Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

Normally I’d provide the author’s description of the book except in this case, the author reveals a major piece of the last book. And in order to understand this book, you need to know that piece. But knowing that piece will take away from discovering that through reading the books.

Two weeks. Two weeks, and I could be dead.

“I can’t,” I told Abe, my voice breaking. “I’m not. .. meant to die that way.”

“Oh?” He arched an eyebrow. “You know how you’re supposed to die?”

“In battle.” One tear managed to escape, and I hastily wiped it away. I’d always lived my life with a tough image. I didn’t want that shattering, not now when it mattered most of all. “In fighting. Defending those I love. Not. .. not through some planned execution.”

“This is a fight of sorts,” he mused. “Just not a physical one. Two weeks is still two weeks. Is it bad? Yes. But it’s better than one week. And nothing’s impossible. Maybe new evidence will turn up. You simply have to wait and see.”

“I hate waiting. This room. .. it’s so small. I can’t breathe. It’ll kill me before any executioner does.”

“I highly doubt it.” Abe’s expression was still cool, with no sign of sympathy. Tough love. “You’ve fearlessly fought groups of Strigoi, yet you can’t handle a small room?”

“It’s more than that! Now I have to wait each day in this hole, knowing there’s a clock ticking down to my death and almost no way to stop it.”

“Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don’t seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving is the hardest thing of all.”

Read chapter 1 in full.

I was sad to finish the series. Not because the story had a bad ending or didn’t tie up most loose ends but simply because the series was over. However, it does leave the option of revisiting the series in say 10 years to catch up with the characters.

I am thrilled that I was given the opportunity to read this series as I have found a new author for our bookcases. The ones that I look to for inspiration when selecting new books series. They join other fantastic authors like R.L. Stine, Dan Brown, Christopher Pike, Christopher Paolini, and Lisa Cottrell-Bentley.

This is the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month. Read all of the reviews here.

Don’t Fret! Richelle Mead has a spinoff book series that follows Sydney, Jill (Jailbait), Adrian, and Eddie on their own adventures. I have received a copy of the first book, Bloodlines, and it’s on my to read list. The second book in the Bloodlines series, The Golden Lily, is due out in June so pre-order your copy today!

Pick up your copy of Last Sacrifice from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)
• Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Book 1 of 6)

Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

Normally I’d provide the author’s description of the book except in this case, the author reveals a major piece of the last book. And in order to understand this book, you need to know that piece. But knowing that piece will take away from discovering that through reading the books. So I will only provide a portion of the author’s description:

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he’s out there, somewhere.

Ahead of us, the roar of a crowd grew loud. One of the school’s many sports fields had been transformed into an arena on par with something from Roman gladiatorial days. The bleachers had been built up, expanded from simple wooden seats to luxuriously cushioned benches with awnings to shade the Moroi from the sun. Banners surrounded the field, their bright colors visible from here as they whipped in the wind. I couldn’t see them yet, but I knew there would be some type of barracks built near the stadium’s entrance where novices waited, nerves on edge. The field itself would have turned into an obstacle course of dangerous tests. And from the sound of those deafening cheers, plenty were already there to witness this event.

“I’m not giving up hope,” Lissa said. Through the bond, I knew she meant it. It was one of the wonderful things about her–a steadfast faith and optimism that weathered the most terrible ordeals. It was a sharp contrast to my recent cynicism.

“And I’ve got something that might help you out today.”

She came to a stop and reached into her jeans pocket, producing a small silver ring scattered with tiny stones that looked like peridots. I didn’t need any bond to understand what she was offering.

“Oh, Liss…I don’t know. I don’t want any, um, unfair advantage.”

Lissa rolled her eyes. “That’s not the problem, and you know it. This one’s fine, I swear.”

The ring she offered me was a charm, infused with the rare type of magic she wielded. All Moroi had control of one of five elements: earth, air, water, fire, or spirit. Spirit was the rarest– so rare, it had been forgotten over the centuries. Then Lissa and a few others had recently surfaced with it. Unlike the other elements, which were more physical in nature, spirit was tied into the mind and all sorts of psychic phenomena. No one fully understood it.

Making charms with spirit was something Lissa had only recently begun to experiment with–and she wasn’t very good at it. Her best spirit ability was healing, so she kept trying to make healing charms. The last one had been a bracelet that singed my arm.

“This one works. Only a little, but it’ll help keep the darkness away during the trial.”

