Review by Vicky London
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead is the first book in her young adult fantasy series. Rose Hathaway is a dhampir; a powerful human/vampire hybrid. She has dedicated her life to protecting her friend Lissa Dragomir. Lissa is a Moroi princess; a mortal vampire who is in constant danger from the Strigoi. The Strigoi are vampires that have succumbed to their blood lust and taken a life. The Strigoi feed off the blood of the weaker Moroi causing their species to become endangered.
Two years ago, Rose and Lissa ran away from St. Vladamir’s Academy in Montana. They have been captured and dragged back to the school to continue their education. Rose, to learn how to protect her charge, and Lissa to become queen of the social scene once again. Fear made them runaway the first time they are still in danger. It’s hard to know who to trust when their enemies wear the faces of friends. Rose will do everything she can to make sure Lissa is safe and her new guardian skills will be put to the test when Lissa is kidnapped.
Romance, action, intrigue, this story has it all. The interaction between Rose and an older guardian named Dimitri is pretty sexy for a YA novel. It will be interesting to see where Richelle takes this series and if Rose will continue to be the focus. If you like this book you may also want to check out her succubus series starting with Succubus Blues
Popularity: 15% [?]
Reader Ratings - Click On A Star to Rate This Book:
(54 votes, average: 4.91 out of 5)
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July 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 am
I love all your books and you are my favorite author.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:59 am
it..was….AUSOME!!!
August 12th, 2008 at 1:03 am
lurvvvvved it!
August 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I absolutely devoured Vampire Academy and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Frostbite. As far as Teenage Vampire books go I’d say Mead has got an A+ in entertainment. Rose’s dedication to her calling as a Guardian mixed with her cravings to just be a teenage girl surviving high school and a forbidden first love make for an amazing ride.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Hey yall THIS BOOK WAS SOO AWESOME!! I have a website/fansite for it please check it out
www.freewebs.com/vampire-academy
September 19th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I loooooved it!! my best friend Katie (slow learner) is reading it now and i got it because i read part online….SOOO good!!! i want the next books by her
October 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
OMG! DIMITRI IS ONE SEXY BASTARD!
October 25th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
OH MY GOODNESS! DIMITRI IS SO FREAKING HOT!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!
October 26th, 2008 at 1:23 am
OMFG!!!!!!!! DIMITIRI IS A FUCKIN SEXY MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!! HE’S SO FREAKIN HOT!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH N THE BOOKS REALLY GOOD I LUVED IT!!!!!!
November 7th, 2008 at 9:31 am
loved it sooooooooooo much! luv dimitri! i hated it when mason died!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cried…
November 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am
THIS WAS AN AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT RULEZ ALL THE SUPENSE AND ROMANCE AND ACTION WAS BREATHTAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF U HAVENT READ THIS BOOK STOP WAT UR DOING ND GO GET IT!!!!!!!!!! ITS WORTH THE $10 YOU’LL SPEND!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEN U START READIND U WONT WANT TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT VAMPIRE DRAMA WAT BETTER THAN THAT!!!!!!!!!!! IF U LIKED THE TWILIGHT SERIES U HAVE A GREAT CHANCE OF LOVIN THIS BOOK!!!!!! SO GO GET IT!!!!!!!!!!
December 15th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I LOVE.LOVE.LOVE. the Vampire Academy books!! They are so awesome. I totally love dimitri! I hope he isn’t strigoi! Can’t wait for the next book in the series! You know they should make this book into a movie! It’d be really cool! This book ROCKS!!!
January 26th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
OK i luv da books all 3 of em but im so puzzled as how all these girls are sayign hes so hot lmao haha.. like it aint like Twilight where you actually see a charater is whi “Eward Cullen” is.. there is no picture of Dimitri even though i think he there was he’d b a totally sex magnet.. ” BOy da imagination can lead ppl to different fantacy’s of what a person like Dimitri would look like.. cant wait till they make a movie outta dis 1 i hope it goes more like da book intsead of adding stunnz that is no were in the book or subtracking mos tof the sences like Twilight [still think its a good movie thou]
February 6th, 2009 at 9:59 am
DIMITRI IS SO FUCKING HOT THAT THE SUNS HEAT DOESN’T GET ME HOT ANYMORE!!!HE COULD BE MY GOD ANY DAY!!! HE COULD RECUSE ME ANYTIME AND HOLD ME 4EVFR. THE BOOKS AWSOME!!!!CANT WAIT 4 THE MOVIE!!! WANNA KNOW WHO’LL PLAY DIMITRI!!!
