Frostbite

After reading the first book in the series, and finding out what a jem it was, I had no skepticism about Frostbite. It was just as sexy and fresh as the first. It packed the same bad ass punch, and added more depth to the characters without going overboard and becoming dull.

Richelle Mead has given YA a strong female protagonist that can take care of business without being totally cliche irrational. Rose considers the dangers of her actions beforehand, unlike most female characters in YA. In a perfect world I would be just like Rose. She’s extremely relatable and realistic. This is a sequel that can stand tall against the original, and I’m already super excited for the 3rd.

So... I just surfaced from three days of binge-reading the five published Vampire Academy novels, the best-selling YA series by Richelle Mead featuring yet another paranormal reality that attempts to redefine classical vampire mythology and add a new twist. As a result of reading the books in rapid succession, I can't really separate them well enough in my mind to write a clear review for each one, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to give a quick pitch as to why you should bother reading them when you already feel like you've overdosed on the whole vamp scene and a summary of the world and basic plot; then I'm going to break out with a short glance at each. If you're reading this review on my blog, you'll see everything here, show more but if you're reading this on Goodreads or LibraryThing, when it comes to each individual book, you'll only see the snippet for that book -- but be warned that each successive snippet might give away something from the previous book. I'll try not to give away major plot points in my general pitch, but once I'm reviewing the whole series to date... well, I'm reviewing the whole series to date, so you'll understand if I might need to move beyond the first book's purview.

The reason you should read this series can be summarized quite neatly: the narrator, Rose Hathaway. (Well, there's that and the fact that if you're trying to figure out *why* you should read this series, then it's likely that you already want to, so just do it.) Rose Hathaway is the badass heroine you've always wanted for a YA book -- the bridge between YA and regular fiction that creates an honest and funny narrator who still gets tripped up a bit with the fact that she's only a teenager. What makes it YA is the world around her and the fact that, like young adult readers, she's still trying to come up with some answers in her life, too. Rose is not the standard YA heroine who gets blamed for things she didn't do or dithers about solving a problem -- she barrels headfirst into every situation and if she is blamed for something, she almost always did it and then some. (At one point in the series, when accused of killing someone, the best defense for her not having done it is that she insists she never would have killed the person in so obvious and stupid a fashion.) She's street-smart and rough, and her wise-ass comments and hold-nothing-back attitude will have you smirking every chapter. She is far from perfect and still a teenager with a lot to learn, but at least she's saying out loud all the things you'd normally think the heroine should be saying when she encounters obstacles, tricky situations, or hot guys... which often involves swearing. If you need another reason to read these books, then you've got to look within -- if you read YA and fantasy, then chances are the whole setting appeals to you. Paranormal activities, teenage characters taking on responsibilities, the whole boarding school dynamic, and (as always) complicated romantic relationships. The "good" vampires aren't all that sexy and dangerous (in fact, if "sexy" comes into anything, it's just the general teenage hormones talking) and the bad vampires are mostly just dangerous, so the take on vampires is a bit different... but at least they're not sparkly and they don't just hunt animals.

Here's a bit of a summary of Mead's world so you get a feel for the setting. There are two separate races of vampires, along with a race of half-vampire people, that opt to fly under the radar and live a secret existence separate from humans. The Moroi are living members of a vampire race who need both real food and blood to survive, but rely on volunteers for that blood and never kill. (Picture leggy models with impossibly thin bodies and gorgeous features.) They can endure limited exposure to the sun, grow old, and can work certain elemental magic. They have a worldwide system of government, a moderated monarchy that focuses on twelve royal families and an appointed monarch (each monarch appoints his or her successor from a family not their own). There is great wealth and power within these families (my image of the royal Moroi is rather based on Russia and the Romanovs before the revolution), though there are many other Moroi who are not royal or wealthy. Alternately, there's a darker strain of evil immortal vampires called the Strigoi, which are not born but are made out of violence -- by purposely killing someone, a Moroi can turn him/herself into a Strigoi or a Strigoi must drain an individual and then that individual must drink Strigoi blood to be forcibly turned. The Strigoi are extremely strong and fast and never sleep, but they give up any magic or sun tolerance in their transition for such traits. They also forfeit their souls and any true compassion or capability for love. The Strigoi hunt down Moroi and drain them of blood, which is particularly appetizing for them (and even more so should their victim come from one of the twelve royal Moroi families) and the Moroi are not even close to being as strong as the Strigoi when it comes to defending themselves. That's where the half-breeds come in. The Moroi rely on a race of people called dhampirs, which are half-vampire half-human hybrids, historically serving the Moroi as "guardians" to protect them. Dhampirs retain certain benefits from both sides of their genetic pool, allowing them to be excellent warriors, though they cannot perform magic. In addition, they are incapable of producing children within their population alone, requiring their reliance on the Moroi, as only a Moroi/dhampir union will result in a dhampir child (don't try to go with the 3/4 vampire argument, it evidently doesn't work that way). Even though the Moroi need the dhampirs for protection, dhampirs are unofficially treated like second class citizens. Since dhampirs require the Moroi to produce children, there tend to be a lot of Moroi men sleeping with dhampir women, but ultimately marrying to have a "real" family with Moroi women. This leads to lots of single dhampir moms and dhampir men (as Moroi women are less likely to shack up with a dhampir guy) get the short end of the stick. Guardians are overwhelmingly male, though not much biased at all when it comes to dhampir women choosing a career as a guardian. Dhampirs and Moroi are educated side-by-side in schools, though dhampirs specialize in combat training, hand-to-hand fighting and so on. When dhampirs graduate and pass the tests to become a guardian, there are assigned to a Moroi to guard, and given the depleting guardian numbers (the battle against the Strigoi is a hard one), it usually means that mostly royal Moroi get guardians and regular Moroi go without -- unless they're wealthy enough to hire vigilante guardians who don't work within the system.