She spoke lightly, but we both knew the seriousness of her words. With all of spirit’s gifts came a cost: a darkness that showed itself now as anger and confusion, and eventually led to insanity. Darkness that sometimes bled over into me through our bond. Lissa and I had been told that with charms and her healing, we could fight it off. That was also something we had yet to master.

I gave her a faint smile, moved by her concern, and accepted the ring. It didn’t scald my hand, which I took as a promising sign. It was tiny and only fit on my pinky. I felt nothing whatsoever as it slid on. Sometimes that happened with healing charms. Or it could mean the ring was completely ineffectual. Either way, no harm done.

“Thanks,” I said. I felt delight sweep through her, and we continued walking.

I held my hand out before me, admiring the way the green stones glittered. Jewelry wasn’t a great idea in the kind of physical ordeals I’d be facing, but I would have gloves on to cover it.

“Hard to believe that after this, we’ll be done here and out in the real world,” I mused aloud, not really considering my words.

Read chapter 1 in full.

As expected, this book is on par with the rest of the series and brings closure to certain things while opening new problems for Rose and Lissa to face together.

Due to the series’ complexity, I thought I’d take a moment and list a few negatives I have discovered after reading 2/3 of the series.

Repetitive – I lost count at how many times I’ve read descriptions and differences between Moroi, Strigoi, and Dhampirs. And how spirit is a recent discovery with little understanding. And rehashes of things that happened in previous books. The upside to the repetitive nature is that you could read the first book and then many months later pick up the second book without having to recall minor details of who’s who and whether they are Moroi, Strigoi, or dhampir.

This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month. Read all of the reviews here.

Pick up your copy of Spirit Bound from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)
• Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Book 1 of 6)

Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

Normally I’d provide the author’s description of the book except in this case, the author reveals a major piece of the last book. And in order to understand this book, you need to know that piece. But knowing that piece will take away from discovering that through reading the books. So all I will say is that this book takes Rose on her own adventure to keep a promise that she made in the first few books hence the title, Blood Promise.

My pursuer took a few more steps, and that’s when I made my move. I leapt out, fists ready. “Okay,” I exclaimed. “I only wanted to ask a few questions, so just back off or else—”

I froze. The guardian from the club wasn’t standing there.

A human was.

A girl, no older than me. She was about my height, with cropped dark blond hair and a navy blue trench coat that looked expensive. Underneath it, I could see nice dress pants and leather boots that looked as pricey as the coat. More startling still was that I recognized her. I’d seen her twice at the Nightingale, talking to the Moroi men. I’d assumed she was just another of the women they liked to flirt with and had promptly dismissed her. After all, what use was a human to me?

Her face was partly covered in shadow, but even in poor lighting, I could make out her annoyed expression. That wasn’t quite what I’d expected. “It’s you, isn’t it?” she asked. Cue more shock. Her English was as American as my own. “You’re the one who’s been leaving the string of Strigoi bodies around the city. I saw you back in the club tonight and knew it had to be you.”

“I . . .” No other words formed on my lips. I had no idea how to respond. A human talking casually about Strigoi? It was unheard of. This was almost more astonishing than actually running into a Strigoi out here. I’d never experienced anything like this in my life. She didn’t seem to care about my stupefied state.

“Look, you can’t just do that, okay? Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for me to deal with? This internship is bad enough without you making a mess of it. The police found the body you left in the park, you know. You cannot even imagine how many strings I had to pull to cover that up.”

“Who . . . who are you?” I asked at last. It was true. I had left a body in the park, but seriously, what was I supposed to do? Drag him back to my hotel and tell the bellhop my friend had too much to drink?

“Sydney,” the girl said wearily. “My name’s Sydney. I’m the Alchemist assigned here.”

“The what?”

She sighed loudly, and I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes. “Of course. That explains everything.”

“No, not really,” I said, finally regaining my composure. “In fact, I think you’re the one who has a lot of explaining to do.”

“And attitude too. Are you some kind of test they sent here for me? Oh, man. That’s it.”

I was getting angry now. I didn’t like being chastised. I certainly didn’t like being chastised by a human who made it sound like me killing Strigoi was a bad thing.

“Look, I don’t know who you are or how you know about any of this, but I’m not going to stand here and—”

Nausea rolled over me and I tensed, my hand immediately going for the silver stake I kept in my coat pocket. Sydney still wore that annoyed expression, but it was mingled with confusion now at the abrupt change in my posture. She was observant, I’d give her that.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You’re going to have another body to deal with,” I said, just as the Strigoi attacked her.

