Vampire Academy: Frostbite starts off with a prologue that pretty much explains the three different classes of vampires in their world: Strigoi, Dhampir and Moroi, and gives us a low-down on what happened in book 1. While I am very appreciative, I think it would have been more appropriate to call it a recap than a prologue per se. 
 A massive Strigoi attack has put St. Vladimir's 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... 
 The summary's a lot longer than that, but I've shortened it because as you can see, clearly, a lot of things happen in this installment. Firstly, this novel is set in a lovely posh, up-scale Idaho ski resort and while it's great that we're out of St. Vladimir's, I really didn't see the point of moving the setting because personally, I think it's just to keep readers from being bored. 
 But yes, back to serious business. The novel does have a different feel to it, darker even, perhaps due to the numerous Strigoi attacks but I have no qualms about it because this installment has certainly taken the series up a notch. Rose is still at her brash, loud, unabashed self and when her mother makes a re-appearance in her life and it's not difficult to see why they don't get along. Personally, I think it's because they're too similar but we do get to see their relationship evolve from one full of dislike and dare I say, disdain to one of tenuous trust by the end of the novel. 
 While Rose is still best friends with Lissa, somehow, I felt less of a connection to the latter this time around. I felt that she was very much a secondary character in this novel and when we didn't get to see her much unless Rose was being sucked into Lissa's mind or when Rose was being her usual possessive self around Lissa. Lissa has a boyfriend now, so I suppose Rose is more justified in feeling jealousy than she was in the first book. 
 And what is a YA novel without boy woes? Rose is still in love with Dimitri but he has decided to keep his distance what with their roles as Lissa's guardians, their age difference and the fact that he's her trainer. Without revealing too much, readers will get to see a lighter side of Dimitri, but unfortunately, it isn't with Rose. I still ship Dimitri and Rose but it does seem to me that Rose does have some growing up to do, or at least some maturing, before I consider them equals in a relationship. 
 A new character is also introduced here, Adrian Ivashkov. While he doesn't do much (for me, at least) except try to be roguishly charming and annoying, I do sense that he'd be a major character for future installments, what with his "abilities". Also, I sense a love triangle in the making, though I really hope not, because that would be so cliche. 
 The ending obviously sets the possibility for book 3 and I'm more excited than ever because I heard "things happen to Dimitri"! *gasps*