Customer Reviews

Blood Promise: A Vampire Academy Novel

5 star:		(166)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Many series have one book which readers recognize as being a mere filler--that is, not much substance plot-wise and the writing is mediocre at best. BLOOD PROMISE stamps out that myth and shines like a beacon on its own and is a testament to Mead's growth as a writer and storyteller. The fourth novel in the six-part series outdoes itself with incredible fight scenes, mysterious characters, and fascinating plot-twists and revelations that bring more questions than answers.

The heart of the story focuses on the hero Rose Hathaway's journey to fulfill the promise she made to herself and Dimitri. During this journey, Rose finds herself in situations she would never have imagined--mob-like characters whose intentions are ambiguous, other aspects of Moroi life she was not privvy to, along with her first encounter with a dhampir commune, meeting other dhampirs with a vendetta like her, and finally, her heart stopping confrontation with Dimitri. No spoilers will be given, for that would take away at the amazing story Mead has created, but rest assured, you have seen absolutely nothing yet.

The novel was a mind-blowing experience full of amazing adventures and action that showed no signs of letting up at any point during the reading. Richelle Mead's writing has grown more sophisticated and despite the dark setting is full of humor and will make you race through the pages, leaving yourself blinking at the last page wondering where all the time went.

My 19 year old son gave me this set of books to read. After I read the third one, I was heartbroken about Dimitri. Knowing I had to wait several months for the fourth one to be released was hard for me. I just knew something would happen to make what Mason told Rose not be true. No way was it true. It would be author suicide to have this happen to Dimitri. I pined over this for months. Me, an almost 40 year old hopeless romantic. I couldn't wait for the book to come out. I picked it up the day of its release. I started it as soon as I got home and finished it in 24 hours.

All you people who want to micro-analyze the plot twists and the technicalities can go on being bitter about what you find doesn't make sense or fit into your little box of rightness. I want to take this for what it was - an emotional roller coaster and a great read AS PART OF A SERIES OF BOOKS. Trying to make the books what you want them to be makes you the author and not Richelle Mead.I wanted to hate the book at times and I wanted to believe so many things were going to turn out to be true. Somehow Richelle Mead would make it all turn out all right in the end. I had to rationalize it somehow because my heart was breaking. The further I got in the book, the more my heart ached and somewhere down inside I knew how it would turn out. Just when you think you know and you've cried and cried, you find the author has let you have a glimpse of salvation. Just a morsel to hold on to.

Perfection in any author is not possible. Said author will never be able to please all of the people all of the time. At one point in the book I was so heart broken that I realized I could never read another of her books. After the final words were read, I knew it would be a tough nine months for me to wait, but wait I would, because I will be grabbing her next book as soon as the release date comes along. It is rare to have so much emotion in a book, and maybe some of that is of my own making. Sometimes I am a sappy romantic. I guess that could have clouded my judgement a bit, but if you are looking for a good read and aren't expecting "War and Peace" you won't be disappointed in this book. Just keep a Kleenex handy after you get about half done. When she starts sharing with the family about Dimitri, it can be gut-wrenching at times.

Do I recommend it? Yes, but only if you've read the other three first. Don't over analyze it either. Just read it and enjoy it. It is worth it.

After I read the third installment in the Vampire Academy Series, Shadow Kissed, I was exited to learn that Blood Promise was coming out soon. Once at the store, I actually saw it and freaked out only due to the fact that I had gotten it a week before it was actually supposed to be released and I also felt a little scare because I actually had it and I would have to wait until next year for the next book.

The book itself is nice and thick compared to the other three which is a good thing. Through out, we explore Rose's emotions and flashbacks to times with Dmitri. So much happens once Rose finds her way to Dimitri's hometown; things from some guy following her to her emotions getting the best of her to Dimitri's crazy grandmother. She meets new people who play a big part in her life after what she learns.

Once she finds Dimitri, a whole lot more happens that made me want to slap Rose but her emotions and feelings and such had gotten in her way from Shadow Kissed. I can't reveal to much but just be prepared for some major Rose-motions.

Blood Promise is an excellent installment of the Vampire Academy series. Sure it leaves you at a cliff hanger BUT not at a horrible one like some books but like in the other Vampire Academy books.

When reading this book, you think you know what will happen through out or what will happen next but in truth, you have know idea. There are twists through out especially towards the ending. I've spoken about Rose's emotions and how she has them through out the book but in the middle and somewhat towards the end, they finally take a toll on her but you'll understand.

I'm sure fans of the first three books, Vampire Academy, Frost Bite and Shadow Kissed, will love the fourth installment, Blood Promise. It will keep you satisfied until early next year when the fifth book comes out, Spirit Bound.

This was arguably the best book in the series. I can see how some might think of it as less action filled than the last few books but let me tell you.... Rose is on her own, so is Lissa for that matter, and this children is the first time that that has happened since Rose became Shadow Kissed. Rose has set her self up for what I truly believe is a suicide mission. Dimitri is stronger, faster, smarter and older than Rose, now that he is a Strigoi there is no way she can defeat him, yet she packs her bags, hugs Lissa and heads off to Russia. Parts of the book were slower than others, yet I loved getting to know Dimitri's family and what a real Dhamphir's community was like. The time with his family helped heal Rose because she and Dimitri's relationship was acceptance, they treated her like a widow, not like a student losing a teacher she had a crush on.

Ok this is going to be really hard not to spoil the plot for you guys... the middle and end were so mind blowing, I was afraid then vindicated. Rose is lost trying to figure out who she is and what she really wants in life. Meanwhile Lissa is losing herself slowly to the darkness as well as something more sinister.

So does love prevail? Read the last chapter and you tell me, I can tell you that I think I know what the next book will be about. For those of you who have already read it, and for those of you who will, you will be praying and crossing your fingers that fairy tales do exist and that Lissa and Rose finds it.