Read chapter 1 in full.

A lot of new characters are introduced in this book including another spirit user like Lissa, a shadow kissed guardian like Rose, and a handful of Dimitri’s family members.

With all of the plot twists and turns in the first three books, it’s no surprise that this book will also have it’s own twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. I found myself wanting to pick this book up and just keep reading.

If you haven’t picked up copies of the series, you’re missing out and the next big thing. I could easily see this series winning over the millions of Twilight and Harry Potter fans now that their beloved series have ended and they need a new obsession.

This is the fourth book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month. Read all of the reviews here.

Pick up your copy of Blood Promise from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)
• Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Book 1 of 6)

Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

It’s springtime at St. Vladimir’s Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn’t been feeling quite right. She’s having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all…might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose’s forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line–and choose between the two people she loves most.

I stood up on shaky legs, feeling restless and . . . well, sad. Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my weird mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the bathroom down the hall. I splashed cool water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection looking back at me had tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. I looked sleep-deprived, but I didn’t want to go back to bed. I didn’t want to risk falling asleep quite yet. I needed something to wake me up and shake away what I’d seen.

I left the bathroom and turned toward the stairwell, my feet light on the steps as I went downstairs. The first floor of my dorm was still and quiet. It was almost noon—the middle of the night for vampires, since they ran on a nocturnal schedule. Lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning Moroi man sitting at the front desk. He leafed halfheartedly through a magazine, held to consciousness only by the finest of threads. He came to the magazine’s end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table behind him and reached for what must have been something else to read.

While his back was turned, I darted past him toward the set of double doors that opened outside. Praying the doors wouldn’t squeak, I carefully opened one a crack, just enough to slip through. Once outside, I eased the door shut as gently as possible. No noise. At most, the guy would feel a draft. Feeling like a ninja, I stepped out into the light of day.

Cold wind blasted me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further reminding me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked around the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasn’t quite so exposed to the elements. The slush on the sidewalk soaked into the cloth of my slippers, but I didn’t care.

Yeah, it was a typically miserable winter day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a lot to wake me up and chase off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. Focusing on the cold in my body was better than remembering what it had felt like to have Christian’s hands on me. Standing there, staring off at a cluster of trees without really seeing them, I was surprised to feel a spark of anger at Lissa and Christian. It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do whatever the hell you wanted. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my mind and experiences the way I could feel hers. The truth was, she had no idea how lucky she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone else’s thoughts intruding on yours, someone else’s experiences muddling yours. She didn’t know what it was like to live with someone else’s perfect love life when your own was nonexistent. She didn’t understand what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache—a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I’d learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something.

No, Lissa didn’t understand any of that. She didn’t have to. She could carry on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me.

I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling I’d felt over Lissa and Christian’s late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born of what I couldn’t have and what came so easily to her. I tried my best to swallow those emotions back; I didn’t want to feel that way toward my best friend.

“Are you sleepwalking?” a voice asked behind me.

I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that while I was raging over the problems in my unfair love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadn’t heard him approach at all. So much for my ninja skills. And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a brush before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, knowing it was a little too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head.

“I was testing dorm security,” I said. “It sucks.”

Read chapter 1 in full.

This has got to be the best book in the series… so far. So much goes on in this book, it’s no wonder it’s a tad longer than the first two books. Strigoi battles, new locations, and a new side effect of Lissa’s spirit powers all come to an unbelievable end that lead Rose into a new beginning for the next book. I cannot wait to start the next book.

I have raved in the past reviews and thought I would try to list reasons not to read the book but I really could only come up with one: You do not read books with any hint of sexual encounters. The first two books hint a lot about sex and might even have some minor brushes with sex but this book does cross the hinting to a complete sex scene.

Seriously, whether you’re a vampire fan or not – this series is fantastic! You can read the first chapters online to decide if you might be interested. But trust me – DO NOT READ past the first book’s excerpt because there are spoilers in the remaining ones.

This is the third book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month. Read all of the reviews here.

