Silver Shadows

Bloodlines #5

by Richelle Mead

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2014

About the author

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Reviews

[ily · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

"Ivashkov," she repeated, her face the picture of serenity. "My name is Sydney Ivashkov."

This book was everything. It made me laugh, jump of happiness, but mostly cry. A lot. It was really hard to read those ten first chapters where Adrian was lost and hopeless -- it was emotionally painful. I never expected it to hurt so...badly. I started this book thinking Adrian would act like Nemo's dad, doing whatever it takes to get his son back, to save him. But no -- it did not happen like that. I was stunned to read that Adrian had given up. He had abandoned Sydney, and was now drowning in alcohol. I was so, so mad and burning with anger, the I'm-gonna-kill-everyone sort of anger. Instead of finding Sydney, Adrian decided to go back to his old life as a party boy. That made me hate him, even though I love that character so much. But I couldn't help it. I never thought I'd hate Adrian Ivashkov, but I did.


Sydney was the opposite. I admire her courage All I can say is that she's one the best characters I've read about. Anyone in her situation would have given up, but not her. She was incredible and admirably strong. She never stopped fighting for her freedom. I wasn't much of a fan of her in the first two books, but she started to grow of me in the past book, and now I absolutely adore her. The evolution of her character was fantastic. I can proudly say she's one of my favorites characters. She doubtlessly believed Adrian was going to save her. She never assumed he had given up on her. That's what I liked most about her in this book. I love Sydney, I really do. She's smart, brave and thinks things through -- not like Rose.


I had uncountable heart-attacks for Sydney & Adrian, and I could barely breathe. So many emotions involved. I find really cruel what Richelle has done to them. When I thought she'd finally had enough and would now let Sydney and Adrian stay together, some Alchemists showed up. I seriously thought they wouldn't make it. But even Richelle is not that mean (fortunately). I felt real pain, but I also loved every single minute of it.


I gotta admit I never liked Lissa. I could barely stand her in the Vampire Academy series, actually. She made Rose choose between her and Dimitri, and I hated her after that. Although she quite surprised me in this book. I understand the fact she's the Moroi queen now. I get that she's got a bunch of responsabilitites and things to keep herself focused on. But I cannot concived that she refuses to help her friends. She did it at the end, she kept the just-married couple under her protection. But she could have found Sydney so easily if only she hadn't been so...mean. She could have sent some dhampirs to spy on the Alchemists, but she firmly said no. And that pissed me off, big time. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if she loses her throne.


That ending was awesome!! The give-me-the-next-book sort of ending. I can only assume Jill was taken by the Alchimist. I can't believe this series is coming to an end, I don't want to acknowledge that. These characters have given me so many great moments of joy and happines and pure sadness. It'll be hard to say goodbye.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yup yup yup I loved this one. So much happened in less than 400 pages and I honestly couldn't put it down. I read it in a day despite having other commitments because Richelle Mead's books are so addictive! Immediately diving into The Ruby Circle because I MUST know how this series ends.

[Mikaela]

Okay. I'm going to play a game with this book. I'm going to write a list of things I want to happen in the plot, and I get one point for everything that happens. Feel free to put additions to the list in the comments. It should be noted that while writing this list I've only read the first two books... The others aren't released yet.

Game List: One point for everything that happens in This Book

1. If Dimitri is mentioned, or appears. Okay the list could end now. Just this whole book being on Dimitri and I would totally be okay with that.

2. The title of this book will include the name of a colour
1 POINT (Heck Yeah! The game has begun)

3. Rose shall come back. Causing some serious Adrian/Sydney relationship drama (actually that's not a bad prediction)

4. A wedding. Or a baby. Preferable from Lissa/Christian or Dimitri/Rose but hey, I'm not fussy.

5. Someone slaps Adrian. Two points if he gets slapped twice.

6. Someone gets a tattoo. (My bet is on Angeliene)

7. Someone stakes a Strigoi

8. Sydney gives into her witchy tendencies and does a spell that saves Adrians life.

9. Adrian and Sydney kiss again. (50 points if they sleep together because I totally support that)

10. Adrian kisses someone other than Sydney (two points if it's because he's angry that Sydney rejected him)

11. A male character is shirtless.

12. Someone goes swimming.

13. One point every time someone- even a Strigoi or bad guy- dies. (Two points if it makes Sydney re-evaluate her perspectives)

14. Sydney gets re-educated and starts off the novel being cold and distant which annoys everyone

15. There are tears. (Two points if its a male character)

16. Adrian rejects Sydney's advances because he thinks he's "not good enough"

17. Adrian eats anything. Two points if it's a piece of fruit. I don't know why. I just have a craving for pineapple right now.

18. 20 points if Adrian gets through the novel without drinking Alcohol

19. Another 20 points if he makes it through the novel without Cigarettes

20. An engagement or proposal between two characters

21. Someone undergoes a major transformation (E.g. loss of magic, somehow turns from vampire to human)

22. If Jill and Eddie Kiss

[~Calliope~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I know what love is, Mom. I’ve had love that burns in every fiber of my being, that drives me to be a better person and empowers me through each moment of the day. If you’d ever had something like that, you’d hold on to it with every bit of strength you had.”

“Not what you expected, huh?” she asked in a sad voice.
I wrapped a towel around her and drew her close to me. “I expected to see the most beautiful woman in the world, to feel my heart skip a beat in her presence, and to want to carry her off to bed for a night neither of us will forget. So to answer your question, I got exactly what I expected.”
A smile split her face, and she leaned into me. “Oh, Adrian.”

[Rimsa Ivashkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHOAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST FINISHED!!!!!!!! Review coming soon











AFTER THAT KILLER ENDING.....





SOMEONE GIVE ME THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








RELEASE DATE IS TOO FAR :'(










I CANT TAKE THIS........................................................

[MischaS_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I would find some to hate as much as I hate Dolores Umbridge. But Sheridan came close. Hope they're going to share the same corner in the Hell!

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just got my copy!!! I want to just read the whole thing in one big sweep but I must savor this for as long as possible. Review will be after!

___________________________________________________

And now we have the cover?!



*fangirl moment*

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post SilverShadows
I'm speechless it was everything I wanted and more❤️❤️❤️❤️ but again that ending killed me but #sydrian forever ;)



If you haven't finished reading the fiery heart don't read this.....


