Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

This one started off really a little bit slow for me. I don’t know if it was my mood or the book or what it was but the first few chapters were a little ho hum to me. However it did pick up and I enjoyed it when it did. Rose is of course having all sorts of teen angst problems between her want for hunky Russian mentor Dimitri and then to make matters worse for her Mom shows up.

Along with everything else royal clans are being slaughtered. Not a good thing at all. I won’t give spoilers but let us just say things end with a very big bang kind of moment and Rose comes into her own. Not bad not bad at all.

My Gemstone Rating: