Navigating Solutions and Darkness

Written January 13, 2016, posted on Feminist Quill Title: The Indigo Spell Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2013 Series: Bloodlines #: 3 Goodreads Rating (Avg.): 4.43 Goodreads Rating (Mine): 4 Spoiler Warning Plot Description:  Having kissed Adrian once, Sydney is now struggling with the realization that she might perhaps return his feelings, even as she continues to follow up on leads that hint towards corruption within her organization, the Alchemists. She also finds herself in danger thanks to a mysterious serial killer witch who is tracking down young magic users and draining them of life and power. The Indigo Spell  begins on a hilarious note: This wasn't the first time I'd been pulled out of bed for a crucial mission. It was, however, the first time I'd been subjected to such a personal line of questioning. "Are you a virgin?" "Huh?" I rubbed my sleepy eyes, just in case this was all some sort of bizarre dream t...

Posted on Feminist Quill , on December 19, 2015 Title: Bloodlines Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2011 Series: Bloodlines ( Series sequel to the  Vampire Academy series) #:  1 Goodreads Rating (Avg.): 4.22 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  3 Insert the Usual and Mandatory Spoiler Warning Here Plot Description:  In this series sequel to Mead's  Vampire Academy  series, we revisit the world of dhampirs and Moroi - and the much overlooked human component of this world, the Alchemists. We're following the continued story of Sydney Sage, a minor but favourite VA  character who made her first appearance in  Blood Promise , the fourth book of that series. We're also following complete fan favourite Adrian Ivashkov, who, broken hearted and looking for meaning in life, is drawn to Sydney as the two of them work on a new assignment together. I have to admit, when I first heard of the idea of Adrian and Sydney gettin...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill, written on August 16, 2015 Title:  Last Sacrifice Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2010 Series:  Vampire  Academy #:  6 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.46 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 Beware: The Inevitable... SPOILERS! Last Sacrifice  is the  Fast and the Furious  and  Die Hard   2: Die Harder  all rolled into one of the  VA  series. And I'm not just saying that because of the inordinate amounts of C4 explosive in this book. In  Last Sacrifice , the gang goes from under-the-radar hijinks to an IN-YOUR-FACE, GOVERNMENT level of hijinks. The Moroi government should really have known better than to put Abe Mazur's daughter in jail and try her for a capital crime. Just saying. Just as in  Blood Promise , the books splits itself to follow two storylines, once again through that unique narrative device of having Rose see through Lissa's eyes. I...

Crossposted from Feminist Quill , written on August 16, 2015 Title:  Spirit Bound Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2010 Series:  Vampire  Academy #:  5 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.38 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 Considering how long the previous post ended up being, I should make this one short and sweet : Hijinks! (And some regrettable death). Spoilers! After the darkness that was  Blood Promise ,  Spirit Bound  is back to the basics. And if there's some residual darkness tingeing the book, I'm sure we can forgive and forget, all things considered. And by 'all things' I mean there's a raging strigoi on the loose. Despite having graduated near the top of her class, Rose's future is lacking in real job prospects due to her reputation as an unreliable vigilante with little respect for the rules. So she's largely left to her own devices, and shenanigans are on her mind. First stop, Vegas! (Well, no...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill , written on August 1, 2015 Title:  Blood Promise Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2009 Series:  Vampire   Academy #:   4 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.37 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 WARNING: SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 3 AND 4 VA  deals with the issue of faith through the perspective of several characters. Moroi society, having as it does its roots in Eastern Europe, is largely Orthodox Christian in their beliefs, and take their religious ceremonies very seriously. And they have good reason for doing so, seeing as they have proof of holiness and lack thereof in the Strigoi, who cannot enter holy ground. Personal faith, however, varies from individual to individual as it is wont to do in any society. There are the religiously devout, like Lissa (don't you just  know  she's going to be religiously devout, goody two-shoes that she is?). There are the agnostic, like Rose, who...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill , July 22, 2015 Title:  Shadow Kiss Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2008 Series:  Vampire   Academy #:   3 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.41 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 SPOILER WARNING For Books 1, 2 and 3 Shadow Kiss  is in a lot of senses, the coming of age novel of the  VA  series. Yes, Rose turns 18 in this book. She also gets her first glimpse of life as an adult (on her visit to the Moroi court), gets an idea of how things work in real life, where you're expected to bend your life around other peoples' priorities, and experiences death and loss on a vast scale. It's almost as though, after watching a close friend die in  Frostbite,  life is now telling her,  "You think you're strong? You don't know what real pain is yet."  At the end of the book, when she takes advantage of her birthday and her newly adult status by leaving the Academy on a suic...

Crossposting from Feminist Quill, written July 22, 2015 Book Title:  Frostbite Author:  Richelle Mead Year of Publication:  2008 Series:  Vampire Academy #:  2 Goodreads Rating (Avg.):  4.31 Goodreads Rating (Mine):  5 Plot Description:  The sequel to  Vampire Academy  picks up a few months after the first, showing a new stage in Rose's guardian training. Running away from the school for two years had meant that she spent the first book trying to catch up with her classmates, and  Frostbite  opens with her Qualifier exam - one which requires an external guardian to evaluate her progress. As her mentor, it seems Dimitri was able to get her an interview with one of the most legendary guardians around, and as a bonus, this means Rose gets to roadtrip alone with her crush. Her cute triumph at having scored ten hours of being alone with him soon dovetails neatly with tragedy - a Strigoi attack at their destinat...