Book Review: Spirit Bound

So to start off I'm going to tell you that when they say that the first book in a series is always the best and blah blah blah.. they are usually WRONG with capitol W. One thing I have learned about books over the years is that if it's a series, it usually gets BETTER after the first book, the deeper into the plot you go, the juicier the story gets. And my theory didn't fail me with The Vampire Academy series, not at all.

After reading the first couple I had deemed them basic young adult, high school reads. No biggie, just the norm for what was popular now days. Vampire love, fatal attraction, all that good stuff. Then after moving onto the third and fourth books, Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise, my opinion altered. These were no longer mundane reading. They were getting good, it seemed to me that the actual writing improved, not just the story. They became more involved, more detailed, and more realistic. I like a book that I can picture in my mind, without having to add much of my own to it, I like the story painted for me, like a movie screen in my head. The third and fourth book did that for me, the first and second did as well, but the third and fourth definitely kicked it in gear.

Now I pick up the fifth book, Spirit Bound. Holy cow am I completely blown away or what??!! This book has me reeling by the end of it, and to think I have to wait all the way until December of this year for the final installment of this series, Last Sacrifice, to reach the public, argg.. just imagine my frustration if you will.

The story follows Rose, Lissa, Christian, and Adrian through graduation and onto Court, where they will now be given their official assignments as guardians, and Lissa will be attending college and Adrian.. well he will be doing whatever it is he decides to do. But of course Rose still has big problems, one being especially now out in the ' real ' world, Dimitri. Dimitri, the one man she has ever loved. The one that she also lost, he died.. but didn't, he turned strigoi, the undead vamps. He had captured her in Russia, gave her the choice to become what he is, so that they could still be together, but she didn't do it, she escaped, and with doing that she also lost him again. This time for good, now he was hunting her, now he would kill her. Unless the could possibly find out if a rumor about spirit powers were true, and if it was, if they could use it to their advantage, and if so if Dimitri would agree. But before they can finish their plan, the unthinkable happens, and they are forced to rush ahead of schedule. Sometimes working under pressure wields tremendous results, and they came out on top, for the most part, Rose will still walk away with a broken heart.

When you might think that this is a huge thing to happen in the book, and it is, believe me, it's not the biggest thing... I'm not going to spoil anymore of it for you, but the last few chapters blew my mind, they were absolutely amazing, and completely came out of the blue. Never would I have imagined that was where this story was going to go, but I am so glad it did, the anticipation for the next book is killing me already.

Ratings: Number 4 with 3 stars

Spirit Bound
Vampire Academy Series
Richelle Mead