The Golden Lily

A Bloodlines Novel

By: Richelle Mead

Narrated by: Emily Shaffer

Prepare to be Tested.
The story that kicked off Richelle Mead’s international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series is NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE.
Read it Before it Hits Theaters February 14th, 2014!

The thrilling second installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series--and a #1 New York Times Bestseller--now in paperback

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?

The Golden Lily: Bloodlines, Book 2

What did you love best about The Golden Lily?

Sydney seems to start realizing her feelings for Adrian

What other book might you compare The Golden Lily to and why?

One of a Kind!

Which character – as performed by Emily Shaffer – was your favorite?

Emily in my head sounds like Sydney and at times like Rose..

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was!

Any additional comments?

GREAT SERIES!!!

Better than the first

Any additional comments?

I am beginning to like the story of Sydney better than that of Rose in the Vampire Academy series. I thought this book was better than the first and I am looking forward for the additional books in this series. The character development is getting better and better! You will love this book if you liked Bloodlines.

Loved it

Where does The Golden Lily rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top.

What other book might you compare The Golden Lily to and why?

Bloodlines...

What does Emily Shaffer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Emotion.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last chapter.

Any additional comments?

I'm really enjoying this series. It's not as action packed and fast paced as Vampire Academy, and the main characters story lines aren't quite as strong - but it's still a great series that is growing on me. I don't think Richelle Mead has quite as good a handle on this series as she did Vampire Academy, but I still love it. Try as a I might, I just can't stop comparing the two series - but that's to be expected when you have a spin off series I suppose.
I loved Adrian in VA, but he is officially on my list of fictional boyfriends after reading The Golden Lily. Sydney isn't my favorite of main characters, but I think that's because of her 'character' - she's one of those really clueless smart people... As I'm reading I have the urge to yell at the book, 'HE LIKES YOU... that's why he's doing it DUH'. But for every frustrating moment in the book there are two laugh-out-loud moments. More than once I had my husband looking at me curiously.

Another Richelle Mead Great

Would you consider the audio edition of The Golden Lily to be better than the print version?

I prefer audiobooks for my favorite books to their print versions. When I really love a book I become almost obsessed with it and I can't put it down until I finish it, audiobooks allow me to multitask while listening so I never have to put it down! I listened to The Golden Lily while eating, cleaning, driving, and during bedtime. If you're a VA series fan I'm sure you can relate to wanting to get to that last page as soon as possible!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sydney was my favorite in this book. It is neat to see how much she is growing as a person, and makes you wonder how much farther she will continue to grow and open up her mind to new ways of thinking and seeing the world

What does Emily Shaffer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Being an expert at Richelle Mead books by now, Emily Shaffer has the personalities of the characters down which makes it a great listening experience!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. If you are familiar with Richelle Mead books, you know every book builds towards a big defining moment or situation, which makes you want to get to that point as quickly as possible!

Awesome read!

I really trurley Loved it! I Wish this series could go on forever !! :)