Shadow Kiss

So third installment in the Vampire Academy series, we are back at the Academy a couple of weeks after Rose has killed her first Strigoi and things are not quite right. Rose has been forever changed by the events that lead up to Mason's death and so has everyone else that was there with her. This definitely increases the dark undertone that these books have had because Rose has a darker outlook on life. She is no longer thinking about what outfit she should wear tomorrow or how cute her hair looks, as her birthday approaches she really only wants one thing

"Freedom, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted"

That line really sums it up the best I think. Rose is struggling show more with who she is and what the priorities in her life should be. She is also quickly becoming one of my favorite characters, I love her sarcastic attitude mixed with her ability to kick anyone's butt who attempts to take a swing at her or her friends. Which now that she has entered the field training portion of her senior year, she gets to take a swing at quite a few people and get out some of that aggression.

I also have a confession to make, I am starting to like Adrian, I know...I still don't think he belongs with Rose, but he really is growing on me. He is funny, and even though he might not want other people to know about it he really does care about people around him and try to help out when he can. Which he does demonstrate big time towards the beginning of this book. And all that joking aside, I really think he does care for Rose and wants a chance to date her, not that she is going to give into that right now. Why is that? Well Dimitri is still around and he is still the one I am rooting for. Although getting some alone time between him and Rose is very difficult and it is definitely starting to weigh on them both.

Okay, the next part I might get people throwing things at me for but here goes. While reading, I got up to get something to drink and I noticed on the back cover of this book it says "The obvious heir to the Twilight throne..." Really? Don't get me wrong, I love Twilight, I really do! It has a great story and I read all 4 books in one week, no seriously, I did. I did not sleep very much, it was bad. Anyways, that being said I don't think these two books can really be put in the same category. Just because they both have vampires in them doesn't mean they are the same book. Rose is a much stronger character and I like the view from her seat much better than Bella's. Rose is much more complex and her life is just more interesting to me. Vampire Academy also has a lot of layers to it and I like getting to peal them back book by book. I also like all the character development we are getting in these books and the fact that things aren't always pretty, there are causalities when you live in these worlds and Richelle Mead is not afraid to rip at your heart strings and kill off characters. I know that sounds morbid, but I feel like a book that takes place in a world where there is constant fighting and paranormal creatures, you are going to lose some people. That doesn't mean I like it, I was horrified when Mason died. I had to put the book down and walk away for a minute, but it made sense and it made the book more realistic. Is all this making sense?

Along those realistic lines, towards the end I was getting a little more than annoyed with Lissa, which I will not say why because I do not want to spoil it but if anyone else has read this I think you know what I am talking about right? She needs to step back and look at the bigger picture here because she is getting on my nerves. I am hoping to be back on her side when I read the next book.

To sum up, I am loving these books! I am also trying to read them slowly because I know I have to wait until D-e-c-e-m-b-e-r for the last one and I am not a very patient person. But Richelle Mead has me hooked on these books. She paints a dark picture of a world that I get lost in when I pick these books up. So if you have not started the series yet, what are you waiting for?

Language Love:

"Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails."

How could I not love this one? I picture that scene in my head perfectly and I love the idea of branches clawing, great description. show less

Never a slow series, the pace is really flying now! I miss Rose's more light-hearted banter, which has necessarily been replaced by blow-by-blow descriptions of action and violence as well as recaps of events so far, but the storyline is far too gripping to dwell on thoughts and feelings for long. Rose's 'shadow-kissed' powers and her bond with Lissa are getting stronger and darker, while her relationship with Dimitri is blossoming.

The magical world of the Vampire Academy that Richelle Mead has created is one of the most creative yet believable alternate universes that I have read about, because fantasy isn't usually my thing. The co-depedent relationships of the Morois and their dhampir guardians, the elemental sorcery practiced by the show more Moroi vampires, and the ever-present danger of the Strigoi - all related from the perspective of a vibrant, sarcastic, sympathetic teenager called Rose - have totally captured my imagination. I don't know if I would ever read the books again, once I know how everything ends, but I will definitely be searching out the next three sequels at my local library. show less

This book. Honestly, this book. It broke my fucking heart. I closed this book dying to know what comes next and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 4.

Lissa and Rose have always had a strange connection, one almost unheard of throughout Moroi history. Since the first book they've been investigating it and its ties to Lissa's strange powers. It turns out Rose's role in Lissa's life is crucial to her health and sanity but it's threatening Rose's.

Meanwhile, the Strigoi are still attacking and Rose and Dimitri are talking about what comes next, sometimes saying it can't ever happen, sometimes trying to find ways to make it work. Dimitri decides to ask for another assignment instead of Lissa so that he and Rose can be a couple. All is well show more until Dimitri gets taken by the Strigoi and apparently turned into one. To keep a promise she made to him--because he would rather die than be Strigoi--Rose drops out of school, leaves Lissa, and goes to find Dimitri so she can kill the Strigoi he's become. Breaking my damn heart. Breaking it. Rose had to grow up too fast and that, maybe more than anything, hurt me. I hadn't realized how attached to her I'd become. show less

4.5 stars

Attention: Some Spoilers if you haven't read the previous books!!


