Yo, there will be minor spoilers for Bloodlines below. Be warned.
I swear to god I had flailing arms after finishing The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead, second in the Bloodlines series. Y’all my expectations have been met and surpassed. As you may recall, I was disappointed with Bloodlines because of the lack of kissing, but OMG, The Golden Lily TOTALLY MAKES UP FOR THAT! Plus, we get some legit character development and actual additions to the story with some reveals and answers. Basically, The Golden Lily was NOT one of those middle books that feels like a waste of time.
So, The Golden Lily takes place a month after the end of Bloodlines. Sydney and gang are still at Amberwood. Dmitri and Sonya Karp are in town as well, studying resistance to being turned Strigoi. Adrian, meanwhile, is taking art classes. The best plot line to come out of Mead’s latest, though, is the romantic one.
Okay, so Sydney gets set up with this guy who is her intellectual equal. Brayden is PERFECT for Sydney. YET she starts to feel FEELINGS towards someone who is absolutely wrong for her in every way. And this is when I start to fan myself.
Holla FORBIDDEN romance. I just want to start warbling ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore.’ You guys, my Bloodlines disappointment is erased as Richelle Mead finally brings the swoons back. There is SO MUCH HEAT in just the brushing of hands. Like, my heart can not even handle the excitement.
I really feel for Sydney. We are personality opposites, but I can’t help but care about her. She has all this pressure to be responsible and do well. PLUS not get too friendly with the vamps. It is hard work taking care of the details. Yet, she keeps a cool head and does not do anything where I am shaking my head going HOW ARE YOU THAT DUMB. I love when that happens.
The Golden Lily kept me up all night — literally. I chose this for an overnight shift. It is exciting, fast paced and swoonworthy. The characters make me want to reach through and hug them. For real, how do you not fall in love with Angeline formerly of the Keepers after she punches someone out? Or Adrian as he is learning to drive stick? Or Eddie the dhampir as he fights between duty and love and keeping his feelings secret? Or especially Sydney, our star? Sigh. I am FILLED with emotions and love and joy and theories over The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead and the Bloodlines series.
Disclosure: Borrowed copy from Heidi at YA Bibliophile.
Other reviews of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead:
Chick Loves Lit – “brings the depth and magical writing of Mead”
Anna Reads – “I CANNOT CONTAIN IT! READ THESE BOOKS!”
Makeshift Bookmark – “Because, you guys? SOMETIMES I DID NOT BREATHE.”
Books By Richelle Mead:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
The Last Sacrifice
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AHHH…this review is absolute torture!! I cannot freaking WAIT until this finally gets released!!
Oh man. You are GOING TO LOVE IT SOOOO MUCH!
Mother effing holla. ADRIAN. I’m so glad you loved this, though I knew you would. Richelle Mead is so bad ass. This series kills me with all its kissing and sexual tension. LOVE this review. NEXT BOOK PLEASE.
Richelle Mead totally gets it done like a boss.
Oh Adrian… **swoon**
I am dying to read this, and your review doesn’t help!! LOL! Now I must try to patiently wait…
-Jac @ For Love and Books
TOTAL swoon over here.
At least the wait isn’t too terribly long.
“For real, how do you not fall in love with Angeline formerly of the Keepers after she punches someone out?” I just LOVED that part. 🙂 I haven’t read TGL yet (obviously), but this girl is already my most favorite character (along with Eddie) in the series. xD I feel like she’s kind of a mini-Rose. I love those characters who are just physically strong and are not afraid of saying what’s on their mind or act before thinking. LOL My personality matches Sydney, she and I are so alike (minus the Alchemist part xD) but my mind and heart are drawn to characters like Rose and Angeline. They’re girls-warriors I always root for. ^^
Angeline totally deserves more love because she is wicked awesome.
See, I am more similar in personality to Rose and Sydney because I say what’s on my mind and act before thinking.
Girl-warriors are the best!
Great review! I loved your honesty 😛 I can’t wait to read The Golden Lily. Bloodlines disappointed me too, but not because of the romance… the story itself didn’t live up to my expectations, you know? And I wanted some Dimitri and Rose scenes -_- And Sydney was so BORING.
~~Beatriz
Yes, Sydney seems sort of cold compared to Dmitri and Rose. I had really high expectations too.
Hope you love The Golden Lily!
Hello, swoon! I missed you, swoon!
Nice to see you again, swoon!
I am so, SO excited for this book! I heart your review. I am GLAD there be swoony-times in this one. that’s one of my favorite things in VA (Dimitriiii!! book three! that SCENE! <3)
also I freaking love forbidden romance. man, June needs to get here soon so I can devour The Golden Lily! 😀
OMG SHADOW KISS. That is probably my favorite book even though I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed during it. And sigh, swoon YES THAT SCENE.
Ah! You caused me to think about this outstanding book yet again! Wonderful review!!!!!! I love the song “can’t fight this feeling anymore” ever since i first heard it on glee. I’m listening to the original now. Ah, such a incredible book and song. i love all your rhetorical questions about the fabulous characters!!! :-0
if you’re interested in reading my Golden Lily review, here is the link.
http://unforgetablebooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/golden-lily-by-richelle-mead-review.html
“come crashing through the door.” awwwww. thanks for giving me another song to connect to TGL!
Ray
I love the Glee version of Can’t Fight This Feeling as well.
Thank you so much for your compliment about my review 🙂
AH! Can’t wait for it! After reading that last paragraph in bloodlines, I was just staring at the book, hoping for more. Can’t hold myself down in joy for this one! :’D
YES! Me too! Once I finished Bloodlines, I was like, okay I NEED GOLDEN LILY RIGHT NOW.
You are definitely in for a treat with Golden Lily! 🙂
ZOMG Kissing! I almost couldn’t finish your review after that because I was swooning in anticipation! How is is that Richelle can make the smallest things seem so unbelievably sexy? At the end of Bloodlines all she did was have Sydney and you-know-who make eye contact and WOAH, I was dying. I re-read that bit at least 10 times.
I can wait until Golden Lily is released. I worry about Eddie; I hope he’s okay =(
Though I am tentatively concerned about the appearance of Angelique because I absolutely hated her in Spirit Bound. She had all the wrong crazy in all the wrong places.
Thanks for the review@
Well, Angelique gets a thousand times better in Golden Lily, like she’s WAY WAY better.
Also? I LOVEEEE that Richelle has this talent for making small things swoony, things where I would normally shrug and be like yeah that’s cute I guess, instead of OMG THEY BRUSHED HANDS OOO ELECTRICITY!