ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richelle Mead is a Michigan-born American author. Mead’s debut novel, Succubus Blues, was published in 2017. While the book garnered immense popularity among fans, it failed to make an impression on the critics. However, the author made a strong comeback the same year. Her fictional series titled Vampire Academy and its spinoff, Bloodlines, are some of the most well-known books in the fantasy genre. Having become a bestseller, Vampire Academy was even made into a film that opened to rave reviews.
SYNOPSIS (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Vampire Academy: Frostbite is the second installment in the Vampire Academy series. The book is narrated from the viewpoint of Rosemarie Hathaway, a seventeen-year-old born to protect the Moroi, the good vampires, from the Strigoi, the bad ones. However, Rose’s primary goal after graduating from the Academy is to guard her best friend and royal princess, Vasilisa Dragomir.
In the first book of the series, Rose and Lisa’s bond helped save the princess from her uncle. However, in the process, Rose fell for her instructor, Dmitri. Frostbite sees their relationship continue on a rocky path as Rose begins dating Mason, a boy from her own class. But moving on has never been easy for Rose. The ever-present threat of the Strigoi make life as a half vampire trickier. Ultimately, Rose goes through a transformation no one could have seen coming.
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT FROSTBITE
Frostbite begins with a beautiful surprise for Rose Hathaway after she gets an opportunity to go on a road trip with her instructor Dmitri to complete her qualifier test as a future protector of the Moroi vampires. Mead wastes no time introducing the opening driving scene. However, Rose’s trip suddenly takes an unexpected turn as the readers cannot help holding their breath in anticipation over the next few scenes.
Dmitri and Rose’s relationship takes center stage from the outset. Rose gets utmost respect and consideration from her instructor even when she throws the occasional teenage tantrum.
Despite the shocking revelations about Strigoi attacks throughout the book, the shenanigans at the vampire school do not cease. Lisa and her boyfriend enjoy their new relationship, which adds to Rose’s woes. It also fuels Rose’s inner turmoil and hastens her already decaying relationship with her instructor. While her friend Mason tries to become more than a friend on their fancy ski trip, the Strigoi attacks come to a head, forcing Rose to make a life-changing decision. Both the build-up to the finale and the finale itself are absolutely riveting. It must be said that Frostbite is a big step-up from its predecessor in terms of writing style.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT FROSTBITE
Like all Vampire Academy books, Frostbite is a fast-paced novel. While many of the characters introduced in the book may seem irrelevant at first, they were placed there on purpose to keep the bigger story going over the following books.
QUOTES
There’s nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what‘ll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor.
“Not into older guys, huh?” asked Adrian once we were alone.
“You’re imagining things,” I said. “Clearly, my stunning beauty has clouded your mind.”
CONCLUSION
Overall, Frostbite is a good sequel that starts with a bang and ends with a bang. A lot of character development is seen in the main character without compromising on her signature childishness.
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