Pick up your copy of Shadow Kiss from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)
• Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Book 1 of 6)

Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks….This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

I jumped down from the Pilot, my boots sinking through an inch of smooth snow and crunching on the gravel of the driveway. The day was still and silent, save for the occasional breath of wind. Dimitri and I walked up to the house, following a river rock sidewalk that cut through the front yard. I could see him sliding into his business mode, but his overall attitude was as cheery as mine. We’d both taken a kind of guilty satisfaction in the pleasant car ride.

My foot slipped on the ice covered sidewalk, and Dimitri instantly reached out to steady me. I had a weird moment of déjà vu to the first night we’d met, back when he’d also saved me from a similar fall. Freezing temperatures or not, his hand felt warm on my arm, even through the layers of down in my puffer coat.

“You okay?” He released his hold, to my dismay.

“Yeah,” I said, casting accusing eyes to the icy sidewalk. “Haven’t these people ever heard of salt?”

I meant it jokingly, but Dimitri suddenly stopped walking. I instantly came to a halt too. Tension so palpable it nearly slapped me snapped into place around him. He turned his head, eyes searching the broad, white plains surrounding us before settling back on the house. I wanted to ask questions, but something in his posture told me to stay silent. He studied the building for almost a full minute, looked down at the icy sidewalk, then glanced back at the driveway, covered in a sheet of snow broken only by our footprints.

Cautiously, he approached the front door, and I followed. He stopped again, this time to study the door. It wasn’t open, but it wasn’t entirely shut either. It looked like it had been closed in haste, not sealing. Further examination showed scuffs along the door’s edge, as though it had been forced at some point. The slightest nudge would open it. Dimitri lightly ran his fingers along where the door met its frame, his breath making small clouds in the air. When he touched the door’s handle it jiggled a little, like it had been broken.

Finally, he said quietly, “Rose, go wait in the car.”

“But wh—”

“Go.”

One word—but one filled with power. In that single syllable I was reminded of the man I’d seen throw people around and stake a Strigoi. I backed up, walking on the snow covered lawn rather than risk the sidewalk. Dimitri stood where he was, not moving until I’d slipped back into the car, closing the door as softly as possible. Then with the gentlest of movements, he pushed on the barely held door and disappeared inside.

Burning with curiosity, I counted to ten and then climbed out of the car.

I knew better than to go in after him, but I had to know what was going on with this house. The neglected sidewalk and driveway indicated no one had been home for a couple days, although it could also mean the Badicas simply never left the house. It was possible, I supposed, that they’d been the victims of an ordinary break-in by humans. It was also possible that something had scared them off—say, like Strigoi. I knew that possibility was what had made Dimitri’s face turn so grim, but it seemed an unlikely scenario with Arthur Schoenberg on duty.

Standing on the driveway, I glanced up at the sky. The light was bleak and watery, but it was there. Noon. The sun’s highest point today. Strigoi couldn’t be out in sunlight. I didn’t need to fear them, only Dimitri’s anger.

I circled around the right side of the house, walking in much deeper snow—almost a foot of it. Nothing else weird about the house struck me. Icicles hung from the eaves, and the tinted windows revealed no secrets. My foot suddenly hit something, and I looked down. There, half-buried in the snow, was a silver stake. It had been driven into the ground. I picked it up and brushed off the snow, frowning. What was a stake doing out here? Silver stakes were valuable. They were a guardian’s most deadly weapon, capable of killing a Strigoi with a single strike through the heart. When they were forged, four Moroi charmed them with magic from each of the four elements. I hadn’t learned to use one yet, but gripping it in my hand, I suddenly felt safer as I continued my survey.

A large patio door led from the back of the house to a wooden deck that probably would have been a lot of fun to hang out on in the summer. But the patio’s glass had been broken, so much so that a person could easily get through the jagged hole. I crept up the deck steps, careful of the ice, knowing I was going to get in major trouble when Dimitri found out what I was doing. In spite of the cold, sweat poured down my neck.

Daylight, daylight, I reminded myself. Nothing to worry about.

I reached the patio and studied the dark glass. I couldn’t tell what had broken it. Just inside, snow had blown in and made a small drift on pale blue carpet. I tugged on the door’s handle, but it was locked. Not that that mattered with a hole that big. Careful of the sharp edges, I reached through the opening and unlocked the handle’s latch from the inside. I removed my hand just as carefully and pulled open the sliding door. It hissed slightly along its tracks, a quiet sound that nonetheless seemed too loud in the eerie silence.

