Review: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Book Details:
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4)
By Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult
Published 2009, Razor Bill Books
Hardback, 503 pages
ISBN: 9781595141989


Synopsis:

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri.
He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Oh, the tortures that Rose puts herself through in the name of love and loyalty must be what make her such a fascinating character to follow. I have to say that it was rather predictable that Rose would succumb to Dimitri's evil wiles, because hey, he's hot and Mead has a book to fill. It was strangely satisfying for a little while in that Rose and Dimitri's relationship got cut short in the previous book and so they could not revel in their love for each other. Sappiness aside, I think I loved this book the most out of the series not only for Rose's escapades, but also for the setting in Russia and Siberia. I don't recall ever reading any fictional book that took place in these locations and it was a little bit of a learning experience for me.
Dimitri's family gave me some insight into who Dimitri is, which I appreciate since he always seems so mysterious. I also loved the character of Yeva - she did and said whatever she wanted and everyone was terrified of her - I hope she makes another appearance in the final book of the series!
The new element of the Alchemists was interesting in that humans have the potential to play a centralized role even in the Moroi/ Dhampir society, even though Rose has previously believed that her world was almost completely segregated from the human world. Unfortunately, this also creates just another layer in the caste system, for the Alchemists are essentially the "clean-up crew", which puts them at a lower position than even the Dhampirs who choose not to be guardians. No wonder Sydney sees Rose as "pure evil." In her shoes, I probably would, too.

The Cover: No matter how generic the covers, I still find myself wondering things like, "Is the earring in the book, and does it mean something... The eyeshadow is quite noticeable, I wonder if this is referencing a particular social event... Is that Rose or Lissa?" and so on. These covers coiuld drive me crazy if I were bored enough (not that that ever happens).

First Line: "Once when I was in ninth grade, I had to write a paper on a poem."
Well, by this point in the series, I'm verging on a fanatic, so Richelle Mead could probably write about making toast and I would drool.

Favorite Quote: "I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony."

Read For: Pages Read Challenge, 101 Fantasy Challenge, Take Another Chance Challenge

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher as part of a prize package from random draw.*