Unlike the novels which place Rose Hathaway at the center of the story as its first-person narrator, Vampire Academy splits the focus, giving Rose Hathaway ( Sisi Stringer) and Lissa Dragomir ( Daniela Nieves) an equal chance to shine as leads as their stories converge and run parallel with each other. RELATED: 'Vampire Academy' Images Tease Rose/Dimitri and St. It’s a fresh, tantalizing take on vampires and those who protect their secrets. It may be a book adaptation, but it isn’t part of an existing on-screen IP, or a true remake of something that came before it.

Particularly because it is so fresh and new. Regardless of potential comparisons, Vampire Academy is easily in the running as one of the best new shows of the year.

With the swirl of court rivalry and the pulse of regality, there are elements of Vampire Academy that inspire far-off memories of Kindred: The Embraced, while the romantic tension, interpersonal drama, and the bonds of friendship and responsibility could easily rival fan-favorites like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It takes aspects from the books that I loved and pushes those plot points to the next level, creating something that new audiences can really sink their teeth into.

I will always hold the novel series close to my heart, but eight episodes into Peacock’s new series, and I’m ready to proclaim it as one of the best book-to-series adaptations that I’ve ever seen. The Vampire Academy trades a rural Montana school complex for a stunning castle in an isolated region of Europe, and trades daylight trips to the Macy’s and Target in Missoula for the ostentatious wardrobe befitting of a secret society of vampiric nobility.

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