Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy 10th Anniversary Edition

Posted on by arappleby

Well… I had to wait for my delayed order. When it came I wasn’t very sure I could face reading it. I love the story, but this book has all new material at the back. But before I could read the new material that I had desperately been needing I decided to read the book.

Well, it was just as good as the first time I read it, even better if I am honest. I loved reading it having known what happens later, knowing what the series brings and what the sister series brings. I smiled a lot more reading it.

I love the strong characters, the tender moments and of course the sass and wit. I loved every word. It was wonderful and beautiful and a pleasure to live vicariously through.

So the story of two runaway girls who are part of the vampire world are brought back to the boarding school they ran away from. The story is wonderful and I have an official crush on the Dimitri character. GAWSH he is hot!

Ok so obviously the story itself is wonderful and addictive. I really enjoy this chance to see the beginning of the evolution that the character’s face. How the characters begin to grow individually and of course see the double agent weaving the web of lies from the very beginning is great to read. Even re-reading the story is just as pleasurable as the very first time. Just this time hindsight was a wonderful gift. I loved reading those exhilarating moments that reminded me of some of those forgotten things, you know the feelings you have on the lead up to falling in love. The tiny things you notice about another person. It is wonderful.

And now the moment I have been waiting to tell you about, the added material!

You heard that right, Richelle Mead added some more material to the end of the book.

The Turn and the Flame which is the story of how Christian Ozera’s parents were turned into Strigoi. Christian is such a sweet little boy. But even in this story, having read the other books, I find it hard to feel remotely sympathetic towards Tasha. I am a Romitri shipper, what can I say.

From the Journal of Vasilisa Dragomir is a nice insight into Rose and Lissa’s great adventure being runaways. It was nice to find out what happened in their time away, how they settled or unsettled. It was nice to see the recovery from complete grief and heartbreak to some semblance of normal life. It was great to read some of the positive changes in their lives. However risky.

The Meeting … Be still my beating heart. Dimitri… How he saw Rose, it was wonderful seeing their relationship develop through her eyes, but through his… I am now a new level of jealous previously unknown to man.

Hello, My Name Is Rose Hathaway … I loved this adventure. I want to be at the carnival. Like really, really want to be there. Oh and Dimitri breaking the rules! YES!!!! That was some outside the box thinking. I love the way the story gave a bit more of a tease of their relationship and how they felt. Plus of course, when you imagine Danila Koslovsky in his role as Dimitri you can really get a sense of overall hotness.

The Diary of Elliot Parker Part Three is now available  on amazon! Out NOW… here is the UK link https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075VSBT3Q

Here is the US link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSBT3Q

Hooked on a Book THREEEEEEE

Posted on by arappleby

Oh man am I in trouble. Last week, I told you I had started the second book…

Well much to the dismay of my current work, I am now on the sixth of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. What the hell has that woman done to me?

Non stop, non stop have I been reading her work, screw my own writing schedule and to do list, I have just had to keep reading. It’s addictive.

What am I meant to do with my life once this series ends?  It won’t take me long until that is a real true thought I have to think about. But I don’t because I know what it is I should be doing, what I have been neglecting the past few weeks.

Do you want to know something?

I am really hooked on the books. But at the same time, I know that there is work I need to be doing, if not for writing then perhaps look towards my work work, my day job. While the two do not match, and I do have a favourite, I know which one I want to do for the rest of my life.

But like I said, hooked on the Vampire academy series. Managed the first five books with ease, and now book six, it’s a slippery slope of spoilers and addiction. I may need to go to readers/writers rehab whatever that might be at the end. But I won’t be going quietly. I’ll do a Hathaway and fight my way back to normality and civilization.

I have had complaints that I haven’t been as chatty recently from a few people, I am not sure the explanation of “I was absorbed into another world and now I have to face reality and that sucks” would work well in my favour.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. All I can do is warn you about these highly addictive awesome books. And then tell you to go read them, NOW!

Hooked on a book 2

Posted on by arappleby

Hi,

Ok, So I have been really naughty. As soon as I finished reading Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead I began reading the second in the series, Frostbite. Oh my god! I did it in a day but that’s not what the OMG is for. That OMG is for, well it’s simple, I mentioned before the books are very well written.

Chapter 22 definitely had me shed a few tears. It is so written in such a raw way. The voice, is beautifully distinct throughout and the world is painted so beautifully.

I realise, that Richelle mead paints her world in a very similar way, she paints it with emotion, or she uses emotion to define her tone in such a confident way that the image and the characters each have their distinct definition.

It makes me wonder, that if you write in a world of emotion like that, just what is your perspective on life. Through someones writing, you can discover how they see the world, how that by reading that you have a chance to see through someones eyes, a window. If that is how you read the world, in an emotional way, than like me, the second book will have you turning the page totally absorbed ignoring all distractions. If not, I would love to see through someones eyes when they read it when their perspective is somewhat different, less emotionally charged and connected.

Now this post is short and sweet for a reason, I want to go and read the third in the series now, called Shadow Kissed…

See you on the other side!

Hooked on a book

Posted on by arappleby

Ok, so Richelle Mead has ruined my schedule!

So, here’s the deal, I was going so well recently with my writing/editing schedule, then it arrives. I had ordered the book box set of Vampire Academy as a special treat for doing a couple of exams for work last week. So, it arrives, immediately I am so incredibly tempted by the beautiful designs and fairly uniformed covers, and I know  already, never judge a book by its cover. It doesn’t matter.

I opened the book and bam! There goes my writing schedule, my editing schedule and what was left of my social life and free time outside of work. It took three days, no thanks to having to work, which for those three days I have really truly resented because this book had me hooked. It’s been a while since I read something that got me so hooked, last time it was the Hunger Games and the time before that, to a mildly obsessive level was Harry Potter. Though while I do read, these ones are the ones that had me hooked and on pinterest looking at cool bits connected to it like tattoos and funny quotes.

Well anyway, I started reading the book, I got hooked. While I know a few people who have said they find a Russian accent somewhat intimidating and scary, I however find it attractive. Mind you I do find certain accents are quite attractive (Polish, Russian, Romanian that kind of accent but its not an extensive list mind.) which probably has to do with some family thing. Anyway, I am getting side tracked. What I wanted to say was, I found that the Rose/Dimitri relationship was one that I found myself rooting for, but then again, I am all for a reckless girl doing what feels right/natural…

But what really impressed me was how the topic of mental health was questioned, particularly Lissa’s. It was great to see it tackled in a realistic and mature way, with enough guidance that encourages others to reach out for help. It is great for the teenage girl who could read that and understand their behavior from it.

The whole book was great, with three days of broken reading  (would have happily sat and spent a whole day reading it) the very next morning I began reading book two Frostbite.

My schedule is looming and I am behind deadlines but right now I am almost half way through and hooked on this story like an idiot.

So now, as soon as I post this, I am going to go put on my onesie, drink my cup of tea, and read…

 

And just in case you were curious, I found out that I passed my exams hence my over indulgence in reading when I should be doing other things, but its a special treat… and yes I am still smiling because I passed the exams and I don’t have to do them again! One step at a time?