If you’ve read the Vampire Academy series before starting Bloodlines (which I highly recommend since it is a chronological spin-off with a lot of the same characters), it’s impossible not to start comparing the two.

Young alchemist Sydney, who we know since Rose went to Russia in search of Dimitri, is a very different main character than we’re used to from writer Richelle Mead. I really enjoyed Sydney as a secondary character in the last Vampire Academy books and was very interested in the Alchemists, but as a main character, she took some getting used to – more because of her moral stands on characters we already know and love than her personality though. This being said, introvert, organized and ambitious Sydney Sage is much more relatable to me than our beloved, erratic, passionate Rose, so I quickly took to her.

While Rose acts before she thinks and jumps into danger at a moment’s notice, Sydney tends to be more thoughtful in her actions and rarely says what’s actually on her mind. Since Bloodlines is written in first person perspective though, we get a pretty good idea about her actual thoughts and feelings behind the composed exterior.

It came as a surprise to me that so many of the VA characters made an appearance so soon in this spin-off. I knew, of course, that Adrian was the main male protagonist and love interest and that we would be getting to know Jill better, but I had no idea we’d see Rose again already. Eddie, Sonya, Dimitri … Bloodlines really is a continuation of some storylines that were hinted at in Vampire Academy, which was interesting.

I took this book with me on holiday and did not regret it. It’s always nice to be in a familiar book world when you’re away from home. I really enjoyed the setting in Palm Springs, much more so than Saint Vladimir’s to be honest. But … I miss Christian a lot! And Adrian will not be in my good graces again until he stops smoking. Fairly certain though that Sydney will continue the good influence she has on our favorite vampire party boy, so I hope this will soon cease to be holding me back from loving him entirely.

I started reading The Golden Lily yesterday, so needless to say I’m very curious to see how the series will continue. And I still haven’t seen #VAmovie yet, aaaargh!