Series Sunday: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

These books are not for young readers. There is bad language and some adult content in these books. I can't express how much I love the Vampire Academy series in one review. It's amazing, spectacular, superb, and simply made of awesomesauce. Every word, page, paragraph, chapter, and book in the series is amazing. Richelle had me swooning, screaming, melting, falling over laughing, and everything in between. It's a vampire series yes, which might cause some of you to have some doubts. Whatever those doubts be, throw them out the window. It is infinitely better than any other vampire series out there. It has a superb plot, amazingly developed characters that are totally relatable, the most hilarious one-liners, and the hottest, sexiest, most romantic, swoon-worthy scenes EVER! I fell in love over and over again. If any of you people out there say you don't fall for

fictional guys, think again. You will be head over heels by the end of the first book. Every character is either über hot or totally bada**, or both!

The main character is Rose Hathaway. She is a Dhampir, half vampire and half human, and mortal. When she turns eighteen, she will become a guardian for a Moroi (mortal vampire). Two years prior to the book, she runs away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and Moroi princess, Lissa Dragomir so as to keep her safe. It begins by the girls being caught and dragged back to the Academy by sexy Dhampir Dimitri. Rose is then tutored by Dimitri for the next few books so as to get back in shape and be a better fighter after loosing what lessons she had when she ran away. Thus begins her and Dimitri's romance. Besides the fact that he is seven years older than her, they are both going to be Lissa's guardian someday, meaning they can't be together. Tragic events happen and Rose gets her first strigoi (immortal vampire) kills. The Strigoi are the main antagonists of the story. Various other characters include Adrian, Eddie, Mason, Mia, and Sydney.

Again, the plot of these books are amazing. There doesn't seem to be one huge overall plot, but each book has it's own plot, and there are plots that transcend multiple books (e.g. books three through five, and books five through six). There are large bits of foreshadowing, but everything has so many ways it could turn out, that nothing is clear until the moment it takes place. Every bone Richelle Mead throws at you is like a gift from the fae, something you thought you really wanted, but with a string attached that-sometimes-makes you wish you never wanted it in the first place. And yet somehow I'm still asking for more. The series ended a couple years ago at six books, but Richelle has been hard at work on a spinoff series, Bloodlines. There are a total of two books out at the moment and the third out of six comes out in February. If you look around, you'll also see that the first book in the Vampire Academy series, Vampire Academy, is in the works of being made into a movie. Check out Richelle Meads website and Facebook page, along with Bloodlines Facebook page and the movie Facebook page. That said, this series gets a full FIVE stars.

Boundless by Cynthia Hand

I actually finished this book earlier this week, but I needed time to calm down from the disappointment before I visited this world again. As for plot and pacing, the book was amazing. I severely enjoyed the book up to the end. As the end got closed though, I started shaking and says 'No, no, no, NO!' It was not pretty. In order to get the book out of my sight, I had my mom read it. Apparently, I was then walking around my room all day muttering like a madwoman and talking to myself. You see what books do to me! I literally cried after I finished the book. Supposedly, the beginning and end of a book are the hardest to write. That could be the reason why I didn't enjoy the ending of Boundless as much as I should have.

The main character is Clara. I love her character. I love how she's written and she's so well done. I question some of her choices, but that what makes her feel real. After all, nobody's perfect. Her best friend Angela on the other hand, I have problems with. Angela is nice and sweet and all that, but she's an idiot. I really really REALLY want to smack her sometimes. Seriously. She. Acts. So. Stupid. And it's not just normal teen stupid either. It's REALLY stupid. Some... interesting events take place with her in Boundless and I just want to walk up to her and say, "Well what did you think would happen?" Let's just say, this book is NOT for young readers. Then there's the Christian/Tucker love triangle. I want to shake Clara and say "Go for Christian Clara! Christian!" But she just doesn't listen to me! She just keeps agonizing over which boy she should be with. Sigh, well, you'll find out who it is in the end.

Here's what I said to my parents after finishing the book, "A book doesn't have to be wrapped in a nice, big, bright bow or anything, but it needs to be a little bow or a knot. That, or it can have a bunch of loose string everywhere that's wrapped up in a spinoff. But all Boundless has is a bit of ribbon lightly draped around it, or one of those fake bows that stick on. I need a spinoff, or something! It can't end that way." Hence, I've decided to petition Cynthia Hand for a spinoff of the Unearthly series until she complies. I need to know everyone's fate! The book was really building up to something that never really happens. There's a bit more lead-up to it, but nothing more. What am I supposed to do when people are still heartbroken or unsure at the end? It's just not right. But, the book really was good quality and I've done a lot of complaining. I still love Cynthia Hand as an author and enjoy her books. If she ever writes more books (preferably a spinoff of the Unearthly trilogy) I'll read them. So, because the book was still good, but I wasn't satisfied, Boundless gets four stars.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The cover of the book says 'One choice can transform you' and based on the transformations of character that go on during this book, it couldn't be more right. The world of Divergent is one that is not fully explained until the second book. I've been told that the world seems a bit unbelievable, I can see that point of view at the beginning, but as the series progresses, the background of their city and five factions become infinitely clear. The five factions are Abnegation, the selfless, Candor, the truthful, Dauntless, the brave, Amity, the peaceful, and Erudite, the intelligent.  The one thing I see wrong with this picture is that, how can a person be classified to just one faction. I could be in any of the above factions, but wouldn't thrive in any one because I'm a bit of everything. The main character very much embodies the fact that you can't be classified into one thing in life.

