The Book Cats: The Golden Lily review

Title: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

Author: Richelle Mead

Published: June 12th 2012 by Razorbill
Rating:

What it's about:

All Sydney Sage wants to do is go to college, to be normal. But instead she's stuck in a life of undeserved loyalty and secrets. She's an alchemist, one of a group of humans who work to keep the vampire world from the humans, keeping them safe.

Sydney's current assignment is to keep Princess Jill Dragomir safe from assassins who want to create a civil war at high court, at a boarding school in Palm Springs. She's praised for her loyalty and obedience, and is held as an example of a commendable alchemist.

Sydney had always wished for such a title, believing that what she did was important, and that all vampires are bad, but as she gets to know Jill, Eddie, and most of all, Adrian, she discovers that maybe what the alchemists say about the creatures are wrong -- that maybe vampires can be good after all.

And then a shocking discovery is made: Sydney's blood may be a prevention to the coming of the Strigoi -- the most powerful and dangerous of vampires, those that don't die. She knows she should let tests be done on her blood, but what if it's true? What if her blood really is special? What if it's ... magical? That's exactly what Sydney fears most.

But when her loyalties are tested once again, Sydney finds herself torn.

Should she follow the alchemists ... or her heart?

My thoughts:

I love this book! A little too much, I think. I've been a fan of Richelle Mead's books forever, but this one just proves how amazing she is. The Vampire Academy series was always a bit predictable (apart from the ending in Shadow Kiss, of course -- that was totally unexpected) but Bloodlines is completely new, and The Golden Lily (the second book in the series) had me hooked from the very first page. It leaps right into the story, and even though it might seem a bit slow in places, every part is crucial for the story.

We get to know Sydney more, and love her even more, in this book, which is great. Other characters we love from the Vampire Academy series are present, like Dimitri, Sonya, Angeline and the usual suspects from Bloodlines: Adrian, Eddie, Jill and Trey. We're introduced to Brayden, who at first seems to be Sydney's perfect match; he loves intellectual chats and appreciates everything she does. However, the more I got to know him the more I disliked him. He comes across full of himself, a bit of a know-it-all, and he's just plain annoying.

I love the friendship that develops between Sydney and Adrian. Adrian is a great character. He's hilarious and has a sarcastic wit, which I love. He wrote this email to Sydney when he was staying with Dimitri and Sonya:

Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated.
--Prisoner 24601

So funny! I love the reference to Les Misérables. Adrian's definitely my favourite character.
A lot of people don't like reading about Sydney as much as the other characters, but I do. Unlike feisty Rose from Vampire Academy, Sydney is studious and responsible and dedicated, although not always ... Adrian and Sydney spend most of their spare time together, and even though she keeps reminding herself that she's doing it because it's part of her job, it's obvious that Sydney just wants to spend time with him, which she feels guilty about all the time.

The story is far more intriguing than Bloodlines, and it's really starting to take off now. Pieces are connecting together, and I know they will even more so in the next book. And don't hate me for saying this, but I actually enjoy reading about Adrian a teensy bit more than I do Dimitri.

I was glued to the pages of The Golden Lily for two days straight until I finished it, and I wasn't disappointed. The cliff hanger is massive, so now I'm counting down the days until the next book, The Indigo Spell, comes out.

Buy the book:

From:
Booktopia
Dymocks
Abbey's
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Fishpond
Amazon

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