The Golden Lily starts off revealing part of the mystery behind the alchemist world. It gave me the creeps—which I loved! Mead's a master at world-building in the urban fantasy genre. Her take alone on the Strigoi vampires is chilling indeed. Sydney is a brilliant young alchemist who has spent her whole-life learning that unnatural beings are mostly evil. Getting too close can reap heinous consequences. Now that she's deep in the Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi world, is she strong enough to fight the allure of what the Alchemist's deem the dark side?
The Golden Lily was a wicked read. Sydney was pushed to uncomfortable limits, including dating and her first kiss. I loved that her potential romance was equally intelligent as her—which led to some hilarious situations and dialogue. In the beginning, Sydney is reminded what it means to be an Alchemist and the horrific consequences that are at stake if she screws up. Since being on assignment as a political ally to the Royal Moroi and Dhampirs, she’s tested all sorts of boundaries, including magic, friendship and love. I remember in the Vampire Academy series thinking Sydney was such a nerd. And as I’m reading on in the spin-off Bloodlines series, I realize she’s still a nerd, and extremely cautious, but also incredibly loyal. Ironically, that loyalty extends not to just her Alchemy roots, but to her new friends—the ones she’s been taught her whole life to fear.
This book was an excellent addition to the series and a 4.5. And the way it ended with Adrian (swoon) all I can say is I can’t wait to read Book 3, The Indigo Spell. For those interested, Mead recently posted Chapter 1. Check it out below.
THE INDIGO SPELL by Richelle Mead (Bloodlines 3) - First Chapter
Have you read the Vampire Academy? What about Bloodlines or The Golden Lily? What are your favorites?
Mina B.
