POP QUIZ: Last Sacrifice
1. Why does Dimitri say he agreed to help Rose escape from Court and protect her while her friends stay behind to try to prove her innocence?
2. At which fast-food restaurant do Rose and Dimitri meet up with Sydney?
3. Who paid off Joe the janitor to help give Adrian his alibi the night of the queen’s murder?
4. What do “Keepers” call Moroi who’ve abandoned the old ways in favor of the modern world?
5. What is the name of the Keeper who asks Rose to marry him?
6. Who are the three Moroi who nominate Lissa as a candidate for queen?
7. How many “monarch tests” are there to help weed out the competition?
8. What relation are Emily Mastrano and Sonya Karp?
9. Complete Dimitri’s quote about Rose: “You’re beautiful. So beautiful, it ___ me.”
10. Who does Tasha grab as a hostage when she’s accused of the queen’s murder?
* For quiz answers, see p.299.
They watch as Lissa is crowned Queen Vasilisa Sabina Rhea Dragomir, first of her name, and it’s a glorious moment. While they no longer share the psychic bond, Rose tells Dimitri she knows exactly what Lissa would say to her right now.
“I think she’d ask, ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’”
“What’s the answer?” His warmth was all around me, as was his love, and again, I felt that completeness. I had that missing piece of my world back. The soul that complemented mine. My match. My equal. Not only that, I had my life back—my own life. I would protect Lissa, I would serve, but I was finally my own person.
“I don’t know,” I said, leaning against his chest. “But I think it’s going to be good.”
—page 594
PART TWO:
THE WORLD OF VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER TO WRITE AND WHY?
I loved writing Rose in this series. Of course, when you’re writing in first person POV, it’s easy to fall in love with your narrator. You almost have to, since you’re in that person’s head so much! But Rose is wonderfully complex, and that’s a joy for any writer. She has a wry, witty outlook on the world that makes a nice contrast for the darkness that so often pops up in the series. She’s not afraid to point out the ludicrous, and I had a lot of fun putting in her asides and observations. At the same time, behind this humor, Rose has a depth and vulnerability that I think really speak to a lot of people. She’s larger than life in many ways, but at her heart, she shares the same kind of love and yearning we all do. Those qualities are what readers really love about her and are the reason I enjoyed writing her so much.
I’m amazed how, in all of my series, there are always a few side characters that readers absolutely adore—to the extent that I start seeing fan clubs and T-shirts made up in honor of those characters! For the VA series, Abe definitely wins the prize in this category. I get a lot of comments from readers who are excited to hear about his next wardrobe choice, be it scarves or fedoras. The more outlandish, the better! He’s a great character because most of his lines are completely absurd, but at the same time, you never doubt for an instant that he’s pretty fierce when push comes to shove. One of my most memorable moments as a writer was being contacted by a reader from Saudi Arabia who was happy to see someone of Middle Eastern descent on the side of the good guys. This comment meant so much to me, especially because despite all his layers of intrigue and questionable motives, we never doubt that Abe has a heart of gold.
CHAPTER 7
Characters
MAIN CHARACTERS
ROSEMARIE“ROSE” HATHAWAY
DHAMPIR | Novice guardian | AGE: 17 | HEIGHT: 5’7”
HAIR: Very dark brown | EYES: Brown
FAMILY: Janine Hathaway, mother; Ibrahim “Abe” Mazur, father
NICKNAMES: Roza, little dhampir, ghost girl
She had no idea what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache—a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I’d learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something.
—Shadow Kiss, page 5
With the beauty of a semi-exotic desert princess and the butt-kicking ability of a fierce warrior, half-human/half-vampire Rose Hathaway has been raised to believe that “they come first.” They being the Moroi that dhampirs protect from evil Strigoi.
The one Moroi who Rose has always put first is her best friend, Lissa, with whom she shares a one-sided bond. The bond was formed when Lissa used spirit to bring Rose back to life after she died in the same car accident that killed Lissa’s parents and brother.
