Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Here I am for the final time with a Vampire Academy book reread review! On the off chance you missed the previous posts, this is a part of Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. Like for SK and BP, I'm skipping a discription, but if you're interested: Goodreads. Reread reviews for previous books: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise. And once more SPOILER warning!! Unavoidable BIG spoilers for all previous books.

It goes without saying at this point that the Vampire Academy series is one of my favourite and one of the strongest YA series out there. Books 1-4 are all fantastic and Spirit Bound was one I was once again very excited for and that fully lived up to expectations.

That said, there are parts of Spirit Bound that I had a very hard time reading. There are parts that made me laugh out loud, others that shocked me and left me breathless, and others that I just outright loved. While I didn't love or even like parts of Spirit Bound, I understood exactly why Richelle had things play out as they did and I was left very satisfied with the story as a whole.  Rose was not always the smartest girl in this book. She made a lot of spur of the moment decisions, based more on emotion than logic or sense, and she paid the price for it.  I wanted to shake her at times and tell her to wake up, to stop being an idiot and realise the truth.

I really enjoyed how some of the lesser side plots with various side characters played out as well. Nothing in this series has worked out easily for anyone, there are no easy answers or easy outs, and I love that! Actions have consequences and Richelle never ignores that. One of my favourite side characters from this series is Abe Mazur, and I was very happy to see more of him here in Spirit Bound and I'm more than a little curious to see what role he will play in the final book.

I loathe spoilers and to avoid leading ones here let me simply say that a lot happens in Spirit Bound. Several things from previous books are dealt with, at least particially, whilst still new questions appear. Spirit Bound is very different to the previous books as Rose and the others no longer students, but adults trying to find their way and place in the Royal Court. There is some great and unexpected character development throughout the book and the ending was shocking, a real smack in the face, leaving me hungry for more! It's a hell of a cliff hanger, though not quite the intensity of Shadow Kiss [book #3]. Spirit Bound was an emotional roller coaster. Rose may have been out in the world killing Strigoi, but it doesn't mean she's ready for everything she faces. I wish I had some certainty about at least a few things that could happen in Last Sacrifice, but the truth is, Richelle has surprised me with every book to date and I don't see Last Sacrifice being any different. Bring it on! Rating: 10/10


Reread Thoughts

First time I read Spirit Bound I kept putting it down and walking away because Rose was tearing me apart with her decisions and actions. It was that, or throw it at the wall. I did then and still do now, believe that it was completely in character for her to be as she was, but that doesn't mean it was easy for me to read or that I didn't want to smack her repeatedly, yelling at her that she was being an idiot. Rose doesn't show her pain or uncertainty. She wasn't about to get over what happened to Dimitri within weeks, but she wasn't going to stand around and pine either. She was pro-active, tried to move on because it was the 'right' thing to do, she was caught between hope and reality. Sure little things could have been handled a little different and still work to the same effect, but as I said, I felt what happened was entierly within character so I'm happy with it despite not agreeing with certain things!

This is the first time I've reread Spirit Bound because it was so hard to get through that first time. I wondered if I'd have such a strong reaction again, but actually, I loved rereading it probably more than I loved it first time around. It helped knowing what was going to happen and none of the uncertainty about whether Dimitri would be saved or not because obviously I already knew the answer to that one. The tension in the ending was almost as high as first time around, and the moment that almost did have me throwing the book at the wall (repeatedly) made me cringe just as hard as well. But the final two and half chapters = total love!!

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Book #4 of the Vampire Academy series reread for Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. SPOILER warning. I can't review this without MASSIVE spoilers for Shadow Kiss (book #3) sorry about that, but it's just not possible for me. So skip this if you've not read that far. Like my Shadow Kiss reread review, I'm skipping attempting my own summery of the book: Goodreads description. Previous reread reviews: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss.

Shadow Kiss was heartbreaking. It changed everything for Rose, because how could she not be seriously affected and tainted by what happened, or by the task now ahead of her? I know there are plenty of people who didn't like this book. They found it flat, or underwhelming, or too different, or many other things. That wasn't the case for me. I thought it was all handled brilliantly. In Blood Promise Rose is away from the Academy, away from Lissa, the man she loves is the thing he never wanted to be, and as far as she's concerned, it's up to her to save him the only way possible, by killing him and giving him true death. There is still some sass in her, but it's seriously tempered by her grief. Rose is still strong, still capable, but she's facing something bigger than she's ever faced before. She's barely 18, confused, broken and desperate to believe the reality she is facing, isn't true. And everything she does, every tough choice, every moment she hesitates, just....fits.

Rose's emotional state aside, there is still plenty going on. I love the change of scenery, seeing Rose out there in the real world, unprotected. We get to meet some awesome new characters, and some of whom I would love to see more of. I want to say which ones exactly, but I fear it'd be too easy for me to end up revealing spoilers, so I'll stay quiet. I thoroughly enjoyed Rose's interactions with the new characters. She learnt a lot from them, from seeing a different part of her world, outside the school. There is plenty of action still, especially in the second half, though I admit the first half does have a slower pace to it. I actually think that works in it's favor. For Rose to find Dimitri instantly would be too easy, then what would happen for the rest of the book? No, I think it works very well. There is a balance that had to be struck and I think Richelle got it pretty spot on. It gave Rose a change to explore her new surroundings and meet people who she needed to meet.

