The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily is the second book in Richelle Mead's series Bloodlines. Bloodlines is a spin-off series of the Vampire Academy books. This is a book and a book series that I recommend for all readers. I've read it, my mom's read it, my mom's friends have read it, my friends have read it. It's something that is a really fun read.

The main character is Sydney Sage. She's an alchemist. Meaning, she hides the human world from vampires. She's been charged with the mission of hiding vampire princess Jill Dragomir. Sydney is the kind of person that likes all her ducks in a row. She's very organized and doesn't like magic. In fact, she doesn't like anything that doesn't fit into logic. She's a very well built character and I like her a lot. Along with Sydney, several Dhampirs (half-vampires) and Moroi (mortal, magic using vampires) help to protect Jill. Sydney has always followed the rules and tried to please, so with new information and feelings, I'm wondering which side she'll choose. The repressive Alchemists, or her new vampire friends.

The plot of the book is well done. I never know what's going to happen next. It twists and turns and flips upside-down. Every character has their secrets. And no stone is left unturned. Be prepared for one of the best novels out there. I give it five stars.

Synopsis:

Sydney Sage is and 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 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.

Title: The Golden Lily

Author: Richelle Mead

Release: June 6, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Series: Bloodlines

Pages: 418