Waiting on Wednesday (6)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

On an irrelevant note, I'm sorry for the lack of reviews in the past couple of months. As you may have heard from our other posts, we have been very hectic. Also, April has decided to step down for now. And even though she won't be publishing anything in the near future, she's still a part of the Book Away family so her info will still be kept up. That just means that I have twice as much work no, but bear with me!  Hopefully I'll be back on track soon!

I thought we'd get back into the swing of things by doing a Waiting on Wednesday. What am I waiting for you ask? I'm waiting for The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead. It's the 4th installment to the Bloodlines series.

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

Expected Publishing Date: November 19, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Hardcover, 438 pages

Age Range: Young Adult
Series: Bloodlines

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Richelle Mead

Summary from Goodreads:

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

So I'm kind of excited for this! A part of the book will be from Adrian's POV. And I have always been Team Adrian so I am definitely excited for this book!

I've included the excerpts available from Richelle Mead's website.

Also, if you pre-order your copy of The Fiery Heart through the link above, the one that says Richelle Mead, it will take you to her page where you can read about getting a signed copy.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday? Did this make your list?

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 421
Publisher: Razor Pill (Penguin), 2011 Hardcover

Goodreads summary:
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My summary:

First, let me state immediatly that if you haven't yet read Last Sacrifce and plan on doing so, do not read this book. I know that it stands apart from Vampire Academy, but it often goes back to what happens in that book. So that would be some major spoilage.

Secondly, I don't think you actually have to read the Vampire Academy series to read this book. As I just said, it does tell you the vital things that happened in the last series so that you understand what happened, but you just won't get that connection to the characters, since most were introduced through out VA.

Now, let's get this review started shall we?

Definitely better than I was hoping! But then again, I kind of had set it at a low standard to begin with. Not that Richelle Mead's writing is bad, it's just that I didn't think anything would be as good as the Vampire Academy again.

I'm so glad I was proved wrong!

The writing was excellent, once more drawing you into the mystery of what was happening. The book engulfs your attention, making you turn the page over and over again until you reach the end. It was wonderful!

The characters definitely played a part in it. Since most were reaccuring characters, I already had that bond with them. Their personalities weren't much different that Vampire Academy, so it wasn't liking they had been rewritten completley. Of course, actions and events change a person in real life, so they were a tiny bit different from the Vampire Academy series.

Eddie, continues to be my favorite! Though now he's a bit more serious.

Jill, Oh you'll love (or not) the plot twist in this one with her.

Adrian, still in love with him. Though possibly now even more! Alas, his heart still seems to be yearning for Rose. But I wonder if that will change soon.

Sydney! The main character of this story, she's by far the most interesting. Her conflicts seem so real, the eternal battle she has with what she knows and with what she grew up with. I feel like this happens often, in the real world and mostly with religion. I have the conflict myself at times, which makes it so much more interesting and personal.

The plot: interesting, though it would seem to have been done before. But of course, the little things Richelle Mead adds to the story makes it interesting and unique in its own way. The setting is great! I always wondered how they would fit in. The problem, interesting.

The new characters are some you're going to love and hate! Just as its meant to be. They're great, and I can't wait for all of you to enjoy them!

Overall: It was a good book, well written and definitley something all Vampire Academy readers will enjoy.

Rating: 4.3/5

Did I fall in love with the book: No, but close.
Would I reccommend it for someone else: Yes! Especially if you read VA.

Here's the book trailer for it. When I first saw it, I thought they were making a TV show. Then I kind of freaked out. So enjoy the USA TV Spot.

Review: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice

Author: Richelle Mead

Pages: 594

Hardcover, Penguin Group

Goodreads summary:
Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.
She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?

My review:

**spoiler alert**
It was exactly what I had expected of the Last Book and sometimes even more.

First of all, did anyone else see that big plan to blow things up coming? I mean, yes, Rose is in jail, but I never thought that the group would destroy precious statues to acheive the goal. Yet they did.

I'm glad that Sydney was brought back, and that she played a bigger part and we got to know her better. I'm glad we got to see many more characters.

What I did not like, personally, was how the ending happened. It's great! I mean, there are enough secrets still left in the unanswered for Richelle Mead to continue her spin-off series. I just don't like how I must wait so much more to find out the answers to what happens!

