I picked up this series merely because of the vampire suject and was pleasantly surprised. The books present a world where two kinds of vampires exist along with half-vampires, all unknown to humans. The series is a light read, entertaining and full of action. My only complaint is that there are several grammatical errors throughout the books which can be slightly annoying. ( )

I am not usually one who enjoys this genre of young adult books, but I enjoyed this one and will be reading the next one in the series. I thought this was much better than Twilight. ( )

I enjoyed this book. Even more than I actually expected. I liked the slightly different take on the world of vampires with the Miori and Strigoi and the damphir. And loved the use of the girls’ bond to create a pseudo omniscience. While the plot was fairly predictable (feeding my inner teen girl), there were a few twists in there that I didn’t see coming. I also enjoyed the early set ups for future important events. I really appreciate Mead for adding heat into this book without actually having to be gratuitous. This book gets a 4/5 for the entertainment value (read: crack like draw) and the scene where the teacher reads the girls’ note passed during class. It was nearly all I could do to write this quick review before jumping face first into the next book in the series. This was also my first electronic book experience. It’s no comparison for being able to curl up with a well loved paper text, but for brief computer time distractions, it worked well. ( )

This was super cute, fast-paced read with likable main characters and a fantastic, addictive plotline. Add in the fact that it's all about vampires, and we've got ourselves a winner of a book.
Richelle Mead's vision of a world in which vampires exist in the underground, unknown to MOST humans (except the feeders - um, ick!), is vivid and unique, something different from the typical vampire world most YA readers have been getting used to recently.
The Moroi are the living vampires, who are protected by the half-human half-vampire Dhampirs from the Strigoi, the dead vampires. In the beginning, it was a little bit difficult to keep all of this straight, but as the story continued, her world became as natural and real as the world I am living in today.
Honestly, I was amazed and awed with the way in which Mead populated a world full of the good guy vampires we have come to love, but without letting go of the evil undead blood-sucking vampire image.

Moroi = good but weak. Strigoi = bad and vicious. Dhampir = good and loyal.
And loyal the Dhampir are. Rose, a Dhampir and our narrator, is so loyal to her protege, Lissa, princess of a dying Moroi line, that it could almost be considered a fault. Rose's relationship with Lissa, while being paranormal, is also something all teenagers can relate to, either because they have a best friend or they dream of having a best friend as loyal as Rose. I know that I personally have sacrificed much for friends. I can be loyal to a fault, and so, while I think it's extreme how Rose would sacrifice EVERYTHING for Lissa, how her entire life is about protecting her, I can also understand.

Mead brings this loyalty to a whole new level, though. Because it's not just about two people, about Lissa and Rose. It's also about two races of people (vampire?). The relationship between the Moroi and the Dhampir, in general, is horrifying in that an entire race is willing to sacrifice their lives and happiness for another, weaker race. And yet, because Mead has written the story from Rose's point of view, it also seems completely natural. Like the only way things could possibly be.

And that was one of the greatest things about this book. It was written from Rose's point of view; Rose the protector, Rose the bodyguard. The character who rarely has a voice was allowed to express herself loud and clear.
This book was dark yet fun; easy to read yet with a whole slew of deeper meaning.
This book had me neglecting everyone and everything in my life while I was reading it, unable to stop turning the pages, unable to put it down for even a second.
In other words, I liked it. :-) ( )