I know I'm getting ahead of myself just a little, but I need to say this. This book made me cry. A lot. I know a lot of readers said that they were expecting this book to end the way it did and that they weren't surprised by it, but I really didn't see it coming.

One of the things that I loved in this book is that we see Christian show us that the Moroi can actually do something other than hide and be the perfect targets for the evil vampires. And that scene with him and Rose was great.

Another thing that I loved is that we get to see the guardians fight. It really shows what they can do and why they're good at being bodyguards.

We also get more Adrian silliness and show more that's always good. Even though I'm not on Adrian's team in this series, I do believe he's a good character. I feel like he has a lot of growing up to do, but I do appreciate the way he comes and makes certain really tense scenes become funny or easier to read.

The only reason I can't give this book a full 5 cups rating is because of one little scene that I've waited ever since Dimitri admitted that he had feelings for Rose, in Frostbite. If you've read the book, you know that I'm talking about the cabin scene. I just felt that the scene where Rose and Dimitri are cursed back in the first book was way hotter and sexier than this one. Also, Lissa and Christian's scenes (I think we get only two? maybe three?) are sexier than this famous cabin scene. I know it's a YA series and therefore you can't expect the same amount of hotness as in an adult book, but I feel like it could have been better.

Like I said before, I cried at the ending. I jumped right into the next one because I didn't want to believe that that was it. I think it's been a while since a book in a series made me want to go ahead and read the next one so soon and so fast. It's good when that happens.

Again, I'll tell you what I've told you before: if you haven't read the series, don't wait, go ahead and read it. It is amazing. show less

May contain spoilers for the next books in the series.

I've had some time to collect my thoughts, and I believe my review can be summed up in one question and one answer.

The Question: Why didn't I read this sooner?

The Answer: Because I'm a fucking idiot, that's why.

Every time I take a break from this series I forget how good it is. I read Frostbite over one year after my second read of Vampire Academy, and now I've done the same thing with Shadow Kiss. I always regret the distance in time between books but now I can hopefully read them all without the long Vampire Academy-drought period.

Rose is still an amazing protagonist. I love her attitude and sass. The only problem I seem to have with her in these books is that sometimes she can be show more really childish and immature, and it really gets on my nerves. And while I love Rose, Dimitri is still my favorite character in the series. He was my second book boyfriend ever (the first being Four from the Divergent series) and Dimitri being turned Strigoi at the end broke my heart even though I know they end up together in the end somehow.

Adrian was a lot more likeable in this book than in Frostbite, while I found Lissa to be more annoying this time around. Adrian's flirtiness grew on me and I began to really enjoy his presence in most scenes. Lissa, on the other hand, began to really piss me off. Believe me, I still love her but after the scenes at the Moroi Royal Court she began to get really annoying. Overall, Lissa is a good character and I think she needs to grow a bit in the next books.

Christian is still... interesting. I haven't figured out what it is with him, but I'm still borderline on whether I like him or trust him.

I loved Rose's new ghost whispering abilities. The St. Vladmir and Shadow-Kissed Anna/Lissa and Shadow-Kissed Rose plot is so intruiging to me and I hope it plays a bigger part in the next books.

All in all, this is my favorite Vampire Academy novel so far and I can't wait to get into Blood Promise soon! show less

This was actually pretty freaking good! I even considered rating it 5 stars! It basically took almost every criticism I'd been ruminating over for the first 2 books and actually addressed them! Like, the nature of Rose and Lissa's friendship and the power imbalance that exists there, which was the biggest issue I'd had thus far. And the conflicts and plot progression felt both natural and fairly realistic, considering the circumstances. It kinda amazes me how Mead makes what is essentially just mindless interpersonal drama feel kinda interesting, when I usually hate that. It makes the world feel more real and lived in. And I legitimately liked Rose in this, and her ghostly encounters were pretty cool and well done. Over all, definitely show more the best in the series so far!

(I usually write longer reviews than this but lol I'm not in the mood rn) show less

Just as amazing as [b:Vampire Academy|345627|Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)|Richelle Mead|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331231240s/345627.jpg|335933] and [b:Frostbite|2282133|Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)|Richelle Mead|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331231545s/2282133.jpg|6651004]!

I love [a:Richelle Mead|137902|Richelle Mead|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1270374609p2/137902.jpg]'s writing, and I love Rose and Dimitri's relationship!

I'll keep this review spoiler free, but let me tell you: Even though at some points in the book you may think you know what's coming next, you're probably wrong. And if you do guess right? You probably, deep down don't actually believe Mead would do something so amazingly show more game-changing.

Which is, as a matter of fact, another reason why I love this book: Mead isn't afraid to take big chances by changing crucial parts of the world she has created!

Over & Out, T x show less