OK, you were all correct. Vampire Academy is a great book. It’s taken me a while to get started on this series, but I’m glad I finally did.
First of all, I don’t think this book can really be compared to Twilight.This story doesn’t involve vampires hiding out in the general public. They are at a special school for vampires (Moroi) and their guardians (Dhampir.) And the romance is not the driving force of the story.
Rose is Lissa’s best friend and guardian, but they are in trouble. They’ve just been found and returned to the academy after a two-year escape. There’s a lot of mystery about why they escaped. There’s an interesting dynamic as they try to assimilate back into the academy’s life. Lissa is royalty, so what she did was extremely bad for the Moroi. Lissa is still in danger, but the administration doesn’t realize it, and they are keeping her and Rose apart.
Fortunately, Rose can feel what Lissa feels – and sometimes she can even get into her mind and see what she is doing, so she can still provide some protection. Rose has been assigned a special trainer, Dimitri, to help her catch up, and they form a special bond.
Mead writes in first person, from Rose’s POV, but since Rose can get into Lissa’s mind, we get a third person perspective too. I thought this was kind of cheating, but it worked for the story.
I enjoyed learning the lore of the Moroi, Dhampir, and Strigoi. This is a well-crafted history that I’m sure will shape the entire series. The characters are interesting – there’s a typical “high school” drama mixed in with the magic and danger. The romance isn’t a big part of this story, and it doesn’t take over. There’s a slow building of interest – no “insta-love.”
And, thankfully, there is a tense, exciting climax and a resolution of this episode even though this is a series. No huge cliffhanger, but enough of a back story to make me want to read more about these characters. This is the way a series should be. No stopping in the middle of the story. Kudos to Mead! Bring on Frostbite.
Recommend this to teens who like vampire stories, boarding school stories, or really any paranormal fans. I think mostly girls read this, but there’s enough action and strong male characters that I think boys could be entertained (at least so far….)
Published by Razorbill, 2007
Copy obtained from the library
332 pages
Rating: 4/5
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