Does anyone else think it could be possible that the alchemists kick Adrian out of his apartment? because technically Sydney got permission from the boss for him to have it

That's the question that randomly entered my mind tonight


What I want from this book:

Abe using some c4 to help get Sydney back

Some magic happening

Sydney's coven helping Adrian find Sydney

Sydney fights (with help....) and wins against the alchemists

She confronts Zoe and slaps her or something (because I want too)

Someone please tell off papa sage

Adrian's escape plans become real and they runaway and be happy forever

Finally get to meet Carly

Mama sage gets full custody of Zoe and ends papa sage's brainwashing

Some more sydrian sexy time ;)

Please Richelle please I'm begging please don't let Sydney be brainwashed I need a happy ending because my heart can't take another ending like the fiery heart


#sydrian forever... They are the cutest couple ever and the world needs sydrian babies because those will be the cutest babies ever

Centrum Permanebit !!!!!!!!!!

[Ferdy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers

There were so many things I hated about Silver Shadows, the main thing being Sydney and Adrian. I wasn't all that much of a fan of Sydney in the first Bloodlines book but she grew on me and I began to like her almost as much as Rose but not anymore. I can't stand Mary Sue's and in this one she showed that she was a Mary Sue of the highest order. Adrian I've never really liked but I was able to tolerate him in the last couple of books… Well, not anymore. He proved to be a whiny, self-centered, disloyal prat who didn't love Sydney as much as he claimed. He just loves playing the eternal victim and woe is me card too much for me to actually like him. The story itself was dull, nothing much happened for the most part, Sydney's re-education/torture was boring and Adrian's arc mainly consisted of him having a pity party and whining.

Random, repetitive, ranty thoughts:

-Sydney's time at the re-education centre didn't grip me at all, probably because the Alchemists just weren't that interesting… Sheridan was cliched, Sydney's reaction to her torture was cliched, the whole Sydney trying to plot against the Alchemists was cliched. Nothing surprising or exciting happened whilst she was stuck there. Even the new characters didn't do anything for me.

-Most funniest quote (an imprisoned Sydney about Adrian):

I knew there was no way he would give up on me. He had to be searching. If he hadn’t come to my dreams that night, there was a good reason.

AHAHAHAHAHA! Sweet naive Sydney… Of course, Adrian gave up on you. Oh, and the reason he wasn't searching for you was because he was too busy partying with another girl and getting all up close and cozy with her. He couldn't have given a fuck about you!! You fool.

-I had to laugh at Sydney's conviction that Adrian would always be strong for her and never give on her, only for Adrian to actually give up on her because he was uncaring, lazy and weak. The poor, deluded cow thought he cared about her enough to actually fight for her.
Adrian giving up just said it all, his feelings for Sydney were nowhere near strong enough for him to actually try and find a way to help her escape her imprisonment with the Alchemists. Whereas her feelings for him were more than enough. It just made their relationship seem even more one sided than usual.
I didn't get Sydney's blind faith in Adrian. Why was she so convinced of his feelings for her? What had he ever done to really prove himself to her? Hardly anything.
Adrian gave up on the 'love of his life' after a couple of months. How can I possibly believe he loves Sydney let alone is her true love when he gave up on her so quickly??

-Adrian choosing to party, get drunk and hang out with another girl instead of trying to help Sydney showed how much of a weak loser boyfriend he was. He barely even tried to help her, all he did was occasionally stop being drunk enough to try and contact her through dreams, asked Marcus for help, and he talked to Lissa the once — why didn't he keep badgering Lissa? Or even Rose and Dimitri? Why didn't he go with Marcus to search the sites where Sydney might have been kept? Why didn't he get help from the witches? He did the bare minimum to find Sydney, he practically did NOTHING. He was more concerned about his own welfare and stress levels than he was about Sydney's well being. It was all about HIM and how much HE could handle, never mind the trauma he knew Sydney was going through. He made excuse after excuse to not get off his lazy arse and actual do something that would benefit her. He had time to drink, socialise, flirt with tons of girls, lead on Nina, cheat on Sydney with Nina, and feel sorry for himself yet for the most part he couldn't even spare an hour or two here and there to actively help in the search for Sydney. He was worse than pathetic.

-It was infuriating having to read Adrian's POV, he was such a whiner, his character regressed in so many ways. Every other sentence in his chapters was about HIS pain and how HE was suffering, he was all me, me, me… The prat should have concentrated more on Sydney's pain and not his own.

-Sydney was the biggest Mary Sue ever, after spending months being physically and mentally tortured she more or less recovered immediately. She wasn't even all that angry at the people that tortured her, she didn't even want to lash out at them or get revenge, not even for a few seconds… The trouble she did cause them was just out of self defense, there was no personal motivation to hurt them. Anyone would want to lash out at the people who tortured them for months with at least a punch or two, they wouldn't just rise above it all and walk away without lashing out even a little bit. That's why I couldn't take Sydney seriously, her reactions were just too unrealistic for me — she brushed off her torture, she barely showed any anger or hatred towards her torturers, she was just fine and dandy after everything she'd been through. Well, she had one nightmare and a sad reflection or two but then she was over it. I didn't need her to moan and cry, but some real emotion would have been nice. The least I expected was to see her struggling to cope/panicking/not being herself/not being confident about what to do… Instead she bounced back straight away and was able to jump right back into her relationship with Adrian, come up with ways to outsmart the Alchemists, and just be her normal self. Being through something so traumatic should have left her with some deep scars, ones which she couldn't so easily compartmentalise.
Why do authors even bother writing their protagonists getting tortured and suffering huge traumas when they can't follow up properly? Sydney more or less saying those months of torture were in her past and concentrating on Adrian and their love was just utterly pathetic and unrealistic… I could believe her doing that after some time but not the same bloody day as when her torture stopped. I haven't known anyone who has gone through something traumatic and painful who have gotten over it just like that… People might try to pretend but it never works so yea, Sydney's Mary Sue reaction was just bollocks.

-Also, I couldn't believe how she was such a martyr and oh so selfless even after everything she'd been through. Instead of getting to safety away from the psychos who'd hurt her she was all 'ooh, I can't get to safety if I'm endangering others' - WTF?! Really? Where was her selfishness? Where was her fear? Those would have been perfectly normal feelings for someone who'd been tortured for months but no Little Miss Perfect couldn't possibly seek safety and stability, she had to be all heroic and martyr-like. No-one in reality would be that bloody selfless, I don't believe that for a second. Ugh.

-Adrian seemed to spend more time banging on about Nina being beautiful and having oh so lovely eyes than worrying about the so called loved of his life being tortured. Really? It felt like such a betrayal whenever he mentioned Nina's looks and eyes, especially when he used to mention how amazing Sydney's eyes were. He was so easily able to find a replacement for Sydney - sure, he might not have fallen in love with Nina but there definitely was a lot between them.