This act made Rose “shadow-kissed,” allowing her to sense Lissa’s thoughts and emotions and to see events through her eyes. Being shadow-kissed also gives Rose the ability to summon ghosts and sense the presence of Strigoi. In addition, it enables Rose to take some of Lissa’s spirit darkness into herself—something that has serious consequences.
Two years after running away from St. Vladimir’s in an attempt to keep Lissa safe, the girls are found and returned to the school. Even after missing two years of training, Rose is a natural when it comes to being a guardian, something that is clearly seen by Dimitri Belikov, a guardian and instructor at the school who is part of the initial Lissa-Rose rescue operation. He agrees to tutor Rose after she and Lissa are brought back to the Academy.
The sarcastic, quick-witted, and extremely stubborn Rose falls hard for Dimitri. Even though Dimitri’s her older mentor and a relationship between the two is prohibited, they’re drawn to each other, and it’s not long before they begin a roller coaster of a forbidden romance. When a future with Dimitri seems impossible, Rose is also briefly romantically involved with Mason, a friend who is murdered by Strigoi, and later Adrian, a Moroi royal.
Rose has a strained relationship with her mother, Janine, a famed guardian who Rose feels abandoned her in favor of pursuing her own career goals. Over time, Rose and Janine slowly become closer and more understanding of each other. At eighteen, Rose finally meets her father, Abe Mazur, a Turkish Moroi who, despite not being royal, is powerful, influential, extremely dangerous, and fiercely protective of his equally dangerous daughter.
When Dimitri is turned into a Strigoi, Rose travels to Russia to find and kill him, just as she had promised. Ultimately, however, she fails, having missed his heart at the time of staking him. This turns out to be a good thing when she discovers that it’s possible to restore Strigoi to their former life. Rose breaks laws and hearts in her single-minded quest to bring Dimitri back to her. She finally succeeds in restoring him to a dhampir with Lissa’s spirit-infused help.
Rose puts “they come first” to the ultimate test when she saves Lissa’s life as Tasha Ozera, just accused of the murder of Queen Tatiana, turns her gun on the Dragomir princess. Rose throws herself in front of her friend and ends up getting shot instead. Because she uses her own healing abilities this time, rather than the magic of her friend, Rose permanently loses her psychic bond with Lissa—bittersweet since the girls are happy with their newfound privacy from each other but sad to lose the closeness of their unusual and often helpful connection.
While her questionable and risky—but well-intentioned—decisions have left a great deal of damage in her wake, Rose gets what she most wanted in the end—the chance to be Lissa’s official guardian and the love and devotion of Dimitri.
VASILISA “LISSA” SABINA RHEA DRAGOMIR
MOROI ROYAL | ELEMENT: Spirit | AGE: 17
HAIR: Pale blond | EYES: Jade green
FAMILY: Rhea Daniels, mother; Eric Dragomir, father; Andre, brother; Frederick, grandfather (all deceased); Jill, half-sister
Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire.
—Vampire Academy, page 3
A Moroi royal, Lis
sa is the last of the Dragomir line. A car accident tragically took the lives of her parents and brother, and she relies on her best friend, novice guardian Rose, to keep her safe in a dangerous world. Lissa comes to realize that she wields “spirit,”a mysterious fifth element that allows her to heal injuries and use very strong compulsion.
When Lissa uses too much spirit, she’s taken over by darkness, which manifests itself in anger and insanity. Fortunately, Rose is there to help her through this by taking away some of that darkness through their bond. Christian, a school outcast whom Lissa finds herself romantically drawn to, also lends his support. Adrian, another spirit user, helps Lissa get a handle on her ability and keep it from overwhelming her.
Lissa is naturally kind and generous and has a warm heart. If Rose is the risk taker, Lissa tries to stay cautious—to a point. She discovers that she holds the key to restoring a Strigoi to life—all it takes is a spirit-charmed silver stake wielded by a spirit user. She learns how to fight and use a stake, so she can help restore Dimitri to his former self, something viewed by others as a saint-like miracle.
