Review: Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, Leigh Dragoon & Emma Vieceli

The Vampire Academy series was just so brilliant that they had to adapt the series in graphic novel format. While some graphic novels can be a bit of a disappointment, Vampire Academy has so much action and a strong visual element which works well within the frame of a graphic novel format. (I suspect this will work very well in the upcoming film adaption too.) Leigh Dragoon has adapted the story into graphic format, condensing it in places and Emma Vieceli's illustrations are brilliant. It was lovely to see her interpretation of what Rose, Lissa and Dimitri all looked like. She also does a great job of illustrating the tiresome Mia as a spoiled little brat (who comes complete with blonde ringlets). It was also great seeing Natalie as a Strigoi. 

Obviously, the plot is the same as that of the first book in the Vampire Academy series, with Rose and Lissa being brought back to boarding school after two years on the run. Lissa's talents as a spirit user are slowly exposed and Victor wants to exploit them for his own personal gain. And, of course, Rose and Dimitri meet for the first time. The charmed jewellery scene is perhaps a little too short and a little too tastefully in comparison to the book and I think they could have pushed the boundaries a little further and gotten away with it. 

Anyway, this book is a real treat for fans, but may not have quite so much to offer readers who are not already familiar with the story.



I read this book as part of the Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014. 1/12

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