Review: Spirit Bound

Title: Spirit Bound
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Fiction, Vampires
Pub Date: May 2010, Razor Bill (Penguin Group)
Hardcover, 489 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

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 she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him . . . forever. 

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey--whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what--and who--matters most to her. And in the end, is true love really worth the price?

My Thoughts

Well after what I found to be a somewhat disappointing book with Blood Promise, Richelle Mead has come through again with Spirit Bound. The story was less predictable this time around and, in fact, had some unexpected twists and turns. While perhaps not the best of the five books in this series so far, it was very close to recapturing the "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" quality that the first three in the series had for me.

With this book and the two preceding it, I was under the initial impression that each was going to be the last in the series. Don't ask me where I got that idea, I suppose it was just an assumption. In fact, it wasn't until the major plot twist towards the end of the book that I realized Mead was not through with these books, yet. I was by no means sold on all aspects of the story--the Strigoi cure seemed like something Mead had to come up with to placate readers after Dmitri went the way of the undead at the end of the third book. Not only that, but the change in his relationship with Rose after Lissa saved him seemed a bit overdone and somehow not entirely believable to me. Rose still does not fail to entertain in this novel, and we see just how far she is willing to overstep bounds many times over. I also really enjoy her relationship with Adrian in Spirit Bound, and while I have been a huge fan of Dmitri, I have to admit I am kind of pulling for Adrian to win Rose's heart.

If you have enjoyed this series, and even if the last book turned you off like it did me, I definitely recommend moving forward with this book. Spirit Bound will keep you anxiously turning pages, dying to know what is going to happen next. And now I just have to wait until December for the sixth book in the series, Last Sacrifice. (Dare I think it, will that be the last book?) :-)

My Rating:

Other reviews of Spirit Bound:

YA Reads ~ Tales of a Ravenous Reader

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