When trying to buy time to find Queen Tatiana’s real killer, Lissa surprisingly finds herself a candidate to become the next queen. As the last Dragomir, she doesn’t fulfill the requirements of having a family and being eligible for votes, but when her half-sister, Jill, is discovered, Lissa is officially in the running and ultimately elected as the new Moroi queen.
DIMITRI BELIKOV
DHAMPIR | Guardian | AGE: 24 | HEIGHT: 6’7”
HAIR: Brown, shoulder length | EYES: Dark brown
NICKNAMES: Dimka, Comrade
FAMILY: Olena, mother; Karolina, Sonja and Viktoria, sisters;
Paul, nephew; Zoya, niece; Yeva, grandmother
And then, suddenly, he was there, charging down the hallway like Death in a cowboy duster.
—Vampire Academy, page 322
Well known among guardians and novices alike as a badass “god,” tall, dark, and gorgeous Russian-born Dimitri prefers to keep to himself, read western novels, and listen to bad eighties music. Some might call him “antisocial,” but it’s more that he’s fiercely private, highly dedicated to his job, and doesn’t easily trust others. Raised in a dhampir commune in Baia, Siberia, Dimitri beat up his abusive Moroi father at age thirteen in order to protect his mother.
He graduated top of his class and became a guardian for his friend, a Moroi lord, who was killed when Dimitri wasn’t on watch. Dimitri was then sent to St. Vladimir’s and became part of the team to find runaways Rose and Lissa and bring them back to the school. He sees potential in Rose and starts to give her extra training sessions to help her catch up on what she’s missed. She’s seven years younger than he is and still underage, so he fights hard against the attraction he feels for her—but it’s a losing battle.
Shortly after Rose and Dimitri finally admit and consummate their love, there’s a Strigoi attack, and Dimitri is bitten and turned into an evil Strigoi. Dimitri heads to Russia to put some distance between him and Rose, but when she tracks him down, he kidnaps and imprisons her. She’s there to fulfill a promise they made to kill each other if they were turned Strigoi, but since being “awakened,” Dimitri has had a change of heart. Now he wants to turn Rose into a Strigoi too, so they can be together forever. She manages to escape after unsuccessfully staking him, but, now obsessed with Rose, Dimitri begins to stalk her.
Dimitri is restored to his former dhampir self when Lissa stakes him with a spirit-charmed silver stake, but he is racked by guilt over what he did as a Strigoi. It’s only thanks to Rose’s stubbornness and love that he pulls through and is able to look toward a bright future together with his Roza.
CHRISTIAN OZERA
MOROI ROYAL | ELEMENT: Fire | Age: 17
HAIR: Black and messy | EYES: Ice blue
FAMILY: Lucas, father; Moira, mother (both deceased); Tasha, aunt
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t bite. Well, at least not in the way you’re afraid of.” He chuckled at his own joke.
—Vampire Academy, page 58
Christian is forced to live in the shadow cast by his parents’ decision to become Strigoi, something that makes him a major social outcast at St. Vladimir’s. Most people are wary he’ll make the same choice one day. And while they’re actually quite wrong about him, he’s not exactly going to be all warm and fuzzy if they’re not willing to do the same. Now he likes to wear all black and views the world around him with a wry and snarky outlook.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PASSIONATE RESPONSE OF FANS TO THE LOVE TRIANGLE? WHAT DO YOU THINK DIFFERENTIATES TEAM DIMITRI FROM TEAM ADRIAN?
