Fangs: Out
Back in middle school, during the Twilight fever, I read a lot of vampire novels. It was the thing. I was a middle-grade reader transitioning into young adult books, and Twilight catapulted me into that while simultaneously starting the vampire trend that echoed over the genre. Vampire Academy, Eighth Grade Bites, The Morganville Vampires are just a few to name. Oh, the angst. For this week I revisited this era by rereading some of Vampire Academy.
I've always loved the unique world of this book. The main character, Rose, shares a distinct psychic bond with her best friend, Lisa, who is also a vampire. AKA Moroi. Rose is a dhampir--a half breed, of sorts. They act like relatively normal teenagers, considering their circumstances. There are creatures in this book that are more familiar to us, thought: the Strigoi, which are immortal, soulless, bloodthirsty undead who are allergic to sunlight. They are every Moroi and Dhampir's greatest fear.
Though the series is a romance, the most important relationship is actually between Rose and Lisa. They survive off each other, physically and emotionally. When they're on the run, Lisa drinks Rose's blood (seen by the rest of the world as a shameful act on Rose's end). In return, Lisa uses her skills, like compulsion, to make the undercover life easier for them. Still, Rose is the main contributor. She's the one who has to fight when they're under attack. Her whole life is dedicated to protecting Lisa. Rose explains their dynamic well here: "This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened- sometimes recklessly so. She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting."
In this world, each Moroi gets at least one Dhampir guardian to protect them from the Strigoi. Though it's not official (in the first book) Rose acts and thinks of herself as Lisa's guardian. The psychic bond, which allows Rose access to all of Lisa's emotions and sometimes her thoughts, and her fierce loyalty make this inevitable.
I've always loved the unique world of this book. The main character, Rose, shares a distinct psychic bond with her best friend, Lisa, who is also a vampire. AKA Moroi. Rose is a dhampir--a half breed, of sorts. They act like relatively normal teenagers, considering their circumstances. There are creatures in this book that are more familiar to us, thought: the Strigoi, which are immortal, soulless, bloodthirsty undead who are allergic to sunlight. They are every Moroi and Dhampir's greatest fear.
Though the series is a romance, the most important relationship is actually between Rose and Lisa. They survive off each other, physically and emotionally. When they're on the run, Lisa drinks Rose's blood (seen by the rest of the world as a shameful act on Rose's end). In return, Lisa uses her skills, like compulsion, to make the undercover life easier for them. Still, Rose is the main contributor. She's the one who has to fight when they're under attack. Her whole life is dedicated to protecting Lisa. Rose explains their dynamic well here: "This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened- sometimes recklessly so. She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting."
In this world, each Moroi gets at least one Dhampir guardian to protect them from the Strigoi. Though it's not official (in the first book) Rose acts and thinks of herself as Lisa's guardian. The psychic bond, which allows Rose access to all of Lisa's emotions and sometimes her thoughts, and her fierce loyalty make this inevitable.
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