Title: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Tags

Alchemists, Bloodlines, book, fiction, review, richelle mead, the indigo spell va

Synopsis:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next. –goodreads

Publisher: Razorbill

Main Characters:

• Sydney Sage
• Adrian Ivashkov
• Jill Dragomir
• Eddie Castile
• Angeline Dawes
• Ms. Jaclyn Terwilliger
• Marcus Finch

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Paranormal

Pages: 401

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Thoughts:

The book came out in the wake of a very big announcement in the Vampire Academy fandom. Hearing the casting news got us, fangirls, screaming like crazy and fidgeting on the edge of our seats waiting for the movie to come out. So far, we know that Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters will come out on February 14, 2014 and stars Zoey Deutch as Rose Hathaway, Danila Kozlovsky (a reall Russian god, mind you!) as Dimitri Belikov and Lucy Fry as Lissa Dragomir. For more details, do visit the official VA movie fanpage.

Besides that, VA fans are also getting teasers from Richelle Mead, Penguin Australia (teasers starring Daisy Masterman and Nic Wheeler) as well as from early reviewers who are sooooo good at taking out quotes from the book that practically made Adrian (Sydrian) fangirls even crazier than they were after reading The Golden Lily. Goodness knows, I’m one of those having a difficult time waiting for the chance to read the book.

Just as I did with The Golden Lily, I dug up the ebook and read this faster than I thought I would. I seriously can’t wait for the release of the fourth installment, The Fiery Heart because I’m sure that it would only be then that my country would manage to release the paperback of The Indigo Spell. What a sad, sad life. Thank heavens I could always reread!

Plot/Story

Richelle had been dropping hints all over the series and was I glad with the development of the story. This book had so many things going on for Sydney so there really was no reason for anyone to get bored with it. I think the pacing has picked up quite a lot in this book which is why I read it so fast despite the ebook format.

There are two things that made this book an amazing read.

One, and definitely the best thing about The Indigo Spell, is Sydrian. This is still tamer than Romitri but heck, Sydrian is the ship that you desperately want to dock on its destination’s port but is always in danger of sinking. Seriously. Well yeah, we know they like love each other but what the hell, their forbidden romance is just so complicated that I can’t help but pull at my hair. Of course, we all know it’ll work out in the end, that theirs is real love and all that but damn…damn. Intelligent writer that Richelle is, she made every second with Adrian and Sydney together count. Like yeah, you can certainly feel the mush and the lust repressed feelings whenever Sydrian is on the page and I guess I’ll have to settle with that–for now.

“I don’t care if you say we can’t be together. I don’t care if you think I’m the most evil, unnatural creature walking on earth. You can think whatever you want, go whatever you want. I’m going to just go on loving you, even if it’s hopeless.”-Adrian Ivashkov

Two, Sydney’s involvement in witchcraft magic. If I ever said that Sydney has a boring life, I take it back. Now this girl’s definitely a fighter. I love the way the magic part was handled and right now, all I can say is that I want my own callistana–and several cats (okay, so maybe just one ’cause my dog’s quite territorial).

You’ll notice that I rated this book with 4.5 stars only as compared to The Golden Lily’s 5 stars. This may be an unpopular opinion considering how much improvement this book was when it comes to plot and pace, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed about Marcus Finch. Honestly speaking, I was expecting a hell of a lot more with his presence but I guess a book can only handle so much. I can’t tell much without spoiling the book but I really think there should be more to Marcus Finch than that. Anyway, all the Sydrian stuff made up for this slight disappointment so I’ll stop complaining. 🙂

Characters

Sydney

Well, talk about character development. The decisions she made and the way she changed yet remained who she really was, well that’s kind of extraordinary. She’s still not the feisty, sassy and rebellious (okay, so maybe she’s gone rebellious) character that some people wanted but seriously, I feel that the development of her character is a lot more evident than Rose’s ever was (not that I don’t like Rose. she’s practically the best character-narrator ever). In all respect, Sydney really is my favorite type of person: the kind that grows on you.