It was a surprise to me how early and how passionately readers began to divide themselves up between Dimitri and Adrian! Even before Adrian was a serious contender for Rose’s heart in the series, he already had a faithful following. It’s really hard to say for sure what makes readers pick one guy over the other. Dimitri (aside from when he’s passing time as an evil vampire) shines as the choice for those who love strong, dependable men. You know he’s always going to be around for Rose, and he dominates any situation he walks into. Even when he’s a Strigoi, he’s still a badass! On the other hand, I think the Adrian fans love his flippant, easy-going nature. Adrian knows how to turn on the romance and charm, and we occasionally get glimpses that maybe—just maybe—he’s not the slacker party boy he so often portrays. Every once in a while, I’ll see someone come to a signing with a “Team Mason” shirt. They’re so sweet, but I always feel a little sad because that’s one romantic choice I can say with certainty is out of the running!
When Lissa finds Christian’s private hideaway in the chapel attic, he tentatively agrees to share it, sparking an attraction between the two that quickly turns to love.
Christian believes Moroi should learn to use their powers defensively against Strigoi. He stands by these words when he uses his fire magic to help his friends escape from the Strigoi in Spokane and later fights side by side with Rose during the attack at the school.
While strong defensively, he constantly questions Lissa’s commitment to him and his worthiness as the princess’s boyfriend. He is quick to jealousy and self-doubt but is a true hero at heart.
ADRIAN IVASHKOV
MOROI ROYAL | ELEMENT: Spirit | AGE: 21 | HAIR: Sable brown, stylishly messy | EYES: Dark emerald green
VICES: Smoking and drinking
FAMILY: Nathan, father; Daniella, mother; Tatiana, great-aunt
“Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It’s a wonder I can spot reality anymore.” The weird sound of his voice made me nervous. I could recognize one of his slightly crazy, spirit-induced lapses. Then he turned from me with a sigh. “I need a drink.”
—Spirit Bound, page 157
Adrian has a reputation. He’s rich, charming, and good-looking—with a bad-boy streak. It’s a lethal combination. That he has a good heart underneath it all is definitely his saving grace.
He drinks and smokes a lot and is usually in some state of inebriation. This self-medication is his primary method of dealing with the dangerous side effects of spirit, the element he wields. Adrian and Lissa work together to learn the secrets of the powerful magic they share. But because of his use of spirit, Adrian has moments of madness, sometimes babbling incoherently before he gets himself together. On the surface, he’s fine and breezy. Inside, he’s desperately afraid he’s going insane.
While he has no problem with girls wanting him, he decides that he wants Rose—and not just for a fling, for real. He pursues her, even in her dreams, and finally convinces her to give him a chance, though not until after Dimitri turns Strigoi. But Rose and Adrian’s romance is to be short-lived. Try as she might, Rose can never fully return his affections—her heart belongs to Dimitri. And Adrian’s left angry and hurt when she cheats on him with Dimitri after her true love is restored to life as a dhampir.
Still, despite her
betrayal, Rose assures Adrian that he has the potential to be a true hero someday. He’s not quite as convinced.
MASON ASHFORD
DHAMPIR | Novice guardian | AGE: 17 | HAIR: Red | EYES: Blue
To my annoyance, he laughed. “How do you not know where the heart is? Especially considering how many of them you’ve broken.”
—Frostbite, page 46
Rose’s good friend Mason harbors a not-so-secret crush on the beautiful dhampir. While she thinks he’s cute and one of the funniest guys she knows, she doesn’t exactly reciprocate his romantic interest. However, she decides to give him a chance during the school’s trip to the ski lodge. He’d definitely be good boyfriend material, and she’s still stinging from the thought that Dimitri might be leaving the school (and her) to be with Tasha.
It becomes clear fairly soon that since her heart is elsewhere, it would be better if they were just friends. But before Rose can break things off with him, she realizes that the reckless, risk-seeking Mason has taken off to hunt Strigoi with Eddie and Mia.
Rose goes after them, concerned for her friends, but shortly after she finds them, the group is kidnapped by Strigoi. She and Mason work together to escape, but when Mason returns to save her from the clutches of a Strigoi, it grabs him and breaks his neck, killing him instantly.