The Ruby Circle: A Bloodlines Novel

I loved how they revisited other characters. There was a nice and appropriate end to the series for all. Great series! Would love for them to continue with the VA books into movies and then to Bloodlines. Very entertaining and worth continuing!

I stumbled upon Richelles book. What a great journey. First, falling in love with Dimitri and Rose and now the love story of Adrienne and Sydney. A great stand alone due to flashback. A perfect read as a box set.

Started out very slow and I struggled with whether or not to keep going but then out of nowhere, it picked up and got very good. You just have to hang in there...you won't regret it. I wish it weren't the last.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️I CANT EVEN. JUST AHHHHH I LOVE THIS. DOES IT REALLY HAVE TO BE THE END????? ANOTHER SPIN OFF!!!! Come onnnnnn ?❤️❤️❤️❤️

Such a disappointing ending to such a great series. I love "Vampire Academy" and "Bloodlines" but the last book ruined it all. While reading it always had a feeling of waiting for something big to happen which never did. Adrian character slowly degraded into a soccer mom-housewife which was very painful to read. I appreciate Richelle Mead's work and love reading her books but this one was a joke.

This book kept me entertained beginning to end. As always Richelle Mead delivers! The love between her characters is strong enough and expressed enough for the romance lover while the non stop action and variety of witches, vampires, demons etc. Fulfill the needs of fantasy readers.

This book is full of adventure, action, old characters and a few new ones..Richelle Mead does it again and as always makes it a little better... I'm sad this is the last book in this series, but she gives you great closure!!

Wow finally made it to the end of The VA World! It's been a hell of a ride!!

The Ruby Circle the last of the Bloodlines books wasn't the best story. I felt like I was witnessing a whole new story from Adrian and Sydney's POV One that had nothing to do with them. The Premise of the series was lost at this point, and The first half of the book really had nothing to do with finding Jill. I think Sydney and Adrian's story really ended in Silver Shadows when they got married, and the only thing that needed wrapping up in their story was the Whole Jill thing, And the plot behind that was thin and Fell short of expectations. The people Richelle Mead chose to kidnap Jill were ridiculous and completely unconnected to the Moroi. So what was the point of even dragging Jill into it, if it was gonna be lazily thrown out there and amounted to nothing bad for the Moroi. I also thought the ending for Sydney and Adrian was really stupid and unnecessary, plus way to normal for my liking. And that Epilogue. (Aside from Romitri and Jeddie)Why did the entire Declan plot have to overshadow saving Jill? What's with all the secrets and lies? Why did they cut themselves off from everyone? (Though I liked that they kept Eddie, Jill, Dimitri, and Rose in on all the secrets.) RM could of came up with something better. It was all so stupid in my opinion.
On the plus side I still love RM's smooth writing, and I did like How we got a good—if not entirely satisfactory— ending for Rose and Dimitri. Their future looks bright so I'm glad.
All in All as last books go it wasn't the best. 3 stars.

It is always scary and bittersweet when a beloved series ends. I always worry that the end won’t be satisfying and sadly that worry has been warranted in the past. But Richelle Mead has yet to let me down when it comes time to say goodbye to her series and this time was definitely no exception. The entire book was a wild ride with twists and turns that I did not see coming. I felt like Richelle did a great job of wrapping up various storylines and giving us a glimpse of all of the characters and what they were up to even if we didn’t actually see them.

I loved how this book was wrapped up. The epilogue made me ridiculously happy although I wish there was more, maybe a novella somewhere down the line, but only because I’m greedy. I am sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I am more than happy where we are leaving them. This book was an absolutely perfect way to end this series. I cannot wait to read more by Richelle down the line.

Richelle Mead is by far one of my favorite authors. When I read something she's written I become obsessed and inspired. She puts such raw emotions making you feel like your actually living everything out. This book was the perfect touch to end this series. Though it made me cry a few times. A must read novel!

Blow the VA world wide open my rear. There are so many loose ends. How in the world can you end it all this way?? What about the Moroi using their gifts? And Lissa?? Whats happening there?? I am terribly disappointed. I will never, in my life, read another series by this woman. Just terrible...

Everyone loves a happy ending and this wrapped up two series very nicely. I will however miss these characters, so if Ms. Mead wanted to venture into Eddie and Jill's romance, I would not be opposed.

Richelle Mead continues the great quality of writing that lead us through the 6 books of VA and the 5 prior Bloodlines books. The pacing is great and the character development of both Sydney and Adrian brings the whole series together. Overall, a wonderful conclusion to a great series. I look forward to what's next.

SPOILERS
I, too, am disappointed with this book. I thought we'd get a battle which included the death of Sheridan. In fact, I needed to see Sheridan dead. And what about the Alchemists? Why didn't we see Sydney's salt solution in action? There was only a hint that it was being used. And these are only two of the questions about the series. There are many more. Maybe RM was saving these questions for the next series. Perhaps one book couldn't cover all the unsolved plot lines because, for me, they are swirling out there, dangling before my eyes without resolve. Conclusion: I felt that this book was a total waste of my anticipation. The book was weak for a grand finale, however, it did a great job as a setup for the next series.

NO IT CAN
NOT BE OVER I AM NOT READY I WAITED SIX MONTHS JUST FOR IT TO BE OVER... Im happy with the ending though... I wish Richelle would make another spin off...... ANYWAYS SYNDRIAN IS MY FAVORITE

Well, that was disappointing for the last book in this mostly really good series. There was one part in the middle of the book where I felt like it was going to be great, the pacing rocked, the action was cresting, revelations... then. The last half of the book was boring, cliched, and ended up with a very cheesy HEA for all.

There's no big spoilers below, but there may be what some consider minor "spoilerish" items included, if it matters to you.

- I found Sydney very annoying in this book. By book 6, you'd think she would accept Adrian and his Spirit ability. But no, she is STILL constantly trying to get him on medication to sever his connection to Spirit when she should be helping him learn ways to use it and be stronger. SO freaking annoying.

- Richelle Mead has written every possible stereotype into this series. At first, I could deal because of Sydney's past. It made sense with her background and childhood. But now, it doesn't work anymore. Plus, it extends to other characters. Rose (yes, she is back in this) calls "blood *****s" (dhampirs who give moroi sex and food/blood for affection and money and gifts - and companionship) "disgusting." **** shaming. Rose (in Vampire Academy) was loving getting felt up and making out with guys, but she is still so quick to judge??? You'd think she would understand by now that it isn't cool to judge others. Plus, apparently, people who smoke marijuana are dumb idiots who eat nothing but Twinkies and junk food and can't remember what happened a minute ago. Not to mention the usual stuff that has been in every book - criticisms about eating/food, coffee, alcohol, any vice basically. I have to wonder if this is Richelle Mead speaking through the characters or if it's just a coincidence all her characters are so restrictive and judgmental.

- Sydney was always trying to refuse people's help. Like, her friends and people who care about her. Still doing it by book 6. No. No excuse anymore.

- Minor characters were brought back for no apparent reason and once again, it seems like an author tries to tie up every single loose end with a neat little bow.

- The middle of the book had a great section (which is why I am not giving this 1 star). I was totally engaged. Then, it was like a second book started. A really boring one. The stupid Warriors came back and I never liked them. The whole last part was about a stupid scheme involving infiltrating them (again). It was boring and seemed like filler.

Honestly, Jill being kidnapped was never a good idea to base the last book in a series on. Jill is a sweet character, but I never cared so much about her that a whole plot focusing on her would intrigue me. A better story would have been about Sydney still running from the Alchemists or something involving her sister and father (who were only in it a little bit). Or helping Adrian master spirit to help find the cure to restore strigoi they've been looking for. (But instead we get the same tiresome phantom Aunt Tatiana voice in his head, trying to lead him to insanity.)

I was disappointed. I always liked this series because it seemed like the typical YA tropes weren't as overbearing. Sydney and Adrian were just so blah in this. I really didn't like Sydney at all. Adrian was tolerable, but in the end, Sydrian turned out so vanilla and boring and meh.

- Oh, how annoying that Sydney is still so grossed out by Adrian having to drink blood to survive. Seriously. She should be offering to feed him every once in awhile. This is another one of those instances where you have to wonder if the author even likes the idea of vampires, yet she has made a career off writing about them. There is really not much positive about them in this series. Still. By book 6. Same attitude, nothing has really changed. Sigh.

- Finally, after 12 books in this world, absolutely NOTHING changed as far as the relationships between moroi, dhampirs, and humans (we saw small potential progress with the alchemists). Why wasn't any of this addressed? The species are still basically exactly the same in each others world. Dhampirs are basically servants and soldiers, the moroi still boss them around. No one seems to want change. Still. Dealing more with this would have been more interesting to me. Seeing more changes in their worlds.

I think I'm done with Richelle Mead.

The final book in the Bloodlines series splits the story between perspectives of Adrian and Sydney. It’s amazing how the novel presents itself through the eyes of both of these characters working to create a full and rich story for the reader. There is also the added element of the romance and the richness of the character development. The dynamics of the characters Sydney and Adrian is one that has grown through the series and even now it continues to grow as the pair have found themselves in a remarkable situation where they have to navigate the world where their romance is looked down upon by almost everyone they know. They have found themselves in such a difficult situation, and the tension created adds something more to the story.

The dynamics of the characters are the strongest point of the story because the story, at a point, feels like it’s reaching into three separate directions and Mead, as talented as she is, is pulling those stories together almost in a rush. That’s not to say it’s sloppy and not put together well. It does maintain the fluidity, but it almost feels as though Mead wanted to make the story longer, had so many ideas she wanted to explore, and yet also wanted to end her series on a good note, with power and emotion. The added segments of the story, where it went on a left turn before returning to the right road, they feel rushed and are resolved very quickly. There is pain and love in those resolutions, and they aren’t without depth. It just feels as though more could have been done with those segments, that they could have been stories all on their own.

Overall this was an exciting conclusion to the series full of some hilarious antics that will just make the reader smile. There is a levity to the ending of the series as Mead pulls the story together, while seemingly rushed, they’re still solid additions to the story and leave the future of the story wide open to explore at a future date and time should Mead desire it. In the end, there is something quite delightful about the ending here, it’s not entirely without its bitter sweetness, but the realism, the face such realistic aspects such as interracial marriages. I’ve always had professors in college say that genre fiction isn’t real literature. I’ve always disagreed with that sentiment because of stories such as this one where the story uses elements of fantasy and the paranormal to reach a broader and younger audience in which to tell a story with relevant issues. I’m going to say this because I’ve graduated, but all those professors have a stick up their tushies. Mead, and others like her, prove that by incorporating serious issues into fantasy and the paranormal means something. To challenges the prejudices in life like Sydney has in this entire series, going beyond what her family sees, it gives depth and meaning and highlights the reality of the world, making it easier to recognize the challenges some people face in life, to think about them.

The dynamics, the realism put into the novel amidst all the fantasy has made this series and the conclusion quite delightful of a read. (★★★★☆ | A)

The Ruby Circle was a pretty good ending to this series, but not exactly what I was expecting or hoping for. Adrian and Sydney don't get their honeymoon, because things at Court are tense. They've basically broken every taboo ever, and Jill is still missing. Obviously, those two have to get out of there and go on a rescue mission while also avoiding the Alchemists. That's not all though. There is a lot more going on and it was actually too much, hence my lower rating.

It seemed like the author tried to cram all kinds of random plot threads into The Ruby Circle. As a result, this finale is kind of jumbled and some parts simply don't make sense. Some characters from previous books are randomly brought back and I honestly didn't believe their involvement in Jill's kidnapping at all. Really anyone else would have worked better. It was a failed attempted at bringing things full circle and tying up loose ends. There's also this side mission that Adrian goes on to help a friend and I really didn't care about that either. It did add something interesting to the world building, and I think I'd like another spin-off exploring that, but for this book it just didn't fit.

I really don't know what to say about The Ruby Circle. It's a happy ending, which was expected. I did enjoy it and it was a relatively quick read. It is the shortest book of the series, which just further convinces me that the author added the randomness as filler to make it longer. There's really not much left for Sydney and Adrian to do except rescue Jill, and get the Alchemists off their backs. The epilogue was pretty cute though.

**Spoilers**

We finally get to the end of the Bloodlines series, and it’s kind of boring.

I read the book, but never really felt involved in the story. Something was definitely missing, I felt no anxiety about what would happen, or worry that a familiar character would be killed, even Jill was completely fine after being rescued once she had some blood. I didn’t even worry a little when Sydney was with the Warriors, she didn’t get a scratch, & I never thought she was in danger of getting hurt. Sydney’s father didn’t get any real consequences for everything he did either, which annoyed me. Sydney should have turned him in & let him be exposed as the jerk & traitor he was, he certainly deserved it.

I kept losing track of who was narrating each chapter too, because Adrian & Sydney sounded so much alike in their thoughts. I would be reading & the character would mention using spirit & then I would realize it was Adrian not Sydney I was reading. Mead also did one of the things that I truly hate in a series, she gave them a baby. I can’t tell you how many series have been ruined for me because the author gave the couple a baby because who could have a HEA without a baby? Me, that’s who. As soon as it was revealed that Olive was pregnant, I saw the direction that plotline was going, & I was not happy.

Since I finished this series, I think I’ll be finished with this author too.

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE.

I really wasn't sure I even wanted to read this book.

Don't get me wrong, I love the world Richelle Mead created, but I think it's about reached it's peak and then some.

I've read all of the Vampire Academy series and everything in Bloodlines up until here, but I was dreading this moment. Over the course of the last few books (The Fiery Heart, Silver Shadows) this series and I were started going through a rough patch. And when the initial reviews for The Ruby Circle came out and nearly all of the bloggers that I follow who have similar tastes as me disliked this book, I froze.

So the book was buried in my ever growing owned TBR pile until I pulled it out as part of my complete that series you fool you have too many incompleted/ongoing ones challenge.

OVERALL, I DID END UP ENJOYING THE RUBY CIRCLE MORE THAN I ANTICIPATED I WOULD, BUT I DO HAVE SOME MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT IT.

I loved Adrian. He was my favorite character in Vampire Academy and he was my favorite character in Bloodlines. But I still have no idea how I feel about getting his POV. I understand why it was a necessary addition to the series, but lately it seems that every time I am in his head I just want to strangle him.

Silver Shadows was a lesson in how you can absolutely hate a character you were so in love with you named him "number one book boyfriend." Adrian gained back some of what he lost during the last book, but I think he destroyed what I saw in him in the first place. By the end of The Ruby Circle, I no longer love him the way I did before. My feelings for him have dropped dangerously down to "meh."

Sydney, on the other hand, I really like her. I liked her back in Vampire Academy, and I liked her when this series first started. That said, she was never my favorite female in the series, and I will never claim her as my favorite female character in a YA book or anything. But I really have to admire her for overcoming her obstacles in the previous books and still trying to be hopeful about her bleak future.

ROMANCE WISE, THIS BOOK HAS SOME CUTE MOMENTS.

(See quotation #3 below.)

I certainly do still ship them as a couple. This book isn't so much about them trying to be in love with each other as it is about them dealing with life and learning how a relationship with each other fits in among the hassle and heartache they are surrounded by. It was nice to watch them go through struggles real people (if you boil everything down to it's basic levels) and watching to see if they could make it all work.

I really cannot see either of them with anyone else.

AS FAR AS THE STORY GOES, I'M AFRAID IT WAS A TAD ON THE EXTREMELY PREDICTABLE SIDE.

I saw on one review where the reader felt this book was toned down some. She felt in Vampire Academy you had no idea if Rose was going to get her HEA ending or if people would die. But in The Ruby Circle that level of risk was not there.

I'm sorry, I cannot remember who you are at the moment. But your thought stayed with me as I was reading.

Because it was absolutely true.

There was not one point in this story where I was like: OMG you are all going to die, or OMG please Richelle Mead do not do that to my feels.

About as close as I got to that was when Adrian was talking with Nina and I needed to remind him how the last time they were together I almost disowned him.

Everything that did happen in this book was so predictable I wanted to cry. It wasn't just that I guessed what was going to happen, but the hows and the whys too.

WORDS TO LIVE BY
"'You're both staying here, where you're safe.' (Lissa)
Safe is starting to lost it, I thought, recalling the bleak look in Sydney's eyes.
Darling, Aunt Tatiana whispered to me, you were starting to lose it long before this." (Page 14/348)

"Maybe that's something you should think about. If 'no one' is talking to you, maybe they're not the problem. Maybe you are." (Adrian, page 153/348)

"Being with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, the one perfect decision I've made in a lifetime of fumbling and poor judgement. I'd go through it all again to be by your side. Never doubt that. Never doubt how I feel about you." (Adrian, page 156/348)

OVERALL
I am glad I gave this book a chance, but finishing this series does not leave me in the mood to reread it. I did not entirely dislike how it ended. In fact it set up an interesting plot point for that universe that maybe one day will turn into something new and fun. But I wouldn't say that ending was the one I had in mind for them all those books ago.

4.5 stars
Reviewed by Annie and posted at Under The Covers Book Blog
Richelle Mead has been one of my all-time favorite authors for a very long time. In fact, I had say that she’s probably one of the authors responsible for starting my obsession with books. It all started with Vampire Academy and now a few years later with the Bloodlines series coming to an end, I can still say that Mead is still one of my auto buy authors. I just love her writing.

If you’re a loyal fan like I am then you’re well aware of the things Adrian has been through. After falling in love and then having Rose find someone else, Adrian has had it hard ever since. With his status and his devil may cry personality, he makes it seem like everything is okay but he really isn’t.

For the majority of this series, I thought Sydney paled in comparison to Rose. She was such a drastic change that I never really thought of her as good enough to be with Adrian. But with this book, I finally accepted that Adrian is happy with her and that’s good enough for me.

Now that they are married, Sydney and Adrian aren’t riding off into the sunset yet. With Jill kidnapped, Sydney and Adrian must devise a plan to get her back. The process involves Sydney turning into a cat, escaping the Alchemist and a whole bunch of other things while Adrian remains back at Court until he can sneak out himself.

As always Richelle Mead’s writing is fast-paced and hardhitting. Every single chapter ending is a jawdropping one and it makes the reading experience very exciting. You can tell that she’s been doing this for years because the story is polished to perfection.

Some bombs are dropped, including one detail about Adrian and Dimitri that had me stopping and sitting up to make sure I read it correctly the first time. Also Rose, Lissa and even Christian are present in this book. I loved getting updates on them. It’s just nice to read about such familiar characters that you love.

By the end of it all, so much in the book happens that I feel like if you blinked, you might miss it. Like I said earlier, I really got the sense that Adrian and Sydney are happy together and while it took awhile to get there and Adrian had to go through a whole lot of s*** before it happened, I can happily say that I’m glad where they ended up. I’m sad to have to say goodbye to these characters but maybe one day Mead will have a story for Eddie. I would absolutely LOVE to read about him.

This review will probably contain some SPOILERS, just because it’s about the sixth book in a long series. So don’t read this review if you don’t want to be SPOILED.

I put off reading this book simply because I didn’t want the series to be over. I’ve been reading Richelle Mead’s young adult books since I was in high school and now I’m not going to be reading any Vampire Academy books for the first time ever again. I also didn’t want to read this book because I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to reading series’ enders. I was hoping this book wouldn’t fall into the “Okay-ish Last Book of a Series” category, but it did. Boo…

After Sydney and Adrian got together, I just didn’t feel the magic of their relationship anymore. I missed the spark and banter that was present before and during the very beginning of their relationship. Also, this book is extremely short compared to the other books in the series. I almost felt like Mead was getting tired of writing in the Vampire Academy world, so she just quickly threw out a last book.

That brings me to the plot of the book. Every book in the series has some sort of connection to the previous books plot-wise, but generally the big bad thing that’s happened doesn’t really interconnect with the previous books. In other words, you can read the second book without reading the first book and still sort of know what’s going on. With this book, I felt like the big bad thing that happened was just “meh” compared to some of the other books in the series. I wasn’t really sitting on the edge of my seat wondering how Adrian and Sydney would fix this problem. And the side dilemma they had going on, the one involving Olive, was interesting, but I felt that it took away from the magic of Sydrian’s relationship. I completely understand why Richelle Mead put it in, though. She wanted to make sure her characters could have a happy ending.

I enjoyed the characters and the fun dialog, but I feel like the book needed to slow down and flush some stuff out.

All in all, this book didn’t blow me away like the first three or so in the series. Will I still be reading Mead’s upcoming YA books? Abso-freakin’-lutely.

The Ruby Circle was a amazing conclusion to a series that has meant a lot to me. For the last four years I was lucky enough to read books in this world and now that it has all ended I feel both glad and sad to have been on this journey. I'll miss these characters a lot - especially Adrian - but the ending couldn't have been more perfect.

As always I enjoyed reading about both Sydney and Adrian a lot. People who know me even a little bit know how much I love Adrian. These past years he's been my favorite character and I can only applaud Richelle Mead for writing him and been able to see him grow and change (for the better) as a character, especially in the Bloodlines series. I'm pretty sure that everyone who's read both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines can agree that the Adrian we met in Frostbite (vampire academy #2) isn't the same guy that we've come to know through the Bloodlines series. And that's pretty remarkable.

But anyway, on to The Ruby Circle. I obviously loved it. Quite a few things got resolved and some unexpected twists (read the book and you'll know what I'm talking about) honestly freaked me out (in the best way!). I love Sydney and Adrian's relationship but right from the start it's very clear they have some issues that are unresolved. They both have flaws but they trust each other completely and they're both equally fierce in wanting to protect one another. I love them.

As it was the last Bloodlines book a lot familiar characters made an appearance. Rose and Dimitri were a pretty big part of the book. I always enjoy reading about them and knowing what's going on with them. Let's just say that I'm pleased with where their life is taking them with what I read at the ending. Of course other familiar people were in it, but I won't bore you with naming them all.

I also really liked the action, there was a lot of it in the book. Both Sydney and Adrian are pretty badass in their own way. Sydney with her magic and Adrian with his spirit magic (although I hated seeing what it did to his sanity). They might've not have a lot of time for romance but the moments they could steal together were intense, sweet and just absolute. The Center Will Hold!

As far as series endings go, The Ruby Circle is one of my favorites. I managed only just not to cry, but I was very emotional reading those last few pages. Of course I wish there would be more books coming or another spin-off but I think the ending that Richelle Mead created is good as it is and I'm okay with it being the end. All I can do now is maybe re-read the books and fall in love with these characters all over.

I can’t believe it! The Bloodlines series has come to an end, and so has the Vampire Academy world! I have loved this series since the first book in the original series and I have loved getting to know Adrian and Sydney more personally in the Bloodlines series. It was an action packed and definitely a surprising ending to the series, as everything that we have learned throughout the Bloodlines series comes together in this explosive last instalment.

The Ruby Circle begins a month after the previous book, with Adrian and Sydney adjusting to their new lives at court. They are still waiting on news of Jill and they are becoming antsy and want to help. When they get an unexpected visitor who has a lead, they do all they can to dive in and help. Sydney uses all the powers she has to unravel the mystery and Adrian supports her as best as he can. Adrian tries to help Nina with her problem and it becomes a dangerous game for both of them.

I have always LOVED Adrian throughout both series and in The Ruby Cirlce I saw yet another side to him that made me swoon and he definitely holds the mantel for the Hottest Vampire Alive in my book!! He is supportive, kind and fearless in everything that he sets out to do when it comes to Sydney and those he considers family.

Sydney was her brilliant self, as usual, and showed that she was willing to go above and beyond to bring Jill back to their lives. She used every contact she had at her disposal to unravel the clues that someone set up for her. One thing that didn’t change was the amount of love that Sydney and Adrian had for each other and I felt that it grew throughout this final book too.

Richelle Mead wrapped this series up neatly, tying off loose ends and throwing in twists that I didn’t see coming. I got an insight into how the Moroi world is developing and how important the witches are to Sydney’s life. As always, I loved seeing characters from the VA series, especially Rose and Dimitri. This series concluded beautifully and I was left with the warm fuzzies once I closed the book!!

Complimentary copy provided by Penguin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading Richelle Mead's conclusion to her epic Bloodlines Series, The Ruby Circle, and I legit had a smile on my face and said, "that was perfect!" And it was!! This was an incredibly amazing read and I absolutely loved its conclusion!! I am sad to say goodbye to this world yet again, but there's still plenty of characters we can get to know, so maybe Richelle isn't completely done with things! Only time will tell...

Things are still pretty tense for Sydney and Adrian. Jill is still missing and they are still hold up in Court staying with Adrian's mother, as the Alchemists are still out to drag Sydney back to be re-educated. But then something happens, Sydney gets a note that leads to a possible clue as to Jill's whereabouts and then she and Eddie are off to follow the clues while Adrian remains behind to keep up appearances.

Meanwhile, Adrian is approached by Nina who needs his help in getting to talk to her sister Olive, who is also missing. Nina is slowly getting crazy with her spirit abilities and Adrian wants to help her anyway because he feels bad for their situation. And when they get in contact with Olive, Adrian realizes the reason why she ran.

Things are INTENSE in this one!! I didn't truly guess the enemy who was luring Sydney on a wild goose chase, though it was someone from her past. There's been too much time between reading the books and you know how details get lost or forgotten, but I was able to slightly recall said character once they were revealed (and yes, that's kind of a crappy sentence calling one person "they" but it's how I roll when it comes to spoilers! ;) ).

It isn't long before Adrian and Sydney are reunited and working together, which was truly awesome! I did not like the time apart they had in The Fiery Heart, nope, not at all. So the togetherness was very endearing! And once again, I just love seeing Rose and Dimitri again! I still gush over Sydney and Adrian of course, but just seeing familiar faces, and even Lissa and Christian again, always brings a smile to my face! I love seeing our well loved characters again in this spinoff, but yet, still getting a new set of characters to love and gush over!

This was quite the heart-pounding read! There's so much danger for both Sydney and Adrian. The Alchemists are after Sydney and leaving Court was a risky move, and then there's Adrian who is still trying to deal with his own spirit abilities. Plus, he still hears the voice of his dead aunt. Things are just intense! Then the clock starts ticking on when they have to find Jill or lose her forever and that's when the game gets rolling!

Richelle Mead is pure gold! She is the author who brought me back to YA books. I remember my friends online at an old discussion group told me I HAD to read Vampire Academy. This was probably a year or two after it published because I binged the first three books and had that ungodly wait for Blood Promise, and I totally fell in love with the world and characters! This was the kind o f read I NEEDED as a teenager! I just didn't get it until I was like 18 or 19, still a teen I guess, but on the verge on 20. Richelle's books will always hold a special place in my heart and I am pretty much addicted to her work now!

The Ruby Circle brings a nice conclusion to the Bloodlines series. There were some unexpected surprises and some you could happily see coming while reading. I really love how things ended. There's just a nice sense of resolution. Sure, I found myself wondering about one or two things...but it's one of those things where you kind of know what will happen, there's just no confirmation. I can live without that confirmation in this sense!

If you have yet to enter the world of Vampire Academy, I highly recommend it! It's kind of important to read that series before Bloodlines, not just for spoiler purposes, but it's nice to see how far both Sydney and Adrian have come! After meeting them in the Vampire Academy series, I would have never thought I'd see them where they are now at the end of their series and I am in awe of their growth. They have become such wonderful and re-memorable characters to me, it's seriously like making new friends every time I read these books! There are no words really. Just read both series and prepare for the reads of a lifetime!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

“I shook my head, smiling in spite of myself, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Adrian. My husband. If anyone had told me a year ago that I'd be married, I would've said they were joking. If they'd told me I'd be married to a vampire, I would've said they were delusional. Looking at Adrian now, I felt a surge of love well up within me, despite our earlier tension. I could no longer imagine a life without him in it. It was impossible. Could I imagine a life with him that didn't involve us being trapped in a suite of rooms with his mother while both our people reviled us and made plans against us? Definitely. There were any number of futures I'd love to have for us, but his was our current path until something spectacular happened. Outside, the Court's gates, my people wanted to imprison me. Inside them, his people wanted to assault him. At least in this suite, we were safe. Most importantly, we were together.”

THE RUBY CIRCLE by Richelle Mead was a perfect ending to a perfect series that piggy-backed to another perfect series. I expected the ending to be awesome and it was. If you haven't read Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy or Bloodlines series, you're missing out on the awesomeness of Rose and Dimitri AND Sydney and Adrian. Finishing this book was a huge emotional moment for me because I've been addicted to Richelle's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines books for years. I could count on each book to be a steady, solid, engrossing read populated with Dhampirs, Moroi, Alchemists, Vampires, Hunters, and Witches with magic galore and an humongous cliffhanger. I can't compute the number of hours my sister and I have hashed and rehashed the books over the years. Now they're all finished. Sob...

I loved how Richelle incorporated almost all our favorite primary characters from both series into this one story. I laughed and sighed so much reading this that if anyone had been around at the time, I'm sure they would have worried about me.

I hearted all the characters! I was thrilled to find that Adrian really matured in this book. He took responsibility for his actions and he exercised restraint from using too much spirit power. He has come so far from when we first met him in the Vampire Academy books. Back then, he was a broken character and really struggling with his spirit. Sydney has come a loooong way, too, becoming confident in her skin with her abilities and not afraid to love a vampire. Adrian's and Sydney's relationship strengthens more... I just love them both.

I want to mention two other characters: Eddie has grown up to be a mini-Dimitri. I'm holding out hope that he and Jill might headline a new take-off series.

I also want to assert that I cannot imagine fully enjoying this book as a standalone. I will go so far as to unequivocally state that you shouldn't read this book without reading the prior books. You'd be missing out on too much awesomeness that definitely would affect your enjoyment of this book. These are two series you just have to read in their entireties in order. But... they are all beyond fantastic! So... what's the problem?
Here's the order in which they should be read:
Vampire Academy Series
• #1 Vampire Academy
• #2 Frostbite
• #3 Shadow Kiss
• #4 Blood Promise
• #5 Spirit Bound
• #6 Last Sacrifice
Bloodlines Series
• #1 Bloodlines
• #2 The Golden Lily
• #3 The Indigo Spell
• #4 The Fiery Heart
• #5 Silver Shadows
• #6 The Ruby Circle

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Check it out there.

5 Wine Glasses

**Reviews courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy**

The Bloodlines series is one of my favorite young adults series right now. So I spent the past week relistening to the whole Bloodlines series, and I was surprised to see just how many loose ends and subplots Mead had left to tie up in the final and shortest book of the series. As a result, I started THE RUBY CIRCLE with high hopes, but ready to be disappointed. The story did feel a little rushed at points, and my main complaint about the book is its size. I would’ve liked to see a few things fleshed out more, but Mead still did an amazing job and I wasn’t disappointed.

One of my favorite things about THE RUBY CIRCLE was getting to see so many characters from both the Bloodlines series and the Vampire Academy series working together. The previous books in the series have had cameo appearances and even minor roles played by a few of these characters, but in THE RUBY CIRCLE Sydney and Adrian are surrounded by everyone as they all search for Jill. Well, almost everyone, I was sad that we didn’t get to see much of Angelinne, and though they were never major characters I missed Rowena and Cassie too.

I was worried that since Sydney and Adrian got married in SILVER SHADOWS there wouldn’t be much character progression in their relationship, but I was wrong. Sydney and Adrian still had a lot of growing to do, and I loved watching their relationship mature in their marriage.

In the end, THE RUBY CIRCLE is a great book. Mead wrapped up almost all of the loose ends from the previous books in the Bloodlines series and even a few from the Vampire Academy series. THE RUBY CIRCLE brought the story and the series to an amazing conclusion!

