The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel [Hardcover]

Richelle Mead (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 12, 2012 | Series: Bloodlines (Book 2)

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richelle Mead is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Vampire Academy series and its spinoff series, Bloodlines. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (June 12, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781595143181
• ISBN-13: 978-1595143181
• ASIN: 1595143181
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (291 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richelle Mead is an international bestselling author of fantasy books for both adults and teens. Her Georgina Kincaid series follows a reluctant succubus, while her Dark Swan series features a shamanic mercenary caught up in fairy affairs. Over on the young adult side, Richelle writes the much-acclaimed Vampire Academy series and its spin-off, Bloodlines, about a secret society keeping the vampire world hidden from humans.

Richelle's books have been on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and received honors from the American Library Association. Her books have been translated into over two dozen languages, as well as transformed into graphic novels. A lifelong reader, Richelle loves mythology and wacky humor. When not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, buying dresses, and watching bad reality TV. More at: www.richellemead.com

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#23 in Books > Teens

#23 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than Bloodlines! June 14, 2012

By Gretchen @ My Life is a Notebook

Format:Hardcover

I picked up this book on the release date and proceeded to finish it in three hours. Despite the fact that I was supposed to be cheering on my brother at his Little League game.

And I regret nothing.

If you have not yet heard me fangirling about this series yet, well, you're about to. Because *insert fangirl squealing here*.

I'll admit, I wasn't a fan of the idea of these books at the beginning. After all, in the VA series Adrian and Sydney weren't really that big in my mind. I was a hardcore Dimitri/Rose shipper and found Adrian cute but in the way. Sydney I just didn't find particularly interesting with Rose at the front and center.

Bloodlines, I have to admit, was good. The Golden Lily? BETTER.

I liked Sydney in Bloodlines. I loved her in The Golden Lily. I liked Adrian in Bloodlines. I LOVED HIM IN THE GOLDEN LILY.

*Mild spoiler warning*

Adrian turned into such a different person in this book. In the VA series especially, he was a big cliché of a slacker dude. In The Golden Lily, though, he really comes into his own. The depth that he shows and the personality past the snark and slacking was utterly amazing. Plus, it didn't feel like this sudden turn around. Mead made me believe that this was really under there all along. I will never give up on Dimitri because HELLO SEXY but Adrian?

HELLO ADORABLE MARRY ME NOW.

I was really not expecting the Sydney/Adrian scenes to go like then did. I especially didn't expect Sydney to get a boyfriend. That in itself was awkwardly adorable, but again DUDE IN THE WAY OF THE REAL LOVE. Mead, you love to torture us so. Adrian's attempts to hang out with Sydney through subtle ruses was way too overt coupled with Jill's apparent "crush" on Sydney, though. I mean, we got it, really. And Sydney, HOW DENSE CAN YOU BE?

Oh, oh, should I be talking about the other stuff in the book? Crap. Uh. I also enjoyed finding out what Trey's sun tattoo meant, and seeing Jill grow up a little in regards to her situation. The whole Eddie/Angeline/Jill thing seemed a little contrived to me, but I'll let it slide because I'm here for the Sydney/Adrian, really.

One of the biggest changes for me is the fact that there is a lot less action then I seem to always expect. After all, Rose was THE most active person ever, getting into fights at every chance. Sydney, of course, is the brainy chick who was not raised to be a fighter and that necessitates a different form of "action." Because of this, it almost seemed like The Golden Lily moves slower than any of the VA books, when there really is a lot going on. My brain has yet to process this.

I really wanted the whole witch thing to be delved into a little more, but with everything else going on there wasn't really room for it anyways. Still, the next book doesn't come out til 2013, come o-

The next book doesn't come out til 2013 and SHE LEFT IT WITH THAT ENDING? WHY, MEAD, WHY?!?

I may die of anticipation.

Also, by the way, if you were expecting a coherent review you weren't listening to me when I said FANGIRL HERE.

And because the fangirl really is here now I ... should probably stop typing. Bottom line?

Bloodlines < The Golden Lily

IT'S THAT GOOD.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good installment! June 12, 2012

By Tynga's Reviews

Format:Hardcover

After facing death by strogoi, Sydney is now back to her normal life, or whatever pass as normal with her latest mission. She poses as Jill's sister (a moroi princess in hiding) along side with Adrian & Eddy (her supposedly brothers) and Angeline (their fictional cousin). Along with the merry gang are former strogoi Dimitri & Sonia, trying to discover why strogoi restored by spirit magic can't be turned again. At first look it seems to be all fun but things gets complicated when a band of human attack Sydney and Sonia, wanting to kill the latter because "she's an evil creature of the night". What a mood killer!

