The Golden Lily By: Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 418
Level: Young Adult
Published: June 12, 2012



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?


Review:


The anticipation for this book was absolutely killing me, you have no idea. I ordered this book off some college bookstore website because I could get it personally autographed, see picture below :D

Anyways, it was published the 12th and it was supposed to ship the 12th, well long story short I had to wait an entire week before it finally arrived, which I think is outrageous. I had already read half of it online by the time it arrived. 


The book ended up being beyond my expectations, the first one was really good, but it wasn't like I was absolutely yearning for this one, but it ended up being better than Bloodlines. 


I really didn't like Adrian at all in Vampire Academy I thought he was a creep, and Rose should belong with Dimitri. That being said, I absolutely fell in love with Adrian, he made me swoon so much, like seriously. I think it was because he really cared for Sydney and he noticed all the things that she thought no one did. I shipped Sydrian (Sydney+Adrian) so hard, I cried every time there was a good Sydrian moment.
i.e when Sydney drinks the slush for him, you'll know what I'm talking about when you read the book.


This book could not have been better, it was so amazing, I can't even. Ugh. 


I can't believe that Richelle Mead is making us wait until February 12, 2013 until the third comes out, The Indigo Spell.


If you are even hesitating to read Bloodlines, or this book, you are out of your freaking mind and need to read it ASAP. 

Cover: 4/5

Character Rating: 4/5

Style: 5/5

Development: 5/5

Overall: *****