I really wish it hadn't gone into hard cover price but Richelle Mead has just gotten better and better with each installment. Even if you don't buy it, read it. There were parts I gripped the cover so tight my fingers cramped with an effort to reach out to Rose, Lissa and Dimitir.

In this world, there is a difference between living vampires and undead vampires. The undead are made so by evil, either turned by an undead vampire, or a living vampire who willingly drains a victim to death.
Rose is a half vampire, half human. Part of a race that is supposed to protect the living vampires, she is bonded to a living vampire who brought her back to life and who is her closest friend. She's known for years her place is to protect Lissa, but when the love of her life becomes an undead vampire, she has to choose between protecting Lissa and killing him to save him from something he never wanted to be.
The action in this book doesn't let up, it's a coming of age for Rose who we've seen be wildly impetuous in the last few books. She finds purpose, she finds family, and she learns more about herself when she goes to Russia to track down Dmitri who is from Russia originally. The story flowed well, with conflict and resolution, and while nothing in it is unexpected, the story telling works, and while the ending is what you expect, it still stirred strong emotions for me at least.

Wow! This book is not like the others. I was frustrated to discover that the story had separated Rose and Lissa - I was sure that this would negatively impact the flow of the story. It didn't - it is a little rough in the beginning to flow between the different locations (Lissa @ School and Rose on her adventure). Rose's adventure leads to future storylines; she meets new people and discovers things unknown to her - things that she is sheltered from. All of the wonderful characters that Mead created in previous installments are back, along with some new intriguing ones. I visited Mead's website today and discovered it is going to be a long wait, May 18, 2010, for the next book Spirit Bound: A Vampire Academy Novel. But I have no doubt that she, Mead, can deliver another winner!

This book would be slightly confusing to someone who has not read the others, but I sugguest you pick them all up - you won't be disappointed.

The other books are :
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1)
Frostbite (Vampire Academy, Book 2) (Bk. 2)
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, Book 3)

This series just keeps on getting better and better. If you haven't read any of the books by now, you are missing out big time. I just finished reading it and wow, I hope the fairy tale happens even though I'm rooting for Adrian. I really enjoyed her father playing a role in her quest and all the new characters that Rose met during her journey to find Dimka. This book seemed more intense than the other 3 books and I'm just shocked by everything that happened. I guess you have to read it in order to understand, but I'm still trying to register everything in my head! I mean one couple ends while another is about to begin! someone is dead but not dead!! ugh!! Richelle opened up a whole lot of new possibilities and now my mind is wandering and thinking ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

I'm so excited for the next book to come!!! can't April 2010 come any faster?

Richelle Mead has outdone herself yet again with this latest installment of the Vampire Academy series, Blood Promise. I was totally engrossed in the story from the first page and I found myself begging for more at the end. Truly a great installment to this wonderful series.

Blood Promise is a very different book from the first three. We really see the characters develop and come into their own in this one, which always makes for a better read. It's the first book that doesn't take place at the Academy which is a nice change. We get to see the separation of Rose and Lissa which was a pleasant experience. I really think that Lissa's character grows and learns so much in this books, ultimately making her stronger. We also get to see more of Adrian (which is totally my favorite character BTW) and see a different side to his character. Adrian is more sweet and lovable in this book, which gives it a nice twist. Now for the Strigoi Dimitri. What can I say, I loved this part of the book. I loved how Richelle took a character we all loved and turned him completely evil. It was just so interesting to see how his character evolved and I really think she made the transaction clear to the reader. Bottom line: Strigoi-Dimitri=evil, Dhampir-Dimitri=good.

I strongly suggest anyone who loves vampire romance novels to read this book. It's a wonderful mixture of love, loyalty, heartache, and pain. You'll love this boook from start to finish. Check it out.

Blood Promise is book 4 of the amazing Vampire Academy series. In this book, our rebellious heroine, Rose, ventures away from St Vladimir's and embarks on a journey to Russia to fulfill a tragic promise she made to the one she loves. This heart wrenching story provides a deeper look into hunky Dimitri's background, while expanding the VA universe with the introduction of a mysterious group of humans who work in coordination with the Moroi. This book is very much a character development story, but it still provides the action fight scenes and surprising twists that we've come to love from Richelle Mead's writing. This is a fantastic must read!

If you haven't read Shadow Kissed, then you wont understand why I have been counting down the days until Blood Promise came out. Shadow Kissed had an ending that left me depressed and uneasy for days after finishing it, so much so, that when I picked up Blood Promise, I was almost afraid to start it. Would Ms. Reed heap more misery on her loyal fans?

I mean, it wasn't just the romance between Rose and Dimitri that has kept me riveted, but to see it end the way it did, was beyond painful.

Rose is hurting and it's awful to read about her broken heart as she tries to keep the most important promise she's ever made to the only man she'll ever love. Keeping the promise will probably kill her, literally and emotionally, but she's determined. She heads off to Russia, hoping to find Dimitri's hometown and thus him, but things don't go at all the way she's planned.

After a strange encounter with an Alchemist (trust me, it's an odd but interesting twist to the story) she finally tracks down Dimitri's hometown in Siberia. What follows is sad heaped on a weepy pile of despair as she meets Dimitri's family, visits places he used to go and finds a bonded pair of gifted moroi and dhampir.

Then the unthinkable happens; she finds Dimitri.

I wont say what happens next, just that it wasn't what I was expecting and it was the better for the surprise.

There was a lot going on at home too with Lissa, Adrian and a new person at the school who seems a little too good to be true.

All I can say about the ending is that it sets the stage for an exciting and hopefully happy book five.

Sigh, more waiting.