I lost count of the number of times I ended up in tears the first time I read this. I still cried repeatedly during the rereads. It's a heart wrenching book. There is fresh pain and grief, and memories of the better times. The contrast is startling, both brought tears. And every read of Blood Promise has left me feeling very conflicted. It's too painful for the book to be my favourite of the series, but it's a very important book and very well done. I am always left impressed, sad, and with a slight queasy feeling about the final couple of chapters. I think its the right way for the book/series to go, but they didn't, and still don't, fit comfortably with me for some reason. Rose just felt a little bit 'off' for lack of a better word. However, like I said, still the right direction for the series, maybe just a little sudden for me when I am still reeling from the rest at that point. The final couple of pages though, that last twist, I loved.

Overall, a fantastic book. Very dark, very painful, full of grief, but still brilliant. Left me desperate for Spirit Bound, wondering if maybe, just maybe, what I want more than anything could still happen. Rating: 9/10

Reread Thoughts - this hits spoiler territory, in a semi vague way.

Like with Shadow Kiss, my thoughts are pretty much identical to first time through. I love reading the flashbacks, Rose remembering happier times with Dimitri. They kill me because I know he's gone, but I love and treasure them as well because they're the real Dimitri. The guy I fell in love with right alongside Rose. They're what Rose should, rightly, cling to.

I still, no matter the rereads, can not stand evil, Strigoi Dimitri. It's brutal seeing him so twisted from what he was, and there's the point of those flashbacks, to show that a Strigoi is not the person they were. I completely understood why Rose wanted so badly for it to be him, why she let herself believe it for a while, but it was, is, hell to read it.

The one thing I've found rereading this that is really different, is that I was annoyed with the amount of time Rose spent in Lissa's head. Don't get me wrong, I like Lissa's side plot, and it's got important moments, but I've found that I just wanted to stick with Rose's story.

Oh, and on Adrian, I still do not like him. I know he cares about Rose, for real, and he's an important player plot wise. But I just can't bring myself to really like him. He's okay, and he has grown on me from Frostbite, but I still don't really like him and I can't particularly place why. I think he just rubs me the wrong way on a personal level with the smoking, drinking and some other things, because he's not the kind of guy I'd get on with in real life...

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Reread of book #3 in the Vampire Academy series for Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. SPOILER warning, this review contains some spoilers for the previous books. No spoilers for Shadow Kiss though. Previous reread reviews: Vampire Academy, Frostbite.

If Vampire Academy and Frostbite were un-put-down-able (and they were) I don't know what to call this one. Some series are falling off the tracks by the time they hit book three, characters changing beyond realness, plots not as strong as they were or feeling like they've lost direction. Not so here. Shadow Kiss is the strongest book of the series at this point.

Rose is changing, growing up, but she's also facing new, bigger dangers and changes she can't control. I loved Rose from page one of VA. She's a smart, sassy, rebellious, kick-ass kind of girl. No waiting for the guy to come save her here! But there is no doubt she's not quite the same girl she was at the start of the series. I really enjoy her development over the course of the book, how she reacts to certain situations and she realises things are not quite what they always seem. She shows a more vulnerable side, just a little, and it shows her confidence is really growing, without inflating her ego. She's more settled and sure of herself, even when she's feeling lost. Okay, that probably doesn't make any sense at all, but it's how I feel about her and I'm not sure how else to try and explain it.

There are some answers to left over threads from VA and Frostbite given here, as well as many new questions appearing. But it's all connected, to varying degrees, and heading towards a place where you know big bad things lie. Perhaps the most impressive part of this book though, is not the character development, the addition of a new key player or two, but that I knew what the outcome to the book would be, long before I read it, and it still shocked the hell out of me.

I was reading it and filled with a sense of dread that just kept growing because I was thinking this one big thing would happen, but also constantly telling myself I had to be wrong, because surely the author wouldn't go there. But Richelle did. And did it perfectly. I didn't want 'it' to happen, not even close, but I knew it absolutely had to happen, because otherwise, where would the series go? It changes everything for Rose, and ends the book on a killer cliffhanger, but there is no doubt for me at all that it's exactly what had to happen and that the book (and series) is that much stronger for it.

There are so many great elements to this book that all together make it awesome, I can't possibly manage to really give many, let alone all, of them justice. There's further exploration of the world; a deeper look at spirit and it's strength; more romance; lots of action; lots of careful, fitting character changes and development; and like I said, some big, shocking twists.

What else can I say? I adored every moment of Shadow Kiss. Vampire Academy is one of the strongest YA paranormal series out there. Nothing about it is typical or cliched. A spectacular story and equally spectacular continuation of the series! Bring on the rest of it! Rating: 10/10

Reread thoughts

Honestly, I know I had a lot (too much) to add in this section with the first two, but here, I really don't because I feel pretty much exactly the same about this book as I did the first, second and third times I read it. It never fails to make me cry, to tear me up inside, and have that sense that it really couldn't have gone any other way than what it did.

As always, I felt the foreshadowing was perfectly placed, not just for the final twist here, but for certain things that are still to come. The ground work for future events works just perfectly as well. The development of Rose and Lissa's friendship is fantastic. I love that it's so complex and not always straight forward or easy. Friends fight, that's reality, and Richelle doesn't ignore that or make the fights childish, bratty stuff. The problems they face are very real, very serious. Same goes for all romantic involvements. Rose and Dimitri. Well, what can I say past I still adore them. More than ever. The development of their relationship and the chemistry between them is quite possibly my favourite thing about this book. And that's saying something because there is a lot to love about this book!!