REVIEW: Vampire Academy Will Be Your Next TV Addiction
Tomorrow, September 15, Peacock will premiere its new series, Vampire Academy. Based on the best-selling book series by Richelle Mead, the series follows Dhampir (vampire/human hybrid), Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway (Sisi Stringer), and Moroi (Vampire royalty) Princess Vasilissa “Lissa’ Dragomir (Daniela Nieves) as they navigate their lives at their prestigious boarding school, St Vladimir’s Academy. From forbidden romances to the evil, soulless vampires known as the Strigoi , Rose and Lissa must keep their eyes on their goals if they hope to protect themselves and each other.
As someone who was a huge fan of the book series, Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, have exceeded my expectations with this series. The two managed to take minor characters (think Mason and Mia) and make them major, and take small storylines and make them big. Each episode is filled with amazing costumes, beautiful settings, and a different take on the Vampire genre. Fans of the book may be initially thrown by the layout of the episodes and how they compare to the first story in the Vampire Academy series, but don’t be alarmed. You are going to love every moment of where the ladies take this series.
Stringer and Nieves play are leading ladies and are great as Rose and Lissa, but Nieves is the standout. She has a presence about her that makes you believe she is in every way a royal princess. My only issue with Rose is she isn’t as strong as I would hoping she would be. In the books, she is constantly speaking her mind and making a name for herself at the Academy. In the show, she is a little more reserved and quiet. This may be something that Plec and MacIntrye plan to really develop as the series progresses, but for now it is Nieves that leaves the lasting impact. However, when it comes to the relationship between the two leads, the pair work quite well alongside one another and create the necessary chemistry needed to bring these two characters to life.
Stringer and Nieves are joined in the series by Kieron Moore (Dimitri) and André Dae Kim (Christian Ozera), who are just as great alongside the two ladies. However, it is Kim and Nieves chemistry that will leave you wanting more, With Rose and Dimitri’s relationship being my favorite in the books, I was expecting to love their relationship just as much when watching the series. But color me surprised because But Kim and Nieves’ chemistry cannot be ignored. It literally oozes off the screen.
If you are fans of the books, you are definitely going to want to check this series out. If you were a fan of Plec’s previous Vampire series, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or Legacies, you are going to want to check this out. If you are just looking for a new show to become addicted to, this is it! Basically, no matter what you are looking for, you are going to want to check this out. The series is extremely addicting and each episode will leave you wanting more.