Did you get all that? Good, because I haven't even really touched on the main characters. Rosemarie Hathaway is a teenage dhampir girl and Vasilisa (Lissa) Dragomir is a Moroi princess; they've been best friends since kindergarten and their relationship became even stronger two years prior to the opening of the first novel when a car crash claimed the lives of Lissa's family, but Rose and Lissa walked away unharmed... well... sort of. The thing is, the car crash resulted in the girls forming a bond which allows Rose to read Lissa's mind (aka slip into Lissa's mind and watch things unfold from Lissa's perspective) and enables her to always know where her friend is. If Rose didn't feel responsible for Lissa to begin with, this sealed the deal and means Rose already views herself as Lissa's guardian and the bond gives her an edge. Lissa needs particular protection as she is the last of her bloodline, the only living member of the royal Dragomir line. Rose believes that it is her duty to protect Lissa at all costs -- which somehow meant that she felt it necessary to break Lissa out of their high-security school and keep them on the run for two years before the first book opens with their recapture and return to St. Vladimir's, the titular "vampire academy" located in middle-of-nowhere Montana. The series follows these two girls (particularly Rose, the narrator) as they spend their last year at school and move into the "real world." The plotlines revolve around larger problems unique to their situation (struggling to understand their bond and magic, determining who can be trusted to know their secrets, navigating complicated Moroi politics, and battling Strigoi for survival) as well as all the usual high school stuff (bitchy social-climbing competitors, vicious gossip, difficult classes, and love lives that are complicated in ways that only high school love lives can be). Within the series, the girls mature quickly as their problems escalate... or maybe they simply figure out just how big their problems are as they learn more and more.

*
In the second novel, Frostbite, a large Strigoi attack on a Moroi family just before Christmas has the Moroi terrified. As a result of this threat, most of the students would otherwise be kept on campus, but a wealthy Moroi family donates the use of its ski resort to the school so students and their families can stay safe over the holidays. This might provide a distraction, but not enough for the young dhampir students who are eager to get out into the world and start killing Strigoi. Rose finds herself in the rare position of trying to be the voice of reason, but that doesn't stop her from sharing some classified information and when some of her friends rush off to take advantage of this to be heroic, Rose goes after them. Of course, not everyone would look at Rose and think "responsible," including Rose's mother, a renowned dhampir guardian who Rose hasn't seen in years and isn't keen on getting to know now after feeling abandoned. Meanwhile, Lissa is starting to understand what it really means to be the last Dragomir as she moves towards a life where she'll inevitably play a role in Moroi politics. She's also learning more about what it is to be in a real relationship (one that isn't entirely approved of by all around her) and what her magic powers mean for herself, Rose, and the larger fate of the Moroi. Frostbite culminates in a very intense situation that makes the reader and Rose realize just how serious the dangers are from Strigoi... and just how useless the current Moroi response to them is if they rely entirely on defensive guardians. Between Lissa's position and Rose's firsthand knowledge, one can see that together, they could be a powerful instrument for future change... if they can manage to survive to bring it about.
*