Another thing I like about her is that her abilities do not only require physical strength but also mental strength. I love Rose but I bet she wouldn’t memorize spells just to use magic. 😉

“Metaphors. This was the cost of making out with an artist.”-Sydney Sage

Adrian

This guy. Oh, this guy. He’s the fictional character that I don’t really think I’d ever find in real life. Not only because he’s a vampire but mostly because I haven’t even encountered an artist that’s really hot, what more an artist who’s hot, sensitive and perfect? More than anything else, Adrian made this book. I like how his mere presence messes up with Sydney’s mind and I absolutely adore how well he could understand Sydney. If there’s a character in the series that deserves all the love, it’s him.

One thing I’m worried about though is that he’s slowly becoming too perfect (well, yeah he has faults but those faults are way too forgivable). I don’t like perfect fictional guys and it’s the reason why I’m not as drawn to Dimitri as I was to Adrian. I really wish he gets to show more mistakes (if that’s the right word) because I really like it when there’s acceptance of imperfections.

“Under normal circumstances, you inviting me to the bedroom would be the highlight of my day.”-Adrian Ivashkov

Eddie

I like Eddie but I’m really not a fan of his decision to date Angeline. Upon reading The Indigo Spell, I only have a few words to say: See? I’m right! I really wish he gets more spotlight sometime in the future because he deserves it. I don’t like how his conflicts were all about his love life and I wish there would come a time when he’ll get to shine as bright as the sun or maybe like diamonds and become as fierce and badass as the guardian I’ve known him to be. I definitely think he should get more attention than Marcus Finch. I think a few scenes with Trey post-Angeline-Eddie would satisfy the hell out of me. Hihihi.

Jill

I don’t remember her that much in this book besides her spirit connection with Adrian. I need a lot of Eddie-Jill right now. One thing I’ve noticed is how she’s slowly becoming more mature. I kind of agree with Sydney. Jill has a certain regality that’s growing on me which I hope, yet again, would gain more development in the future.

Angeline

Ha. This girl, although not someone I hate, is nothing but trouble. Seriously. She keeps things more interesting with her mishaps but really, she needs to grow up. If anything, I think this girl needs to get herself involved in some fight with a strigoi. Or maybe a witch.

Ms. Terwilliger

I loooove this teacher! She’s almost motherly to Sydney and that alone earned my loyalty to her. She’s like the adult voice of sanity (or better yet, insanity) for the younger ones. I do wish to see her in action though. Like in real action.

Marcus Finch

If he wanted to be more likeable, I need him to be much more important than he was in this book. Yeah, he did a lot to release Sydney from the golden lily but heck, I need moooore.

Malachi Wolfe

Well, he’s not a main character but he’s well-received ever since The Golden Lily so I’m not surprised of his reappearance in Indigo. As usual, he’s a mystery that’s yet to be solved. I am so freaking excited to finally find out his true identity. *wink*

Writing Style

As usual, Richelle was her brilliant self in this book, particularly with Adrian’s character. I am a fan of Richelle’s ability to turn potentially dull characters and situations into something interesting through dialogue and chemistry. She did a great job with the Sydrian scenes (and all the scenes for that matter) but I really hope the other characters get more of the spotlight. Richelle’s great with subplots so I trust her to continue to deliver another great one in The Fiery Heart. Best thing about it? It’ll have Adrian’s POV in it! *fangirl flail*

“You’re not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic love with a Russian warlord. You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years’ worth of deeply ingrained prejudice and taboo between our two races. Easy.”-Adrian Ivashkov

All in all, this book’s amazing and despite the fact that I have a few disappointments (which are really minor, if I may say) in it. I can’t wait for The Fiery Heart to come out on November 19, 2013! Just a few months away!!!

