Review for The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

WARNING
This is the second book in the Bloodlines series and a companion novel to the Vampire Academy series. Although this review will contain no spoilers from The Golden Lily by talking about the plot there may be unintentional spoilers from Bloodlines and the Vampire Academy series.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 12th June 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Vampires, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"It's a risky game protecting vampire secrets, especially when you lie at the heart of the most dangerous of them all. Alchemist Sydney Sage is in hiding at the human boarding school, Amberwood, where she has been tasked with keeping secret and protecting the life of vampire princess, Jill Dragomir. But after a series of attacks, Sydney learns something shocking about the paranormal world she inhabits. Vampire hunters aren't just the stuff of legend. They're real. And someone very close to her maybe one of them..."

Review 
Richelle Meads Vampire Academy series and Bloodlines spin off are my favourite Young Adult series ever, so when a new book comes out I get really excited and have to read it right away and The Golden Lily was no exception. The book begins not long after where Bloodlines left off. Dimitri and Sonya have recently arrived in Palm Springs after the revelations in the last book that Strigoi who are returned to their former selves with the use of spirit magic are immune to being turned again and so the group are going through a series of experiments to see if they can find what’s in Dimitri and Sonya’s blood that prevents them from becoming Strigoi to hopefully discover a cure for the rest of the world.

I loved that Dimitri was very much a main character in this book as I honestly can’t get enough of the Belikov but what I find great about this series is that although Dimitri features a lot in this book the focus is very much on Adrian as the leading male of this series. Although Dimitri is beloved by me he didn’t over shadow Adrian like he did for me in Vampire Academy and I admired Richelle Meads capability of bringing such a strong, well loved, alpha male into this series and yet the story still belongs to Adrian, as for me as a huge Dimitri fan, it could’ve been easy for him to overshadow Adrian and so I was surprised when he didn’t.

Speaking of Adrian I have to say that I finally get him. Don’t get me wrong I really did like Adrian in Vampire Academy but for me it was always meant to be Rose and Dimitri and so I’d get annoyed with Adrian for interfering with that. In this series however now that he’s getting over Rose and him and Dimitri aren’t in competition for her affections anymore I’ve really got to know him as Adrian and not just the guy coming in between my favourite book couple. After reading this book I have to say that I now love Adrian just as much as I do Dimitri and I get why it never worked out for him and Rose and why there was always something missing between them for me and that’s because him and Sydney were 100% made for each other.

Adrian and Sydney guys! There is so much chemistry between them that I can actually feel it like it’s an actual tangible thing which is also how I felt with Rose and Dimitri. Who would have thought that these two unlikely characters would be so absolutely perfect for one another? I certainly didn’t! But it totally works and I want them to get together in the same passionate way that I did for Rose and Dimitri. The romances in these books are done so, so, well and not just between the main characters. Richelle Mead knows not only how to create the swooniest guys but also how to write unbelievable chemistry and sexual tension between a couple that practically sizzles off the pages.

Whereas Bloodlines was all about learning about the alchemists and the after effects of Last Sacrifice The Golden Lily focuses on a subject that was touched upon briefly in Bloodlines, Vampire Hunters, and introduces us to the corrupt group behind them, The Warriors of Light. The Golden Lily is also very much a growing pains book for Sydney. A lot happens in this book that makes her re-evaluate her beliefs as an alchemist and what she’s always believed about the Vampire world. I loved watching Sydney develop as a character as her heart told her one thing and her head another. This book is one giant learning curve for Sydney and I enjoyed reading her conflicting emotions.

Overall if you’re a fan of this series I don’t think The Golden Lily will disappoint. Even though this book did feel more character driven than plot driven I didn’t mind too much because I adore every single one of these characters! This is a book full of character development in both their personalities and relationships with one another; although this book didn’t lead to many huge revelations plot wise it did raise some interesting questions for the next book in the series. Reading a book set in this world be it Vampire Academy or Bloodlines is like coming home and like with all of the other books in the series comes with the highest of recommendations.