Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines, #2
Published: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 418

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?

I love how in this book, Sydney's concise reason turns on her. Before, she could use it to justify her beliefs. Suddenly, it's turning on her and justifying the opposition. And it's glorious to watch her struggle with it.  

Not to mention, the romance is upped, and a new character is introduced. MWHAHAHA. But really. At this point, all I can say is, if you don't love Mead's writing style, and her talent for weaving stories, if you think she's utterly predictable and a bore, then turn away. Because I think that this book utilized her skills to perfection to write what I would call a classic Mead novel. 

Everything balanced perfectly. The romance, the characters, and the plot without once becoming overwhelming. The humor is sublime, and the intense shit is intense shit. I have a lot of quotes marked from this book that are simply inspirational quotes. And I love that kind of writing. 

Don't worry, it's still a Sydney fest. I just grow to like her more and more. She is so much more her own person, though she still has a lot of flaws she's overcoming. At this point, it's almost as if she's realized the flaws, see's them in plain daylight, but is as of yet unsure how to move past them. But she begins the process. And oh boy, wait till you read how. 

Unlike the first book, I really don't want to say more. Because this book is best read unspoiled, with very little notion of what's going to come - it will make the impact all the more sweeter when it hits.