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Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1)
Vampire Academy - Vampire Academy, Bk 1
Author: Richelle Mead
Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magical, while the Strigoi are undead and evil--feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway--a half-vampire with poor impulse control--is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real...  more »

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...
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ISBN-13: 9781595141743
ISBN-10: 159514174X
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 320
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 580

4.2 stars, based on 580 ratings
Publisher: Razorbill
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

vampsita avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
For those less familiar with the young adult vampire genre, this book serves as a great introduction. Or if you aren't a fan of "Twilight," sink your teeth into this fun new series from Richelle Read. Rebellious Rose just can't take high school seriously, but she does take her bond with her best friend Lissa to heart. Likable Lissa is the last left of her family, and Rose will do anything to keep her safe. Together they harbor secrets, and may even be keeping a few of their own from one another.
mreneerouser avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 127 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
I'm not a "young adult" but this book came highly recommended. I have done the Twilight series and while I liked the books, I wasn't overly impressed. I loved the Vampire Academy series. The character development was great. The author makes you connect to the characters and really care about what is happening to them. Very impressed overall.
cmoh avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 42 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This particular series is the darkest YA Vampire books I've read. There are a number of cuss words, references to sex, hot and heavy scenes and the thing that hit me the hardest is that one of the characters cuts.

With that being said, I really like her take on the Vampires. She has two types, an immortal, evil kind and a mortal, good, magical type. There are also half bloods that serve as the good vampires protectors. I love the multiple layers of social classes that this element and more bring.

The other aspect of this book that I found wonderful is the characters are all vastly different. From the shy reserved teen struggling with depression, the ostracized kid whose parents made him that way, the headstrong rebellious one and many many more. Richelle creates a great and very realistic way in which all these different personalities (which do exist in today's society) mingle with one another.
skywriter319 avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is no ordinary vampire world you're stepping into. Rose Hathaway is a dhampir, a half-vampire half-human being who is sworn to protect the lives of the Moroi, mortal vampires whose blood is especially desirable by the Strigoi, the evil immortal vampires. Rose has a unique bond with her best friend Lissa, a Moroi princess. The bond was what told her that being at Vampire Academy among the guardians and the other Moroi and dhampirs wasn't safe, and so two years ago they escaped and have been on the run ever since.

At the start of their senior year, however, Rose and Lissa get caught and it's back to the pointless social politics they go. In between classes, house arrest (as punishment for escaping), and grueling training sessions with the extremely hot Russian guardian Dimitri, however, Rose begans to sense that danger is surrounding Lissa, that she is not who she thinks she is. Lissa has a rare power that could destroy her, and only Rose can protect Lissa from herself...and others who might want to use her for their own benefits.

Now this is the kind of YA paranormal series that I like. Butt-kicking, whip-smart female protagonists; dangerously sexy and complicated love interests; cutthroat high school drama; and an elaborately imagined alternative world...what more could you ask for?

All of the characters, not just the main ones, are great. They have personality, they make biting remarks, they sharpen their claws, spread rumors, manipulate. The Academy is, in a way, like Gossip Girl for vampires: the class politics underlining this series makes it more than a just-for-paranormal-entertainment read. There's plenty to be discussed in this book, as well as plenty to be entertained about.

And speaking of entertainment. The Gossip Girl reference is accurate, more so because of the sexuality that runs through the book. Vampires themselves are already attractive creatures; throw in a couple of hot guys, smart girls, and impossible romances, and you've got drama and heartbreak enough to satisfy your cravings. Most books get their strength through either character development or plot: VAMPIRE ACADEMY does both.

This book is class drama for the paranormal set, Twilight done right (in a sexually realistic kind of way). Pick this up and you'll be sucked immediately into its enchantment. I doubt you will be disappointed.
daylily77 avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 236 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I adored the entire series, more so than the Twilight series. Rose and Dmitri's story is quite intriguing! This book does contain underage drinking, and sex, so use your best judgment as to what age you let your kids be exposed to these things.
Read All 49 Book Reviews of "Vampire Academy Vampire Academy Bk 1"

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daedelys avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
This was a great read! The characters are ones that are real and believable and the plot was well done. Can't wait to read the next one!
alterlisa avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 335 more book reviews
An exciting new series for YA's that will keep you reading book after book. I was lucky enough to have the first three books in this series and read them back to back. Even though I finished one at midnight, I started the next one right then as I just had to know what happened next. It was fascinating to see Rose mature and become an adult as her life progressed in ways that she both anticipated and never expected. The action in the books progressed to endings that were both satisfying and twisted. I am going out right now to get the rest of this series.
tk942 avatar reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 41 more book reviews
This one languished on my TBR pile for years. I finally picked it up after seeing the movie. The characters are interesting, and it's nice to pick up a vampire book that doesn't completely revolve around forbidden fangy love. Rose and Lissa have a wonderful friendship and would do anything for one another, and it will be interesting to see their bond continue to grow in the rest of the series. Overall, it's a good start to the series, and I am looking forward to the rest of the books.
reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 503 more book reviews
Cute, easy read. The main character, Rose, is a little obnoxious, sometimes difficult to like. Almost never takes the high road and it isn't clear where the author stands on the choices Rose makes. Since she never seems to learn anything when she chooses to beat people up, start fights, rumors, tell lies, manipulate - it seems a bit like this behavior is deemed OK. As an adult reader, I know my own morals and values but I wonder what kids think? That said, it is fun and silly and you look forward to her next adventures.

For parents who might be thinking about this for kid: teenage girl talks about drinking, trying drugs, making out, sex, sexual thoughts. She is a virgin but pretty willing to go anywhere but "there".
reviewed Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Bk 1) on + 18 more book reviews
I found this book to be a refreshing look at young vampires.

Book Wiki

Series
Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Rose Hathaway (Primary Character)
lissa Dragomir (Major Character)

Genres: