Review: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #5
Publication: July 29th 2014 by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult ~ Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bloodlines | Kobo
Cover Rating: 2/5 (Just no...)
Overall Rating: 5/5

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.

As a Bloodlines and Adrian Ivashkov fangirl, I have a lot to say about Silver Shadows but I'll try to keep it short. Obviously I loved it. A book with Adrian Ivashkov has to be really bad for me not to love it and Richelle Mead is oh so good at what she does. Honestly, I hadn't seen half of the things that happened coming at all and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by it.

I can probably speak for everyone who read the previous book, The Fiery Heart, that the ending shocked us all. At least it definitely shocked me. I wasn't sure where the next book was going to go and I was genuinely scared for both Sydney and Adrian. This, by the way, was a constant state while reading, I must admit. And this book was definitely more different than the others. Which was not a bad thing at all!

A lot happened, both in Sydney as Adrian's world. Sydney being captured by the other Alchemists and thrown in re-education, her live was pretty miserable and dark. I can only applaud her for being so strong, especially when she was being tortured. She really is a strong person and I don't think enough people give her credit for that. She also never stopped trying to help the others who were with her in the re-education centre. And she was really badass in this book with her magical powers. Gotta love Sydney!

And Adrian? As always he was awesome to read about. He was a bit more serious in this book, considering that he couldn't find a way to contact Sydney, not even in her dreams. There were moments where I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay and other times that I wanted to slap the hell out of him. Also he showed some powers I didn't know he had and yes he was, just like Sydney, badass with them. Gods, I love him. Aside from having Sydney being taken away from his he had also other problems. I'm not going to go into them for the sake of spoilers... but wow!

I can't say much about the others like Jill, Eddie, Trey, Angeline, etc... because they weren't in it much. But when they were, they were great as always. Also, Rose, Dimitri and Lissa showed up. That always gives me nostalgic feelings. Lissa kinda pissed me off, though. 

I have to mention that towards the end, there was a lot happening. And when I say a lot, I really mean A LOT. It was sort of like epic escape scenes that you see in action movies. Pretty awesome, yeah. And something happened that I hadn't seen coming at all. Never in my life I would've dreamed that would happen. NEVER. And the ending was pretty cliffhanger-ish, too so it kind of makes me nervous for the next book.

Silver Shadows was a heartstopping, romantic and full of action book. I didn't think Richelle Mead could surprise me more than she already did with this series, but she did it again. It makes me both want the next and final book, The Ruby Circle and not want it because it'll be the very last book and I'm so not ready for this fantastic series to end. I want more Adrian Ivashkov, always!

Favorite Quotes:

“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.”

“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.”

“Are you in a suit?” I managed at last, my voice chocking 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.”

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths. She received a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan, an MA in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master in Teaching (Middle & High School English) degree from the University of Washington. In the end, she decided writing was the way for her but believes all of her education prepared her for it.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When not writing,, she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. Lots of dresses. She is a self-professed coffee addict, fights a constant (and losing) battle with procrastination, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Title: The Fiery Heart
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Publication: November 19th 2013 by Penguin
Genre: Young Adult ~ Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo
Cover Rating: 1/5 :(
Overall Rating: 5/5

    

WHEN PULSES QUICKEN NO SECRET IS SAFE.

Sydney always believed that alchemists were born to protect vampire secrets and human lives - until she met Marcus and turned her back on everything she once knew.

But she's not free yet. When her sister Zoe arrives, Sydney can only tell her half-truths about her past. And with every word she risks exposure - and the fatal consequences.

Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney must choose her path once and for all. Even if that means harnessing her magical powers to destroy the way of life she was raised to defend...

My Thoughts:

First of all, this may be a little off-topic and have nothing to do with the actual story in this book, but I do not like this cover. Is it just me or does it seem very cheap compared to the others. The same goes for the 5th book, Silver Shadows. What happened here, guys?
And second, I have no idea where I'm taking this review for The Fiery Heart. I mean it was amazing, mind-blowing even and yes, simple perfection, which isn't a surprise when it's about a book that has Adrian Ivashkov in it, but oh... the ending killed me. It really did. And the thing is, I had a feeling this would happen but still, I wasn't prepared for it to shock me like it did. It's just the most awful ending I have read about in so long. I really hate cliffhangers.