I stepped through the doorway, standing in the patch of sunlight that had been cast inside by opening the door. My eyes adjusted from the sun to the dimness within. Wind swirled through the open patio, dancing with the curtains around me. I was in a living room. It had all the ordinary items one might expect. Couches. TV. A rocking chair.

And a body.

Read chapter 1 in full.

Who knew that Christmas time at St. Vladimir’s Academy could be so eventful? Lust, snow, injury, ski slopes, and multiple twists and turns make this book an addictive read. And all of this goes on while the adults are busy dealing with the recent development of Strigoi cooperation with humans.

It all starts with an attack on a Moroi royal family killing the entire household including their guardians which throws a wrench in the Moroi’s winter plans as parents are worried about taking their children out of the Academy’s protection. Thankfully, a Moroi family owns a ski lodge that can house the royal elite nearby and everyone takes the ski vacation in hopes to relax, even if it’s just a little.

Two of the main characters will be drawn together through a shared experience, the death of a loved one. It will be interesting to continue reading the series and see how the experience changes their relationship – if it does at all.

And you finally get to meet Rose’s mother. Actually Rose’s face meets her mother’s fist. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.

This is the second book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month. Read all of the reviews here.

Pick up your copy of Frostbite from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Book 1 of 6)

Note: These reviews may contain inadvertent spoilers about the book. Read at your own risk.

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires–the ones who never die.The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir’s–but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy’s iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever…

I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me. Images—hers, not mine—tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car. The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn’t my dream.

I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead.

Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us.

“Liss,” I said, shaking her. “Liss, wake up.”

Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. “Andre,” she moaned. “Oh God.”

I helped her sit up. “Liss, you aren’t there anymore. Wake up.”

After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair.

“It’s okay,” I told her gently. “Everything’s okay.”

“I had that dream.”

“Yeah. I know.”

We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate’s cat Oscar leapt up into the open window.

He gave me a wide berth—animals didn’t like dhampirs, for whatever reason—but jumped up on the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn’t have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved her in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.

Continue reading chapter 1.

When I first picked up the book, I was unsure if I could really get into a vampire series. I’ve seen a couple of the Twilight movies and wasn’t all that impressed with the whole vampire thing. I’ve picked up vampire books in the past and rarely been able to get past the first few chapters. However this book is different. Yes, it’s about vampires but it’s not about blood sucking, goth looks, and dark world magic. And, it’s not a love story. Nor a triangle love story.

It is about an uncanny friendship between Lissa, a Moroi princess, and Rose, a Dhampir guardian in training. Prior to the book, Lissa, Rose, and Lissa’s family were involved in an accident which left only Lissa and Rose alive. Shortly after the accident, Lissa and Rose discovered that they’re minds were bonded, something that rarely happens between a Moroi and their guardian. When Rose believes Lissa’s life is in danger, she convinces Lissa to flee the academy. The book begins when Rose and Lissa are captured and returned to the academy.

As they begin to settle into their new yet old surroundings, little things start to go wrong. There are rumors circulating about the reason behind why they left, what went on while they were away, and why they’ve returned. They encountered a few new faces and some familiar ones; Aaron, Lissa’s ex-boyfriend, Mia, Aaron’s current girlfriend, Christian, an outcast Moroi royal, Natalie, Lissa’s cousin, Dimitri, a guardian assigned to push Rose through extra training sessions, and a myriad of other classmates, teachers, and administrators. They used to be part of the popular crowd but decide to take a low key approach upon returning to the academy.

Coasting through the middle doesn’t last long before they are forced to rejoin the popular crowd in an attempt to uncover who’s causing Lissa trouble and put a stop to it. Is it Christian, the outcast Moroi royal? Maybe Mia, Lissa’s ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend? What if the Strigoi are behind the trouble?

This is the first book in the Vampire Academy series which we’ll be reviewing this month.

Pick up your copy of Vampire Academy from your local library, request it on Paperback Swap, or buy a copy on Amazon. You can also get a signed copy of Richelle Mead books by following the directions on her website.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)

The book series we’ll be reviewing in January is Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magical, while the Strigoi are undead and evil–feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway–a half-vampire with poor impulse control–is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose’s real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors…

The series consists of six books and we’ll review each book throughout this month. Take my word that you will NOT want to miss out on this series and pick up the first book now. It will be loved by vampire and non-vampire book readers alike.

