Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Title: Frostbite
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publishing Date: April 10th 2008
Pages: 327
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Series: Vampire Academy #2
Source: Paperback

Goodreads Summary: 

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Review: 

I was finally able to pick up the second installment to the Vampire Academy! I was so happy to find time to fit in this book. It’s been sitting on my shelf forever! I somehow forgot how much I enjoyed the first book (I read so many) and when I started in on this one, I fell in love all over again.
Rose is getting the hang of being a student again at Vladimir’s Academy, she has been doing double time to get caught up, she has made some good friends, and things have been going well, except for the love and lust with Dmitri. Rose has settled into the idea of a nice peaceful winter break, right after her big field test. Everything changes when Rose encounters trouble on her field test and a mass murder of Moroi’s puts every on edge. 

The school is now on lockdown and everyone’s holiday plans are canceled. The students must stay together. The school enforces this by planning a ski trip for all the students that is mandatory. A ski trip sounds fun with your best friend, your hot instructor crush, his new girlfriend, the mother you never see, and a boy who has a crush on you, oh and don’t forget the Strigoi threat is still looming. With all the temptation of fun, of course Rose finds trouble! 

I really enjoyed this installment as much as the first. It was a little slow at the beginning but once it started rolling and all heck broke loose, it was thrill after thrill. This book seems to get a little bit darker than the first and we see a side of Rose and her friends that was not expected.

I can’t help but love all the characters, even the new ones. The author just keeps bringing them in and I keep falling. I really liked seeing more layers of Rose in this book. We get to see her relationship troubles with her mom, and her struggles with some emotional baggage. She is still snaky which is the main reason I love her so, and of course still kicks butt. We also see a lot more of some of the other students. We see more of Christian and really get up close and personal with Mason, a boy who has it bad for Rose. Then we have a new character, an older more troubled, and a tad bit on the dark side Moroi named Adrian, who currently owns my heart. 

The action is nonstop, the thrills are exciting, the romance is alluring, and the story is intriguing, what is there not to love. I really do love this series. I am going to try to get through so more of them in the new future!

Rating: