Time for our third post as part of the Love Triangles 101 feature! In case you missed them here's the one we did about the Shatter Me. And here's one filled with random discussions (I mean, not that random- they were still to do with Love Triangles haha). Anyway, today we are discussing the awesome Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead!
Warning: this is going to be spoiler filled. If you haven't read the entire Vampire Academy series yet close the page. Now. No kidding. (There is a spoiler tag though. So you don't have to be too quick about it.)
Note: the discussion reads like a conversation because it's the (very) loosely edited transcript of an actual conversation between us.
Some background: Chantelle is firmly Team Dimitri, but Nara actually prefers Adrian as a character.
Click me to read spoilers
Again, if you haven't read Vampire Academy, please go do so. And here's the discussion we had about the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi in case you missed it.
C: It was THE WORST cliffhanger. In history.
N: Dat ending line. "Off to kill the man I loved" or something. That was like *throws book*
C: That was epic. But it made me epically angry.
N: Oh yeah, I was thinking about this, and there's actually more than one love triangle in Vampire Academy. Like Mason in the second one and Tasha in the third one (ish). Not so sure about Tasha, but I think that Mason was definitely brought in as a sort of plot device. To show that Rose is maturing. You know how she tells him "I can't be with you" towards the end of Frostbite, so she's finally deciding that "MY LOVE FOR DIMITRI IS GREATER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE" or whatever.
C: In that way, that's why I actually like the love triangles in Vampire Academy. Because they're so one sided, and they're basically just used to promote the plot- as little distractions while Dimitri is still the main love interest. I think it works well that way. I mean, if her aura had lighted up for both Dimitri and Adrian, I think I would have thrown the book in a fire.
N: You can tell that she's not right with Adrian. In Spirit Bound, Adrian says something like "you're my strength" to Rose, and then she's all, "well you should have your own strength. I shouldn't have to provide everything in the relationship". I was like, yeah, that is a valid point.
C: So despite this love triangle being so one sided, why do you like Adrian so much?
N: I don't know...because he's the underdog? Seriously, I don't know. I felt really sorry for him in the 6th one. Because he's always so flippant, and you know how he gets so angry at the end, it's like THE POOR GUY.
C: What about as a guy in general? I mean, he has so many vices. You can tell he's not built up to be as good a love interest as Dimitri, who is perfect in every way!
N: But he's still a good person! You can tell he's a good person.
C: Is he?
N: YES. Read (or reread) the 5th and 6th ones. Also, Dimitri acknowledges him. So obviously he's good of character.
C: I guess he only has the vices because of the spirit thing.
N: Well, it's not his fault entirely, but it kinda is his fault, because Sonya and Lissa don't rely on the alcohol. BUT ADRIAN IN BLOODLINES IS AMAZING. So read that series. And it's one of my Panacea Candidates as well. Okay, so why do you like Dimitri?
C: Because he's the perfect guy. I mean I don't know if I want to visualise him, I mean floor length dusters, long hair pulled back in a ponytail...that not so much, but the badass fighter, great body, nice, considerate. He has the perfect personality to offset Rose's.
N: They are a good match. Mead built them up well so that they match each other perfectly.
C: And I think that's why the love triangle not being an equal love triangle works in this case. Because if you know a particular couple is perfect, the longer you fight it, the more annoying it gets.