Por Júlia Abrahão
“The greatest changes in history have come when people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”
― Richelle Mead, Bloodlines
Sydney Sage is the main character of the Vampire Academy spin-off Bloodlines, written by Richelle Mead, published by Razorbill in 2011. Sydney is an alchemist, a group of humans responsible for assisting vampires in remaining hidden from human society. The books follow Sydney as she is sent on a diplomatic mission to keep the vampire princess safe, having to live with their kind and her respective love interest, vampire Adrian Ivashkov. The thing that makes the books so incredibly interesting is that they’re told from the perspective of a prejudiced mind, someone that would usually be seen as radical and irrational in modern society.
Prejudice and intolerance can be born from a series of different factors, one of the most frequent being upbringing. Sydney was raised in an alchemist’s home, learning about vampires from a very specific point of view without even getting the chance to experience any sort of interaction with the race herself. She is taught you should respect your elders, look both ways when crossing the street and vampires are evil. It becomes an instinctual reaction to an old childhood boogieman to be scared of vampires. Sydney is led to believe that humans are a superior and more intelligent race, however is forced to be submissive and comply. Sydney’s experience translates perfectly into the pages of real life, where many are raised in communities like the alchemists, suffocated by the negativity and forcefulness of those beliefs, complying in fear of being segregated.
“You’re one to talk, Sage.” He pointed an accusing finger. “At least I take action. You? You let the world go by without you. You stand there while that asshole Keith treats you like crap and just smile and nod. You have no spine. You don’t fight back. Even old Abe seems to push you around. Was Rose right that he’s got something on you? Or is he just someone else you won’t fight back against?”
― Richelle Mead, Bloodlines
The dynamic established between the characters is very distinguished in its capacity to exhibit different points of view while remaining in the same narrator. Some vampire characters demonstrate sympathy and understanding for Sydney, despite her apparent disgust towards them, respecting her space and assuring her they’re not violent. Other characters show no such sympathy, choosing to treat her as they are treated. The same goes for human characters, while her sister Zoe remains loyal to the alchemist identity even after working alongside the ‘evil creatures of the night, Sydney and Trey, vampire hunter side character, let their views shift as they break down the out-group homogeneity bias perception of stereotyping any group outside their own.
“I was no better at reading people than I had been ten seconds ago, but in that moment, I suddenly gained a flash of understanding into the mystery that was Adrian Ivashkov. People didn’t believe in him very often. They had low expectations of him, so he did as well. Even Eddie had sort of written him off: ‘He’s Adrian’. As though there was nothing to be done for it.
I also suddenly realized that, as unlikely as it seemed, Adrian and I had a lot in common. Both of us were constantly boxed in by others’ expectations. It didn’t matter that people expected everything of me and nothing of him. We were still the same, both of us constantly trying to break out of the lines that others had defined for us and be our own person. Adrian Ivashkov — flippant, vampire party boy — was more like me than anyone else knew.”
― Richelle Mead, Bloodlines
The series is interesting, fun and well written with easily lovable characters, however, it’s the deeper meanings the books contain that make them such a delight to read. In addition to the incredibly insightful perspective of a prejudiced mind changing its morals, the books are a class in compassion, individuality, and not judging before knowing. Sydney does not get excused for her action because of her trauma and neither do the vampires for their bad batch either. But that’s the point, there are no excuses, only intellectual growth, and stereotype deconstruction.
As always, I leave readers with my own fanart of the book and my favorite quote from the series.
“I thought Alchemists avoided alcohol the same way they do primary colors.”
― Richelle Mead, Bloodlines