Title: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Tags

Alchemists, Bloodlines, book, review, richelle mead, The Golden Lily

Synopsis:

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students–children of the wealthy and powerful–carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.- goodreads

Publisher: Razorbill

Main Characters:

• Sydney Sage
• Adrian Ivashkov
• Jill Dragomir
• Eddie Castile
• Angeline Dawes
• Ms. Jaclyn Terwilliger
• Trey Juarez

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Paranormal

Pages: 418

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Thoughts:

I am one of those people who do not like reading ebooks of any format unless I absolutely have no choice or I really cannot wait to get my hands on a printed copy. In this book’s case, it’s the latter. After I finished Bloodlines, my fingers were itching to flip the pages of the next book and knowing that The Golden Lily has been released in several countries already, I find myself in constant restlessness because I knew that there was no way that the paperback version would be released in my country anytime soon. Because of that, I found myself digging through Google’s search results for a pdf copy of the book. One might think it’s illegal to do so but hey, I’m still going to buy the book, you know. Hehe.

It took me sometime to finish this book because of the format I forced myself to read but heck was I glad that I read this book. And then I got totally depressed because I realized that I was going to have to wait for about a year to read the next one. Argh!

“What do you think Dimitri? Is this a good idea, Dimitri? Please give us your blessing so that we can fall down and worship you, Dimitri.”-Adrian

I will have to struggle to get back more details about this book into my head because I read it about a month ago already but hey, I don’t have to go into much detail so I’m sure you’re still going to find the review helpful. 🙂

Plot/Story

The Golden Lily continues the story of Sydney, Adrian, Eddie and Jill from Bloodlines. In this book, the pacing gets faster and more things started happening (more mysteries too) assuring readers that the lacking aspects in Bloodlines are about to be addressed.

I think this one’s a lot (and I mean, a lot) more exciting than the first book and I find that there were only a few places that I would rather skip (typical of me though, I read every single word of the book). Well actually, it had only been just a few paragraphs. Other than that, the book was downright wonderful.

“Adrian was easily distractible by wacky topics and shiny objects.”-Sydney

In this book, there were a lot of instances that brought Sydney closer and closer to magic (mostly because of Ms. Terwilliger’s not so subtle manipulation). It made me think that sooner than later, our favorite Alchemist is going to have to use her own magical abilities to do something world-changing (the book’s world, that is). The vampire hunters subplot as well as the Sydrian (Sydney and Adrian) moments were enough to get me very, very excited and it made me love the book more and more and more. I swear, I’m loving the development of Sydney and Adrian’s relationship more than I thought I would. The development of the Jill-Eddie-Angeline love triangle is also becoming more interesting. The presence of Sonya Karp and Dimitri Belikov was comforting and familiar but one thing I can say, the book is totally not dependent on recurrent major characters.

“You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. I’ll get you out of here, no matter what.”-Adrian

I said in my review of Bloodlines that I felt as if Trey and Ms. Terwilliger seemed to have a bigger role than the first book had let on. Turns out, I was right. That being the case, you have to read The Golden Lily to find out all about it.

Characters

Sydney

I swear, this girl had endeared herself more and more to me because of this book! It wasn’t only about her new found magic nor her blossoming relationship with Adrian but more so because of how socially awkward she was. I mean, she really was very reliable and intelligent but when it come to romance and social events, she was totally clueless. I love the parts where she went on her ‘dates’ and she was always worrying about how to act. In all truth, she really reminded me so much of myself. Her potential is slowly showing itself and I can’t wait for the book that would reveal most of what she can do.

“Adrian, I’m on a date. Why are you here? On my car?”-Sydney

Adrian

I said this before, I think I might have found my favorite YA hero. I was right. This book was enough proof of that. His flaws and his character is pretty much deep, adorable and I don’t know if anybody else is going to agree with me, but yeah, I find his character strong. There was something very complicated about him but that complication made him real. One thing’s for sure, he isn’t perfect but he’s almost there. I also love how his feelings for Sydney developed. There was friendship, admiration, respect and yes, I have a huge feeling, there was love. I’m not throwing away his love for Rose, no, but let’s admit it, Rose and Adrian had been torturous and hopeless but Sydney and Adrian is torturous yet hopeful. And since we all think that Adrian deserves to be happy, we have to place our hopes on Sydrian.

“Sage,” he said. “What are you wearing?”
I sighed and stared down at the dress. “I know. It’s red. Don’t start. I’m tired of hearing about it.”
“Funny,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at it.”