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)

A modern approach to keeping kids germ-free, the Toy Bungee is a non-toxic baby/toddler resistant strap designed to keep toys, bottles and sippy cups from falling to the floor. The unique button design prevents your little one from releasing objects from the strap, keeping the objects near, even when thrown or dropped! Toy Bungee’s clip feature allows parents to easily swap out toys/cups, and is adjustable to all bottle and cup sizes. Ages 6 months+.

Our boys are 14 months apart so when Little T learned the throwing game – you know where the baby throws a toy and waits for someone to pick it up – I was preparing for Drama King’s arrival and could no longer bend over to pick up dropped toys time after time. I found many interesting ways to keep toys attached to everything so if Little T did drop a toy, I could still pick it up to his amusement.

I wish I would have had a Toy Bungee back then because it really makes it easy to switch out toys and is easy to clean and looks very durable. I love that it can adjust to accommodate various size toys and cups.

With no little ones in our household, I will certainly be forwarding this little gadget on to a mommy to be, my half sister to be exact. She’s due with her first – a baby boy – and I know she’ll get a ton of use out of it.

Toy Bungees are available for purchase from NiNi baby, on Amazon, from MomPact and, in some areas, at local stores.

Site: http://www.nini-baby.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NiNi-Baby-Products/131508423562898
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninibabyproduct

One lucky reader will win their very own Toy Bungee.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. We will notify the winner by email. If the winner doesn’t respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You might also like:

• Arizona Way Out West and Wacky Review & Giveaway
• Kidzmet Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Peeled Snacks Review & Giveaway {Rafflecopter}
• GlobWorld Review & Giveaway
• Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Phone Huggie by Phoneflyz

The innovative two-piece QuickZip Twin Sheet Set is designed to be simple, safe and stylish. The zipper sheet (top) zips off the base for easy changing. No more mattress wrestling. And since we preshrink all our fabrics, our sheets fit wash after wash.

During the Mompact Blog hop we won a set of QuickZip sheets. I’ve had my eye on these sheets for a while and was thrilled when I got the email saying I’d won a set of them. Sadly, the set I won was crib size and given that we have no cribs in the house, I contacted the company and requested an upgrade and offered to review the twin size as this is a newer product for them. Imagine my surprise when they agreed to the upgrade!

I opted to try the sheets out with Drama King as he occasionally has night time accidents. Plus, if our puppy has accidents; it’s on Drama King’s bed. I was seriously shocked when I opened the sheets. They are super soft and thicker than our current sheets on the boys’ beds. We have a zip around waterproof mattress pad on both of the boys’ beds. These sheets give enough space to fit around the pad and zip up so easily that Drama King can unzip the sheets and take them to the laundry room for me.

This is ideal for any parent of a child with bed-wetting issues because the child can unzip the sheets, put them in the laundry and zip on a new sheet within a few minutes thus getting the child back to sleep with less fuss. And the sheets are super absorbent which contains the mess meaning the bed may not have to flipped or rotated because it’s too wet to use.  At least that has been our experience with them.

The only downfall to the QuickZip sheets is cost. A typical sheet set you could pick up at any store would fall under $40 that would include a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and one pillowcase; in some cases with the child’s favorite character. You would spend over $80 or more to get a QuickZip version including the base, zipper sheet, flat sheet and one pillowcase. The great thing about this is that you could easily mix and match Quickzip base and zipper sheet ($60) with store bought flat sheets ($10 or more) bringing the overall cost down.

Would I recommend QuickZip Sheets? Yes. Even with the higher ticket price, these sheets are worth every penny. And I can mix and match with store bought sheets meaning that my ongoing cost is lower.

You can purchase a set of sheets for cribs, twin beds, or play yards directly from Clouds and Stars, on Amazon, or from Diapers.com.

Site: http://www.cloudsandstars.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/quickzipsheets
Twitter: http://twitter.com/quickzip

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)

Although its target audience is grade-school children, Arizona Way Out West & Wacky is as appealing to adults as it is to kids. Highlights of Arizona’s history are punctuated with true but gross, humorous, interesting and wacky stories and facts about the Grand Canyon State. Readers learn: What Geronimo and yawning have in common. Why sleeping in wet sheets didn’t mean you had a nighttime accident. What a glass eye has to do with Phoenix being Arizona s state capital How many teachers it would take standing head-to-toe to go from the bottom to the top of the Grand Canyon. Which Arizona city got its name by accident and much, much more! But it takes more than amusing writing and fascinating facts to keep children’s attention, so the AZ WOWW award-winning creative team added word searches, crossword puzzles, coloring pages, recipes, crafts and more to the mix.

