This series of books was my first taste of vampire romance. I have a friend who had the whole set plus two books into the bloodline series that follows two charachters from this series so she gave them to me to read. It took me a week or so to pick one up but i felt i had to give them a go, even if it was just so i could return her books because she loved them so much. Almost instantly i was hooked. The drinking blood side was tastefully written so if you are a bit squemish about that usually i'd say you could handle this.
Very briefly the story follows a girl named Rose and her friend Lissa. Lissa is a vampire princess and Rose is a breed called Dhampirs. Don't get hung up on the terms, this series is not like some other paranomal books i've read that have a long list of complicated supernatural beings. Basically the dhampirs are humans on steroids that protect the good vampires from the bad vampires.
Rose and Lissa ran away from their school to protect Lissa who after an accident is the last in her family line. The girls have a special connection but you have to read the books for more on that. The girls are returned to the school and get into a bit of trouble, especially Rose. Enter Dmitri. (girly squels )
If you are after hot, steamy sex in your romance novels then stop reading here, this series will not be for you. If you like a more subtle approach then continue on because it is worth it.
Dmitri is an instructor at the school, another dhampir like Rose but a little older and very hot. He has had real life experience at killing the bad vampires and is a bit of a god in the dhampir world.
Rose is forced to spend extra time with Dmitri to catch up on all of the training she missed while on the run. They spend a lot of extra time together and a romance blossoms. Dmitiri is Mr Professional and would never get involved with Rose. Or would he?
I personally love a steamy romance but i have got to give Richelle Mead so much credit for how this is written. At the end of the series you have been on an emotional roller coaster ride with Rose and Dmitri and what the book is lacking in raw sex it makes up in other ways. Their love is sweet, and endures some horrific stuff, including death.
There were times when Rose's personality grated on me. The book feels like a conversation between the reader and Rose so sometimes i just wanted to shake some sense into her but never enough for me to put the book down. I also have a bit of a crush on Dmitri and i felt that the movie did not quite capture how cool he is. I pictured a young David Boreanaz from the T.V. series Angel and Buffy, and the guy they chose was not far off but just not there for me. I strongly recommend you read the series and then watch the movie, there is so much in the books that the movie can't capture. If you saw the movie and thought no way will i read that series, i beg you to give book one a go, but don't stop there it gets better and worse (sad) then better again.
The other great thing i like is the spin off series from this series following Adrian (Vampire) and Sydney (alchemist - they help keep the vampires etc secret from humans). While i didn't love love love this series as much i did following Rose and Dmitri, i found it still very good. My fave parts though, were when Rose and Dmitri popped into these books. It was great that you got a chance to know how they were going through this series.
Sydney and Adrian's love is very Romeo and Juliet. It is frowned upon by pretty much everyone so it is kept secret from nearly everyone. Sydney and Adrian go on their own set of trials that almost rival Rose and Dmitri. The series is now complete so if you are like me and don't like to start a series until all of the books are out then go ahead and jump in.
Enjoy