On the Audiobook: Not many narrators can pull of working together well, but Emily Shaffer and Alden Ford have done an amazing job on the Bloodlines series. THE RUBY CIRCLE switches between Sydney’s and Adrian’s viewpoint just as the previous two books did, and Emily narrates Sydney’s chapters while Alden narrates Adrian’s. When this was first done in the fourth book I was worried that it would throw me off, but Emily and Alden did an amazing job creating very similar voices for all the characters. I never had a problem with the switching narrators, and I really felt they improved the listening experience.

Originally posted at Vampire Book Club

The Ruby Circle begins a month after Jill’s kidnapping and no one is any closer to locating her. Sydney and Adrian’s happily-ever-after has been put on hold in the pursuit of finding Jill and because many at court do not condone their vampire/human marriage. Both Sydney and Adrian have become pariahs with Sydney confined almost solely to their rooms and Adrian left vulnerable to attacks from other Moroi.

Hope comes in the form of a visit from Mrs. Terwelliger, who brings an item magically keyed to Sydney. Upon breaking the lock, the group finds that it’s a clue to Jill’s whereabouts. Sydney jumps at the opportunity to leave her self-imposed prison to follow this lead, but to keep up appearances Adrian has to stay behind.

Adrian is kept plenty busy when it’s brought to his attention that Nina is not doing well, and we find that she’s been using a lot of Spirit in order to find out where her sister Olive ran off to. Adrian agrees to help Nina find Olive, but we know Adrian’s been battling his sanity in using Spirit, and this might just push him over the edge.

I think it’s really difficult to follow-up Silver Shadows. There were the horrific conditions of re-education that we had to read about Sydney going through and then there was the drive, on Adrian’s part, to find her. Jill’s circumstances in The Ruby Circle somewhat mirror those of Sydney’s, however, since we don’t have a POV from Jill, it’s difficult to feel the emotional impact of her ordeal.

Instead I’m drawn to Sydney and Adrian, as usual. I want to learn more about the life they’re trying to make now that they’re married. Unfortunately, any headway they can make in their future has to be put on hold in the search for Jill and the fact that they are still on the run from the Alchemists. Any big talks they need to have kind of got pushed aside and then when they were had I felt like things were glossed over a bit.

I liked that Richelle Mead split Adrian and Sydney up early on. Sydney’s trail of clues proved to be pretty interesting, and the things Adrian learns while helping Nina could have some consequences in the future. By the end of each chapter I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Unfortunately, switching POVs kind of broke the spell each time, and I would have to build up again with each chapter.

Going into this book, I really didn’t know where Mead could take readers next, but The Ruby Circle definitely had a “best of” vibe to it, and I think that’s what made this a little lackluster for me. There was just too much Mead was trying to get done yet still leaving just enough open to delve further into this world with future series should she choose to do so.

Now talking about the series ending overall, I did enjoy that we got a lot of interaction between Bloodlines characters and Vampire Academy favorites (most notably Rose and Dimitri). At the end of the day, I liked where everyone ended up, and the promise for more to come. The Bloodlines series has been a great spin-off that, at times, out-shined its predecessor.

Contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.

What a fun ending to the Bloodlines series! It was a wonderfully fitting ending for our favourite vampire/alchemist couple and the cast of our beloved moroi and dhampir characters.

I’m so proud of how far Sydney and Adrian have come since the very beginning. Sydney has opened up so much to the vampire community and has an awesome command of magic at her fingertips. Adrian continues to battle against the lure of spirit and Queen Tatiana in his head and balanced out his mood swings. The love they have for each other burns bright, keeps them going and strengthens the wonderful people they have become over the course of the series, and The Ruby Circle further highlights that. I kind of expected more romance though, especially after The Fiery Heart, but there was a lot happening throughout the book.

The whole book is underpinned by two major plot arcs – their journey to find Jill following her capture at the end of Silver Shadows, as well as Olive who is preventing herself from being tracked by her spirit using sister Nina. Rose and Dimitri are will heavily feature in the book, but it was refreshing to see Adrian and Sydney holding on their own and kick ass, instead of leaving it up to the dhampirs to find Jill and Olive. I did feel both of these quests were resolved a little too quickly and conveniently though, especially Jill’s capture! It pretty much gets blown over in the last 50 pages and they were in and out.

There were some incredible twists I didn’t see coming – deaths, revelations and an epic finale for the group. I was really satisfied with the epilogue, which didn’t leave any unanswered questions (except for a certain couple) and was the perfect ending for Sydrian.

Although this is the last we’ll see of the Vampire Academy cast for a while, I’m kind of relieved it’s over because there wasn’t any further the characters could go. The Sydney we met in Bloodlines was uptight, close-minded and snobby and she’s gone through immense character development since she started getting to know Adrian. Adrian has settled his moody, spirit induced self into someone who is well balanced, can stand on his own and who has found his match. I found like they were cemented as these strong characters by the 3rd or 4th book though.

While The Ruby Circle was a fun and entertaining romp for Sydney, Adrian and the rest of the cast, I felt the finale was kind of lackluster with a quick resolution. The ending was satisfying and bittersweet, as we’re left to wonder about the fate of the young characters. Although I was skeptical about picking this series up at the start, I’m glad I did because it offered a brilliant follow-up to Vampire Academy. Another job well done to Richelle Mead and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Check out Happy Indulgence Books at happyindulgencebooks.com for more reviews!

You would think that after twelve books, eight years, of being in this world that I 'd be tired of it. Well, to tell you the truth, I feel very far from "tired of it." I finished Ruby Circle wanting more. Not "more" as in it lacked anything in the book, but as in I want more of this world all together. I want different characters, old characters, new journeys, and new adventures. I want to see new young characters grow up and become just as amazing as the old ones if not better. I want so much more of this world that I'm getting teary eyed while writing this. And if Richelle Mead's acknowledgement is any indication, I'm praying the wait isn't terribly long.

Guys, I loved this book so much. And though I was expecting a lot more pages, I think Richelle Mead did a wonderful job with the pacing. It never dragged and it always left me eagerly wanting to know what would happen next.

This is a goodbye. I don't know for how long (Mead's acknowledgement gives me so much hope) it'll be til we get more of this Moroi world, but for now I'm crying my eyes out BECAUSE this is essentially the last time we're seeing these characters and if that doesn't make you a wee bit sad then something is wrong about you, but I still love you.

GUYS...These characters are my favorite, I spent eight year with most of these chracters. Seeing them ALL grow up from Vampire Academy series to Bloodlines series and becoming adults is quite possibly my absolute favorite feature about this whole world Mead has created.

Excuse me while I cry some more about the fact that the epilogue takes place in winter and we met Adrian during Frostbite (the second book of Vampire Academy series). I'm really hating saying goodbye to these characters but it had to happen. I'm just praying to god I can see them again in the very near future with a new cast.