-I have no doubt that if Sydney hadn't have been found, Adrian would have easily moved on and found some other poor girl to love. He couldn't even stay faithful to Sydney for a few months, if she'd been gone longer than 6 months he would have been shagging around and declaring his undying love for some other sucker.

-Adrian also spending LOADS of money on Nina was another piss take. For months he took money off Sydney and expected her to pay for all sorts when she wasn't even rich, he never once treated her or spent money on the woman he was meant to be deeply in love with yet he could do that for Nina. Ugh, who'd want a boyfriend that spent shed loads of money on some random girl whilst borrowing money from you? No, just no.

-Adrian didn't even feel guilty about cheating on Sydney, nor did he feel guilty about letting her down in so many different ways. If he truly loved her he would have: 1. Told Sydney about him having a grand old time partying for weeks whilst she was imprisoned 2. That he lead on Nina and flirted with loads of other girls 3. That he cheated on her with Nina 4. That when she was waiting for him to contact her in dreams he was too busy having fun and getting drunk with his old friends 5. Not married Sydney without telling her about what happened with Nina and how he spent his time whilst she was suffering and 6. Actually be wrecked with guilt with all of his many failings.
Instead, he acted all hard done by when in reality it was easier for him to let loose and not give a fuck about Sydney.

-Sydney's love for Adrian was too perfect and unreal, she never lost faith or belief in him even when she was being brutally tortured, he was her anchor in everything. Her love for him was just too over the top for my liking, it was like the pure love a mother has for a misbehaving, petulant child. In Sydney's eyes Adrian could no wrong, whenever he messed up she wasn't pissed or disappointed or hurt like a normal person, she was like an adoring mother telling her son he could no wrong and that she knew he was strong and good even though evidence suggested otherwise. It wasn't romantic how much she adored and worshipped him, it was plain sad.

-I rolled my eyes at Sydney and Adrian getting married… I don't care that it was for protection or whatever. I still thought it was daft and cringey. I'm sick of all these teenage heroines who decide to get married after knowing the hero for less than a year and never having had ANY other serious romantic relationships. It's complete nonsense. Marriages are hard enough work for adults who've known each other for years and had tons of life and relationship experience yet I'm meant to believe that a nineteen year old marrying her first ever real boyfriend (who she's only dated for a few months in secret) will have a long and successful marriage? Really?! No amount of Sydney and Adrian boasting about how much they love each other will convince me their marriage will work… They've only known each other a few months, just because they think they're meant to be doesn't make it true, a lot of relationships start out like that but it doesn't last. Sydney and Adrian's won't either: Adrian's still a mess and gets drunk and depressed over any little thing, Sydney might be able to cope with Adrian's moods at first but I doubt she'll be happy about dealing with his crappy moods and behaviour for years to come. The only reason she copes now is because her relationship is still fresh and new and everything seems romantic, tragic, and epic, she won't have those rose tinted spectacles on forever and she'll soon realise what she has to live with. Poor cow.

-Adrian's reaction to Sydney being taken was to get drunk and cheat, that showed exactly what he would do in the future whenever things got tough. Sydney's kidnap was Adrian's time to prove himself and show his commitment and love for her, and he failed in every way. Like any marriage, theirs will have loads of hard times, I have no doubt that whenever that happens any 'growth' Adrian's had will go out the window and he'll be drinking, whoring, partying, and probably impregnating other girls… After all, a leopard never changes its spots.

-I bet when Sydney finds out about Adrian's cheating she won't be mad at him for long, she'll forgive and forget and be all understanding about it. Not only that she'll be the one comforting him because she'll feel sorry for him because of Jill being missing, and he'll no doubt conveniently mention that he's been hearing Aunt Tatiana in his thoughts, that way she'll feel even more sorry for him and thus the thing will Nina will seem like nothing in comparison… I hate when cheating is resolved in ways like that. Ugh, it'd be nice not to have a doormat heroine for once.

-Was I meant to be impressed that Adrian gave up his cufflinks to pay for his wedding to Sydney? I don't know why he thought it was such a sacrifice, they might have been a gift from his aunt but it was hardly as big a sacrifice as he made it out to be. Sydney on the other hand gave up so much more for Adrian: she risked her life just being with him, she changed her principles and herself, she lost her place as an Alchemist and half of her family, she got tortured, demeaned and humiliated because of him. So yea, Adrian 'sacrificing' his cufflinks was nothing.

-I wasn't a fan of the ending, it was obvious something would eventually happen to Jill since she was the reason Sydney and co were all together in the first place. I'm not that bothered about what happens to her or the threat to Lissa's throne. So what if some other moroi rules? Everything will essentially still be the same: the moroi will still be treated as better, the dhampires will still be second class citizens who've been brainwashed to think their duty is to risk their lives for a bunch of spoilt moroi, relationships between certain races will still be forbidden and/or frowned upon. So yea, I couldn't care less if Lissa's still queen or not. Anyway, it's clear Jill will be rescued and everything will turn out fine for everyone.
I was hoping the ending would be Sydney actually turning against Adrian because the Alchemist had somehow managed to re-educate/recondition her without her knowing. That would have been so much more interesting and shocking.

-I'm guessing the Alchemists took Jill to get leverage or something so they can punish Sydney or get her back. No doubt Sydney will respond in a martyr like way.

-I wasn't that impressed by the Alchemists in this one, they were far too cheesy and one dimensional, I couldn't take them seriously. Their punishment for any member not thinking the same as them or not following their every order was so over the top, they showed no compassion or any other feelings apart from disgust and coldness, and that made them look even more flat, they just came across like caricatures.

-What's with EVERY side character finding love or getting paired up: first there was Angeline/Trey, Eddie/Jill, Neil/Olive and now there's Marcus/Carly and Ian/Zoe. Not every character has to end up with someone.

-One star for the VA world and certain secondary characters.

All in all, I've gone from liking the series to loving it to not liking it to hating it. It's certainly been an interesting journey. I'm glad there's only one more book left, I couldn't take any more… After this one I'm going to try and avoid any new series from Richelle Mead, I don't want to end up disappointed again.

[ELLIAS (elliasreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCROLL DOWN TO THE END TO READ REVIEW. ALL THIS WAS POST BEFORE. THANK YOU.


You Guys......I didnt- ....What...I..please stop....just....DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE GOING TO BE A FIFTH BOOK LET ALONE A SIX. MAR-VEL-LOUS-YES-SIR-REE!!!!! :P






YES!!! SO EXCITED!




But the release date.....no...ITS TOO FREAKING FAR!!!!!!




