Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead is the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy series. It is an excellent end to the series, and ties up a lot of loose ends. In it Rose must go on the run to avoid execution on false charges. Meanwhile Lissa must navigate the murky waters of Moroi politics.
What I liked
Culmination of foreshadowing. As the final chapter of the story unfolds, it’s clear Mead had everything well planned out from the beginning. Throwaway lines from earlier books take on major significance. We also get to meet characters who have only been mentioned in passing.
Lissa’s character development. By this book Rose’s character has already matured significantly, and in terms of character the spotlight is more on Lissa in this book as she navigates Moroi politics. She learns a good deal about herself and her future role in society. Of course it doesn’t quite mitigate my personal gripe of teenage characters being given real power despite their limited life experience.
The Alchemists. I loved what we learned about the Alchemists and I look forward to reading the spinoff series, Bloodlines.
What I didn’t like
The Rose/Lissa bond development. I really didn’t like how that was ended. I suspect Mead was trying to show that both characters have developed sufficiently to adjust to the change, but I don’t quite buy that. St Vladimir, a saint, was unable to manage; I really have concerns for Lissa’s future.
All in all, I gave Last Sacrifice five stars out of five.
Incidentally, the entire series is currently on special offer over at Amazon Kindle – they’re $3 each!
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