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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?
Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy is back in spin-off session in this second installment of her Bloodlines series. Hiding out in a human boarding school in California, alchemist Sydney Sage and princess Jill Dragomir labor frantically to keep their deepest secrets from those around them, but paranormal powers are against them. An evocative standalone; a fast-breaking, frothy young reader read.
Richelle Mead is the author of the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series and its spinoff series, Bloodlines. A lifelong reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses to wear on tour. She is a self-professed coffee addict, works in her pajamas, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is hard at work on her next Bloodlines novel. Visit www.RichelleMead.com to find out more.
Anonymous
Posted January 5, 2012
I read the first book and just fell in love with it. It left me wanting more. Richelle Mead just writes in a way that will keep you wanting more. I read the Vampire Academy series and fell in love with it. And now this series is another one if hers that keeps me wantin more.
22 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is – hands down – my new favorite book of 2012! My only complaint about Golden Lily is that it caused me to lose sleep. I finished this book in one day…and what an emotional day that was!
Normally I would write a little synopsis of the book, but not this time. Richelle Mead’s work speaks for itself. If you’re considering this book, chances are you’ve probably not only read Bloodlines, but also the entire Vampire Academy series; if you haven’t…then welcome to the Richelle fan club. With that said I’m just going to write a few little tidbits about some of the character development within this second installment of the Bloodlines series.
Richelle Mead leads us back to Palm Springs and back into the lives of Jill, Eddie, Sydney, Adrian, and Angeline. We also see more appearances from Dmitri and Sonya Karp than we did in Bloodlines.
Sydney goes through a lot of personal and emotional growth in this sequel. She not only learns more about the real history of Alchemists, but she also starts to realize that she has more loyalty and tolerance for the Moroi and Dhampir races…and that scares her because she doesn’t want that info to get back to the Alchemists because they would send her to the re-education center (which she is terrified of). The prejudice that her upbringing taught her (both from her father and the Alchemists) is very hard for her to overcome and she battles with it every day. The decisions that she makes along her journey in this book will make you…. (Nope, not going to give spoilers, it’s MUCH better to not know what’s going to happen – trust me, it will be worth the wait.)
And let us not forget about the sexy, and ever-inebriated, Adrian. For anyone who fell in love with Adrian during the Vampire Academy series (or even if you just discovered him in Bloodlines), be prepared to completely swoon over him yet again. We’ve all adored this sexy man who seems like he’s in a constant battle with his mental health (thanks to his spirit magic), but in this book Adrian takes it to an all new level. I won’t give more details and spoil the plots twists & turns, but just know that hiding his feelings behind his sardonic quips and his constant smoking and drinking just isn’t going to cut it this time.
Buy Golden Lily and get lost in between the pages. I will definitely be reading this book a couple more times before Bloodlines #3: The Indigo Spell comes out on February 12, 2013!!!
18 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 13, 2012
I Also Recommend:
Very good book. I loved the characters and was sorry to see it end.
14 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Pinhead1
Posted June 23, 2012
I thought that the Vampire Academy books were fascinating, and I loved Richelle Mead's ability to develop endearing characters, place them in a well-constructed and credible world, and then envelop them in a first-rate plot. But, as much as I enjoyed that series, I find that I greatly prefer the first two books of the Bloodlines series.
The cause is not hard to fathom: while I am sure that many will disagree, I consider Sydney Sage a far more interesting protagonist than Rose Hathaway. They have some things in common, such as a determination to do what is necessary to make things right, regardless of whether their actions conflict with the conventions of their respective cultures. Rose, however, spends far too much time acting first and thinking about it later. By temperament and training, she is a warrior, and her first instinct is to resort to physical action in a crisis. while that is fun, it is also limiting.
Sydney, on the other hand, is a very complex person, and much of the fun of the Golden Lily lies in the growth of her character. She is continuously forced by circumstance to confront the discord between her cherished Alchemist beliefs and the reality she experiences in the company of her friends. The unfolding of this internal struggle is a delight, and the end of the Golden Lily leaves the reader impatient for more.
Obviously one should read Bloodlines before reading the Golden Lily, but I would strongly recommend that one also read the Vampire Academy books. While it is useful to have some grounding in the backgrounds of the various characters that appear in both series, that could by and large be dispensed with without fatal harm. However, that is not the case with Sydney. Since the whole point of the Bloodlines series encompasses her moral and spiritual growth, the reader should know her as she was when she first met Rose and began her intimate involvement in the vampire world. The more you understand her beginnings, the more you will appreciate what she becomes. And, besides, everybody should read the Vampire Academy books!