....and i DESPISE AND HATE, AB-SOL-LUTE-LEE H.A.T.E. CLIFHANGERS!!!! NOVEMBER?!?!?!!? TOOO FAAAARR!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!





So does Jennifer Lawrence. She says no too!



and again....she and i totally think alike.




So does my sister.....from another world. JK> NOT MY SISTER!!




and Emma Stone....she does like stoned.


and when she's not stoned..not that its any different.



and Lea Michele.


and Anna Kendrick,




And Harry Potts..




and a er..random girl...



See? They all agree with me. TOoO LONG!!! T_T





Thanks Fat Amy.....sigh......i guess i'll just.....deal with it......damn.



Easy for you to say Sailor Moon... -_-

..........................................


and i know how you feel Famy.





Great. Another summer without vampires. Until school starts. College. Ugh. However, its a fall I look forward too. Well, more like Thanksgiving, but whatever! = D!


CIAO PEEPS!

~Skyavermore

P.S. Review to be edited in 7 months time! Until then, I wait for you book 5!!



____________________________________________________________________________________________________


HOT DAM...JUST....HOT DAM.


SO HOT.

ALL THAT ANTICIPATION AND GRIPPING INTENSITY HAS GOTTEN ME ALL SWEATY. THIS BOOK IS THE BEST OF ITS SERIES YET. AMAZING AND SOOOOOO GOOD. THERE WAS A TWIST I DID NOT EXPECT AND OMG I DIED. AND EVERY TIME SYDNEY USED HER DAMNATION AWESOME POWERS, I GOT CHILLS AND GOOSEBUMPS HOLY HELL. CAN'T. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT. BOOK.


KILL ME NOW.


CIAO,
~ skyavermore

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 3.5 stars ||

Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and this dude never actually did anything to save her; he was partying, laughing, flirting, drinking, and even kissing other girls. In what world is this supposed to be someone I like, let alone someone I’d swoon over? He’s a self-pitying, petulant, selfish loser and I don’t respect him at all. Sydney deserves a million times better than that sad excuse of a man.
It genuinely broke my heart to see Adrian’s chapters of partying be alternated with Sydney’s chapters of bravely fighting through pure agony and torture, while constantly believing Adrian would come for her. I got angry every single time I saw how much pain and sorrow she was going through, only for her boyfriend to be a sad waste of space, with no genuine plan to save her. He disgusted me, and I don’t think the last book could do anything to change my opinion of him after what he did here.

Sydney, of course, was still as admirable as always. Her cleverness, compassion, and bravery never fail to inspire admiration in me, and my respect only flew higher at seeing her character continue to stay strong in that torture camp. She was a true hero, for herself and others, unlike her pathetic boyfriend, or anyone else for that matter. After the amount of times she saved everyone around her, it physically hurt me to see how idle and useless everyone else was when she was in danger. The only person who ever did anything substantial was Magnus, and not any of her so-called friends.


'Bloodlines' series:
1. Bloodlines - 3.0 stars
2. The Golden Lily - 3.5 stars
3. The Indigo Spell - 2.5 stars
4. The Fiery Heart - 3.5 stars
5. Silver Shadows - 3.5 stars

Prequel 'Vampire Academy' series:
1. Vampire Academy - 3.5 stars
2. Frostbite - 4.5 stars
3. Shadow Kiss - 4.5 stars
4. Blood Promise - 3.0 stars
5. Spirit Bound - 3.0 stars
6. Last Sacrifice - 3.5 stars

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

!!!!

Engrossing plot involving a "re-education camp" with similarities to real-life "de-gaying camps." Well-written action scenes, swoony romance, and exciting–OH SO EXCITING–character story arcs. Sydney's grown on me quite a bit since the first couple of books, and the Sydrian romance feels intimate and respectful and full of promise.

Full review posted to the blog: http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014...

If you're a fan of Bloodlines at all, you need to read this one ASAP so you can know ALL THE THINGS.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This keeps happening, so if you'd like to talk about The Big Thing that happens in this book, please use spoiler tags in your comments below.

It's not fair to discuss openly and spoil the surprise for those who haven't had a chance to read this yet, even if you aren't using specific names.

[Kelena]

JUST.GOT.MY.COPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

2019

Totally forgot that ending, this rereading journey has been amazing so far but I am sad that I only have 1 more book to go!

2014

My review of Fiery Heart (Bloodlines 04) was left with the words 'I'm scared' - and rightly so!

What a heart wrenching storyline for our Sage, how Sydney survives the first few months is beyond me, where she stayed strong, I broke, time and again!

As we know from the previous book, Sydney is caught and this is where Silver Shadows starts and wow is this a bad place to be! Chapter by chapter, we switch from Sydney to Adrian and I found Sydney's part really hard to read sometimes... I grew to hate some characters and hate ones I hated in previous books even more! But Sage and Adrian? I can't possibly love them anymore than I do!

Bloodlines is one of my all time favourite series, it far surpasses Vampire Academy and that was the beginning! I love how these characters were secondary in VA and are now leading the way.

As usual, my emotions rolled but more so with Silver Shadows, the words written by our very own Richelle Mead tramped across my heart throughout the pages and then, yes - and then, she leaves us with a cliffhanger I did not expect at all... Oh My God!!!

Our final book is going to be a beauty, I want/need my revenge on more than once character (for real), but being scared is an understatement - I can imagine what is going to happen and I have no doubt I will not be disappointed whether I am right or wrong, just bring it on!!

[Jess | FairyTale Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this late last night and flew through it today! I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to finish the series with The Ruby Circle!

I couldn't wait to read Sydney's chapters... BUT I was going crazy during Adrian's chapters in the first 100 pages or so of this book. I guess that I just expect more of him now.. he's come a long way from when he was in the Vampire Academy series, and even the first book in this series. So to see this huge set back, and to see him go back to his old ways was hard to read. Not to mention he basically did NOTHING to help Sydney.. maybe I'm being a little to hard on him. I just know that if the roles had been reversed, Sydney wouldn't have given up like he basically did..

It was really hard to read the chapters where Sydney was getting tortured, but I also like those chapters because again, we got to see what a strong character she is! I'm obviously really happy that they managed to escape, but I didn't really like that they split from Marcus so soon. I understand that they want to go on their own, and Sydney brought up some good points as to way they should split, but it still seemed like a bad idea.

Who else was irritated that we didn't get to see the Duncan/Chantal reunion? Hopefully in The Ruby Circle!

These last few chapters were so stressful.. I seriously hate the Alchemists now. I really have no idea how this series is going to end.. I mean Sydney and Adrian can't just hide out at Court forever, can they?

