Title: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: June 12, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 418
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series.

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.  

My Thoughts:
I'm a crazy fan-girl of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series and the giddy rush of of excitement I feel just talking about the books can be most definitely applied to the Bloodlines series as well. I seriously only have gushing thoughts to share about The Golden Lily! 

After spending so much time around the Moroi and Dhampir these past few months, the world doesn't seem so black and white to Sydney anymore, making her question everything the Alchemists have ever taught her. She once believed that all vampires were evil and unnatural, while humans were always the side of good, but Sydney now realizes that isn't always the case. Humans are just as capable of being monsters and vampires can be kind of heart. She genuinely cares about Jill, Eddie and the rest of the gang, even when such an affection is bordering on being an act of betrayal against the Alchemists's doctrines. 

Adrian, oh Adrian... how I love you so! I've been a faithful Team Adrian supporter since he made his first appearance in Frostbite, the second novel of the Vampire Academy series, and my adoration for him has only gotten stronger. Adrian is much more perceptive than anyone really gives him credit for, and seems to know Sydney better than she even knows herself sometimes. Everyone thinks Sydney acts so perfectly, but he senses her insecurities and tries to protect her in his own way.

I loved the banter between Adrian and Sydney in The Golden Lily, delighting in the fact they had more moments together compared to Bloodlines. Sydney is intelligent when it comes to facts and academics, but she can be so oblivious when it comes to emotions and feelings. The chemistry between the pair really did seem to leap off the pages! I'm also sure fans of Dimitri will be glad to hear that he's in The Golden Lily. He and Sonya Karp have traveled to Palm Springs in order to study the effects of changing back from Strigoi using spirit... 

Richelle Mead always knows how to end her novels in a way that leaves you in emotional turmoil and completely desperate to learn what will happen next to the characters. In The Golden Lily, we continue to dig deeper into the world of the Alchemists, uncovering some of their secrets and also getting more of a glimpse into Sydney's talents with magic. I think it will only be a matter of time before Sydney's loyalties are truly put to the test in the Bloodlines series. I absolutely cannot for The Indigo Spell!

Thanks so much to Penguin Canada for providing this review copy!