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 8, 2011
Please make this a nook book. I read Bloodlines on my nook and LOVED IT. Hope this is published to nook format to an ebook so that all nook owners like me can enjoy it.
12 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love Richelle Mead. Her Vampire Academy series is my second-favorite fantasy series (only Harry Potter beats it), and I own every one of her young adult novels. (That currently amounts to eight.)
So I guess it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that I loved The Golden Lily.
Mind you, I didn’t love it as much as her other books. There was something lacking in The Golden Lily that I always looked forward to in her other YA novels: the element of surprise. Richelle Mead had always managed to catch me off guard countless times in her Vampire Academy series and a few times in Bloodlines. But I never felt that jolt of surprise when reading The Golden Lily.
I might be giving away a spoiler right now, but honestly I don’t think it matters too much if I do. But the thing is, The Golden Lily involves vampire hunters. Cool, huh? I loved how Richelle Mead managed to address another of those “vampire myths” in this book, so I was pretty happy with the plotline. But, unlike the characters in the novel, I knew vampire hunters was real in the world of Moroi, Strigoi, and dhampirs. With Clarence’s warnings about how he was being hunted by vampire hunters in the past, I could tell. Because coincidences don’t happen in books.
The plotline would have been perfect if only it included that Richelle Mead-esque element of surprise.
On the other hand, I adored the characters. Sydney’s view of vampires has really changed, to the point that she actually likes them. In the Vampire Academy series, we never had that as a problem because Rose was half-vampire herself, but it’s interesting to see Sydney change. She’s still that know-it-all Alchemist, but she’s becoming a tolerant-of-vampires know-it-all Alchemist.
And Adrian. Oh, sigh. Poor, poor Adrian.
The romance in this novel definitely made up for the lack in Bloodlines. Sydney’s caught in a bit of a love triangle, though she doesn’t know it herself. Brayden or Adrian? Of course, she has to be with Adrian (I love them together!), but they still have that pesky issue of human vs. vampire. Sigh. And of course, I wasn’t a big fan of Brayden. He’s annoyingly smart. (Never thought I’d call someone that, hmm.)
The romance was also upped in the supporting characters. Jill is dating Micah, while Angeline (newly recruited former Keeper) tries to get Eddie’s attention. But Eddie longs for Jill. Quite a big circle here, hmm?
That ending made me want to cry. Because it is a cliffhanger for two of the romances in this novel. Urghh.
The Golden Lily was absolutely enchanting and did not lack in action or romance. A masterpiece–but it did fall short of my expectations, because, after all, it’s a Richelle Mead book. And Richelle Mead books simply must be perfect.
Source: Hardcover bought by reviewer
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 5, 2012
Cant wait for the next book, hopefully there will be more adrian and sydney in the future
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 1, 2012
Richelle Mead is a fantastic author and she never fails to keep you on your toes. This spin off to VA is just amazing. If you thought bloodlines was good the sequal was even better. Sydney is just ajusting to life in palm springs when a new threat comes along forcing her to compromise the alchemist morals that have been drilled into her since she was young. Meanwhile she tries to get agrip on her feelings on adrian as more than just a sisterly facade.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 13, 2012
i read the book and ripped my hair out at the end when Adrian told her his true feelings and she walked away from him and left him heart broken!! But the book was amazing, and i excepted no less
4 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 10, 2012
I bet adrian and sydney r gonna hook up!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 2, 2012
IM IN LOVE WITH THESE BOOKS!<3
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 30, 2011
I've been wating for this book forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 6, 2012
Seriously where do I even begin? I was a little hesitant about reading this book because I read Bloodlines like 6 months ago so I was rusty on the whole situation and the characters but.. WOW! There was never a single point in the book where I thought to myself, "Ehh... let's skip this part. It's kind of boring." I was completely sucked in through out the whole book.
Let's just say I'm madly in love with Adrian right now and so heart broken at the same time! Richelle Mead is incredible when it comes to connecting the feelings of the characters with the reader.
