Vampire Academy 10th Anniversary Edition Paperback – November 29, 2016

I read all six books in this series in less than a week, so I'm not going to be able to give separate reviews on each. I can say that the quality was consistent throughout so I don't feel like I'm misrepresenting anything with a singular review post.First off, Richelle Mead is a great writer and it shows in these books. There is constant conflict that keeps the story going at a rapid pace.She used this series to hold a Master class on hooks. I lost track of how many times I said, "Okay, just one more chapter and I'll put it down," only to read the hook at the end of the chapter and have to continue. With a wife, three kids, and a full time job, this explains why I read them in less than a week :-)Additionally, the books used a simply brilliant method to keep the action flowing. Rose Hathaway, the heroine, has a magical "bond" with her best friend, Lissa. This bond allows Rose to "get inside" Lissa's head, hear her thoughts and see through her eyes. When things get slow in Rose's world, we don't have to read a slow chapter of filler; instead we get insight into Lissa's world, where something exciting is going on. It's such a brilliant device I'm upset I didn't think of it myself.The main characters are likable and relatable. This is a paranormal romance, but is no Twlight. Where Bella Swan is a young woman many girls can relate to, Rose Hathaway is the young woman girls wish they could be. Whereas Twilight is, at its core, an epic love story, Vampire Academy, while having a strong, core romantic thread has a more complex plot and many more subplots. That's not to say Vampire Academy doesn't have its teary moments, but isn't the tissue-box emptying, heart rending story that Twilight is. I'm not making judgement here, I love them both, but wanted to describe the difference.Vampire Academy does address many of the issues facing teens today. It covers bullying, alcohol use, addiction, teen sex, and depression. However, by bringing these subjects into the vampire world, they are presented in a way that, while still impactful, prevents them from getting "too close" to the reader. Overall, I thought it a job well done in presenting these important social items without dragging the reader through the muck to do so.As a parent of a fourteen year old, I have no problem recommending this as a YA series. I would probably recommend mature middle schoolers at a minimum, but while generally conservative on these things, I found nothing objectionable. All of the items listed in the paragraph above are found in the series, but they are not glorified nor superfluous to the story. The scenes of sexual intimacy in the series are tastefully done, neither explicit nor gratuitous and focusing on the emotion at an appropriate level. If you're going to have such scenes in a YA novel, this is how to do them.My only caution to parents is the handling of depression. One of the characters cuts themselves as an outward sign of their depression. This is, unfortunately, more common that we'd like to think and is handled in the boos as delicately as can be done, but parents know their kids. Forewarned is forearmed.In summary, this is a highly enjoyable series, well worthy of the full 5 stars I gave it. It's a series I expect to read multiple times, like rewatching a great movie, the characters and story are good enough to enjoy over and over again.

I first read VAMPIRE ACADEMY more than four years ago. Remembering slow-burning forbidden romance between Rose and Dimitri and pulse-pounding action present throughout the whole series made me want to relive it all over again. Would I love it as much the second time around? I can answer that question with a resounding YES!This is the first book in the series, and sometimes first books can be boring with all the world-building and character development. NOT THIS BOOK! Richelle Mead effortlessly blends together the world of the Moroi, dhampirs, Strigoi, and the Academy with action and memorable characters from the very start. It was very hard to put this book down once I started reading it.The book starts with Rose and Lissa being taken back to the Academy in Montana. Two years prior, Rose had taken Lissa away from their high school, for reasons you’ll find out in the book. Once back at the Academy, the headmistress wants to send Rose away for taking Lissa. But after some persuasion on Dimitri’s part—one of the guardians sent to bring her back—she lets Rose stay subject to some conditions. Rose must stay out of trouble and take on extra training sessions in order to catch up. She assigns Dimitri to be Rose’s trainer. After arriving back on campus, it becomes clear that someone is targeting Lissa and Rose gets worried. Rose is further distracted when she starts to develop very real feelings for Dimitri.I must talk about Rose and Dimitri because it would be a huge injustice if I didn’t. In Vampire Academy, Rose and Dimitri start off as trainer/trainee (not really friends, but something else) but there is clearly a very special connection between them. Rose is the outspoken, witty, strong, and brave person who will do anything to protect her best friend. While Dimitri is brooding, honorable, and the strong, silent type of guy. Basically, he’s my favorite type of hero. Underneath it all is also this wonderful romantic tension that you can cut with a knife! This is where things get good, guys.“Did you see that dress?”“I saw the dress.”“Did you like it?”He didn’t answer. I took that as a yes.“Am I going to endanger my reputation if I wear it to the dance?”When he spoke, I could barely hear him. You’ll endanger the school.”I liked that the reason why they couldn’t be together was something tangible and concrete. It made sense. It is a rule at the Academy that guardians cannot be romantically involved due to the nature of their job—their job is to protect Moroi and they can’t put someone else ahead of that duty. And doesn’t that just bite the big one because, damn, these two would be GREAT together!I won’t go into the explanation of the world in this review because you can figure that out for yourself. However, if you find yourself leery of reading yet another vampire series, don’t because this series is really great. What I love so much about this book is how wonderfully Richelle Mead sets the stage for the rest of the series, while creating an engaging and exciting book that is freaking addictive. You have the subplot with Lissa and Christian, the danger surrounding Lissa, the budding something between Rose and Dimitri, and the dramatics of high school.If you haven’t read this series from start to finish, go right now! If you’re like me and have a weakness for amazing forbidden love stories with twists and turns, then Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series is the series for you! I have always remembered the journey I took when reading through the books the first time and I cannot wait to feel it all over again.

Read the series ages ago and enjoyed it then. Bought it for my daughter and now she gets to enjoy it as well.

Boa leitura

Llegó en la fecha acordado, solo está un poco dañado en la portada, pero nada grave. Todo lo demás está en perfectas condiciones.

I loved

Just by reading the prolouge , I knew this will be fun to read not toention what amazing language the author uses , also adds some humor in them too! 🤩