Review: BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead

[Note: I’m going to try to write this without giving too much away, but there are spoilers.  If you have not read the books and want to be surprised, just know that I am in love with this series and this book is no exception.  No need to read further.]

Shadow Kiss finds Rose on her own in the world for the first time.  She has gone to Russia in search of Dimitri in order to fulfill her promise to him.  She suspects he has gone to his homeland of Siberia, but requires the assistance of Sydney, a human Alchemist, to show her the way.  (Syndey is important, because she will be a major character in Richelle Mead’s new YA series beginning next year.)  Adrian continues to invade Rose’s dreams trying to find out where she is, but she refuses to tell. 

Once in Siberia, Rose meets Dimitri’s family and informs them of his fate.  They take her in and treat her like family.  Here she learns that life in the dhampir communes is not like she had always imagined it and she is almost tempted to stay with them.  However, there is a mobster-type Moroi following her around, Abe…also known as Zmey, the Serpent.  Abe keeps threatening Rose to leave the commune and go back to the States.  Rose relents, but mostly because she realizes Dimitri was not there. 

Rose heads off with a group of vigilante dhampirs to the city of Novosibirsk to continue her search.  There, she not only finds Dimitri, but is taken captive by him.  He gives her two choices…turn Strigoi willingly or die.

Overall, I give Blood Promise...

Plot – 5 bookmarks

Character Development – 5 bookmarks (Rose seems more adult. We also see evil Dimitri.)

Love Story – 5 bookmarks (I don’t care how evil he is, they just have to work things out!)

Fight Scenes – 5 bookmarks

Political Intrigue – 3 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Rose (Sophia Bush), Lissa (Blake Lively), Dimitri (Ben Barnes), Christian (Michael Steger), Jenna Boyd (Mia), Ed Westwick (Adrian), Tinsel Korey (Tasha), Josh Hutcherson (Eddie), Nick Verreos (Abe), Emily Browning (Sydney)