February 7th, 2009 at 5:11 am
who ever plays DIMITRI has to look SEXY, GODLIKE, MUSCULAR & ETC. ROSE has to look GODDESS like.
February 12th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
i love your books they are amazing and cant wait for the fourth one to come out. DIMITRI is so cute and sweet damn i think he is better looking than edward cullen from twilight
March 6th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Dimitri SO FUCKING HOT!!!!!! I love him to bits. I hope that they can find some weird way to help dimitri , like in the house of night books. Maybe lissa’s power will save him?????? I dont know. I CANT WAIT for the nest book, im SOOOOOOOO exited!!!!!!!!!!!
March 18th, 2009 at 8:38 am
I love the Vampire Academy books. Dimitri is my favorite character of course but right along with him Rose is my hero. She reminds me of myself actually. I love my froends and I’d do anything for them and I stick up for what I beleive in. Not to mention we both have very short tempers.
I have read all threee of the books and I curently own the third one. I became very heart broken after reading the third book Shadow Kiss. I won’t say what happened because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but it was truely a surprise for me though I knew somethings couldn’t last. Rachel Mead, you are one hell of a writer and I enjoy your work and hope you will continue to create surprises for me. Thank you for writing the spectacular Vampire Academy Novels. You are now one of my heros as well.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
i love the vampire acdemy series My favorite one is frostbite cant wait for the next one!
E mail me if you love this book
May 5th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Oh here is my email adress
Kroxy195@yahoo.com
email me if you love this book
May 5th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I love this book!!! Dimitri was the best. I hope they use the same guy they did on the cover of shadow kiss. He’s incredibly perfect… As well as sexy.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:47 am
my email address is srhefley@yahoo.com
May 17th, 2009 at 7:48 am
i love all of richelle’s vampire academy books and i took a quiz and said i was just like rose and i really truly am like rose its kinda funny i cant wait for her next books
May 17th, 2009 at 7:51 am
my email is princessbrisson@hotmail.com email me if you love the series
May 17th, 2009 at 7:52 am
dimitri is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hottttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
May 18th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Umm. A fictional character cannot be hot.
Adrian is an AWESOME character, but is not hot, because, Earth to Taylor, HE IS NOT REAL!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:27 am
the best book that i have ever read ……………..thank for wrighting it
July 29th, 2009 at 10:28 am
I used to be a die hard Twilight fan, I am still, but Vampire Academy left it in the dust! My favorite book series is now Vampire Academy! PS. 27 days until Blood Promise!
July 29th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
AHHH! LOVE Vampire Academy! It Beats Twlight By A LOONNNG Shot! Rose Is So Awesome!!! I’ve Read All Of Them And I Can’t WAIT Till Blood Promise!!! =D
August 10th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
all i have to say is that this is the but F in book i read i mean i love twilight but danm this book is on a long shot…..i cant wait till BLOOD PROMISE its probly going to be great….14 mores days cant wait
August 12th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
this book makes twilight look like crap
August 12th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
dimiti is a sexy god
August 14th, 2009 at 5:48 am
i love these book so much it scares me. i cant believe how much reading has kicked in because of these books, i loved how the book had that kick in the end and making every one hanging on in the end.my mother was going to bye me the books but i could not wait i had to read them. and now i wont more bring on the next book and the next one and oh my god please don’t stop. this month is august and i have been waiting so long for this month yey it’s finally here. there is one question i have to ask please richelle please make this fabulous book into a movie
September 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
i love all your books. its one of the best vampire series ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Love this series!!! Can’t get enough of the books! And love dimitri he is amazing!!!
September 12th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Oh My God I Love This Series!!!! I Love It More Than Twilight And I Thought That Would Never Happen!! Im 13 And I Am Writimg A Book! You Are My Inspiration! I Love Dimitri And Rose Reminds Me Of Myself. I Cried When Mason Died But That Puts More Action Into It!! I Hope You Make Much More Vampire Academy Books! Please If You Have The Chance Email Me!!
Much Love,
Madison Masters!