Thank you so much, Richelle Mead, for writing this world and these characters and giving us the opportunity to see their journey in life.

Even though Adrian and Sydney are thrilled to finally be together, it comes with a hefty price. The pair finds themselves sequestered away at Court under the Queen's protection, away from the alchemists. Jill is still missing and there are no firm leads on her whereabouts. That is until Sydney receives a visit from an old friend. Soon Sydney finds herself sneaking out of Court to help find Jill. The stakes are higher than ever. Can Sydney help find Jill and secure her future with Adrian?
What I Loved:
*An ending to a beloved series is always bittersweet. On one hand, I am always excited to get all the answers I have been seeking, but on the other, it is so darn hard to let go of the characters I have grown to love. That is exactly what happened with The Ruby Circle. I was happy to see all the ongoing story lines from the series conclude, and I was pleased with the outcomes, but I struggle with saying goodbye. If you are a fan of this series, this book is the best of the bunch. Satisfying and bittersweet.
*What has made this series is the strong cast of characters. While the story has centered around Sydney and Adrian and their growth and romance, it was made even better by the additional characters. In this one, almost every character who has played a role in the series makes and appearance. So if you have a favorite secondary character, you won't be disappointed. I was excited that Rose and Dimitri played larger roles in this finale. I adore the characters in this series, and I am so sad to let them go.
*The romance continues to grow and mature. While it seemed that things were reaching toward the happily ever after point after Silver Shadows, the couple still had some hurdles to overcome. I loved seeing them work through their romantic problems with maturity and understanding. I can't tell you how much I loved the romance in this series. It took a long time to develop and mature, and when it unfolded it was perfect.
*There is a lot going on in this book, and I am glad that I did a binge read of books two through five last spring and summer because everything was fresh in my mind. Ms. Mead is an amazing story teller. I always appreciate the way she spends the first couple of books carefully spinning her story threads, and then by the end of the series, everything comes together perfectly. I loved seeing all the story lines draw to a conclusion, and I was pleased overall with the resolutions. I was also surprised by a couple of fun little twists. Overall this series was brilliantly written and executed.
*The ending was satisfying and bittersweet. I won't go into details, but I was left happy, hopeful and sad that it was over. I have my fingers crossed that perhaps down the line we might yet see another spin off series. A new character was introduced in this one with some special abilities, and I would love to catch up with this person down line the road all grown up.
*I listened to the audio version of this book, and I can say that the audio books have gotten better and better with each installment. I think they really took off with book four, The Fiery Heart, when Alden Ford was brought on board to do the male voices. I love the audio books and I highly recommend them.
And The Not So Much:
*As I mentioned, there are a couple of surprising little revelations in this one that caught me completely off guard. I loved the twists, but I was a bit disappointed that two of them weren't expanded upon in greater detail. I would have loved more information on Dimitri's father, and I also would love to know more about that deal someone close to Sydney struck with the Warriors of Light, especially the why and how. I would also like to know a bit more about Marcus' romance.
*This is a rather busy book with a lot of story lines and characters coming in and out. I was a bit disappointed that some of the characters just disappeared and I didn't hear from them again. Not a big deal, but I was left wondering.
*My only niggle with the audiobook versions is that I don't like that during Sydney's chapters Emily does all the male voices and during Adrian's chapters Ford impersonates the girls. IT would have been so much better if each narrator did all the voices throughout.

The Ruby Circle is a strong, satisfying and bittersweet conclusion to what has become one of my all time favorite series. If you are a fan of this series, you must read this one right away. I thought it was brilliantly written and well executed. My biggest complaint is that I don't want to say goodbye. Thanks Richelle Mead for a terrific journey!

I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Okay guys…so I totally cheated on this one. I had to look at the last page before I even started this book to give me an idea of whether or not my characters would have a happy ending or not. I’ve read too many recently that have left me feeling drained and wondering what the point was. I didn’t want the Bloodlines series to come to an end, but yet…I needed to know how it all wraps up at the same time. You know the battle I’m talking about?

We ended Silver Shadows with Sydney and Adrian getting married and looking to the Moroi court for sanctuary from the Alchemists. And then they find out that Jill has been kidnapped. And so most of The Ruby Circle on the hunt to find Jill. This was very reminiscent of Last Sacrifice and how the Vampire Academy series wrapped up as well. But searching for Jill is impossible while being confined to court. We do find out that human magic is involved with Jill’s kidnapper and so Sydney has to be present to be able to detect and combat the human magic whenever possible.

I had a small battle of annoyance with Adrian again in The Ruby Circle though nothing like the battle I had with him in Silver Shadows. Adrian just fights doing the things that will keep him out of trouble and keep everything happy-go-lucky. I was worried and annoyed when Nina came back on the scene, but thankfully her role isn’t anything to worry about.

As always Richelle Mead weaves all of the pieces of an elaborate puzzle together. I have only read through the Bloodlines series one time so I’m not sure how much foreshadowing I missed throughout the earlier books, but I know that she’s a master of this with the Vampire Academy series. So I do look forward to re-reading this series to see what all I missed in the moment since I didn’t have the overall storyline.

We see glimpses of all of the characters that I loved so much in Vampire Academy. Rose and Dimitri actually have a fairly large role to play in The Ruby Circle and there was one piece in particular that involved Dimitri and Adrian and an uncle that I loved. We even see Lissa, Christian (briefly), Sonya, and Mikhail. Adrian’s mom has a fairly prominent role and I loved how supportive her character has grown into being. I haven’t always liked her throughout all of the previous books, but she redeems herself, I think.

I will say that there was some conflicts that I felt like were wrapped up with very little effort—specifically Adrian’s spirit usage. And there were two moments in the book itself that I felt like were errors in general. For one, Marcus makes the comment that Sydney has more experience breaking and entering than Eddie. Okay granted he does clarify that with saying “to retrieve intel,” but are we forgetting about all of the endeavors that Rose dragged Eddie into during the Vampire Academy series? I mean he did break in and out of a prison with her for one. But then also, on page 230 there’s a flat out error made about who is holding Jill captive. I’m not trying to be snooty, but it’s the little things, right?

In the end, I was left wanting more as always, but in the good way. A new character was introduced in The Ruby Circle that Richelle Mead just HAS to elaborate upon. And thankfully she mentions in the Acknowledgements that we likely haven’t seen the last of these characters, and I think that’s got to be exactly what she has in mind! ANOTHER SPIN OFF SERIES!!!!! (I hope!) The big reveal was in typical Richelle Mead style. She didn’t quite wait until the very end for that information, but it was so big in the grand scheme of the Moroi/dhampir world that I just have to know the ramifications of this is in the future.