In all, I think it's obvious that I enjoyed the books given my rate of consumption, though this doesn't necessarily mean they're brilliant, only that I have an addictive personality and enjoyed the characters. The books have the benefit of feeling both familiar and yet original. They follow certain obvious paths, and yet Mead still makes the paths are fun and exciting. One cares about the characters and, thankfully, few of them are complete idiots, which can easily kill one's interest in a series. I would say that Mead's talent lies in the creation of the world and plotlines as opposed to her writing, though it's sufficient for the task at hand and most everything out of Rose's mouth when she's being a smart-ass is amusing. One takes particular pleasure in seeing the characters mature and come into their own within their respective spheres of society. This is particularly true for Rose, as hers feels more earned than Lissa's. The secondary characters meant to support our heroines such as Christian and Adrian (who appears in book two) are amusing for their faults and dry wit. The villains tend to be a bit transparent, so it's rare to be really surprised by anything.

I know the books are about vampires, but perhaps it's to their credit that I don't think of this as the first thing to discuss when I describe them. But of course, this means that I think of them more as YA, as they put more emphasis on the relationships and the drama as opposed to the fangs and blood. What I also appreciate is the fact that these books are pretty honest when it comes to sex and alcohol and the age of the kids involved. It's boarding school life and there isn't harsh judgment except when it comes to overindulgence. Same goes for the sex -- Rose deals with the implications in the first book of earning a reputation of being easy, but we also touch on taboos of culture, like Rose's allowing Lissa to drink her blood when they were on the run. In sexual scenarios between dhampir and Moroi, this has a tinge of the scandalous (touched upon in book five) which would give young adult readers a thrill while they still consider consequences of their actions. There's discussion of underage sex, safe sex, and what kinky things can be done without having actual sex. There's the frank admission that even a teenage girl can have a healthy sex drive, but clearly shouldn't let it make decisions for her. And there's knowledge that relationships are complicated and not just about wanting to be with a person, but working out the trust, the obligation, and all the many emotions that come into play.

So yes, here we have another vampire series to fit onto the YA shelves, but honestly? If all the vampire books were of this caliber, I'd be totally fine with the ever-expanding lists. I might prefer the main heroine to be a bit brainier, but Rose does at least promote values like loyalty, putting faith in oneself, and working hard to achieve one's goals. Her disregard for working within the system can be both refreshing and a bit frustrating... but at least she's always trying to be honest with herself so she can do the right thing. When it comes to the vampires, at least these vampires can be sexy and dangerous, but it's a shame that the "good" vampires aren't all that sexy and dangerous. Quite honestly, I sometimes wonder if there's a reason they have to be vampires at all. With their magic, they could simply be wizards, and yet the vampire aspect can sometimes yield interesting details. I hope Mead continues to explore the complicated paths without taking any easy ways out, but I have this sneaking suspicion that I might end up dissatisfied with the ultimate result. Not everyone can survive book six and choices will have to be made. Since we already know she's agreed to do another six-book series as a spin-off (and she's said that Rose will make occasional appearances), it'll be interesting to see how it all pans out in the end. Clearly Mead has me hooked and I hope she doesn't take that for granted with the last one.

Oh and PS... what's with the covers? I read these on my nook, so I didn't fully take in how ridiculous the covers to these books are until I hunted images up for my blog post. They're really quite absurd, but hey, whatever sells 'em, I suppose. show less

Such an entertaining series so far, enjoyed this book even more than the first.

Sometimes with a sequel new characters feel shoehorned in and you’d so much rather the focus be on the characters you’re already into, but I loved the addition of Adrian, he’s a bit of a mystery, has interesting romantic possibilities, and I liked that the more we learn about him, the more it enriched Lissa as well.

Rose’s mom also arrives early on in this sequel, the scenes between mother and daughter were intense and awkward, a fascinating dynamic, especially as it becomes apparent that they’re more alike than Rose really cares to acknowledge.

Romance plays a role here with Lissa’s relationship still going strong and Rose attempting to move show more past her inappropriate attraction to Dimitri by giving someone else a chance, if romance isn’t your thing though, there is plenty of action as well. There were definitely some horror movie type of moments where characters make obviously bad choices, but they are untrained, inexperienced teens so it tends to feel more truthful than frustrating when those bad choices happen, plus there were instances that balanced things out where you do see their smarts and skills on display, where there’s a strong sense of the guardian Rose is destined to become. I also really enjoyed that certain characters who aren’t necessarily each other’s biggest fans are forced to work together.