September 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am
i love this book
September 20th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Wow is all I have to say. I read all four books in like 6days and I’m going absoulutly crazy waiting for the next one. its true twilight can’t touch this book!!:D
September 24th, 2009 at 7:24 am
I just wanted to say this summer is when i first started reading your books and i read the first 3 in 6 days. I normally dont read so this says alot. I love the fact i cant put myself right there in the suspense. YOU ARE AN AMAZING AUTHOR. Please tell me there is going to be a 5th book cuz i just finished the fourth one last night and im sooo excited if there is going to be a 5th one!!! Loved the series thouh. WAY BETTER than TWILIGHT!!
September 29th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
OMG I JUST LOVE UR BOOKS MORE THEN ANYTHING I DIDN’T REALLY GET INTO READIN UNTILL I READ UR BOOKS THERE SOO AWSOME CAN’T WAIT TOO READ MORE UR A GREAT WRITER!!
October 11th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Wow, I love this series so much! It totally blew Twilight out of the water for me. If anyone is interested I have a vampire academy fansite, complete with regularily updated news blog, and really active forums: http://shadowkissed.net
October 15th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Wow, as everyone else. i used to be such twi-hard fan, all the way. And then my friend recommended The Vampire Academy books. At first i was like ew, look at the cover and once i was done with it. WOW. you cannot put these books down, i finished all FOUR in a weekend. I am in love with these books. Richelle mead is such a great amazing writer and i cannot wait til Spirit Bound. uhhh 7 months :/ But still, these books are my favorite series everrr. It beats twilight, but i love bothh. Richelle sshould make this into a movieeeee
November 9th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
love ur books! read em all! they r fantasstic!……I LOVE VAMP BOOKS AND WHEN I SAW YOURS I HAD TO GET IT! SO I DID! I LOVED IT AND THEN GOT THE OTHER ONES AND LOVED THE SERIES EVEN MORE!…Rose is an ausome character…and i looooove adiran…and dimittri….
I like loved twilight more than anything but ur books changed my mind!……
u should so make movies out of ur books i’d go to see them in theater like 20 times and buy it!
LOOOOVE YOUR BOOKS!!!….
November 14th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
if they make a movey of it the song one and the same by dimi lavoto and selesna gomez would be good for the sound track
November 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am
i loveeee this book i hope rose get dimi back he is so for her ther are a good for each other i want to have his baby and she should have his baby if it there i am go to be happy
November 19th, 2009 at 9:35 am
i read a 1000 time over and over i say yes she be for the sound track but what song
November 27th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I Have Read All Of These Books And I Loved Everyone Of Them, Cant Wait Till The Other One Comes Out, I Think Rachel Mead And L.J Smith Are The Best Writers Of All Time :] I Looooove The Way She Sets The Story’s Up, Hope Your Writing Your Brains Out !!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
hey rachel i love your books and please let rose get dimi back she just got him!!!!! ok hope you have fun writing and i hope it never ends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
i hope your next book is as great as the other three (it probably will be)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
like omg i love her books!!!!! she is the best writer ever she beats twilight by a mile dimitri is so hot i wish he was real cuz i would so date him i am just like rose in every way even her additude. if the made a movie i would so go out for the part of rose…. i love the books so much omg
December 13th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I loveeeeeeeee th book set I can’t site every page of every book. Of course I have read it more than once
December 17th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
omg u r the best author i have ever known i mean ever the vampire academy series is even better than twilight or any other vamps books i jus luv it especially the characters in ur book like dimitri .. totally in love with hiim n then adrian and also the main girl Rose she is the best main character i have ever read about cause in ther books its justa that the main character never toches me like rose did n yeah sh is cool n u are a cool autor i have read ur boks like i dunnoe how many time n yeah n i jus can’t wait to read the fifth book omg i think its gonna be blast cause i think rose could finally heal dimitri n all so its gonna be the coolest n did i mention i am luv with dimitri yeah man i jus luv ur book
December 20th, 2009 at 9:25 am
i’m so sad…i just finished shadow kiss. i knew it would happen but i didn’t want it to…
December 27th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Vampire Academy is a gazillion plus infinity times BETTER than Twilight.
i must say Vampire Academy is SOO MEGA FREAKKIN TOP NOTCH, i was hooked for 2 weeks tryna get thru all the VA books. cant wait for the next.
Richelle Mead probs outdid Stephenie Meyer with her hands tied behind her back and her eyes close!!!
i do hope this gets made into a movie with Ben Barnes playing Dimitri cos he suits it soo well and they way he speaks he has an accent, altho i dont know if its russian, but it may still work.
