Wednesday, November 26, 2008

"Shadow Kiss"...AMAZING!!

Synopsis From B&N.com:

WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS ROSE COULD LOSE HER BEST FRIEND FOREVER?

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken . . .

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but now there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are prowling, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most . . . but will her choice mean that only one can survive?




Richelle Mead tells a wicked and emotional story about vampires-- but not just any vampires. The Vampire Academy Series, especially Shadow Kiss, is filled with action, mystery, suspense, and yes, even love. It has the perfect mixture of light humor and dark angst, which I think can appeal to almost anyone, both the teenage crowd it was printed for and adults too.

Rose's story has been constantly developing and evolving since the very beginning-- every time you think you know what's going to happen, Mead does a complete 180, catching you by surprise and throwing you right back into a new situation that you never, in your wildest dreams, could have imagined. She knows how to tell the story in a way that it keeps you interested and wondering AND doesn't confuse you at the same time, something that not all authors can do.

Besides the amazing storyline, the characters are also great. Rose and Lissa are very vivid and you can tell that they are good friends. Christian and Adrian, while slightly 'darker' in personality, are both interesting and funny in their own way, and also deep, not just a couple of characters brought in to fill up space.

And Dimitri... Oh My! Not only is he described as a total hotty, but he's also very intense, strong, brave, and STILL sweet and loving with Rose. Their love is forbidden, not only because of the slight age difference but also because of the duties they have that will always come first. And yet, despite these hardships, they've managed to still make do, even if it's been very rough. Because of this, their emotions seem that much more intense and true, and there's not doubt that besides loving each other in the physical sense, they also love each other, in the true emotional sense of the word. Their passion jumps right off the page, burning everything it touches, but Mead writes it in such a way that you realize that it's not just sex, but something deeper, and it's not written to look cheap or overly graphic. A mature teenage could read it just as easily as an adult can, and probably relate to their relationship too.

I've been following the series from the very beginning, and devoured each book, and even I never saw the twist Shadow Kiss would take-- especially the ending! I will admit that I was pretty dang close to tears during a certain part at the end, and when I realized that Mead was leaving us at a cliff hanger until the next book, I screamed out my frustration, because the story is just that good, that captivating and interesting, that I HAVE to know what happens next! All I can say is she had better not ruin the series in the next book *If you read it and get to the end, you'll know what I mean. I don't wish to spoil it for anyone.* and book four had better come out soon! Until then, I'll definitely be spending my time re-reading the first three, obsessing over them and waiting, impatiently, for the next one.

5/5 STARS! An amazing book about vampires, suspense, action, and love. The pages fly by, and any reader, teen or adult, will find Rose's world to be intriguing and delicious. A must read for any one who wants to be blown away by a fantasy novel that grabs you by the shirt and pulls you right in!


~TBQ~

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