
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Read the blurb from the back of the book here.
Is it heresy to say that I’m liking Bloodlines much better than Vampire Academy? That I’m liking Sydney a whole heap more than I ever did Rose?
I just found Rose to be a ‘try hard’. I didn’t like Rose’s rebellious, angry, & wary attitude. Not that it’s without cause but I just found it to be really annoying. On the other hand, Sydney seems to be the opposite. She’s trying to obey all the rules, to follow the principles grounded in her since childhood, to please one’s parent, and more than a little bit OCD (organising sweet packets by color & size? C’mon!). These were the main things that I can relate to. Yep, I’m a little bit OCD (just a teeny weeny bit) and the Asian in me is big about being obedient & pleasing one’s parent etc. Being able to identify with the main character is the key factor to enjoying a book I’m reading.
With The Golden Lily, I’m loving Sydney more and more. She’s just absolutely lovely. She’s loving, considerate, warm, and all round goodness. Her character is developed a lot more especially as we see her interact socially a lot more and opening herself up to her friends. She’s strong and brave, willing to face up to challenges set in front of her. She finds it utterly terrifying to face any challenges against the deep-seated beliefs ingrained in her innermost self and yet when the situation calls, she knows where her priorities lie.
I’m happy with the character development of Jill and Adrian too. They matured a lot more in this book and I supposed since they are linked, it’s not surprising that they kind of ‘grew up’ together. We are also introduced to Angeline, she is just… so… precious(!), and Brayden (Sydney’s love interest), well, I think I love one of the things Sydney liked about him: he smells like… COFFEE!! *hhhmmm, I could do with one right now*
Even then, things seem a bit slow in the romance department. Although, seeing that Sydney is blind as a bat when it comes to this part of life, it’s not surprising. She is learning though, at a snail’s pace. (I’m not complaining, I love the suspense & as it is, can’t wait for the next instalment. I am a little sad that I’ve finished reading it so quickly!)
It was definitely a quick read for me, it was just that absorbing and I got carried away with the story. There were so many hints/clues peppered through the book that when the ‘truth’ comes to light, you are just like ‘umph, predictable’ and yet, the big mysteries are still pending. We found out a lot more about Trey and a very little more on Ms Terwilliger but they are, by no means, concluded. I think we are in for a lot more surprises there.
“Yes, I decided. Yes, it was worth it.”
(Yeah, okay, I know, I’m such a tease.)
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