The Golden Lily, by Richelle Mead, is the long-awaited second novel in the Bloodlines Series. I was left breathless by Sydney’s busy schedule, and a few angsty moments she has.  I love this series, even more than the Vampire Academy Series… You will not be disappointed by the perilous positions the characters get themselves into!

The story continues to follow the life of Sydney Sage, an alchemist who’s current assignment is the protection of Jill Dragomir, a vampire princess.  Sydney’s aversion to vampires is waning, she’s taken up dating, and we get an entirely new mystery to solve.  You would think that would be enough for a great read, but Richelle has also included more vamp-time with Adrian, Dimitri, and Eddie too!

There is so much going on in the lives of these young students with classes, school dances, feedings, and magic!  While reading, I literally felt anxious for Sydney and her jamb-packed life.  Keeping track of this crew is not something I’m envious of, but it was highly entertaining!  (And, to be honest there are a few characters I would not be too bothered by if they made an appearance into my life!)  I am intrigued by the mystery that Richelle has sewn into this novel, and I look forward to how it will play out in the realm of Alchemists and Vampires, as well as in the series.  I give The Golden Lily 4 books on the bookshelf!

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The Golden Lily Synopsis:

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?

Bloodlines Synopsis:

Blood doesn’t lie…

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir – the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir – is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty – a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning…

Read Richelle’s Bloodlines Q&A for more information!

Here is an interview with Richelle Mead about the Dark Swan Comic Series, at USA Today and another with ComicBooked.com.