I thought Bloodlines was good. The Golden Lily was 10x better. It's a rush of emotions while reading this book. I cannot wait till the 3rd book comes out!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 8, 2012
I am disappointed in this book. It does not have the edge the first book has or the original Vampire Academy series. A lot of the characters felt forced and seemed to lack enthusiasm. I felt like I had to force myself to finish.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 3, 2012
This series is very different than Mead's Vampire Academy series, and that is not bad thing. I enjoy both of these series', and feel like the characters in this series are more believable in the fact that they are not quite as "larger than life" as Rose and Dimitri. Highly reccomended!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 3, 2012
i'm only here to give an honest review so here goes. i found the characters forced and lacking that edge from the original va. i know that sydney is the main character but she didn't have that charm that rosemarie had. i found myself skipping pages to find out what was happening to jill-eddie-adrian and even angeline rather than to read the fears and all of sydney. if not for adrian this book would have lost me. i don't feel the chemistry between adrian and sydney and hope they don't make a relationship she's not right for him imho. i also know that the age for this book is up to 17 years but i gave it a shot baased on the spin-off aspect to va, but i guess i was so wrong. i may and thats a big may buy the next book but i won't be wating on pins and needles like i was for the original. i will scoop up foretold and hope that rose and dimitri's story is better.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 2, 2012
I really wasn't into the first book, but OH MY GOD this one is amazing!!!!
It is definetly worth reading the entire book! I love how naive Sydney is and how she just can't comprehend some of the most basic and obvious things. It made me wantto pull her out of the book and just scream, "Can't you see it!?"
The ending really gets you going. I almost my nook!
WHERE'S THE NEXT BOOK!?
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 20, 2012
I was going to pre order it but i cant wait anymore i want the second book. SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 6, 2012
I loved the entire Vampire Academy series and I really think Richelle Mead done an excellent job with this spin off series. It is absolutely wonderful. I was unable to put this book down. I highly recomened it to anyone, youth and adult alike!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Oh my god...this book! Wow. After enjoying Bloodlines immensely, it was pretty much inevitable that I would love The Golden Lily. This book exceeded all my expectations, and I'm more obsessed with this series now than I already was before. I just can't get enough of it! In Bloodlines, the focus was on learning about the Alchemists and Sydney bonding with her new group of "siblings." We do learn a bit about the Alchemists, magic, and even the so-called vampire hunters in The Golden Lily, but I felt the story mostly revolved around getting to know Sydney more and her evolving relationships with the characters around her. There was slightly more action than in the previous book. It might not be as much as some want; however, I think there's lots of action to come later. And I can't help but to trust where Richelle Mead is going with this story because so far I'm very happy with how she's developing these characters and their relationships. Likeable characters and great relationships are always what I want in the books I read and this series has that, which is why I want to focus on my two favorite characters: Sydney and Adrian! I adore Sydney and Adrian so much. Those two are some of the most awesome characters I've read about. They are both kind, funny (although, I don't think Sydney realizes how hilarious some of the things she says can be), smart (yes, Adrian is; just give him a chance!), and protective of others. And when they're together, they challenge and bring out the best in each other. Their relationship is perfect! I get a big smile on my face and my heart flutters whenever they interact or are even in the same room. I about died from happiness a couple of times while reading this book because of them. They are definitely the main reason why I love this series. Sydney is still uptight at times, but she's opening up quickly and we're starting to see another side of her. While she hasn't gotten over her Alchemists beliefs just yet, she continues to make decisions based on what she believes is right. And some of her actions won't be viewed favorably by the Alchemists at all. It worries me, but I'm impressed with her bravery and glad she has a conscience, unlike other Alchemists. As for Adrian, he keeps surprising me. I feel so guilty now for not caring about him in Vampire Academy. We get to see more of his vulnerable side in this book, and it really hurt to see him down and upset because of the situation with his father and with what spirit does to his mind. I could also include the whole thing with Rose, but I won't. I really don't think it's about that anymore. He deserves a huge hug and so does Sydney! I'm just loving and having lots of fun with the Bloodlines series. And if you thought the ending of the first book was crazy, wait until you read the ending of The Golden Lily. I had to reread it a couple of times because it was that good. It made me wish I had the next book in my hands right now! Thankfully I have other books to distract me in the meantime, but seriously. I need book three. With amazing characters and relationships and a very intriguing story, Bloodlines is well on it's way to becoming one of my all time favorite series. I cannot wait to read more!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
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 ...