Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)

Richelle Mead

RELEASE DATE: August 16th 2007

PAGES: 332
PUBLISHED BY: Razorbill

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Synopsis from Goodreads

I can’t believe it took me years to read this book and I’m horrified that I passed on this awesomeness by reading crappy books, while Vampire Academy was collecting dust on my shelves for now 3 years.

Honestly, it was one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time, it makes all my five-ratings pale in comparison. Since I’m probably the last person on earth that has read the book, I’m going to skip the details about the story.


I was confused at first not knowing at all what Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampirs were, she started talking about them as if we knew well what the definition of each was, I was tempted to look it up but thank God it didn’t last long. Add the cryptic way Lissa and Rose were talking, the author kept me on edge trying to figure out what the heck they were hiding, their statements were always cut mid-sentence, so the mystery just kept growing and so was my engrossment with the story.

The friendship between Lissa the Royal Moroi princess and Rose her Guardian felt real and deep: the bond that tied them, while complicated, was based first of all on their unlikely closeness, they were so different from each other, total polar opposites: Rose is reckless and impulsive, flirty, very aware of her physique and “hotness”, a major kick-ass and super confident; Lissa on the other hand is cautious, careful, fragile, shy, not as strong as Rose which makes her vulnerable and very dependent on her, and yet they were best friends that couldn’t stand the thought of being separated and could do almost anything for each other. Like for example: running away together from St. Vladimir Academy for two years before getting caught by the guardians. 

But when dragged back to the Academy, Rose is the one paying up, since Lissa is a vampire princess and the last of her line; enter Dimitri.

Dimitri…

It’s the first time that I read about the male protagonist in a YA book being over twenty, and somehow he makes me less guilty crushing on him than the seventeen years old boys (since I’m way past that age). He’s over 6’7’’, longish brown hairs, with a Russian accent and a killer body that fought enemies like a god. I liked his maturity, his calmness, he made Rose seem so childish and foolish next to him; he’s a man of few words, but when he speaks he says things that makes you week in the knees.

Their love affair was forbidden and taboo but not for the usual reasons you’ve read about, but simply because he’s her instructor, her teacher, not only it’s prohibited add the fact that they are both guardians of Lissa and that would wreck their careers and mess with their lives. It’s a new kind of forbidden for a fantasy YA book and yet a classic one and I liked it a lot since the tension was almost tangible between them, building up and building up very slowly and oh so deliciously…

I liked the characters more than the story, which in my opinion (now that I read the second book) is weaker and felt more like a first ground for the next books so it cost 0.25 from the rating.

I want to thank my dear bestie Ashwaq for all her cheering and encouragement and for pushing me to read the series. I love you sweety <3

Rating: 4.75/5

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