Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, and since she helped out a dhampir, Rose Hathaway (See The Vampire Academy Series), she's been on thin ice with her organization. They are supposed to help clean up the messes, not create them. A dhampir is a product of a vampire and human union, and Jill Mastrano is one. She's the reason Sydney is about to head into a new assignment, and she knows she needs to ace it to win back her good standing with the Alchemist organization.

Jill is the sister of the vampire queen, and until the laws are changed, Jill's life is in extreme danger. A vampire can only be queen if she has other living relatives, c and Jill is Lissa's only relative. With her out of the way, Lissa can lose her throne and the vampire politics would renew with a vengeance. The plan is to move Jill into a human school in California. There, she can be safely hidden but just in case someone finds out where she is, Sydney will become a high school student right along with Jill, becoming her roommate. They will pass themselves off as sisters, with Jill's guardian, Eddie Castile, their brother. Adrian, soul bound to Jill, will also be passed off as their other brother, but he will stay at a local vampire's house. That's where Jill will go to feed twice a week.

Everything seems to be going smoothly until Sydney can't keep from investigating a weird fad going on at their school. The students all talk about their metallic tattoos and how they get special powers from them, like strength. Not to mention the girls that seem to be winding up dead with their blood drained and their throats slashed. Sydney knows that she needs to just follow her orders, but she just can't seem to help herself.

With romance, intrigue and new characters, Mead moves her world of humans and vampires into sunny California. I couldn't put this book down; it was so good! I loved the VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES, so I was anxious to see how Ms. Mead would change from Rose Hathaway to Sydney the Alchemist as her main narrator. With ease, I came to love Sydney and how she handled herself in a variety of situations. The story unfolded at a steady pace, with the action and mystery unfolding at just the right moments, leaving this reader craving more. Thankfully, the next in the series, THE GOLDEN LILY, was just released! Simply a wonderful paranormal young adult story that will enthrall many.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.