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Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

"An interesting idea, of their being different "kinds" of Vampires and their Guardians that protect them instead of hunting them. Mead ran with a unique concept and for the most part, I felt like it worked. This was definitely a unique take on the Vampire genre, but it has promise."

3 Stars

Pros: Rose is funny at times; she has some good one liners/Christian has a darker past but a good heart, I'd be interested in learning more about him/Mead deals with the difficult concept of depression and self-harm in a careful and compassionate way. 

Cons: All the teenage lust and longing, unrequited love and random hook ups/Rose was a bit of a loose cannon and could be an unapologetic, manipulative, arrogant, hot-headed tease but then again, they're teenagers, so everything is melodramatic and world ending. 

Full Review: 

Rose is the stalwart and steadfast protective best friend of Lissa, the last remaining member of the Dragomir royal family, one of the ruling families of the Moroi, a species of Vampire. The Moroi are able to live amongst humans, for the most part but as they're growing up and coming into their powers, they attend Vampire Academies, schools where they can be monitored, fed and watched over and protected. The school is also where novices, those who wish to become Guardians, the protectors of the Moroi royals, learn their craft. 

Since Lissa's family, the Dragomirs, all died in a tragic accident, Lissa is the last remaining Dragomir and is well on her way to becoming part of the ruling Royal families. Rose is well on her way to becoming a Guardian. Of course, there's that whole messy business of Rose and Lissa having escaped the grounds and managing to live on their own in the human world for almost two years. They're eventually found and returned to Campus, and they try to ease back into the social settings of high school. 

As they attempt to integrate back into Moroi society, Lissa works to re-establish her social status amongst the Royals and Rose tries to focus on her training, with her new hardcore and devastatingly attractive mentor, Dimitri. 

There are, of course, power plays and plots and everyone ends up getting wrapped up in schemes and conspiracies. But for the most part, it was a pretty entertaining read, if you can get past the times of teenage angst. 

I don't know if I'll read the rest of the series, but I enjoyed the book for what it was and though a bit confusing and complicated, Mead has crafted an interesting mythos, with the Moroi, the Strigoi and the Guardians. If anything, I may read the rest of the series to see how she expands upon that. For now, though, I'm glad I read it and I'll let my brain take a little break from all the YA Vampire Fiction. I can only take so much angst at a time. 

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