Eddie

There was more of Eddie in this book and yet again, he reminds me of a mixture of Sydney and Dimitri. I like his protective instincts, his honor and his principles. However, I will have to comment on his thoughts and feelings about Jill. Honestly, I wrote about a character that thinks like him and his “I’m not worthy” attitude made me like him a bit less. Especially since he told himself that without even trying to give himself a chance. I liked my character better when he finally revealed his feelings. I hope it happens to Eddie too. Or else I’ll growl at him. For real.

Eddie was intensely dedicated too. Adrian sometimes called him mini-Dimitri.

Jill

Another development is for this particular character. I’d say it was probably good that Angeline showed up because the Dragomir princess seemed a lot more responsible this time. I understand her wish for a normal life but I admired her when she made personal decisions that she knew would be for everyone’s good. She’s starting to make me think her character’s going to  get better and better.

Angeline

I don’t love her but I don’t hate her either. I’ll have to say though that she sometimes irritated the hell out of me because of her irresponsibility. I know she grew up in a different environment but the way she coped up with her new school was almost annoying. The punching I can forgive. The unwise decisions, no. To hell if she’s fifteen. I can be thankful for her change of attitude come the end of the book because of she didn’t, I’ll probably slap her. I hope for better things for her come book 3.

Trey

This will be short. I like Trey as a character (despite everything that happened) and I really, really hope his role didn’t end in this book. I’m pretty sure he’ll be back but since I haven’t read book 3, I can only hope and pray.

“Why couldn’t I be locked away in my room or the library doing something enjoyable, like homework?”-Sydney

Ms. Terwilliger

Weeee!!! I love this teacher! Richelle has already mentioned in Twitter that she’ll have a major role in the series and I must say that she deserves it! She may be a bit pushy and weird but really, I think she’s an amazing teacher. Sydney definitely needed her in this series.

Writing Style

I don’t think I need to make this part long since I already told everyone how much I admire Richelle Mead’s writing and that did not change in this installment. I definitely liked the pacing of this book much better and I look forward to what this author still has in store for us readers. I mean, hello. Just look at the bloody ending. If Richelle continues to do those kinds of endings, I swear I’m going to die of impatience. If only I can force them to publish the next one within a month.

“Slushes. Do you know how much I love those? Cherry, especially.”-Adrian

Honestly, this book’s better than the first and those who stopped reading have missed a lot. All this being said, I cannot wait for the third Bloodlines book, The Indigo Spell. What on earth happened to Marcus Finch?

“If I were him, I would have said, ‘You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth’.”-Adrian to Sydney

Confessions of a Hopeless Reader: Young Adult Novels

Tags

adrian ivashkov, Bloodlines, Confessions, john green, richelle mead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sweet Valley, vampire academy, YA, Young Adult

I know, I know. I ought to have been doing this essay that I was supposed to do but blah. I need a new post for my blog. 😛

So here are some stuff about me and YA books. And damn, I feel old because the teens in Wattpad probably didn’t bother with these because they know Bella, Katniss, and Hermione but not Sabrina, Jessica, and Elizabeth. 😦

#1

The first young adult novel that I have ever read was Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: Up, Up and Away (#28) by Nancy Holder. Kudos to everyone who knows who Sabrina Spellman is! =)

I remember loving this book but to be honest, I’ve forgotten what it was about. Hehe…

#2

The first Sweet Valley High (Francine Pascal) novel that I’ve read was #142, The Big Night. Best twins of the YA universe during the late 90s and early 2000s: Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield! XD

#3

When I became a teenager, I left the YA novels and started devouring Romances (Historicals, in particular). I went back to reading YA when I was eighteen c/o (ehem!) The Twilight Saga.

#4

Since then, I’ve been a fan of Richelle Mead’s YA books: Vampire Academy and Bloodlines.

#5

Adrian Ivashkov (NOT Dimitri Belikov!) is currently my favorite YA Hero. He has dark hair, green eyes and a tormented soul. My literary hero type. =)

#6

I must admit, I am yet to read more YA books. There are lots out there now but well, I am currently poor so not much book-buying in the past year. =(

#7

I cannot find myself attracted to The Vampire Diaries. What is wrong with me?

