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Book Review: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3) by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss

by Richelle Mead

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads)

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 suddenly there’s way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmare, 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?

Review

Yes, another Vampire Academy book. That’s what I’m reading!

Okay, so the 3rd book in this series, Shadow Kiss, has a lot more to it than Frostbite did. I enjoyed that it went straight into what happens next. Even with grief surrounding the campus, things had to move on, so Rose did what she needed to do: Trudge through. Since Rose is Rose, she probably should I have spent time trying to get through her grief, but no, she jumped right back up.

I love reading new ideas, so Mead’s Vampire Academy ways was a delight. I loved reading about their classes, specifically that the Guardians had to go through 6 week training were they stood by those they were trained to protect, the Moroi Vampires, while their professors dressed up and randomly attacked them. Now that was fun to read.

Plus, I liked how more than one BIG event happened in this book. Rose and the gang went to a whole different city, had an adventure, and came back to the Academy. Mead could have dragged that out as a book, but she didn’t, thank the gods.

Another aspect I respect is that we don’t know what’s happening. We are as clueless as Rose at this point.

*Spoiler*

I didn’t if she was seeing ghost because she was crazy or because the ghost was real and trying to tell her something.

It’s always intense but fun to have that in a book.

I will say, there was one thing that I thought Rose and Adrian and Lissa should have figured out sooner than they did, but when they did, it was well written and understood.

One review of this book noted the fact that it was good to read Rose have some doubt about constantly protecting the Moroi, and I agree. The dhampirs are so selfless at times it’s almost unreal! I’m glad there was some doubt put in there.

The romance was…good. I loved the romantic tension but really there was not a lot of making out or anything. Which is okay with me. But when something DID happen, it did seem kind of rushed.

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this, but when reading a book where the characters pull together and say: You know what? Let’s kick some ass., I feel adrenaline! It’s so much fun. And when they actually DO kick some ass? Totally freaking awesome. I was more than happy to read about CHRISTIAN and ROSE (Yes, I know, shocker if you haven’t read the book yet.) kicking some Strigoi.

The ending was very emotional. I’m wondering how Mead will take Rose to her goal and what will come out of it.

With a quick beginning, intense middle, and sobering end, Shadow Kiss was a lovely sequel to Frostbite.

I can’t wait to read Blood Promise.

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