The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)

by Richelle Mead

The thrilling second installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series--and a #1 New York Times Bestseller--now in paperback

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

 

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California—tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Reviewed by notajammiedodger on

4 of 5 stars

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The thing that I have really enjoyed most this series so far is getting to see the vampires and their ways from a human perspective. When you are reading a book such as Vampire Academy, you don't really question anything about them because Rose doesn't, it's normal to her. But in the Bloodlines series we get to see how Sydney, with her strong Alchemist beliefs, feels about their magic and the vampires in general. It is really interesting to me to get to experience this world I love so much in a completely different way.

I would probably recommend not reading this review if you have not read the Vampire Academy series, if you haven't then I would highly recommend you give them a go :) Great series, Richelle Mead is a fantastic author. And if you have, and haven't read Bloodlines then I would recommend you do :D Because it is just as awesome as Vampire Academy.

This book revolved a lot more around the development of the relationships between the characters and getting to know Sydney more. Sydney is beginning to come to the realisation that the vampires are not as bad as she has always been lead to believe. In The Golden Lily, she is developing a strong friendship with Jill and Eddie and everyone else, but at the same time is scared of being accused of getting too close with them by the Alchemists and then being sent to a re-education center; so Sydney is dealing with her internal struggle to help her friends and stay loyal to the Alchemists.

Jill annoys me a little bit, but I felt like she was getting a little more mature in this book, beginning to understand and deal with the situation she is in. I love Eddie, I felt so bad for him this whole book (and Bloodlines), and now I feel bad for Jill! :( Brayden really annoyed me; well not so much him as his relationship with Sydney. I don't really want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, those of you that have read the book will know what I am talking about.

And as always I absolutely LOVE Adrian. Again, I don't want to ruin anything. But he's just so adorable, I love him so much 3 When I first read the Vampire Academy series I was totally all for Adrian and Rose being together, but now I am super happy that Sydney and Adrian can be together (I always knew Rose and Dimitri belonged together anyway, I just loved Adrian more). I just think they are so perfect for each other.

I heard/read a lot of things about what happened at the end of this book. I was really worried and scared about it, but I wasn't at all surprised, it was inevitable, I knew that it was going to happen. On that note, some of the things that happened I found to be a little predictable, but not in a bad way at all I assure you, I just saw them coming. Anyway, I should probably wrap it up. I loved this book just as much as I loved Bloodlines, and I cannot wait for the third book in the series The Indigo Spell. What do you think the title means? I have some ideas about what it might relate to.

P.s. I know a lot of parts of this review are horribly vague, but if you come back after you have read the book, you will totally understand what I am talking about :) And i am really sorry about how long it is :/

This review is also on my blog The Confessions of a Book Nerd :)

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 June, 2012: Finished reading
  • 22 June, 2012: Reviewed