I just had such a good time reading this one, and there’s the added bonus that it takes place in wintery conditions including a tiny dash of Christmas which I thought was kind of great since the vast majority of the time festive stuff is reserved for contemporary romance, it was fun to encounter a sprinkling of the holidays in the paranormal genre. show less

Frostbite has a kick, just like the title suggests. Rose's snarky attitude is starting to cost her. Everywhere she turns, she runs into choices - about her mom, Lissa & Christian, Dimitri, Mason... not to mention Adrian! What a character! This book could stand alone, the author provides plenty of filler for a new reader to catch up on what they might have missed in Vampire Academy. That was my least favorite part - all the filler details. What I loved was Rose's character development. I learned so much about her. BFF forever!! The story picks up pace until it's sprinting. The closer I got towards the end, the harder it was to put down.

My Rating: I gotta break it down 'cause I hate giving the same rating to entirely different books:

2.5 - show more Filler details. I didn't need 'em and they made me yawn.
5 - Character development. Holy Cow!! This book is an essential piece of Rose's life!!
4.5 - Action. Even when I guessed what was coming, I was biting my nails. Wonderful!
3.5 - Pace. Those filler moments really set the pace for me. It started too slowly and took time to build up speed.

Overall: 4 - Good book!

The thing is... I need to discuss some details. So, this is where newbies to VA should stop and consider adding it to their TBR. (Go for it!) All you VA nuts out there...

let's talk about Frostbite!!!

This section contains Spoilers!!

Ok... first my complaint. I found myself dragging my way through the first half because I kept running into more detailed descriptions of what I had learned in VA. I am still conflicted on how I feel about that. Either my intelligence is being insulted or I am not being left behind… veeeery thoroughly. Do I say “thanks”? or “no thanks!” I started skipping entire paragraphs once the author began her review voice.

Rose - OMG!! She has always had so much attitude towards the Moroi system and rules in general. In Frostbite she learns so many hard lessons!! Her willingness to accept who she is and adjust made me just love her.

There's her mom. I totally picture this little ball of tight energy - a grown up version of Rose, just a little shorter and a little colder. Like post-hard knocks. And Rose has so much resentment towards her... that fighting scene? The one where the two of 'em are "training" and Rose is pushing her mom's buttons? How awesome was that?!?! Ha! It seemed like "black eye" was a language Rose understood, too, you know? Like suddenly she can see things (albeit reluctantly) from her mom's point of view.

Then there's Dimitri. Darn his stiff Russian exterior!! He's so set on being responsible and a good trainer, let alone guardian that he's downright COLD! Which is totally amplified with Tasha hanging around. I seriously wanted to strangle Dimitri for actually showing a casual, chatty side. I mean, I was gawking. I didn't think it was possible and here he goes showing hidden layers of tenderness... TO THE WRONG PERSON!!

Of course, this is what pushes Rose into examining whether she should hook up with someone closer to her age, too. The differences between Mason and Dimitri are too great. Mason pushes Rose into being responsible with his misplaced confidence, which is deliciously complicated. Talk about fighting yer inner bad-girl!!

Now Rose is sent into some sort of tailspin, wondering if she's really a rebel at all. Ha! She test her theory and BAM!! Bad idea! Innocent Mason jumps at the chance to prove to himself and Rose and all that stupid Moroi system that he's got a great idea and the guts to pull it off! *groan*

We can't forget Adrian, though, right? I mean, all these comments about "now you get to meet Adrian" and how Adrian competes for hottest fictional character and stuff... I had some high expectations for him. And what is he? Some hot guy that's full of himself and his position in this Moroi system who smokes and drinks... constantly. His cocky flirtations seriously got under my skin so that I was throwing him off as enthusiastically as Rose was. After all the hype, I was sooooo relieved she didn't fall for his smooth ways. I was half afraid she'd be tripping over herself over him, especially as insecure as she was at that moment.

As I'm writing this, I'm into the thick of Blood Promise and I realize Adrian's character is being revealed nice -n- slowly, peeling back layers upon layers of worthy dude underneath this smoke haze. I can't help liking him where I'm at in the series. But back in Frostbite? I was giving him pure cold shoulder. And I say that was his fault. He's just getting what he asked for. Back then.

*Pause* for a moment of awe that the author created people I can feel so strongly about!! Wow!

As for the action... the stuff that picked up speed and got to rolling faster than fast so that I was chewin' on my fingers, tense for everyone. Part of what made that entire situation amazing was that the answers were obvious. A moroi was going to have to use magic to get them out of that situation. I mean, I was screaming in frustration when they just allowed themselves to get captured. They really did take that too calmly. But they hadn't made the Human-Strigoi connection that the author set the reader up to see before they did. You know? They were thinking "humans, no problem - irritating, but not life-threatening."