One thing that I don't LOVE about this series, is how I feel like the plot is jumping around quite a bit. Maybe it's just me. The first book is mostly about Sydney just getting over her prejudices and preconceived notions about the Moroi... then the series continues and I feel like it focuses on Magic a lot. I really enjoyed it.
Then we had the bit where that one witch was trying to find Sydney.. but we haven't heard from her for awhile? Is she just gone now? I can't even remember her name.. I feel like lately, magic has been pushed aside, and now it's ALL about the bad Alchemist guys... Sydney still used it some in this book to fight back at the end, and a little during rehabilitation, but I don't know..Do you guys know what I mean?

REALLY excited to start this next book and finish the series!

[Cassandra Leclerc · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Contains spoilers for those who have not read The Fiery Heart.*



NINE MONTHS. I could have a child by then (not that I'm planning on it, but just sayin') or, you know, WE COULD HAVE SYDRIAN BABIES BY THEN! (not that that's gonna happen either, but just sayin').

My hopes for Silver Shadows:

--> More post-sex poetry.

--> For someone (ANYONE!) to kick Daddy Sage's ass! (Or any Alchemist's ass. Just make sure there is some alchemist ass being kicked.)

--> For Eddie and Jill to become Official. I mean, c'mon, Eddie is starting to remind me of Eeyore. Poor guy could use some Jill Lovin'.



--> For all those who at least semi-care about preserving Sydney's life and/or sanity (I really hope this includes Abe because, come on, that would just be Awesomeness of Epic Proportions) to form an Elite Team of Awesome Ass-Kickers to break Sydney the heck out of re-education.

--> Even more post-sex poetry. (Naked Adrian? Mmm, yes, please.)

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!!!!! Richelle Mead Why do you leave me hanging like this OMG OMG OMG!!!


Spoilers Don't read if you don' wanna know!!

I love this book! I love this Series, but Last year when I read The Fiery Heart I almost lost it having to wait a year for Silver Shadows now I have to wait for The Ruby Circle and I am so not good at waiting!!!! Wow I love Sydney she is so brave all that she endured while the Alchemist tortured her and tried to brain wash her because she fell in love with Adrian.



She is kick ass in her own smart way and in a magic way too. Adrian I love him to pieces, but I wish he would have stayed a little stronger but I do understand that as a spirit user he has depression and darkness warring inside him and he really came through in the end and he is truly romantic and that he made her dreams come true when they got married loved it!!!!



I also love the way he stands up for her to his dick of a father...... Sydney's dad and sister zoe make me just want to beat them!!!!! Now I have to wait til feb 2015 to find out what happened to sweet Jill and there are so many loose ends I need tied up. I want to know what happens with Duncan and Emma! I want Jill and Eddie together too! Some more Rose, Lissa, Dimitri, Christian and Adrian's mom.... And of course I need Adrian and Sydney to have a happy ever after with their marriage accepted!

A few Fav quotes:

“Until now, you have always lived your life alone. Every decision you’ve made has been for you and you alone. Now, and for the rest of your days, your life will be tied to another’s. Every decision you make will be for both of you. What one does affects the other. You are a family, a team … inseparable and unbreakable.”

“Dad,” I said quietly, “I’ve always made it a rule in my life not to pick fights with children, cute animals, or ignorant old men. I will, however, make an exception for you if you ever touch or insult my wife again.”

"Test me, Sheridan! Test me, and see what I'm capable of! See what I wouldn't do for him!"

[Cait Jacobs (Caitsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was an emotional rollercoaster and im so sad its over

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen to my Silver Shadows fanmix on 8tracks.


I should probably point out that I was or still am a huge fan of Bloodlines series and after a thorough life evaluation I decided to give it 3 stars. It's not a low rating and it doesn't mean I hate the book, not really. I was just expecting something much better.

Richelle Mead, you let me down, terribly. You are getting predictable, anticlimactic and boring.

As much as I love and ship Sydney & Adrian. I wish Mead also took the time to fully develop not only their story but the supporting characters as well. What happened to Jill's endangered royal status, Eddie's tragic back-story of loss and friendship, Angeline's backward traditional yet goofy ways, Trey’s vampire hunter history, Sydney's wing-women Kristin & Julia? The 'Bloodlines gang' camaraderie has been MIA since The Indigo Spell and even in that book we barely got a gang interaction which is sad. Because from what I'm getting since the The Fiery Heart & Silver Shadows, this group of supporting characters has become a plot device. A prop, used & needed, only appearing for the benefit of Sydney & Adrian's convenient storyline. I had enough. Yes, I want Sydrian being cute, cuddly and hot but I also want to have a solid plot not only focusing on the romance. It's unfair and I don’t remember signing up solely just for that.

Silver Shadows started on a very rough note, everything is bland with the occasional “snark” and less boring moment. It took the book almost 300 pages before my interest finally perk up. And after that, the plot went mayhem. I couldn’t form any attachment towards the new characters that made a brief appearance, some of those I have been anticipating greatly since forever. It’s like a messy melodramatic scenes were slapped all together and ta-da “it’s a book!”.

The #1 plot twist came out of nowhere, it escalated too quickly. It was rushed and gasps cliché. It hurts my soul to say that's the only interesting thing about this book. The plot twist #2 has been dangling since Last Sacrifice. Everyone had probably anticipated that.

Silver Shadows had a very great potential but I’m afraid this book butchered my hopes and dreams for this series. There's so many plot holes and loose end. I'm not holding my breath it could ever be resolve in The Ruby Circle.

Aside from my obvious frustration and disappointment with this book, I did enjoy some parts. Even if this is the case, You can still expect me to read The Ruby Circle to sate my curiosity.

[Renata Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review
That pretty much sums up my feelings after this book


A LOT of stuff happens in this book, I mean, A LOT!
It begins 3, 4 months after Sidney was taken by the alchemists, poor Adrian doesn't know what to do, he's tottally lost, drowning in alcohol again, so Jill makes an intervention and calls mama Ivashkov to take Adrian to the court, and there Adrian losts himself in parties and more alcohol, he tries to reach Sidney through dreams, but it seems impossible, and even with Marcus' help, it's been very hard to track her.
But Sidney... first I have to say that when this series were announced, I had my doubts about Sidney being the heroine, but man, she doesn't stop to suprise me, and amaze me, the strenght she shows on this book it's really something, even though she's being opressed, tortured, she's never lost her focus on getting a way out of conditioning.Seriously, she's really amazing in this one.
And when all the hopes are against them, Marcus shows up with something that may help them, and Adrian finally is able to reach Sidney on the dreams and, oh, when they first see each other is SO FREAKING SWEET, they really belong together.I love how they are cute and their love is so palpable, but it's not clingy and like meh, at no time.
So they go after Sidney in the best VA style, and then a lot of action starts, seriously the pace speeds up, and boom, you're almost in the end, but our couple seems out of option and hope, they can't runaway forever from the alchemists, and that's when Adrian comes up with an idea that perhaps will help them and
THEY GET FUCKING MARRIED, I CAN'T BELIEVE, THIS IS TOO MUCH! AND THE SEQUENCE OF THEIR MARRIAGE, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, ADRIAN ALWAYS THE ROMANTIC DOES EVERYTHING TO SIDNEY HAVE HER DREAM WEDDING, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM PEOPLE AND STUFF, OH MY FEELS!!!