If you remember, Bloodlines had been a bit of a let down for me, but I'm happy to report that I think The Golden Lily was better! To my dismay, Jill still won't be in danger in that book, which honestly bothers me because the whole mission was set to protect her from vindictive moroi who might want to kill her to remove Lissa from the throne, but this latest installment brought a lot of interesting elements to the table.

Let me start by talking romance because surprisingly there's a lot of it! Jill's relationship with Eddy's roommate Micah evolve, to Eddy's dismay because he's in love with her, but Eddy isn't left out as new comer Angeline has it big for him. The whole situation would be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic. Poor Jill is completely blind to Eddie's affections and his broken heart is hard to bare. On the other hand Angeline won't miss an occasion to rub herself against him, oblivious to his disgust toward the whole thing. I could really picture his discomfited expression, holding back eye rolls because it wouldn't be professional. This love square (?) evolve in a rather interesting manner during the course of this installment, and I can't wait to see where it'll go from there in the next book.

Beyond all expectations, Sydney will also have some "romance" of her own. I use quotation marks here because let's be honest, Sydney's definition of romance is kind of sketchy. She meets a barista that's just as stuck up and socially inept as she is, which makes for some really awkward moments, for the reader's enjoyment. Watching them around each other I didn't know if I wanted to burst out laughing or bang my head on a wall, let's say it was entertaining in a weird way. Sydney also has a love triangle of her own even though she is completely oblivious to it. Adrian really pays her special attentions, in the sweetest way and I loved every moment. You can see that she is really special to him, even though he doesn't want to want her and she really has no clue. Their interactions really were the stellar point of this novel for me.

Now let's talk about some plot shall we? Sydney is no Rose, and the Bloodlines series can't compare to Vampire Academy action wise, but The Golden Lily took it up a notch this time around and I was pleased. Attacks, kidnapping and rescues are on the menu and it did wonders to Sydney's otherwise intellectual habits. After being helpless in a situation, Sydney decided to take matters in hands and take self defense classes, and she even considered magic as a potential defensive option, which showed a lot of growth on her part, considering how deadpan her opinions usually are on the matter. The situations she faces will really push her to grow, which makes me really excited because she used to be borderline boring with all her self restrain. Richelle also brought to the game a new interesting faction in the strogoi/moroi/dhampir/alchemist world and I'm curious about the fall out.

The conclusion was surprisingly action-packed and the very end was a shocker. I don't want to tell you anything about it, because it would suck to spoil it for you, but I was ecstatic, bewildered and stunned all at once. I'm highly anxious to see how everything will play out in the next book with the bomb Richelle Mead dropped right at the end! The third book in the series, which as no title as of yet, is scheduled for release in 2013, and the wait might just kill me!

Overall, The Golden Lily was a great installment in the Bloodlines series, making me hopeful for the upcoming books. Romance, action & witty comebacks are on the menu, everything to please adults and young adults alike.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! July 14, 2012

By brandileigh2003

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My biggest complaint about this book was the tortuous (to my heart) ending, and the lack of updates on my beloved Rose. And since Richelle has done this to me before, leaving me hanging and wanting so much more, I really expected it, though I have some awesome things to hold on to until Indigo Spell is released. As far as Rose, I know that this series isn't above her, it's about Sydney and Jill, along with smoking hot Adrian, but through Dimitri I hoped we might get a small guest appearance or something... But, that might just make it even harder to let go.
So, notice that my biggest complaints were really praises for Richelle's writing? Yeah, safe to say that I totally enjoyed this book. Sydney is such a different main character from Rose, but she is still compelling, and it is such character growth to watch her struggle against what she has been taught her whole life and what she sees with her eyes, and feels with her heart. Are humans really capable of being as evil as vampires? Would you take a room of vamps that you trust over a group of humans that seem to be out to get you? Her answers were once crystal clear, but now, more and more she is changing.
It is really hard to write the review without spoiling anything, but I loved to watch Sydney and Adrian. Getting the closer view into Adrian and what he is dealing with is exactly what I wanted at the end of Vampire Academy, and this series is delivering. His one-liners are fantastic, and we get to see a deeper and more intense side of him that VA only hinted at.
I love Richelle Mead's young adult books (I haven't tried the adult ones yet, so can't speak for them), and she does not disappoint with this fast paced, page turning sequel and spin off.