#8

I’ve tried many times to read the rest of the Harry Potter Series (books 3-7) and The Hunger Games Trilogy (books 2 and 3) but I would always put it down in exchange for a romance novel. *I beg you, do not cut my throat*

#9

I haven’t read a single John Green novel. *Loser me!*

#10

I currently enjoy YA novels because I want to go back to high school/college. *Argh! Please do not remind me that I still haven’t been able to find a job. Huhuhu!*

Gotta love this book. It’s one of my first YA reads but I certainly remember this story (unlike others). I love Ken and Olivia… =)

Title: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Tags

Alchemists, Bloodlines, book, review, richelle mead

Synopsis:

The first book in Richelle Mead’s brand-new teen fiction series – set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

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. – goodreads

Publisher: Razorbill

Main Characters:

• Sydney Sage
• Adrian Ivashkov
• Jill Dragomir
• Eddie Castile

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Paranormal

Pages: 421

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thoughts:

At last! After waiting about a year longer than the other fans, I finally got myself a copy of this book! The bookstores and readers here in my country seem to have moved on from most of the vampire-related books and tortured the Vampire Academy fans before they got to release the paperback version of Bloodlines. I hated how this series didn’t get as much love from local bookstores but I guess I should be thankful that I didn’t have to order online and pay the very expensive shipping costs. If only Richelle Mead’s works had been given more exposure, then readers will know that vampire stories aimed at young adults don’t really suck after all. Oh well.

Perhaps it’s my tendency (or maybe this is an ability?) to forget story details so easily that I managed to treat this VA spin-off like the new series that it is. To be honest, I no longer seem to remember much of Last Sacrifice (VA’s last installment) which I read a little more than a year ago.

And so I read Bloodlines as if all I knew about the Vampire Academy series were stuff I picked out from Wikipedia.

Plot/Story

In this book, the main objective was to reintroduce the world of Strigoi and Moroi vampires as well as dhampirs. But most especially, the book aimed to shift the reader’s focus from the I-love-good-vampires point-of-view to that of a human Alchemist’s.

It must have been difficult for Richelle considering the risks it presented. For one, she was used to taking the role of Rose Hathaway–the half-human, half-vampire (dhampir) narrator of Vampire Academy–that being Sydney Sage, an Alchemist who was trained all her life to think of vampires and dhampirs as unnatural, evil creatures who must never interact with normal human beings, should have been difficult. Also, the readers who would surely read this book are Vampire Academy fans who love the Morois and dhampirs like their own families. It would be hard for them to think like Sydney and dislike or fear these unnatural creatures. Third, the story was narrated by a girl who probably has an obsessive-compulsive disorder and needed to grill her thoughts with lots of details. It was consistent to Sydney’s personality, but readers who prefer sass and action-packed plotlines did not like it that much.

“You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you’re less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone—not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee—push you around.”-Ms. Terwilliger (to Sydney)

The high school setup was almost similar to Vampire Academy’s with a bitch being annoyingly bitchy because of a guy falling head over heels for one of the main characters. I didn’t mind–especially the way that part was resolved. Haha!

Somehow, I really enjoyed the tattoo subplot, as well as Trey and Ms. Terwilliger. I feel myself thinking that there are more to these characters than what the first book was letting on. I look forward to reading the next books because I’m pretty sure Richelle still has lots of surprises in store for her readers.

As much as I loved the book, I also found myself feeling like reading Sydney’s thoughts was exhausting because of her attention to details. There was enough intrigue, yes, but just like some readers, I had hoped for lots of action. Or at least more romance. The story wasn’t supposed to be action-packed but you get what I mean.