At times I wish Rose would have matured a little more after what had happened. I know she's only 18, but she's gone through so many more things that a normal 18 year old does. Some how, I would have thought it would have made her...humble? But no, and Adrian tells her so. She doesn't really care what happens to others as long as she get what she wants. I mean, look at Eddie, Jill and Sydney. They're exactly in the situations Adrian said they were.

And the way that she used Adrian! We all knew all along that she loved Dimitri, and that she always would. She knew it too, but she kept strining Adrian along, making herself believe that she did love him. I think she did, in a diffrent way, but in the end she seemed to see the benefit in having him around more. Like as a messanger, to get her ideas implamented where she wasn't. For money in her trip to Russia. Basically, he was meant to replace Dimitri until her Dimka fully returned. She at least owed him as much as waiting to tell him they were through before cheating on him with Dimitri!

The only sane one is Christian. He knew what had to be done and he worked for it, while trying to watch out for other people's toes. He was there for Lisa, rallying her up, keeping her safe, loving her. He did everything Rose is supposed to do, without hurting anyone like she did. Now, she doesn't even have the bond over him.

The bond thing, did that bother anyone else? I mean, she died, shadow-kissed, almost died and that made her un-shadow kissed? I feel like that was too easy. The bond was the one thing that made her such a great guardian to Lisa too. Now she's just normal, she doesn't have that sixth-sense that connects her to Lisa anymore. She not going to feel the danger, which is much more improtant now than before since Lisa is now the Queen.

I saw that coming, Lisa becoming Queen. I was really happy with it too. She knew how to handle the politics of the Moroi and the Dhampir. I am afraid for Jill though, Lisa doesn't seem to keen about her.

I love this book because it was unpredicatable, with new twists and turns that kept me reading, and also predicatable enough that I had to keep reading to make sure I was right. That's the thing with Richelle's Vampire Academy series, you think you've solved it, and she just throws in another person, another clue.

What I didn't see coming was the Tasha thing. I mean wow! Can you say twist? I mean, yeah, I could see Daniella doing somehting like that through out the book, but it isn't until you stopped and looked at everything before you that you went no way, it can't be her.

Now I can't wait to see how this story continues. 4/5 stars

-A

Review: Blood Promise

Title: Blood Promise

Author: Richelle Mead

Pages: 503

Hardcover, Razorbill

Goodreads summary:
After the massacre at Vampire Academy, Rose Hathaway faces the most task of her life and she knows that she must do it alone. With Mason departed for the other world, Rose must hunt down and kill Dimitri Belikov, the man she most loves. The fourth nail-biting episode of Richelle Mead's popular vampire series dramatically shows the fatal power of a promise.

My review:

**spoiler alert**

Two words. HE'S ALIVE?!

The book is interesting from the beginning, having Rose in Russia and up to her old ways. I thought the Alchemists where a bit odd to have in this book, but I guess it explained some of the things relating from the Human world to the Mori world.

One of the things I like about Richelle Mead's books is that she takes the time to go into the background of some of the main characters while making it exciting to read. It never occured to me that Rose would have met the Belikov family, let alone live with them. I was sad to see how Viktoria's relationship with Rose ended though, that was sad since they could have been good friends.

I knew Dimitri had turned, but I never knew he would act like one of them. I knew he would, but it still came as a shock when that happened. The way he thought. I was amazed at how he really believed that he was right and that the rest of the world was wrong about the Stigori. I have to admit though that I did get mad at Rose for acting the way she did. I mean, she could have escaped earlier!!!!

I really didn't expect to see much of Lissa in this book, so I was really happy how Richelle made a mini story for her and the rest of the Academy. I love how the two tied together in the end. I didn't expect Avery to be a spirit user either, but then again I knew there was something fishy about her...she just seemed out of place somehow.

I'm sooo glad there's going to be a next one, and now Dimitri's words are going to be haunting Rose for the next two and a half months she has left at the Academy. I can't believe he survived the stake and that he's coming after her. I can't believe Richelle made a way for him to be 'normal' again. I can't believe THAT HE'S ALIVE!!! To an extent.

So here's to waiting for the next, and hoping it's also 4/5 stars!

-A