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 is 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 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?
Review: A mostly uneventful sequel to Bloodlines with some romance, danger, and Adrian.
I will admit that I am enjoying this series more than Vampire Academy. I was always ambivalent about Rose as a character. She was impulsive, selfish, and annoying. Sydney is smart, a bit of a know-it-all, and sometimes quite boring. I found that Sydney was a much more boring character in The Golden Lily than in Bloodlines, but I still like her more than Rose, mostly because of her desire to learn and fascination with older cultures (I am learning Latin and want to study medieval literature for my PhD).
Most of this book was taken up with romance. Brayden seemed like a good match for Sophie, but he was so very boring. He had no spark of life about him. As I have read the Vampire Academy series and the Bloodlines, I find myself liking Adrian more and more. I know Sophie is torn between duty and her desire to be friends with the Moroi and the Dhampirs, but the ending really killed me. What is she willing to sacrifice for a system of beliefs that she is finding herself doubting? I hope Sydney realizes what is truly important to her before it is too late.
Rating:
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that have read Bloodlines and the series to those that enjoyed Vampire Academy and/or young adult supernatural novels.
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