So... Sydney and Adrian? Ah, they're perfect together. Simply perfect. I was a little wary at first when I started this book because I had no idea where Richelle Mead would take their relationship to. So I'm really glad and relieved about the way she did it. Really, nothing has changed, except for the hot make-out sessions they have to do in secret, but let's face it, that makes it just the more sexy. But it's not just about sex, it's more. They love each other so much, you see it in the way both Sydney and Adrian talk to and about each other. It just makes the ending all the more terrible. 
Aside from their relationship, we can totally see how both Sydney and Adrian have grown. I mean, seriously, you wouldn't recognize them if you'd go back to reading the Vampire Academy books. And that's just one thing I love about both these characters. But of course they haven't changed too much. Sydney is still the same brainy girl who plans ahead and Adrian is still the witty, charming guy who makes every girl drop their panties. And we love him for it. Seriously, I can't press enough how much I love Adrian. If it wasn't obvious before, I came to love him even more because of this book. He was simply put awesome in it. Still my #1 book boyfriend!

But anyway... I feel like I'm straying from the review here. So, the overall story? Loved it. And not just all because of Adrian, though of course he plays a big factor in me loving this book and series. No, the story was pretty great too. Especially with Adrian's point of view. Oh yes baby! Being inside his mind was thrilling and exciting and just totally amazing. His chapters show his highs and his lows but I still love him anyway. I also felt like it isn't just Sydney's story anymore. Adrian did pretty impressive things. Again, he's grown so, so much. Damn, I love him.
I also love all the other characters. And I mean it when I say this series has a lot of great ones. Of course there's the usual ones like Jill, Eddie, Trey, Angeline. And I must say I'm really liking Jill now. I used to be not a big fan of her but also she has grown up a lot. Pretty impressive. I just want her and Eddie to be together already. Come on! Trey as usually was his awesome self and I'm glad he was in the book quite a lot actually. And Angeline? She's just a riot, isn't she. Then there were the newer characters like Neil, the new British guy. I wasn't too sure about him in the beginning but after what he did for "the greater good" I think he's pretty great. Oh and Sydney's sister, Zoe joined them. I wanted to pretty much choke her all the time because she was so annoying and kept making it harder for Sydney and Adrian to be together. And of course she played a role in that awful ending. Boo! She's definitely on my kill list now, together with her and Sydney's father. I should also mention this book was like a Vampire Academt reunion. Pretty much all the major characters appeared in this book not once but several times. And when I say major characters I mean, Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Sonya, Abe. So yep, pretty much the whole gang. It made me smile. I miss them all so much. 

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead definitely is one of my favorite Bloodlines books. It had everything I crave in a good book. Kick-ass action, passion and romance, drama and one hell of an ending with a cliffhanger (although I could've lived without that last one). But even with how totally shocked and sad it made me, it's a pretty good ending if you want to give your readers a heart attack and make them crave the next book like they're hooked on drugs. Also this book has been one of my most anticipated books of the year and I read it like two days. Yep, that's what this series does to me. Turn me into a reading zombie. But it was one amazing ride that I wouldn't want to forget even though I'm in need for some hugs to help me get over this book. And now the only think I can do is wait for the next book, Silver Shadows. Can't it be July 2014 already? 

Favorite Quotes:

She stared at me with concern a few moments longer and then relaxed a little.
"Okay. But if you need anything—"
"I know, I know. Call on the Love Phone.”

She shook Neil's hand. "I'm Rose."
"Neil," he said, with a formal bow of his head. "It's a great honor to meet you. Your heroics with Dimitri Belikov are legendary."
"Um, thanks," she said. It was nice to see one woman finally immune to that accent. That wasn't to say Rose wasn't a sucker for accents. She just preferred hers from the other side of Europe.

“Like I said before, I don't know how helpful Inez will be, " she explained. "She's very eccentric and controlled by her whims. If she likes you, she might tell you something. If she doesn't, well..." Ms. Terwilliger shrugged. "Then maybe we'll have time for photo ops."
"Score," said Adrian. When I shot him a look, he added quickly, "But of course she'll like you.”

An image of Sydney's face appeared in my mind's eye, calm and lovely.
I believe in you.
My anxiety faded.
I took a deep breath and met the gazes of all those watching me in the room.
Who was I to do this?
I was Adrian Ivashkov.
And I was about to kick some ass.

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.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title: The Indigo Spell
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Publication: Published February 12th 2013 by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult ~ Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 401 pages
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overal Rating: 5/5 

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 aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she struggles to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she finally tracks down the elusive, enigmatic Marcus Finch – a former Alchemist who the organisation denies exists, and who lives in shadows, on the run. With Marcus's help, Sydney realises that the group she's been loyal to her whole life has been hiding the truth from her. Is it possible that her golden lily tattoo might have more power over her than she thinks?

As she struggles to come to terms with what that might mean, Sydney is compelled to use her growing magical powers to track down an evil magic user who is targeting powerful young witches. Using magic goes against everything she always thought she believed, but she realises that her only hope is to embrace her special blood – or else she might be next.