Well, this review is getting big, so I'm going straight to the end and obviously we have a freaking cliffhanger, and OMG, I was like


Cliffhangers are Richelle stuff, she loves it... I have my theories about what happened, but I will keep it to myself.
Well, Silver Shadows it's one more awesome book, in this awesome serie of this awesome world, and I'm trying not to remember that the next book will be the last.Bye.

Update 23/04
I've been following Penguin's twitters updates about Silver Shadows and I'm NOT FINE!


What the hell will happen? And I'm not sure I want to know...

Update 02/01
So, I've just finished The Fiery Heart


Oh Richelle, why you keep doing this to Adrian? Leave Adrian alone!I'm not even excited for the next book, because I know they will suffer so much :(
But, a few comments about TFH:
- Please somebody finds Zoe a hobby... or a boyfriend, that girl needs to chill out, instead of stalk her sister.
- Ms. Terwilliger and Wolf... I never saw that coming, but, best couple ever.
- So glad to see the gang again, I hope they help Adrian in Silver Shadows.
- Jill and Eddie, my OTP ( aside from Sydrian, of course)!! I hope they find a way to work out their relationship.
- And of course, I thought that was impossible to love Adrian more, but after his POV, YES IT IS POSSIBLE!

That's all, I'll be here crying internally for while because of Sydrian's situation.



UPDATE 12/13
A blurb AND cover?!!!!!
This blurb, OH GOD, I haven't even read Fiery Heart yet, and I'm already sad, because I know now that something NOT good will happen... Seriously afraid to start Fiery Heart now.



WHAAAAT?!
I can't believe it has a title already, OMG,I can't even...

[Μaria Vrisanaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sydney Katherine Sage, would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being his wife?”

I wish I could feel like this in the whole book, but that didn’t happen.
It’s the fifth book, one before the end, and I expected it to be fast paced. Instead, the first half was slow, sometimes boring and many times annoying!
Yes, Adrian, I’m talking to you! You were my main issue!
While Sydney has been locked up in a freezing and dark room with no clothes and be tortured, YOU were drinking, going to parties, you let another girl kiss you!!!! Damn you!!!!

At least you fixed things on the second half of the book. There you made me love you again.

“Dad, I’ve always made it a rule in my life not to pick fights with children, cute animals, or ignore old men. I will, however, make an exception for you if you ever touch or insult my wife again”

Plus <33333 for my lovely badass Rose who supported the Ivashkov couple!!!

[Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

･:*:･ﾟ⁀➷ 3/5 ★

This was kinda mediocre unfortunately ☹️ I didn't dislike it, but i just finished feeling a little unsatisfied. I think i'm losing interest in this series 😭😭

“Are you in a suit?" I managed at last, my voice choking up. "You didn’t have to dress up for me."

"Quiet, Sage," he said. "I’ll make the hilarious one-liners during this daring rescue.”

Tropes:
🧸 Vampires
🧸 Sensible girl x wild boy
🧸 Fighting back against corrupted government

I started this series originally bc I was obsessed with Vampire Academy and this is a spinoff from that. And while this series was fun at the beginning, it's not really hitting anymore ☹️

⁀➷ What i liked:

I must say, after reading 5 books about these characters, i do feel very connected to them!! 🥹🥹 after all the crap sydney and adrian have gone through this whole series, they deserve nothing but happiness ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 the singular dimitri appearance in this book also made me very happy 🤭🤭💓💓

i also really like how easy these books are to read! they are super addictive and i fly through them every time 🫶🫶

“What is it with you and girls, Adrian, dear? Why do they either mean nothing to you or everything? It's always an extreme."
"Because I don't do things in halves, mom. Especially when it comes to love.”

⁀➷ What i didn't like:

i feel like this is an recurring issue i have with this series, but the pacing of these books is just so off 🫤 this book started off super interesting, but it just felt sooo dragged out and i feel like the middle part of the book in particular was so repetitive 🫣🫣

plus i feel like this series just isn't holding my interest anymore- i like the characters & it's easy to read, but i don't care too much about the romance now that it's been established, and the plot is just... meh 😔😔

“I know what love is, Mom. I’ve had love that burns in every fiber of my being, that drives me to be a better person and empowers me through each moment of the day. If you’d ever had something like that, you’d hold on to it with every bit of strength you had.”

So yeahhh.... it wasn't my fav ☹️ i would still recommend this series if you're looking for:

✔ Vampires!
✔ Easy to read
✔ Good characters

a mediocre review for a mediocre book 💌

《 2024 Challenge: Book 33 of 115 》

･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ

⁀➷ Vampire Academy:

➵ Vampire Academy- 3.5★
➵ Frostbite- 4★
➵ Shadow Kiss- 3.5★
➵ Blood Promise- 3.5★
➵ Spirit Bound- 4★
➵ Last Sacrifice- 4★

⁀➷ Bloodlines:

➵ Bloodlines- 3.5★
➵ The Golden Lily- 3.75★
➵ The Indigo Spell- 3.5★
➵ The Fiery Heart- 3★
➵ Silver Shadows-3★
➵ The Ruby Circle- tbr

･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ･:*:･ﾟ

This was okay 🫤 not my absolute fav and it felt a little dragged out, but there were still things I enjoyed! 🤍🤍

Rtc 🧸

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEWARE: LIGHT SPOILERS
4.5 stars

Silver Shadows, is the 5th installment in the Bloodlines series and one of the most intense gut-wrenching and heart pounding book by far! I knew we were in for some major heartfail after that evil cliff-hanger of an ending in The Fiery Heart but I don't think I was fully prepared to feel so anxious and terrified for both Sydney and Adrian. Mead does a tremendous job of bringing us to the very edge of darkness and then blinding us with the brightest of lights. This was one helluva ride!

