Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.
{taken from goodreads.com}






Yes, you are reading this correctly - I am writing a review for the FIRST book in the Vampire Academy series because I am just now reading them.  I can not tell you how many times I've heard from people, "you haven't read Vampire Academy yet??!!" Well now I can say, YES I HAVE!  I had mixed emotions about these books, the first one especially.  Lots of people had told me the first book isn't that great, but if you stick with it they get better.  The idea of buying a not so great book didn't thrill me & then having to purchase the rest in the series? (I'm a book hoarder as Anna refers to me, I don't borrow from the library lol) So I think that put me off too.  But THEN the awesome Jamie hosted a giveaway for the first 5 books & I thought - why not? It must have been a sign that I needed to read these because I won!  And so my adventure with Vampire Academy begins...

The book starts out throwing you in the middle of the story.  There isn't much prepping & immediately my senses are on high alert because something crazy is happening or about to happen.  If you read my reviews, then you know that when a book begins right in the thick of things that's a sign I'll enjoy it.  I liked that the author Richelle Mead began the story with action, yet she was also explaining things & setting the foundation for the story at the same time.  Sometimes I read books that explain stuff way too much & I lose interest in it all together.  Richelle did a fabulous job of keeping me entertained.

The book is told through the eyes of a teenage girl named Rose.  The other main character in this story is Lissa, Rose's best friend.  We learn that Lissa is a vampire, known as Moroi, and Rose is her bodyguard soon-to-be-guardian, a Dhampir.  This world that Richelle has created consists of Moroi, Dhampirs, and Strigois - which is the worst of the kind.  Once I understood the make up of who everyone was, the story began to make more sense to me.  The story begins with Rose & Lissa being captured & taken back to the Academy, the school where vampires and their guardians are brought up.  It is here that they are meant to learn who they are & what their role in society is, but something dark has fallen upon Rose & Lissa and has made them feel unsafe at the Academy.  Due to their irresponsible behavior, Lissa has been given a new guardian to watch over her & also to act as mentor to Rose.  In walks the hot, sultry Russian Dimitry.  Every vampire book has one.  And every fangirl squeels when his name is mentioned on the page.  I know I did!  It has now become Dimitri's job to protect Lissa, and train Rose to be the guardian she will become one day for Lissa.

Rose & Lissa share a powerful bond between one another.  Rose has the ability to go inside Lissa's mind & see her life through Lissa's eyes.  At first this trickery was done spontaneously, but Rose begins to understand she has control over it & can do it on her own freewill.  Through the bond, Rose also feels what Lissa feels.  When Lissa is upset or in pain, Rose knows it.  Certain events occur involving dead animals being mysteriously placed in Lissa's bedroom & backpack.  We learn from flashbacks that Rose encounters, that this is not a coincidence, that Lissa is pulled to these dying or hurt animals & feels the need to cure them.  However - Rose is not the only one who has witnessed this, someone else knows Lissa's secret too.

As the story continues, so does Rose's feelings for Dimitri.  He isn't just the good looking mentor to her anymore, she realizes he's the first boy (or I should say man since he is 7 years older than her) that she has felt true feelings for.  Rose has always been the rebel, the outspoken one, the good looking girl who knows it & uses it towards her advantage.  But with Dimitri known of that matters.  Though he may or may not return the feelings, he understands that he is Lissa's guardian & that Rose will soon be her guardian too, leaving them in a partnership to protect Lissa together.  This results in the two of them having to put their feelings aside & protect Lissa first.  And this also results in me screaming at the book because I want them together!!

The suspense in this book is what held me on.  There was never a dull moment.  Knowing that I have 5 more books to read in the series, I knew I would not be getting all the answers in the first book.  Vampire Academy gave me just enough taste to want more.  Look out for book #2, Frostbite, I'm sure I'll devour it in no time!