The interesting facts discussed in Arizona Way Out West and Wacky are new even to an Arizona native now living in New Mexico. I loved how they cover non-traditional facts while giving you a unique view of the state. Our boys loved the illustrations and I’ve opted to copy the pages for them to color so they can color them over and over.

There was a very interesting recipe in the book to make ink out of pecans. We just so happen to have multiple pecan trees on our property so we picked up a few fallen pecans for a fantastic homeschool lesson.

The recipe is simple: 8 whole pecan shells and one cup of water. Crush the pecan shells, place in pot with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes. Strain out the shells, store in a glass jar and you will have a nutty ink. Since this is a food based ink, it will spoil but don’t worry, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar (prevents fading) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt (prevents molding) to fix that problem. Shake the glass jar until the salt dissolves completely.

Would I recommend Arizona Way Out West and Wacky? Yes. It’s jam-packed with information for every one of every age, fun recipes, and lots of activities to keep busy.

Pick up your copy of Arizona Way Out West and Wacky on Amazon or from 5 Star Publications. You can also look at your local library for the Witty version which was converted to decrease the activity part of the book.

Site: http://www.fivestarpublications.net/westandwacky
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LearningArizona
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/azwoww

AZWOWW is counting down to Arizona’s Centennial and giving away some fun prizes. Visit them on Facebook to get more details on how to enter.

We are thrilled to be giving away a copy of Arizona Way Out West and Wacky to one lucky reader.

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• Toy Bungee Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Kidzmet Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Peeled Snacks Review & Giveaway {Rafflecopter}
• GlobWorld Review & Giveaway
• Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Phone Huggie by Phoneflyz

Kidzmet was built on the belief that every child is smart and has his or her own set of unique talents to develop in unique ways.

Kidzmet is a Parent Tested Parent Approved award-winning website.

I created profiles for each of our boys and was surprised that they were extremely accurate. As homeschool parents, we were aware of our boys unique learning challenges and this confirmed that we are providing accurate learning opportunities for our boys. If we were in a school setting, these reports would be a great resource to help new teachers understand our boys without the trial and error we have endured.

I, also, like that you can search for teachers in your area. There aren’t any teachers in our area that have accounts on the site so I wasn’t able to find any for our boys.

You can get your own child’s Student Snapshot for free until November 30th. Classrooms and schools can get accounts at a reasonable fee.

Site: http://www.kidzmet.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kidzmet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kidzmet

Kidzmet would like to provide 10 of our readers a classroom account to share with your child’s teacher.

You might also like:

• Toy Bungee Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Arizona Way Out West and Wacky Review & Giveaway
• Peeled Snacks Review & Giveaway {Rafflecopter}
• GlobWorld Review & Giveaway
• Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Phone Huggie by Phoneflyz

Kids are fast. Moms are not. Add wheels to the bottom of a pair of shoes and kids are even faster. Now moms have the opportunity to skate right along side their kids now that Heelys are available in larger sizes.

Drama King loves his pair of Heelys. He wears them everywhere with and without the skates. Primarily without the skates as he hasn’t quite perfected skating in them but I know he will soon. He even said that all kids should have Heelys.

I noticed a few things when I tried to slip my foot into them. Yes, my foot is tiny so we’re pretty close in shoe size already. I was concerned about the limited arch in a Heelys shoe compared to a standard shoe. It hasn’t phased Drama King but might pose a problem if you were to use the shoe as a primary shoe and not an occasional shoe.

I was also surprised that the shoe has no place to store the wheels when you don’t want to use them as a skate. This means I have to carry the wheels with us whenever we go places.

Overall, the shoes have been a big hit around here but you certainly won’t catch me on wheeled shoes or in a skating rink for that matter any time soon.

You can purchase Heelys online at their own shop or find a store near you in the United States or Internationally.

Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25- 28, Buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders!

And don’t forget to check out the different tricks you can do with these shoes.

Site: http://www.heelys.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/heelys
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/heelysworldwide
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/heelysworldwide

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)

Fruit snacks are a very popular treat around our house. Character shapes, rolled up, or pieces; it doesn’t matter. But with our preference for healthy snacks, makes it harder to find a good fruit snack that actually contains real fruit!

