Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)

by Richelle Mead

[Angie]

Frostbite is a sequel which is much stronger than its predecessor. While Vampire Academy focused on world building, Frostbite actually started establishing the overarching plot for the series. It also had its own self-contained plot which was much better than the first's. There are Strigoi out and about, and they've made their presence known by killing entire households full of Moroi and their guardians. Plus, they've gotten some help from humans, which means the Moroi are no longer as safe during the day. With the holidays upon them, the powers that be at St. Vladimir have decided to send all of the students away to an exclusive ski resort to get away from danger and to be with their families. Of course, this doesn't stop certain teenagers from sneaking away and trying to prove themselves in the real world...

The author does a great job of recapping what happened in the previous book at the start of Frostbite. There's a really annoying prologue in which Rose goes over everything that went down. This is actually great if it's been awhile since you read the first book, or just don't have a good memory, but if you've read it recently, it's okay to skip over. In addition to this, there are little bits of recap scattered here and there, which are actually enough without going overboard, and make the prologue unnecessary.

Like I said, Frostbite sets up for the bigger picture of the series which is not only the looming threat of Strigoi, but the tension between Moroi (especially the royals) and the Dhampir (specifically, guardians). With the Strigoi organizing into large groups and getting humans to do their dirty work, more vampires are being killed than ever. Moroi are already a diminishing race, but there still aren't enough guardians to protect them all. Some think that Moroi should be taught to fight and learn to use magic offensively, while those opposing believe that they need the teens to graduate earlier and that the dhampir women--who have chosen to raise families--should be brought in and trained as guardians. It's a big mess, with everyone arguing instead of actually doing anything. No wonder under-trained teenagers take off to kill Strigoi on their own.

Frostbitee is also where we meet one of my favorite characters, Adrian Ivashkov. I am firmly on Team Dimitri, but I still adore Adrian. He may be a royal from the most prestigious family, but he still does his own thing. He's kind of a bad boy, but not really. He's just...Adrian. All of his scenes made me smile. But he still does not come close to Dimitri who made my cheeks hurt from the huge grins he caused! I love, love, love Rose and Dimitri together! I cannot get enough of them! Even when they're not doing anything particularly romantic, I still love how they interact. They're just amazing and meant for each other.

Speaking of the men of Frostbite, I have to mention Mason. He's such a sweetie and he's funny. I really enjoyed getting to know him better (again) in this book, and the way Rose treats him really upset me! She's not a bad person, and I actually found their odd relationship quite realistic, but still. He deserved so much better than than! And that ending! Nooo! How could I have forgotten that happened?!

So Frostbite is a winner in my book, for the second time. If you struggled with the first book, or found it incredibly shallow (which it kind of is), I'd highly recommend giving this one a try. It expands on the world introduced, but it takes on a darker tone as the actual problems come to the front. The plot doesn't really start until the halfway mark, but it's still enjoyable before then. However, this series does get better and better!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.