Books: Vampire Academy Series

I don't often feel so strongly attached to a book series as I do with the Vampire Academy Series. I have been devouring these books over the last couple weeks. Going into the series I was rather dismissive, thinking it would be on the Twilight level of vampires going to high school. I couldn't have been more wrong. Granted the series starts at a boarding school but it in no way compares to the recent vampire novels as of late. 

The protagonist of the series is a brash, tough as nails, smart, hilarious young girl named Rose. She is a Dhampir which means that she is half-human half-vampire. As a dhampir it is her duty to be trained and ultimately become a Guardian. She often breaks the rules and acts before thinking, making it all the more fun for the reader. 

In the world created by author Richelle Mead, there are two types of vampires; the Moroi and the Strigoi. The Moroi are the highly logical, civilized version of the vampire. They can interact within the human world without much notice and don't need to kill in order to drink blood. They also have their own form of government and Royal families. The Moroi are born as vampires, so they age just as humans do. The Strigoi on the other hand are the blood thirsty, soul-less, red eyed villians you know from films pre-Twilight and Buffy (I say this because Angel had a soul). They hunt to kill, have chalky white skin, and can't go in the sun. They were turned into becoming Strigoi and thus don't age. It is the Guardian's job to protect the Moroi from the evil dead Strigoi. 

Rose starts this series at boarding school along with Moroi. While she has classes about becoming a guardian, the Moroi have normal high school classes and some not so normal classes such as Vampire Magic. One of the Moroi is her best friend Lissa (short for Vasilisa). The story follows them through their last two years of school which are extremely tumultuous and their life after school, which is just as action filled. 

The reason I love this series so much is because of the characters. No two characters are alike, case in point Rose and Lissa. Rose is loudmouthed, spunky, and always has a good one liner while her best friend Lissa is calm, thoughtful, and a soft-spoken person. Their friends and enemies are just as unique. 

These books have everything; action, suspense, romance, magic, and murder. I just can't say enough good things about these books. I'm currently reading the 6th and final book Last Sacrifice and am already upset that it will end. 

Luckily, Mead has already begun a spinoff series that was released earlier this year, entitled Bloodlines. Bloodlines was actually the reason I decided to read the VA Series, I read it and loved it. But, I would suggest reading VA first because some plot points are given away in the start of Bloodlines. 

If you want to find out more information about the VA series click HERE. Or to purchase the series click HERE.