Peeled Snacks goal is simple:

to make you feel good about snacking. We strive to bring you the highest quality organic and natural ingredients from sustainable farms. Our snacks provide a great source of vitamins, minerals and a full serving of fruit with no added sugar.

These are not your everyday dried fruit. The Apple was moister than others and still had a great taste to it. It can be very hard to find a dried apple that is really good. While my favorite are Mango and Pineapple but I have always liked those two. Both were still moist and extremely flavorful.  Drama King loves Apricots but these Apricots were a bit too large and hard for him to chew.

Peeled Snacks are available primarily in the US but they have an online store front that ships to Canada. You can also find them at various stores like Whole Foods Market or Bed Bath and Beyond plus a few others. And they were recently added to the shelves at many Starbucks throughout the US and Canada.

Website: http://peeledsnacks.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeeledSnacks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Peeled
Sign up for the Peeled Snacks Newsletter

One lucky winner will receive the Organic Fruit Picks Variety Pack containing 12 single serving snacks: 2 each of pine-4-Pineapple, much-ado-about-Mango, Banan-a-peel, Apricot-a-lot, Cherry-go-round and Apple-2-the-core.

You might also like:

• Toy Bungee Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Arizona Way Out West and Wacky Review & Giveaway
• Kidzmet Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• GlobWorld Review & Giveaway
• Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Phone Huggie by Phoneflyz

ReadingEggs is an online reading program geared towards kids aged 3-7 and has three stages; First Steps (Ages 3-4), Ready For School (Age 5), and Fun Practice Makes Perfect (Ages 6-7). When you first sign up, you are given the choice to test your child for placement in the right level or place the child in the level you know is right for them.

Sometimes our boys are like night and day. Reading is one of those areas. Little T taught himself to read. Drama King struggles with reading. We’ve tried various self guided programs with little success. So we were thrilled to try ReadingEggs with both of the boys.

We allowed the program to test both of the boys to determine program placement. Drama King placed close to the beginning and Little T placed close to the end. I felt the placements were accurate to their current reading levels.

I’ve watched as the boys have played in various levels and they enjoyed the lessons.

You can get a FREE trial right now and see what you think about the program. After the free trial, you pay $9.95 a month per child or $75 for a year per child. These prices are comparable to other learning programs we are currently using or have used in the past.

Site: http://readingeggs.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ReadingEggs
Twitter: http://twitter.com/readingeggs

You might also like:

• Book: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (Book 6 of 6)
• Book: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Book 5 of 6)
• Book: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Book 4 of 6)
• Book: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Book 3 of 6)
• Book: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (Book 2 of 6)

Safe, wacky, fun, educational, and free — GlobWorld is everything a kid’s first online community should be! Hilarious glob characters engage kids through edutainment-driven content and interactive features — prompting kids daily to share their opinions, thoughts, and creativity. Globs make kids the stars of the show! But above all else, globs teach kids to treasure their own individuality, and appreciate the diversity in others.

It is a recent Parent Tested, Parent Approved Award Winner meaning that parents have already given it a seal of approval.

GlobWorld is built on the WordPress platform unlike other children sites we’ve reviewed thus making GlobWorld harder to navigate and slower to load pages. Once we walked through GlobWorld with the boys a few times, they got the hang of it and the loading times didn’t stop them at all.

There are lots of interactive activities from games to art creation and they are all geared to keeping kids entertained. Little T spent more time on the site while Drama King played a few games and was done.

Since this is an online community, it is geared to older kids who can read and write. And the best part is that everything goes through a human moderator and they have a strict no bully policy.

GlobWorld is FREE to join. Just hop on over to GlobWorld to create an account for your kids. Each kid will need a unique email address to sign up for their free account.

Site: http://www.globworld.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/globworld
Twitter: http://twitter.com/globworld

GlobWorld has graciously offered one winner their very own glob doll. And just for fun, they’re tossing in the pajama glob gear which includes a pajama onesie, night cap, pillow, blanket and globby teddy bear. The color of the doll and pajama set you receive may vary from picture above.

We’re thrilled that our giveaway was selected as an editor’s pick on Prizey.

You might also like:

• Toy Bungee Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Arizona Way Out West and Wacky Review & Giveaway
• Kidzmet Review & {Rafflecopter} Giveaway
• Peeled Snacks Review & Giveaway {Rafflecopter}
• Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Phone Huggie by Phoneflyz