Audio Review: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)
Richelle Mead

Published By: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 12, 2012
Date Read: March 8, 2014
Genre: YA – Paranormal Romance
Source: Bought
Format: Audiobook

From Goodreads:
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

“I tried to be a better person for her– but it was to impress her, to
get her to want me. But when I’m around you, I want to be better
because… well, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me
want to become something greater than myself.”

After finishing Vampire Academy series I was so excited about the spin
off series and Bloodlines, the first book in the series did not
disappoint. I completely devoured it and was left wanting more. I just
couldn’t wait for the next installment and was counting down the days
until I had my hands on it. Saying that it has took me so long to
finally get around to reading this book. Life got in the way and after
getting the book on audio I read… well listened to it.

The
Golden Lily was a fantastic follow up to the amazing start to this
series. I really love following Sydney, Adrian, Jill and Eddie and
seeing their adventures. I fell in love with them in the original
Vampire Academy series so it’s amazing to get their stories too.

I
fell more and more in love with Adrian the more I read of this book. I
have to admit that with this particular audio it took a while for me to
warm to Adrian… not the character as I already loved him but just the
voice for him as to me the voice the narrator put on for Adrian just
sounded really strange. Once I had gotten used to it then I loved him
all the more. He is most definitely the guy that everyone will love as
he is just perfect.

Sydney is the character I identify the most
with. Not just in this series but in fiction in general. She is super
smart and relies on her smarts rather than anything else to get her
through and I totally admire her for that. It’s awesome to finally have a
heroine that is super smart.

I loved The Golden Lily. It was an
action-packed, super awesome installment in the Bloodlines series. It
was full of romance, action and heart-melting moments. I admit I was
kinda yelling at Sydney at some point as I just really wanted her to
pull it together and be with Adrian. The Golden Lily is the perfect
second book in the installment and left me dying for more and
immediately downloading the next audiobook in the series.

“I don’t care if he’s not the emotional type or the complimentary type or
what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold,
and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said,
‘You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this
earth.”