If you’re anything like me, then you’re constantly waiting for another promising novel series. In fact, I prefer to read an entire series as opposed to a standalone work of fiction. I think authors can do so much more with a series to really captivate my attention. For example, an author has more time to develop their characters, which means we have more reason to care about them. Moreover, I think in the case of world-building, it is imperative that each aspect is gradually introduced to the reader as opposed to a rapid build-up. By doing so, the reader is literally experiencing a new world along with the characters. Additionally, if an author is planning to introduce a complicated new form of government or set of rules/laws, then they need to take their time in exposing this new system to the reader to avoid confusion.
With that said, I would like to introduce a book series that I have recently rediscovered. It was actually an accident that involved lazily scrolling through Netflix. Unfortunately, I regret my reintroduction because it involved a messy film version of the first novel that managed to completely destroy the magic of this wonderful universe. What am I referring to? In 2014, The Weinstein Company released Vampire Academy which sits at a comfortable 16% on Rotten Tomatoes (yes, that was sarcasm). You see, I was scrolling through Good Reads when I came upon a review for the novel series. Feeling nostalgic, I clicked on the link and started to read through the review. However, I was surprised when the reviewer mentioned something about a film version of the novel, so I immediately gave it a Google search and decided to watch for myself.
*sigh* I deeply regret doing so.
The film is so incredibly different from the book that it even managed to force me to forgive the disparities in the Divergent series (although, those films were just as awful). In fact, if I was Richelle Mead, I would be furious with the end result of Vampire Academy. After all, if Universal Studios can create the magical world of Harry Potter, then why is it so difficult for other distributors to produce a similar result? Because somehow replacing the Witches and Wizards with Vampires changes everything.
Let me provide a brief introduction to the series: main protagonist Rose Hathaway is half-human and half-vampire (or dhampir in this world) who takes on the responsibility of protecting her best friend Lissa Dragomir, a Moroi princess. Basically, the Moroi are born vampires who are actually mortal, unlike their Strigoi counterparts who are both incredibly strong and immortal. Confused yet? Because this series can certainly read that way at the beginning.
You see, the first novel in the series, Vampire Academy, begins with Lissa and Rose on the run from the rather pretentious St. Vladimir’s Academy. Why? It turns out that Lissa was being stalked by someone within the school. Of course, running away into the dangerous world of the Strigoi should definitely be the solution, right? However, as we later discover, there is far more to their decision to run away than we initially learn (but I’m keeping this spoiler-free). Anyways, Rose and Lissa are eventually captured and returned to the Academy by a squadron of dhampir guardians (the ones who are trained to protect the Moroi). This is where we are introduced to Dimitri, a really handsome and powerful Guardian who manages to outsmart, and impress, Rose Hathaway. Of course, the movie version dramatizes this meeting more than necessary, as Dimitri will eventually become one of Rose’s love interests (because, love triangles).
Upon their return to the school, we are formally introduced to the complicated world of Moroi politics. As I said before, you really need the entire series to fully understand the inner workings of the Moroi royal families. Sadly, the film takes it upon itself to throw information at us at every possible second, as if the director and screenwriters knew this would probably be the only film to emerge from the series.
Regardless, I encourage you to completely disregard the film and read the series instead. The characters are incredibly well-done, with versatile personalities and fierce independence that will make you cheer for them endlessly. As for the love interests, let’s just say that Dimitri and Christian are polar opposites, but they are both described as attractive men who can totally hold their own against the biggest and baddest enemies.
There are a total of six books in the series and each one manages to catalyze off its predecessor, launching into the action and continuing the exciting adventures of our favorite characters. I managed to read through each novel within the span of a few days, which is a personal best for someone who has, overtime, managed to develop a tendency to grow bored with binge reading. However, this series is a rare gem simply because you won’t be able to put the books down. In fact, the real problem will come from deciding when you can buy the next novel.
Lastly, apparently there’s a thing now to make the novels into a Netflix series? Support that if you want, I suppose.