The Ruby Circle was pretty much everything I could have wanted from it. More of the characters I love. Twists. Plots. Surprises. Love and romance. Action. And a hint of new things waiting to be further explored. It would be an injustice to give this book less than 4 Stars, but even though I really enjoyed it and I want more, I can’t quite give it 4.5, so I’m settling with 4 Stars. Have you read The Ruby Circle? What did you think? Let me know!

I feel like I have been waiting for this book to come out forever, and really, it hasn’t been that long. But I WHIPPED through this thing and I’m so completely satisfied.

I love this story and I love that Richelle Mead was able to take the world that she built in the Vampire Academy series and continue it so well in this series. The relationship that she builds between Sydney and Adrian, especially after their marriage in Silver Shadows, is so real, and feels like it was just meant to happen all along. Who knows? Maybe it was haha. But I love the continuation of their relationship in this book. Now that they’ve got the chance to be honest about their relationship…they have the struggle of getting everyone else on board with it. But they also have the struggle of figuring it out themselves. What they are willing to do for each other, how they fight together, how they trust each other. Its a beautiful, real relationship and I enjoyed every single minute of it while reading this book. The love that Sydney and Adrian have for each other…its just beautiful.

But what I really love about this book is how it concluded the series. It was GREAT. I’ve had such wariness with authors lately on how they conclude series. They’ve been sloppy or rushed, all kinds of things. This ending was great. From the beginning, they’re on the hunt for Jill and the hunt for Jill takes a lot of time, effort, hard work and a lot of super fun fight scenes. What I love about this is that everyone has their piece in it. We get to see Sydney using her magic, Adrian using his spirit magic, the guardians fighting their way. I love every bit of it. In Vampire Academy, it was centered on the fighting of the dhampirs and a few Moroi but in this book, we get such a hodge podge of people working together: Moroi, dhampir, alchemist, human witches, the Warriors of Light, etc. Its amazing.

We also get to explore and discover more. We see a commune of dhampir women who have chosen a life different from a guardian. We have new revelations about dhampirs and Strigoi and spirit magic. We have a super fun revelation about Dimitri and Adrian that I won’t go into because SPOILERS. We get to meet new characters and revisit old characters and I just loved every single minute of it. It was action and romance and drama and it was a great ending. I loved seeing Adrian and Sydney’s story conclude and I loved seeing new things happen but I also loved seeing Rose and Dimitri together. ESPECIALLY after the epilogue!

But I’ll also say this…I love the things that Richelle did with this book. She concluded the story, left us with a satisfying ending, all the loose ends tied up. For the most part. She opened up some new ideas, left us hanging a little, left us wondering. I think that means we just might get some more VA stories soon and I’m ALWAYS okay with that.

Ruby circle is the last book in the bloodlines series and the one that's going to stay in mind the longest. Reading the book was an emotional roller coaster, with pleasant and not so pleasant feelings. The dedication For the #VAFamily made me so sad because I realized that the series and possibly the whole VA world would end with this book and I didn't want it to. Honestly a thrid spin-off would be a great idea. At least Adrian and Sydney were able to get their happy ending. At least one novel or novella about something from the epilogue should be given to us because everyone would love to read about that. Ruby circle must be the shortest book compared to the other 11. I want the pages that should have been included to the book.

At least Adrian and Sydney were able to get their happy ending. At least one novel or novella about something from the epilogue should be given to us because everyone would love to read about that. When Dimka said "He is my father, " I started hypervating and almost screamed. It was 3:00 AM and I just couldn't stop. I don't want to take the fun out of it so I am stopping here. I cried like a baby when I read what was planned for Neil and Olive in the future. Before you say anything about a spoiler I will only say one thing: Did you honestly believed that Richelle Mead would have left any of the substories go unfinished? And continuing about the Neil/Olive part of the story I think that things could have been better and less sad, but under another light it seems that was the only way Adrian could have made himself stop. Olive made a HYGE revelation that's going to change everything we knew in the VA world and gives me hopes for some other people *cough* *cough*.

The book was great, but I am still feeling the effects of the ending and the sadness for Neil and happy for everyone who got their happy ending. I feel like I should re-read all the VA and Bloodlines books. I realized how much all the characters have grown and seeing how they are now I don't think I could have imagined how far they could go. When we first met Andrian in Frostbite he was partying too much, drinking and smoking and he was after Rose and now he is happy with Sydney and some other people who I can't tell you about. Sydney did a 180. From being uptight and having an I can barely stand vampires attitude she became a wife to one and most of her friends are vampires.

I wanted to see how Dimaka and Rose reacted to the news Adrian delivered and how Lisa behaved if or when she found out who Dimka's father is. (Note: he isn't related to Lisa, if that's what you thought about.)

I can't stop thinking the epilogue and how I pictured it. It is a great image to have of the series and I still want to cry thinking about it. Ruby circle is a great end to a great series.

This was the final book in the Bloodlines series by Mead. It ties everything up very nicely and I enjoyed it. You definitely need to read previous books in this series to understand what is happening in this one.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobooks for this series have been very well done. They have a narrator for Sydney and a narrator for Adrian; both narrators do an amazing job.

Sydney and Adrian are still being forced to hide out in the Moroi court in order to avoid the wrath of the Alchemists. However they are both desperate to find Jill as well. When Sydney gets a mysterious note her and Adrian hatch a plan for her to leave court to check it out. Meanwhile at court Adrian is trying to help track down Olive, a dhampir who went missing, and is having to use Spirit to do so. As both mysteries are unraveled the results are very unexpected.

This book does an excellent job of tying up the majority of the loose ends in this series. There is another storyline involving Olive that wasn’t fully resolved, I am guessing this will be the subject of a future spin-off series.

I really enjoyed how Sydney and Adrian have both grown as characters throughout the series. Sydney is becoming more and more powerful in her human magic and has learned to accept help from others. Adrian still makes mistakes, but he is learning to better temper his Spirit use.

I always have a bit of trouble reviewing final books in a series. This one is pretty much what you would expect. Nothing crazy happens, I think in general the ending will please most of the readers of this series. I enjoyed some of the new magic we got to see and loved watching Adrian wield Spirit in new and unexpected ways.

Overall this was a great ending to this series. I think fans of the Bloodlines series will enjoy it. I would definitely recommend this whole series to those who enjoy young adult paranormal books with magic and romance.