The Golden Lily, by Richelle Mead

The second Bloodlines novel sees Alchemist Sydney Sage and the vampire gang she reluctantly works with still hiding out in Palm Springs while the Moroi world sorts out its political issues. Sydney discovers that Alchemist politics are not as straightforward as she had thought and that she has been kept in the dark about many aspects of her calling. Complicating matters is her foray into dating, a new experience for studious and responsible Sydney. And then there is the increasing pressure from her history teacher to enter the world of witchcraft. Mead’s books are a triple threat. They contain interesting, well rounded characters that you care about; gripping, complicated plots involving real risk and danger; and love stories that weave seamlessly into the plot without dominating it. The bones of the next novel are carefully and subtly laid out to lure the reader on as Sydney investigates her heritage and questions her place within the world.