Characters

Sydney

I love her because I can relate to her more than I can relate to Rose. I am not quite as detail-obsessed as she was; but her socially awkward personality, the tendency to over think and the fear to break rules were some of the similarities we share. She was not as sassy and her story didn’t involve decapitating Strigoi but her occasional backtalk and outbursts were enough to endear her to me as a worthy heroine. In fact, even though some may say that her character was boring, I think Richelle was able to develop her in an interesting manner. She considers herself less than the ‘perfect’ Rose Hathaway of Vampire Academy but hey, it’s not always easy to relate to a perfect character. 😉 Her detail-overloaded brain sometimes annoys me but it definitely sets her apart from other heroines. 🙂

“I’d been raised to be practical and keep my emotions in check, but I loved cars.”-Sydney Sage

Adrian

Now, this is one of the most well-loved characters that I know. He was so utterly adorable and imperfect that one just can’t help but love him. He was morose and irresponsible in this book but there were hints that better things are to come for him. VA fans compare him to the perfect Dimitri Belikov but honestly, although I thought of Dimitri as hot, he didn’t endear himself to me as much as other fiction heroes I know of. Now reading Bloodlines, the fact that Adrian has brown hair, green eyes and a wounded soul, heck, I have a huge feeling I found my favorite YA hero. His full potential wasn’t released in this book (he has yet to reveal all of his wit and amazing personality) but his first appearance alone was enough to make me love him. I think (and hope) that he would be a more developed hero than Dimitri had been. 🙂

“Everything’s about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up- you’re becoming a star performer in the show.”-Adrian Ivashkov

Eddie

There was little chance for Eddie to shine in Bloodlines because the story did not quite allow it but I kind of liked the glimpses into his personality. Sydney’s attention to details made her think more of the other characters’ behavior and qualities to the point that Eddie’s grief over a dead friend, his protectiveness and his wish to redeem himself from his own eyes kind of touched me more than I thought they would.

Jill

She was the youngest and probably the one with the most number of insecurities. I am not going to blame her because I know a major reason for that but sometimes, I wish she would grow up a little. I am thankful that she was able to overcome some of her insecurities by the time the book was finished. I guess I also pity the fact that she wasn’t getting the kind of normal life she needed (wanted?). I really hope her personality gets developed until she was made worthy to be called princess.

Writing Style

Thinking about it, Richelle Mead is probably one of the authors I trust to deliver a good book. I like how she writes and although she seemed more adept at writing in a manner that’s witty, sassy and action-oriented, I think that she was able to pull off Sydney’s narration. There were times when the constant reminder that vampires are unnatural and evil has been repetitive and annoying but at least it was consistent to the character—which, I can forgive. Some readers said that they couldn’t finish the book because they didn’t like Sydney, because it’s boring or because of any other reason. It took me a longer time to finish it than I originally intended (it was indeed boring at times) but if it’s a good author who’s writing, I really don’t think it’s worth not finishing the book. You won’t find many good YA authors who write in first person these days.

I find myself thinking of whether she should have pursued the third-person point-of-view or not. But then again, something tells me that third person isn’t something Richelle could pull off as easily as first-person. So I guess I’m trusting Sydney to narrate the series well.

Also, I hope Richelle won’t use the Sydney-is-sent-to-reeducation-center-then-she-escapes-and-saves-the-world formula because it is painstakingly similar to the Rose-gets-into-prison-then-she-escapes-and-saves-the-world plot of the Vampire Academy series. Although I trust her as an author, I fear that the publication chronology of the two series will make Sydney a shadow of Rose if that’s how the Bloodlines books will end up. And I really don’t want that to happen.

To conclude, I wouldn’t judge the series yet with just the first book but I’d say that I find this introductory installment a worthy read. If you haven’t read the Vampire Academy series, don’t fret. I’m pretty sure you can enjoy the book even without knowing much about Rose or Dimitri. This series obviously takes on a different road and I don’t think I am disappointed. 🙂

I hope no one bites me.

Tags

blue blood, breaking dawn, cameron dokey, fallen, Harry potter, hunger games, lauren kate, night world, percy jackson, random thoughts, richelle mead, rick riordan, shopaholic, sophie kinsella, suzanne collins, twilight, vampire, vampire academy, vampire diaries

Teens or young adults who have never watched or read a vampire story, raise your hands!

Had this been my thesis problem, I would have dropped it and looked for another topic. It would have taken me forever to find the right number of respondents and of course, I wanted to graduate on time (so I chose ‘Plastikan’. Ahhhh. Those were the days…).

If you haven’t noticed the trend yet, stories that target young adults, especially teens, have shifted from wizards to vampires (and werewolves). I, as a reader, have experienced the shift. One day, everyone was gushing over Harry and his friends, then came Edward and his sparkles. One day, I was trying to finish the HP books (which I haven’t finished yet. *Don’t kill me, Potterheads.*), then I discovered the Twilight Saga (which I finished. *No, I’m not a Twilighter.*).

I honestly loved the fantasy-adventure genre and these books were wonderful stories. Being a romance reader, I think that I never would have bothered with these stories had they not been popular to the point of being adapted into films.

However, I noticed something very different about the two. During the peak of the Potter fame, Harry was king. The other wizard books were either the wise old men (the classics) or the people (the not as famous books). Don’t get me wrong, I respect the other wizard books but let’s admit it, Harry Potter is a legend. The current vampire kingdom is divided into so many political factions (fandoms) that sometimes, the vampire genre annoys me. There was the Twilighters, the fans of The Vampire Diaries, the Blue Blood Series, the Night World Series, my very own Vampire Academy fandom and all the other numerous vampire books. YA shelves in bookstores are filled with so many vampire novels that they’ve become confusing and honestly, the novelty is starting to wear off.

The last time I’ve been to a bookstore to check the romance section shelf, I’ve seen that even adult fiction has started to adapt the romanticized vampire concept. My reaction? Sigh then roll the eyes. After that, I went straight to the names of my favorite romance authors to see which ones I haven’t read yet.

I don’t have anything against vampires (hey, I read about them too) but I think that people are being narrow-minded for thinking that the only books that would sell to teens and young adults are the vampire stories. This is why I applaud the efforts of such authors as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson) and Lauren Kate (Fallen). They used different themes (powers/abilities) and although I have never read any of their works, I am quite sure that they were all something I would enjoy (I’ve been wanting to buy myself the books but my wallet and priorities have other ideas).

The writers of the real vampires (grit and morbidity included) are also very brave as they bring the vampire theme into a balance.

I read a comment in a blog (I don’t remember what. Sorry.) that some authors were even rejected because publishers wanted ‘something with vampires in it’. In my opinion, this (our) generation has had enough vampires than we can read about. Maybe it’s time to discover a new fad. Maybe it’s time we give Edward, Stefan, Damon and all those undead creatures another break (just as we did with Dracula and Lestat. I’m pretty sure they’ll resurface again anyway). Those three authors I’ve mentioned have made good starting points. How about a story about a minotaur? A unicorn who turns into a human? A different take on fairies? A dwarf? Or maybe it’s silly but how about a dog and cat (who turn into humans) love story? I have never read any story with those themes but I’d say they’re welcome into my reading list. Or maybe, YA Lit writers can popularize novels with normal characters again. Sort of like the books with similar themes as How Not to Spend Your Senior Year by Cameron Dokey or the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. With that I’d get some more ideas on how to go through my own writing project. Hehe.

Again, I have nothing against vampire novels but if this trend would still go on for years, I think I would end up hating vampires. Or at least, the romanticized ones. I guess for now, I’d go on to read Richelle Mead’s works, in this case, the Bloodlines Series, but that’s only because I already love the characters in it. A new vampire series would probably be met with a lot of hesitation.

Now this post just made me think why I don’t mind reading romance novels over and over again. Maybe because I do like feeling like I’m in love. Even if it’s just during my reading time.

P.S.

Breaking Dawn: Part 1 is set to be released on November 18, 2011 so mark your calendars. 🙂

The Vampire Diaries Season 3 is also up and currently on air so don’t forget to watch it. 🙂

The 10/20 Bloodlines Challenge

Tags

adrian, Bloodlines, Challenge, dimitri, eddie, Facebook, fiction, jill, richelle mead, rose, sydney, vampire academy

This challenge is for all of us who fell in love with Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian and Adrian in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Series.

The spin-off series which would be launched with the release of Bloodlines on August 23, 2011 features Sydney, Adrian, Jill and Eddie. And of course, just like every VA reader, I am definitely excited to read it. And if you still don’t know, there is an official Facebook fanpage for Bloodlines and all your fellow VA lovers are waiting for you there.