Forging her own way is harder than Sydney ever dreamed. Maybe by turning off her brain – and following her heart – she'll be able to finally figure out where she belongs.

The hotly anticipated third installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series.

~My thoughts:

Don't read if you want to avoid spoilers!


Bloodlines has grown to be one of my favorite YA book series, if not the favorite. And of course you all know I'm more than crazy about Adrian Ivashkov.  














So reading this books has become something I'm looking forward to everytime. I must say I like these better than Vampire Academy! *waits for VA fans to strike me down* I just get so much joy from reading these Bloodlines books. Especially when Adrian comes in. *swoon swoon swoon* ;D I loved it so much. So many amazing moments. Ahhh, Richelle Mead, you did it again! 

The Indigo Spell started a few weeks after where The Golden Lily ends. We all know where that was. I loved how you could definitely see a change in Sydney, especially when she kept analyzing what happened with Adrian. So obvious, Syd! Anyway I loved when Adrian showed up in the plane next to her, all calm and collected, saying that he'd keep on loving her no matter what. Like she didn't have a say in it. Classic Adrian. Sydney in this book, was different from the one we say in the previous book. I can't believe how far she came, considering how she was when we first met her in Blood Promise. She might have her doubts a little bit about using magic but in the end it seems like her doubts have gone away. Especially with meeting Marcus and everying.  

My favorite aspect of this book was... all the Sydrian stuff! I mean, seriously this book was pretty much all of that. And I loved it. I've been waiting forever for this! Adrian and Sydney are perfect together. They complete each other perfectly. I did get a little annoyed whenever they kissed Sydney would back away again but she made up for it in the end in my eyes. 

So. Markus. Not sure what to say about him. I do not like this dude. I don't know what it is about him but I'm not feeling it. So we'll see if he shows up in the next book if I still have that disliking feeling about him. I'm not sure what everyone else thinks about him but I'd be glad to hear your opinions about him. :) The only negative things I can say about The Indigo Spell is how I kind of missed the gang. Jill, Eddie, Angeline. Trey. They weren't in it as much, although they had their own little dramas to deal with. I totally had that Angeline/Trey thing seen coming. And I must say I love love love them as a couple. So I hope they work it out. I must say I'm starting to like Jill more. Well except when she ruined Adrian and Sydney's hot moment! Damn her!

I was surprised by the stuff happening with Veronica. What happened there in the end surprised me but I loved that scene. Another swoon moment for Adrian when he carried Sydney out. *sigh* I did wish all of it would've been slightly more unpredictable but it was okay in the end. More than okay. :D And boy do I love Hopper! :D ♥ So adorable! Overall I LOVED The Indigo Spell. I couldn't get enough of it. I was SO in my Adrian bubble and didn't want to get out. Sydney was absolutely kick ass and I'm looking forward to the next book The Fiery Heart because it has Sydney AND Adrian's POV!
 

Everyone who hasn't read Bloodlines yet and I know there's a lot of you out there. Get your business together and start it right away. You'll get an overdose of Adrian, which is a very good thing! 

Now on to waiting for The Fiery Heart. *sad sigh* :P

~Favorite Quotes:

“I'm done with the pouting," he said. "Done with being moody—well, I mean, I'm always a little moody. That's what Adrian Ivashkov's all about. But I'm done with the excessive stuff. That didn't get me anywhere with Rose. It won't get me anywhere with you."
"Nothing will get you anywhere with me," I exclaimed.
"I don't know about that." He put on an introspective look that was both unexpected and intruiging. "You're not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic love with a Russian warlord. You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years' worth of deeply ingrained prejudice and taboo between our two races. Easy.”

“I don't care if you say we can't be together. I don't care if you think I'm the most evil, unnatural creature walking on earth. You can think whatever you want, go whatever you want. I'm going to just go on loving you, even if it's hopeless.”

“He didn't see me looking at him, but I could tell the ceremony was having the same effect on him.
He was enraptured.
It was a rare and sweet look for him, reminding me of the tortured artist that lived beneath the sarcasm. I liked that about Adrian—not the tortured part, but the way he could feel so deeply and then transform those emotions into art.”

He anxiously touched his hair. "I think my hair gel's frozen.”

“His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of goose bumps appeared. How did he keep doing this to me? Marcus—who made every girl in the world swoon—had zero effect on me. But one whisper of a touch from Adrian completely undid me.”

~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.

Find Richelle on:

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Purchase The Indigo Spell on:

The Book Depository | Amazon | Fishpond | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #2
Publication: June 12th 2012 by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult ~ Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 418 pages
Source: The Book Depository
Cover Rating: 5/5
Content Rating: 5/5

~Synopsis~

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series.