To say that this book was emotional would be a huge understatement and I wasn't quite sure how much more my heart could actual take. Between Adrian's self-destructive phase and Sydney having to endure horrific torture, this was definitely one of the hardest reads to get through, specially since I'm so attached to these characters.
Funny enough at the end of the last book I was more scared of how Adrian would take it and I was right to be nervous. My fears for him in this book was at an all time high since when faced with heartbreak and lost he inevitability falls into his old self-inflicting ways. Yeah, it wasn't pretty and I couldn't help but cringed at his less then desirable scenes where he had momentary lapses of the great man he had become, but even though it was touch and go there for a little while, I'm relieved to say that our boy got his shit together and proved without a doubt he's in this for the long haul. This was the Adrian I've been waiting for!

"And I know it would be hard- for all sorts of reasons. But I think we can handle whatever comes our way, so long as we keep loving each other like this."

Now, just because I was more worried about Adrian, doesn't mean I wasn't just as worried for Sydney. What she had to endure in re-education was nothing like I expected. It was worse. I had a hard time stomaching most of it since I'm not one for torturous scenes, but at the end, I've never been more prouder of a character then I was of the way Sydney handled herself. Even though she went through absolute hell, she was still, well, Sydney. Ever logical, resilient, brave and determined to help anyone who needed it by using her magical talents even if it means further endangering her well being. This is one powerful girl you do not want to mess with!

"Test me, Sheridan! Test me, and see what I'm capable of! See what I wouldn't do for him!"

There are a lot of surprises in this one that I don't want to spoil since it's to.dame.good. But I will say that I jumped up and down with pure joy! I was kinda shocked that Mead took it in that direction, but I thought it was an absolutely perfect solution.
We do get to see some of our favorite characters from VA and our usual crowd in Palm Springs and even meet some new characters in re-education, but all of them might as well have been background noise since my entire focus was on Sydrain. The ending however leaves us on another cliff-hanger, but this one isn't quite as evil, but it does leave us pondering what will happen next in the last installment in this addicting and all consuming series!

All in all, Silver Shadows was another sensational addition to the Bloodlines books. It's heartbreaking, pulse pounding and romantic as hell. It broke my heart time and time again, but it proves just how strong and capable these characters can be when face against inexhaustible odds. Bring on The Ruby Circle! I need more!

[Marga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I think I might just have overreacted a little bit because of that ending but I guess this book wasn't a solid 4-star read afterall.

1. The book just really picked up its pace at the last 25%. It pained me to say this, but I think it kind of dragged.

2. Although I love Adrian (hence, the surname), I can't help but notice how he somehow gave up easily. I was disappointed. I felt really happy when Sydney thought of something genius to talk to him again but he never did appear in her dreams at first. He knew Sydney wouldn't give up on her so easily so why did he?

3. The secondary characters wasn't very much in this book. I know this book is supposed to be about finding Sydney and all but, I missed reading about Jill, Eddie and everybody else.

So, those above were the things that stopped me from a giving this book a higher rating. Don't made a mistake, though, I still liked this a lot!

When things started picking up, I DIED. There was a lot of freaking out involved. And oh dear, freaking cliffhanger. I know it's going to be something about that! I'm so happy I don't have to wait that long for The Ruby Circle. I just have to avoid thinking that this series would be over soon. Can Mead do a hundred more rip-offs after this please?!

[Athena ღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

▪3,5▪

Ίσως να έβαζα 4, μιας και από τη μέση και μετά είχε τόση δράση και αγωνία που δε μπορούσα να το αφήσω από τα χέρια μου και ούτε να κλείσω μάτι χθες το βράδυ αν δε το τελείωνα. Όμως, σχεδόν μέχρι τη μέση με κούρασε και με εκνεύρισε η συμπεριφορά του Adrian, αυτό δε μπορώ να του το συγχωρήσω, κι ας μας αποζημίωσε στη συνέχεια με τις πράξεις του.

[Muse-ic ♬ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75
That was so intense!! Ahhhh!
Oh my God that was so far beyond amazing!
I've mentioned how much I love Richelle Mead's work so many times!
It was mentioned in my reviews for Bloodlines, The Golden Lily, The Indigo Spell, and The Fiery Heart.

I'm gonna say it again. Richelle Mead knows how to write books yo! Seriously!

You know how there are amazing books, then there are amazing books? Richelle Mead writes amazing books!

The kind that make you fangirl and jump around yelling "I love you Adrian! MARRY ME!"
The kind where sometimes, you have to stop reading for a few minutes to hug the book to your chest to relish (and reread) what just happened.
The kind that make your chest constrict with emotions, where you really feel the characters.

The kind that make you want to kill certain people.



Those are Richelle's books, and I FREAKING LOVE THEM!!

This particular book.....well let's just say that every Sydney chapter I was so far at the edge of my seat, I'm surprised I didn't fall off and crack my coccyx!

Last book left us on a cliffhanger. Syndey was Sydney-napped by the Alchemist SOBs (F**K THEM). This book, we get the inside scoop to the Alchemists' HELL re-education/rehab center. Sheridan (F**K HER) runs the place with a bunch of stupid henchmen. They treat the inmates like animals! Literally!
They tried to use a Pavlovian method to get Sydney to change her beliefs about Moroi.

Don't know who Pavlov is? Ever heard of Pavlov's dogs? This guy experimented with dogs by ringing a bell then giving them food. He did this over and over again so that the dogs came to associate the sound of a bell with food and would start salivating if they heard a bell ringing, even if they weren't presented with any munchies.

Unfortunately they didn't give Sydney food. They made her extremely nauseous while looking at images of happy Moroi so she would eventually associate pain with Moroi. Thankfully it didn't work.

Sydney is a genius by the way! Like, the Alchemists (F**K THEM) train their people to be really smart, but Sydney is light years beyond everyone. She's always one step ahead, always has a plan, and is always analyzing.
And she such a freaking badass with all her magic this and magic that!

And then at the Moroi court her freaking DAD (F**K HIM) shows up! !! I have no words to describe how much I despise this man! Can he just go drive himself off a cliff maybe? Or jump straight down into Dante's ninth circle of hell? That'd be great too!
Adrian's dad is very similar to Sydney's dad. In fact, they're like the same person!
And Adrian to his dad was like "At least I know what love is!" and his mom stood by him and it was all soooooooooo adorable!!

I hope we see more of Carly (and possibly Carly Marcus wink wink)


OMG ADRIAN PROPOSED TO SYDNEY AND THEY'RE MARRIED!! ASDFGHJKL!



And he's like "I love her" to Lissa and I just melted on the spot!!

And to her dad she's like, "Excuse me you stupid sh*t. I'm an Ivashkov now. In your face, a**hole!!"



