Vampire Academy 1 - 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.   - from Amazon.com

Mini-review:

Vampire Academy, first book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.
Young Adult, romance, vampire, teens, paranormal
Published by Razorbill

This is a new discovery for me... I know, I know, late comer! I cannot understand why I just found out about this now. I love the book because it is inspired by actual Romanian Myth about two kinds of vampires--the living, good vampire or the Moroi, and the evil undead vampire or the Strigoi. Richelle Mead, a lover of folklore and mythology since a kid, has created a world that has started to live in this first book. Rose Hathaway is a compelling and refreshing character; there's a uniquely strong friendship between her and Lissa; and most of all, Vladimir and Christian are kind of hot! The ending is the total cliffhanger and I have to remind myself that I have work to finish first before I pick up the next book! Hard to put down and well-worth devouring up to the last page. Recommend it to my daughters, though I will have to explain that Damphirs are a totally different kind of breed and they (my daughters) can't have boyfriends until they're in their twenties!

You can read an excerpt here.

Update:

I have finished the Vampire Academy Series, have read Bloodlines, have finished Succubus Series, and now in the last book of the Dark Swan Series. I just can't stop to post what I think. After Shadow Heir, then I'll come back. But I miss Rose! And Georgina!   

Fave Quotes:

"I was crushing on my mentor. Crushing on my older mentor. I had to be out of my mind. He was seven years older than me. Old enough to be my…well, okay, nothing. But still older than me. Seven years was a lot. He'd been learning to write when I was born. When I'd been learning to write and throw books at my teachers, he'd probably been kissing girls. Probably lots of girls, considering how he looked."

"I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent."

"Exaggerate stories about people's families? Say that you hate me? Pretend to be friends with people you think are stupid? Date a guy you don't like?”

"I like him.”

"Like or like?”

"Oh, there's a difference?”

"Yes. Like is when you date a big, blond moron and laugh at his stupid jokes.”

Then, out of nowhere, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was hot and fast and furious, an outpouring of the rage and passion and longing that Christian always kept locked inside of him. Lissa had never been kissed like that, and I felt her respond to it, respond to him—how he made her feel so much more alive than Aaron or anyone else could.

Christian pulled back from the kiss but still kept his face next to hers.

"That's what you do with someone you like.”

"Why did you lie?" I murmured again.

Still holding me in his arms, he looked down at me. I could hear voices and footsteps getting closer.

"Because we can't be together.”

"Because of the age thing, right?" I asked. "Because you're my mentor?”

His fingertip gently wiped away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. "That's part of it," he said. "But also…well, you and I will both be Lissa's guardians someday. I need to protect her at all costs. If a pack of Strigoi come, I need to throw my body between them and her.”

"I know that. Of course that's what you have to do." The black sparkles were dancing in front of my eyes again. I was fading out.

"No. If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”

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