Monday, July 30, 2012 | By: Unknown

Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 12, 2012
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Vampires, Alchemists, Magic, Romance, & Secret Societies
Pages: 418
Plot: (From the Dust Jacket)

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist , one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires .  Alchemists protect vampire secrets – and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California- tasked with protecting Moroi Princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war.  Formerly in disgrace, Sydney if now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong.  Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi- the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die.  But it’s her fear of being just that- special, magical, powerful- that scares her the more than anything.  Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden- a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way.  Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else- someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before.  She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists- or her heart?

Bloodlines left me wanting so much more that I could not wait to get my hands on The Golden Lily; and now that I have finished it I can’t wait to read the next installment!  Richelle Mead never lets me down; it’s always a wonderfully exciting and tantalizing read!  The Golden Lily was no exception as I plucked away at the pages, devouring all that was laid before me!  When I finally reached the last sentence and found myself turning the page looking for more but distressingly realizing that was it.

The Golden Lily was deliciously heartrending, magnetically charming, and charismatically fierce!  This book was an emotional rollercoaster that kept me my hands white knuckled and desperately clinging on for the next plunge, twist, & twirl!

As our loved “family” finds themselves in yet another chaotic situation that needs a crazy amount of damage control; Sidney also finds her position and assignment to be even more challenging then she thought.  Sidney is still the same classy and brainy character that she has always been but now we’re starting to see something more… Sidney values are becoming puzzling and she is realizing that she wants more.   Adrian continues to be his usual witty self, with all his tricks up his sleeve and his charms that will keep you in the palm of his hand, nevertheless he left me hurting whenever he felt pain.  But as we all know he may have his vises but he doesn’t give up that easily!  Don’t forget that you will see more of Dimitri and Sonya but I don’t want to give anything away…

Overall this novel was another engrossing and thrilling read that is going to eat at you until you can get your hands on The Indigo Spell!  So don’t read too fast that last scene will leave you breathless and teary eyed!

The Golden Lily Book Trailers