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

My thoughts: 
The Golden Lily was brilliant, as is everything Richelle Mead writes. This book was one of my most anticipated books of 2012, —Along with books like City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey, Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost and Iced by Karen Marie Moning— so I have a lot to say about it. But I will try to supress my inner fangirl and not get stuck into a ranting fest, which will be very hard! 

*Spoilers Galore!*

The Golden Lily still revolves around Sydney and the others being in a boarding school in sunny Palm Springs to hide and protect Jill. Now, however there are some other characters joining the gang. Old ones, who we know from Vampire Academy like Sonya, Angeline and yes, Dimitri! (Get ready to swoon, ladies) But also new ones like Brayden. Also Trey, who was also in Bloodlines plays a bigger role in this one.
Dimitri and Sonya came to do experiments involving spirit, to learn more and maybe find answers. When Sonya and Sydney get attacked by humans they figure out vampire hunters really do excist. In the meantime more romance (yay!) happens and the end was just like BANG!

I can't form words to express how much I loved The Golden Lily. I was so happy to finally get back into this world with Sydney, Adrian, Eddie and the others. I had high expectations and I'm so glad to say that it was even better than I dared to hope! The characters all seemed to have grown a lot. Especially Jill. She seemed more mature and not so annoying. I can even say I like her now. Sydney as always is a great maincharacter. I love the fact that she's so different from Rose and I've always liked her more. 
Adrian was my highlight of the book, of course. It's no secret how much I adore him. I loved how he kept protecting Sydney over and over again. He just understands her better than anyone else so I couldn't help but notice how much he already cares for Sydney and I was simply giddy with the ending. Just perfect, even though Sydney didn't take to it too well. 
Adrian was even more sexier than usual in my eyes because in the beginning he send Sydney a message with a Les Miserables reference. How can you not love him for that? If you see below by quotes you'll see it there. 
I just have to say this about Dimitri. I loved him being there and when he talks about Rose, I just melt but I was sad to see how his pressence hurt Adrian. But other than that... love him! Also Eddie is really swoon worthy and fierce!

I can't believe I'm going to say this but this book was even better than Bloodlines. It was heart-stopping, with some action and finally romance! Also the things Adrian said to Sydney touched me deeply.

I can't wait until next february the third book (already!) comes out. I'll bet The Indigo Spell will be also simply amazing. If you haven't picked up The Golden Lily or the first book, Bloodlines and you have read Vampire Academy... Just do it! You won't be disappointed!

~Favorite Quotes~

Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me. When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is. This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones. My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated. -Prisoner 24601

“We're going on a, um, windmill tour later this week." If I'd wanted to shut them all up, I'd definitely succeeded. They all looked stunned. Adrian spoke first. "I'm going to assume that means he's flying you to Amsterdam on his private jet. If so, I'd like to come along. But not for the windmills.”

“In fact I was fairly certain there was no one in the entire world quite like Adrian Ivashkov.”

How was it that Adrian Ivashkov, who never seemed to take anything seriously was the only one among these "responsible" people who paid attention to such small details? How was he the only one to really understand the magnitude of what I was feeling?

She said no, okay?" All the eyes that had been on me suddenly jerked toward Adrian. He leaned forward, fixing his gaze on Sonya and Dimitri, and I saw something in those pretty eyes I'd never seen before: anger. They were like emerald fire. "How many times does she have to refuse?" Adrian demanded. "If she doesn't want to, then that's all there's to it. This has nothing to do with her. This is our science project. She's here to protect Jill and has plenty to do there. So stop harassing her already!"" "Harassing is kind of a strong word," Dimitri said, calm in the face of Adrian's outburst. "Not when you keep pushing someone who wants to be left alone," countered Adrian. He shot me a concerned look before fixing his anger back on Sonya and Dimitri. "Stop ganging up on her." Sonya glanced uncertainly between us. She looked legitimately hurt. As astute as she was, I don't think she'd realized how much this bothered me. "Adrian... Sydney... we aren't trying to upset anyone. We just really want to get to the bottom of this. I thought all of you did too. Sydney's always been so supportive. "It doesn't matter," growled Adrian. "Take Eddie's blood. Take Belikov's blood. Take your own for all I care. But if she doesn't want to give hers, then that's all there is to it. She said no. This conversation is done.”

“You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. I'll get you out of here, no matter what.”

But perhaps the best part of all was that I, Sydney Katherine Sage, guilty of constantly analyzing the world around me, well, I stopped thinking.

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.

Find Richelle on her Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Blog

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