I was frustrated in the torture chamber, too, because I felt so certain that they'd get too weak to fight back at all. There was such a time pressure crunch, it just about drove me crazy. I accepted that the answers weren't obvious to the characters involved, and I'm curious whether anyone disagrees. It took Rose an agonizingly long time to think of it, too.

And I did NOT expect them to lose anyone. Seriously... that was a blow that made it hard for me to review Frostbite immediately afterwards. I was in mourning.

I wondered whether everyone would deal with the death as just part of the job, too. Sort of sad, but sort of expected. And I can't tell you how awesome it was and continues to be that each person is honored as the wonderful character they were/are and not schluffed off as "doin' their duty".

Basically... this book was amazing as far as digging underneath everyone's skin and getting to know 'em all better. I can't imagine what it would have been like to read this book when it came out and have to wait for the next. ARGH!! But happily... I'm reading on my way! They are all so REAL to me!! show less

The Good: Frostbite is one of the rare instances where I loved second book in a series even more than the first. The focus was split equally between action, drama and romance. Danger surrounds the royal families, so the kids at St. Vladimir's hide out at a fancy ski resort. As they cut loose from their training responsibilities, we get to see Rose and some of the others with a little more freedom to act their ages. And that means a lot of fun and teen angst. The tension between Rose and Dmitri is awesome and the addition of Adrian is fantastic. The book is not without its emotional pain and loss, however. Some surprising things take place in Frostbite, which may very well have a long term impact on some of the characters.

The Bad: show more Nothing. Frostbite was perfect. show less

In my opinion, Frostbite was just as good as the first book in this series.

The first thing that I loved and adored and made me sigh with relief was that there weren't too many "remember what happened in the previous book" moments. And those that did mention past events were waaay too short to bother me. That's one of the things that always scare me a little when it comes to series.

Rose is still as impulsive and sarcastic as she was in Vampire Academy. She'd still do anything to protect Mia and her friends. What was interesting in this book was that we get to see her interact with her mother, Janine Hathaway. Janine is a very interesting character. At first I have to say I didn't like her that much. But, seeing how acts and talks to Rose show more and also how she comforts her daughter at the end of the book made me completely change my opinion about Janine. Also, Dimitri's insight helped. There's this scene when he talks to Rose about her mother and the things he said helped me see Janine in a different light, so thanks Dimitri!

In Frostbite we meed another character, Adrian. Adrian is unique, sort of like the bad boy of the series. He grows on you as the story progresses. He's very funny and sarcastic. And he seems like he's always up to something. The one thing that he needs, in my opinion (and it's a constant thing until the end of the series) is maturity. He really needs to grow up a little. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy a lot, but he's a little too immature at times.

I liked the feeling of normality brought by Lissa and Christian's relationship. It's one of those "boy meets girl" kind of love story, without the unnecessary drama. Lissa changed since the events in Vampire Academy. She seems she's getting better, she's not as angry as she was then. And with each book she learns more about her powers and it's really fun to see that. I think Christian helped too, he has a good influence on her.

Dimitri is... well, Dimitri. He's still just as cute, sexy, strong, silent and powerful as before. He still loves the 80s music (and every time I think about that I love him a little bit more). We get to see a little of his control snap at a certain point and I thought he was very... sexy in that scene.

There's more drama and more heartbreak in Frostbite. The ending made me want to cry a little. I thought it was a bit unfair for one of the characters and also very tragic. I realize it was necessary to show how evil Strigoi are, but it was still heartbreaking. There's a lot of action, mostly towards the end of the book, a lot of suspense, humor, romance and some family drama.

If you're still waiting to read this series, do it now! Trust me! show less

An excellent sequel from Richelle Mead. Guardian dhampir Rose is put to the test when the Strigoi (evil undead vampires) start recruiting humans to kill the Moroi (magical vampires). She also faces a personal dilemma, with three men interested in her - mentor guardian Dimitri, best friend Mason and mysterious newcomer Adrian Ivashkov.

Mead is a master at fast paced, exciting stories, but she doesn't skimp on emotion or introspection either. Rose is a typical teenager in her issues and insecurities, perhaps, but the fantastic challenges and incredible danger she must face in her role as Lissa's guardian make her more sympathetic to the reader. I felt her frustration with her mother, and could understand the appeal of Dimitri, Mason and show more Adrian, but I was also shocked and saddened right along with her in the final chapters. Powerful writing indeed! show less