The main character is Beatrice 'Tris' Prior. She began in Abnegation, but changes to Dauntless in the beginning after learning that she's Divergent. Meaning she can belong to multiple factions. She faces many challenges, including fierce competition, hiding her secret of being Divergent-for telling anyone could endanger her life-and her budding romance with the trainer of the Dauntless initiates, Four (don't worry, he's only a couple years older than her).

There are some fairly obvious things in the book. Little things mentioned at the beginning that are built on later on. Let me tell you this, nothing is coincidence. The story gets better and more intricate with every page. I gobbled it up in just about one sitting. It's a book of choices and not being confined to one lifestyle. While it's a book purely for entertainment, it seems to have some moral things in there as well. I immensely enjoyed this book and give it a full five stars.

Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

I loved Crimson Frost. I probably read it in less than twenty-four hours, and that's saying something with the amount of work I've been packed down with. This book is the fourth in the Mythos Academy series and I swear, it's the best one yet! The author had me flipping pages faster than a tornado wind. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it!

Gwen Frost is the main character. She's a gypsy with the gift of psychometry-being able to touch things and basically know everything that's happened to him/her/it. She also happens to be Nike's champion. Gwen is powerful and strong, but is arrested at the beginning of the book for a crime she didn't commit.  Let me tell you, when that happened, my jaw just about dropped on the ground, I was so surprised. But she stays true to herself and does what needs to be done to save herself...and the world.

Crimson Frost was REALLY good! I severely enjoyed the book. The previous books in the series are Touch of Frost, Kiss of Frost, and Dark Frost. The next book, Midnight Frost, comes out in July 2013. It's an amazing series, but I recommend it for older readers. Yeah, definitely older readers. Anyway, I give it a full five star review.

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

*Sigh* Opal is amazing! Yet another awesome book by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Let me tell you, the stakes are raised tremendously and you never know if there's a traitor or betrayal right around the corner! This book had so many plot twists, I could never tell what was going to happen next. It's yet another gobble-it-up in one sitting book.

Katy and Daemon, the just can't seem to get along, even when dating. They're both stubborn as mules which I'd guess is a big factor. Daemon can't stand to see Katy in danger and Katy can't stand to sit on the sidelines. They have very differing opinions, but the times they're not fighting...wow. It's the only comment I can make.

Opal will make you smile and want to throw the book at the wall (I think I almost did at points). But that's what a good book and author does. If you can feel along with the characters and are feel just as in deep as the characters, well, that's a good story that's sucked you right in. The books in this series have totally done that for me. Opal is the third out of four books plus a prequel. The prequel comes out in February and the fourth book comes out in the summer. Opal is fully deserving of this five star review!

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Wow, Onyx is good. I officially love the Lux series. It has everything a series good need: action, romance, and plenty of mystery. There are plot turns and flips at every corner. Let's just say, the ending, totally unexpected! The author had me riding along with every word, right from page one. I gobbled the book up in one sitting. The book is about aliens, and let me tell you, I've never seen hotter aliens in my life! I swear, every one of them makes me melt!

If you look at my previous review, you see that the main character is named Katie. She is an amazing heroin. Definitely someone to look up to. She fights for what she believes in, what is right. But even she makes mistakes, which proves that she's human...or as close as she can be anyway. There's the male protagonist, Daemon. I love him just as much as Katie does, but I don't think he completely gets her. It seems like he's always chiding her for risking her life. But she's risking her life for good things that she believes is right. They're both stubborn, which makes for a great/horrible match, and the funniest love/hate relationship EVER! Often in books, it's portrayed that the guy is super sweet and 'gets the girl better than she gets herself'. That is not the case. He gets her just as much as any other guy would, which gives the book a more real feeling.

The book is officially AMAZING! I believe the writing could have been better though. And I wouldn't have minded if Daemon was bit less snooty to Katie. But hopefully, it will work out in the end. This is the second book in the series, and I can't decide if it's just as good or better than the first. They're both SO amazing! Anyway, I give the book a solid five.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Oh my god! This book is amazing! How often to you see hot, sexy aliens? I got the book for Christmas and was flipping pages so fast, I finished the next morning. It's a read in one sitting, gobble it up book. I could not put it down. Obsidian is the first book in the Lux series. I've been wanting them for ages. The authors writes, and has written, tons of YA books, so check them out.

The main character is named Katie. Her father passed away from cancer three years prior to the book. She lived in Florida and has just moved to West Virginia at the beginning of the book. Let me tell you, Katie has an attitude you will never forget. She doesn't hesitate to challenge authority, or super-powerful aliens, if she feels it is in the way of what she feels is right. She meets the male protagonist, Daemon, at the beginning of the book and it's not love at first sight. Thank god! In fact, they're probably arguing for half the book. It gets slightly tedious, but it's fun.

One of the best things about this book? No love triangle. Katie's never going 'Do I like him or him? He's super hot, but he's super sweet. What do I do?' It was a big relief. I hate being torn between two guys. These books are definitely cookies for the mind. All in all, an amazing read. I give it five stars!