'Scuse my French! I really hate some of these guys ^_^

I also loved how the ring thing went down with the bejeweled cuff links and all that ♥ ♥ Adrian is such a romantic!!

I can marry him, right? Nobody calls dibs on Adrian? Okay cool! Thanks :D



I want to see more Duncan/Chantal, and I really want to see Duncan take down his parents, since they're high in the Alchemist hierarchy.




WHERE IS THE NEXT ONE!!!

[Paula Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

EDIT:

Please excuse my french but... What kind of Bullshit was that?! I'm absolutely disappointed with this book.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, yes it was slower than the second half but I liked seeing Sydney strong and brave and then.. the story disappointed me in so many ways. It was boring in many places and beyond ludicrous in others. I was very mad at the ending and the choice Sydney made. I wont reveal any spoilers, but I didn't buy the cheap teenage-love Richelle Mead offered. The ending felt rushed, the plot twists unbelievable and obvious.

I truly hope that Richelle rewards her loyal readers with the sixth and final book in this serie, The Ruby Circle.

...


*sigh* Guys. I dint´t think the fifth book in Richelle Mead's bloodline series could possibly get any worse than The Fiery Heart cover. Boy, I was wrong.

Honestly. I don't know why I was so shocked to see how embarrassing this cover is, considering TFH was equally bad. I just, I dont even...Why? WHY?!

[Anushka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book joins the league of Twilightesque books. And I never imagined it would be one of Mead's.
Well, surprises don't end, do they?

After blindly loving Vampire Academy and Adrian Ivashkov, I've finally started to run out of it . I never really liked Bloodlines series from the start but because of too much free time at my hand and an insurmountable love for the author and *sigh* Adrian I read the last two books in a frenzy. I can't say I'm disappointed because I had no expectations (for I loathed The Indigo Spell), I just feel cheated for the time I spent, or rather wasted.

What an utterly unbelievable full of bullshit this one was. Everything was just wrong, unnecessary and out of place. It was so much like a rehash of Rose-Dimitri situation but at least Rose was an amazing character that kept things moving forward whereas Sydney...wow, let's not even go there. This book was just an overload of drama and all the gooey shit on the planet. There should be a limit for that, you know?
I should just stop writing right here coz I'll fracture my keyboard the way I'm typing.

Don't even care when the next book's coming out but knowing my aforementioned 'insurmountable love' I might end up reading but I'm sure I'm really not gonna like it.

Negative stars!

[Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars

Tanja: I still can't believe that there is only one book left in this series. Remember the days when Bloodlines was announced and our happiness.Time really flies. But what makes me really happy is that this series, despite its ups and downs is going into the right direction as I can freely say that for me this was the best book in this series till now.

Glass: I know - times flies so fast. You do remember that I was disappointed with previous book despite Adrian and Sydney finally getting together, but Silver Shadows managed to surprise me. I did not expect much, so maybe that is why I enjoyed reading it.

Tanja: True that. What I really liked her was Sydney. We finally get to see her potential and it was really great to see her change. That girl is now something that I'll cheer for. Adrian on the other hand, deserves a slap or two, but we don't want to ruin that pretty face, do we?

Glass: Oh my God, woman - slapping!? I need to take back my whip before you do some serious damage. We do not slap our Adrian. You need to cuddle with him. I loved how he was portrayed in this sequel - not the usual alpha or a bad boy with his physical strength as advantage. His "superpower" is of a different kind. And Sydney? I completely agree with you. Also, Silver Shadows was a bit darker from previous novels. What do you think about that?

Tanja: Yes it truly was. I never expected Alchemist to go that far. I mean with the idea and everything the presented I was really surprised with how far they are willing to go. It was also great for the story as it had that paranormal feeling here. And for the whip thing, girl you're the boss and you know it.
Also it was really interesting to see some well know characters again here. Our babies are growing up. Did you see that?

Glass: Absolutely. I want to know more about what is happening on the court. I have a feeling like we missed a lot while we were occupied with Adrian, Sydney and rest of the gang. Which brings me to the most important question - "Will there be more spin-off series?" And that ending... Considering that there is only one book left and so many things are yet unexplained, it is hard to imagine that Richelle Mead will manage to untangle this whole mess in last Bloodlines novel.

Tanja: That's yet another thing that I cannot wait to see. I really hope it'll all finish without any loose ends and that she will manage to conclude everything, as I think it's time to say goodbye to this world. But we have to wait and see.
But let's go back to the ending of this book for a moment, as it's actually the only thing that was a bit too much for me. Honestly at one point I expected guys from Cobra 11 to jump out of somewhere. It was funny, but really way too much.

Glass: Hahaha, Cobra 11... I forgot about that show and I used to watch it obsessively. Maybe even Tom Cruise to jump in with his high tech toys. You are right, it was a bit too much - even for R. Mead. Combining romantic and action scenes into one... I don't know. There is that "big elephant in the room" we are not talking about because it would be a major spoiler, but I did not see that coming. At all.
I am guessing that we all will have to wait and see how will this series end.
Let the countdown until February 2015 begin.

Review posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As you can see from my rating, I had a lot of problems with this book, and looking at everyone's very positive reviews I feel like something's wrong with me.
HOWEVER, let's start with the good thing: I loved being back into this world of Morois, Strigois and Alchemists which is very creative and imaginative. I'm also quite a fan of Sydney's character because she's sensible, strong and clever.
Since book four in this series, though, I've had huge problems with the way we start seeing things from Adrian's point of view. Adrian used to be this sexy, mysterious guy whom I was really digging, but seeing things from his perspective has ruined that picture of him. This book was no exception and I actually started strongly disliking him. This book could be renamed "The book where Adrian's makes all the crappy decisions" because that's seriously what he was doing all the way through. I couldn't believe how he acted and from beginning to end I was rolling my eyes at him and his lack of character. Sydney started being affected by his crappy decisions and that ruined everything for me.
I also had some problems with the plot in this book which is very one-dimensional. We follow the same problem from two POVs and halfway through I was utterly bored. I didn't care about this problem anymore because I had a feeling how it would end anyway - and I was right. Towards the end, the one-dimensional plot started evolving and things started getting a little bit excited again, but that resulted in a sugarly-sweet ending based on another crappy decision.
I'm sorry - this review is quite a negative one but this is how I feel. I'm not sure that I'm going to read the last book in this series whose plot was revealed with a cliffhanger on the last two pages of this book. It kind of feels like Richelle Mead creates new problems just to keep the series going and I'm not a fan of it. But then again, maybe I will read it eventually just to be able to say I've finished this series in its entirety.