aaaaand SHE'S STILL GOT IT. Phew. I was really nervous about Richelle Mead's new book series. To be honest with you, I haven't been reading much YA lately, but I have been counting down to this book's release since Last Sacrifice came out in December.
Ok ok ok ok ok ok. I haven't reviewed anything in awhile, deep breaths. Well. I'll start with the negative, which is worth mentioning, though in the end, upon reflection, did not really impact my over all opinion that much. Richelle I love you but some aspects of this plot were pretty predictable. I knew from the start that Lee was shady. And that obvz the alchemists were involved with the magic tatz. And the fact that this picks up so soon after Last Sacrifice was a bit weird. I'm glad Richelle was sensitive to this and didn't have Adrian and Sydney jump each others' bones immediately. Any of her colleagues would have. But she has patience. And skill! So much skill.
The truth is empirically this: no one else writing in this genre (YA paranormal) understands HOW TO BUILD A FREAKING CHARACTER. Richelle gets it. Sydney has a completely different voice than Rose. She is calm, focused, organized, diligent, thoughtful, where Rose is a maniacal force of death. Both are wonderful characters, but they are so different and so realistic in their separate ways.
Adrian is a vivid, incorrigible, infuriating, yet ultimately smoky hot character. Dimitri is another level altogether: solemn, passionate, and so deadly serious about the things that matter to him.
Point out one character in the Morganville Vampire series or House of Night, or even TWILIGHT, that has half so many traits, that comes to life even remotely as much as any of Richelle's secondary characters, let alone her leads.
Mmmm. So yes I was annoyed with a few plot things but in the end I loved the book. I love Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and the whole crew. I love Adrian more now than I ever did in Vampire Academy. I'm serious: no other writer in this genre has the ability to make me care even 10% as much about the characters. It is inspiring!
Now we have to wait for May though....blegh.