Also, we would love you all the more if you’d like that page because everyone is also hoping to see Jill’s book trailer (and that major plot scene) earlier than what was originally planned. The point is, we want this particular page to get 10, 000 likes to see Jill’s trailer early and we’re down to needing less than a thousand. We need 20, 000 likes before August 23, 2011 to see that major plot reveal. Maybe, you’re the ones we were all waiting for. So go ahead and like the page, yes? 🙂

Here are the book trailers that have been released:

and as teaser for what we all wanted to see:

The 10/20 Bloodlines Challenge Poster

Aren’t you excited? Why don’t you spread the word as well? 🙂

Ours is an Online Relationship

Tags

blog, dimitri, don murphy, Facebook, Internet, lissa, movie adaptation, New Social Media, official movie, OrCom 152, Organizational Communication, preger entertainment, richelle mead, rose, twilight, UP Manila, vampire academy

No, I don’t have a boyfriend online. 😛

However, I can say that one of the best things about Facebook, blogs or any social network site is that you get to be connected with whoever you want to as long as that person is available online.

Right now, there is one big thing (aside from graduation) that I am excited about. It’s the movie adaptation of one of my favorite book series right now—Vampire Academy, written by Richelle Mead. I know, I know. Everyone’s raving about the Twilight Saga movies and some people have decided that we’re having way too many vampires in our world today. However, I simply cannot be excited about this project. The books tell us the story of Rose Hathaway, a dhampir, and her battles for friendship and love. Check Richelle Mead’s website, Facebook fanpage and blog for more information about the books. The series is yet to end so I suggest you go ahead and try reading it so you could share the excitement in waiting for the final book, The Last Sacrifice, to be released in December. 😀

I fell in love with this series because of my friend, Gem Mancilla. She kept telling me (face-to-face and online) to read it and in the end, I was not able to resist it. Soon enough, I bought the first four books and liked Richelle Mead’s fanpage in Facebook.

Well, this goes to show that since I “became a fan”, every time I open my Facebook account, I never forget to check the fanpage for updates about Richelle Mead and the VA (Vampire Academy) series. Sometimes, I “like” her posts and in one time or another, I comment on her status messages or links. It was just so good to know straight from the author herself the things every fan wants to know. And since I also happen to be one of those fans wishing for a movie adaptation of the series, the best news so far is the fact that my wish is about to come true! There will be a VA movie and there is an official Facebook fanpage! Of course you know what I did after knowing this. 😀

The fanpage is operated by Preger Entertainment, the production company that bought the rights for the movie. What’s so good about the fanpage is the fact that they decided to open it up to the fans before they push through with the rest of whatever plans they have. When it was publicized in Richelle’s fanpage, only Preger Entertainment was final. And then, they welcomed the producer, Don Murphy, to their team. However, the studio, the cast, the set, and everything else, are yet to be decided upon. And since that is the situation, it is through this page that fans like me get to give their opinions on who we think would best portray Rose, Dimitri (her love interest), Lissa (her best friend) and the rest of the characters. We also get to give ideas on where to shoot the movie, which people to tap for the production, etc, etc. They are also very accommodating to fans’ queries and would respond as soon as they can. They give updates every now and then to make sure that our enthusiasm are maintained and that we get facts instead of merely false hopes and information. They also push us to participate in discussions and spread the word about the movie.

This move on the part of Richelle and Preger Entertainment is brilliant indeed because they opened up their project to us, the fans, who, in the end, are the people who will actually buy the tickets and watch the movie. By letting us take part in the process, they have encouraged us to promote their project thus, further expanding their market and in the end, making sure that they gain profit. It gave us the feeling that they value our opinions as fans. This move has eliminated the barriers between producers and consumers thus creating a sort of “relationship” between the two. We give them our opinions and they try their best to act on it. They have proven that Social Media has also opened the world of film and entertainment to the moviegoers who are not necessarily specialists in filmmaking. They have realized that in our world today, products, services and projects could no longer be done without paying attention to the opinions they can derive from people outside their organization or specialization. And the best way to get these ideas is through the use of Social Media.