January 1st, 2010 at 4:55 pm
i absolutely loved your vampire academy series!!wish it didnt end..but great job on the books
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:53 am
The books are absolutely fantastic, there is always one thing after another, rose is always having her strength tested one step further, weather it be emotional, physical, or even both, you never know what to expect next, i dont want to give anything out for sake someone reading this has not read all four books, but my big question is, the last book, it has the most ambiguous ending, will there be another??? i reaslly hope there is, like i said i think i have it planned out, but i never know what to expect, if you have any information please e-mail me at
bitemegrrr@yahoo.com
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:44 pm
i never thought i could get over edward until i met dimitri,. gosh, i read the 4 books for 4 days! i don’t even want to put it down until my stomach and eyes says so. i can’t wait for the 5th-spirit bound. 5 months to wait.. .great. it’s going to kill me.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! OMFG I NEED TO NO IS THERE GOING TO BE A FIFTH BOOK I JUST FINISHED THE WHOLE SAGA IN 4 DAYS!!!! AND WOW DIMITRI IS WHOAW SEXY GOD BASTERED CHARACTER I HAAVE EVER READ OF PLZ TELL ME IF THERE’S GOING TO BE A FIFTH BOOK PLPLZPZLZPL
I own Dimitri
February 13th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
i like how u describe every person in the book how u write more books
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
OMG I loved your books but I have one question why did you have to do that to Dimitri?
March 6th, 2010 at 1:36 am
Well, I am one those 40 somethings that got completely caught up in the Twilight Saga and since then have been constantly searching for new books within the same genre but not wanting ‘the same’ as Twilight - and then I discovered Vampire Academy. Rose would have to be one of the best characters I have come across, strong, defiant and completely selfless. The intensity with Dimitri is incredible! I have just ordered some of Richelle Mead’s other books as she writes with such finess that I just can’t get enough! I’m not ready to grow up yet . . . 3 months until I’m ‘Spirit Bound.’
March 25th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Stupid Lamb,
Im a 20-something who also got caught up in Twilight Saga. Try reading House of Night novels by P.C. and Kristin Cast. They follow the genre and its a 6 book (soon to be 7 book on Aprinl 27th) series. I too needed something to pass my time while I painstakingly wait for ‘Spirit Bound’ to come out. I can’t wait to see if Rose figures a way to save Demitri. I bet she does.
April 13th, 2010 at 4:20 am
Hello every body. I from Russia and I very love Richells books. She is very tallented author. But in our country is a problem to find her books. If somebody can, help me with finding books,please. Send texts to my e-mail lavka005@mail.ru. I have read only 3 books and could not find “Blood promise”.
April 24th, 2010 at 9:52 am
I was wondering are you going to make another book of Vampire Academy you are a very great aouther I’ve read the whole series and i heard you were going to make another can’t wait for it.
May 7th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
RoZa rocks.Dont stop writing.
May 7th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
You are my favorite author.I love RoZa.Shes myfavorite charakter.Shes armed,powerful,dangerous,pretty,and can kick major butt.She rocks!Dont stop writting= )
May 14th, 2010 at 8:04 am
i hope they be togeth i them get marrer the other is not cut sorry he have to go
May 21st, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Rose can kick major butt!Dimitri is so HOT!And i cant put the books down.
May 21st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Vampires rock!Especialy Rose!She can kick major ass!
June 5th, 2010 at 8:19 am
i LOVED vampire academy i cant wait to start readin the 5th book spirit bound i SO hope they make a movie.
June 5th, 2010 at 8:22 am
ROSE + DIMITRI R MY FAVE CHARACTERS
I HOPE THEY HEAL DIMITRI SO ROSE AND HIM CAN BE TOGETHER
June 15th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
this is most amazing book ever. i read all of them so far. vampire academy, frost bite, shadow kissed, blood prmoise, and i just finished spirit bound a week ago..and i fisnish all these books in 2 days. i could not put the book down! lol. is there going to be a movie? i really hope so. I LOVE DIMITRI!!!
July 1st, 2010 at 8:47 am
omfg….i love dimitri..he’s so damn sexi and ohhhh……i love this series…mead is im favourite auther and i must say this series was soo much better than twilight…i think adrian is beyond hot and he loves rose sooo much…he’s really sweet….too bad dimitri had to leave her in spirit bound….