Book Review - The Golden Lily
BOOK REVIEW
THE GOLDEN LILY - RICHELLE MEAD
THIS BOOK DESERVES A 5/5 STARS!
I am so hooked into this series now. I'm so disappointed that I have to wait awhile for the next one to come out. The way the author left this one hanging...I NEED to read the next one! The second book definitely shed some light on a lot of the characters that, in the first book, had no storyline.I like that Clarence's observations were proved correct cause I was starting to worry about his sanity. After the last book I still feel like strangling Keith for taking advantage of someone so fragile as that.
Mead really went into detail with Trey's character too. At first I thought he was being physically abused by his family...just like Sydney thought. Although it was partially true...there was a whole bigger picture to it that made me feel horrible for Trey. He is just like Sydney in that his father expected him to bring pride to the family through his duty and if things didn't go exactly according to plan, he would be disappointed in his own son. I had never even thought that what Trey was going through was so directly linked to Sydney's situation. Both of them were taught by groups that were at one time, joined. Sydney is able to relate to him and I wish that she would have fully recognized that her group is just as misguided as his.
Sydney seems to have a lot of almost realizations in this book...including the fact that she has magic within her that doesn't come from the Alchemist tattoo. She just doesn't want to accept that she was born with something she had learned to hate her whole life. I think what will really make her see the light is learning more about the rougue alchemist, Marcus Finch. I just hope she tackles her fears in the next book because there's only so much you can just wave away...being who you are is not one of them. Eventually those issues will return...and it's no secret that she's happier being around everyone in Palm Springs than she is the people she grew up with. Yet she still believes she's doing the right thing!
The character I couldn't stand was Brayden. It really didn't have anything to do with the fact that he stood in between Sydney and Adrian. That obviously was an issue but it was more to do with the fact that he reminded me of a robot! It was like everything he said or did came out in such a way that sounded mechanical rather than human....like he was programmed not to feel. Instead of being absolutely swept away at Sydney in her Grecian dress...all he did was say how it was "historically innacurate." I love though how Adrian reacted to Brayden's comments. "Who the hell looks at you and says 'historically innacurate'?" "I don't care if he's not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in that dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'" I couldn't have been more proud of Adrian when he said that to Sydney.
That brings me to the ending which made me so excited I was jumping up and down in my chair...but also at the same time made me so frustrated because Adrian and Sydney had the most epic kiss..and Sydney walks away?! I know she was afraid of the outcome because if the Alchemists do find out...they are both in deep trouble...but you don't give up your soulmate because you're scared. She just walked away. I couldn't believe it! I felt like shaking her...especially after the way she looked back and he was just standing there at the doorway with pleading eyes...and she still turned away again!
So I am definitely anxious to read the next book, not only to see how she deals with her feelings for Adrian, but how she'll deal with everything else mystical. It will be coming out this year so I don't think I'll have to wait too long...but I do reccomend the series for others just like I reccomended the first. It was so amazing, I couldn't put it down. I actually read this one quicker than I did Bloodlines. It didn't take me long at all, a day and a half at the most. I found myself so in love with all the characters and I believe many other readers will too!
