered such a unique and refreshing perspective.

The relationships in the book are executed to perfection. Your heart literally breaks watching Sydney struggle with the expectations thrust upon her, and in particular the strain between herself and her father. I was annoyed at first when she would obsess over not being small enough until you realize why she feels that why- and then I just melted completely. No one should ever have to go through that, but at times haven't we all felt like no matter what we do it'll never be enough?

Other reviewers have commented that there's no romance in Bloodlines. And... that's pretty much true. Sydney doesn't have a love plot, but that's amazing in and of itself! Bloodlines wants its relationships to develop gradually. With time. I can't remember the last time I read a YA book that did this; which of course means that if it ever actually reaches that point, the romance will just be THAT much better since we've been (im)patiently waiting for it. ;)

And...I don't think I have a single bad thing to say about this book. I truly loved it and I could honestly sit here and rave about it if you'd let me.

HUGE thank you to Penguin Canada for providing me with an ARC for the upcoming Bloodlines blog tour! The tour will be stopping at Esther's Ever After on September 13th!