Book review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)

By Richelle Mead

Publish Date: 12^th June 2012

Publisher:  Razorbill

Number of pages: 418

Purchase:  Book Depository, Amazon UK

Goodreads’ description:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart

My review:

First of all – DIMITRI! DIMITRI! DIMITRI!!!! *fangirling*

Okay, now back to my review.

I’ve been waiting for this book since I finished Bloodlines on its release date. Was it worth the wait? YES.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sydney in the last book. (I was still too hung up on Rose. Oh, how I miss Rose!) In this book Sydney grows a lot. She’s grown very close to the gang and she does everything to project them in her own way - even if she has to do things she finds wrong. She stands up for Adrian when he needs it. She shows courage, fighting spirit and backbone. The Alchemists wouldn’t be pleased. She's more secure of herself. She starts dating, has her first kiss and goes to her first ball. I'm not too fond of her boyfriend Brayden and neither is Adrian.

We see a whole new Adrian in this book. He’s as funny and cute as always of course, but this time he does everything to help and support Sydney. He’s not that hung up on Rose anymore and realizes that maybe she wasn’t the one for him. He’s still bitter towards Dimitri and the two men aren’t always too friendly with each other. Poor Adrian. You can't say he has luck in love.

Now to our favorite guardian. Dimitri Belikov. Sydney’s opinion of him is a lot different than Rose’s, but he’s still awesome. His guardian mask is up and he’s the perfect guardian. The only time we see his soft side is when Rose’s name is mentioned. He does everything he can to help with the experiment even if it pains him.

Love is defiantly in the air. Dimitri is still hopelessly in love with his Roza, and Sonya and Mikhail are getting married. People are breaking up and falling in love with new people. I expect a lot of drama in the next book. Good luck, Adrian!

Mead is an expert at creating characters. Sydney, Adrian, Dimitri, Jill, Angelina, Eddie, Sonya… I love all of them! And the cliffhanger! What's going to happen with those two?

Please, Richelle Mead, please let Dimitri and Rose be in the next book! I miss them! *fangirling*

5/5 happy stars from me!