Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Published: July 2014

Pages: 416

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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.

Review:

I love this series. I don't love it AS MUCH as Vampire Academy but I still love it.  I can't believe we are down to the wire and there is only one more book left.  WHY????

So I will try not to spoil anything for those of you who have not read the first books.  This is by far the craziest one and you will not be able to anticipate what will happen.  Sydney is stuck in a re-education facility and Adrien is trying to bail her out.  The alchemists are smart though and they have little tricks to break down the human spirit in order to re-mold you back into a "model" citizen.  Sydney however has something to live for and although she is physically pushed to her limit, she keeps her head and is able to survive and work her way back to reality.

Book #5 will show you just how far Syadrian is willing to go for love.  How there is a much greater diversity between human and Moroi opposed to Moroi and Dhamphir.  It will have you reading chapter 19 and saying WHHHHHAAAAATTTT?????

Seriously, you will do that. I had to stop and re-read the chapter.

Have I got you intrigued?  Maybe even just a little? 

Now go read it.  And comment on my post....

I loved it. And now it is fresh in my memory to pick up and read The Ruby Circle...which is on my nightstand now.  :)

Thank you Richelle Mead, for keeping my reading list full....darn you Razorbill...for making the series only 6 books long....



The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Published: Nov 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 438

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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 Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Review:

Ahhh....I love Richelle Mead.  Sitting back and reading one of her books is like catching up with an old friend.  It is funny how quickly we fall back into comfortable patterns and even though I feel like she has a tried and true road map to writing, she always manages to throw in a few surprises to keep me reading.  The Fiery Heart is book #3 in the Bloodline series.  Here, we find Sydney FINALLY finding her voice and becoming not only strong intellectually but finding her own inner self-confidence in all things non-academic.  Not only that, but she finds herself a real beau, not the faker coffee maker who thinks he is smarter than Miss Sage.  I mean, c'mon, have we ever  met any character smarter than a grade A alchemist?  Speaking of smarts, Sydney flexes her noggin' and devises some pretty incredible magic of her own by mixing her personal magic with her knowledge of all things Alchemist.  Together, they get her into a heap of trouble...which will lead us to the next book of course.  If you are a lover of the Vampire Academy, then you must have already started reading the Bloodlines series.  If you haven't, then definitely start from book #1 - Bloodlines (even if you haven't read Vampire Academy).  It will have you sitting in your cozy chair and ordering book #2 wirelessly in no time.  :)  Highly highly recommended reading this holiday season....

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Published: February 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 432

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Review:

Firstly, let me get this off my chest...ITS ABOUT TIME!!!  Whew, now that that's over, let's review, shall we?

So I ran out to get this one on release day at my local Chapters during my lunch hour.  I scoured the store but couldn't find it so I spoke to a salesperson who said their new arrivals had been shipped late and were still in the back.  I actually asked if they could crack open one of the boxes for me.  New release fever.  Have you had it before?  Symptoms may include dry mouth, dizziness and bloodshot eyes.  Reading while walking back to work is hazardous.  People, please don't try to use escalators while reading....

Reading a Richelle Mead book for me is like sitting down with an old friend and catching up over a fantastic meal.  We chat a bit and then we gossip and review every little thing that has happened since our last get-together.  If I had had the time, I would have re-read Bloodlines and The Golden Lily to get reacquainted with Sydney, Adrian, Jill and the rest of the gang.  However, Ms. Mead does an excellent job of re-capping what happened in her last two titles and re-establishing relationships you had forgotten about.  I LOVE it when authors do this well.  It saves me at least 300 pages of re-reading previous titles.  

Bloodlines would be in my top YA book series of all time.  The Mortal Instruments (all books) takes the top spot and Vampire Academy takes #2.  Speaking of Mortal Instruments, the movie is coming out this fall.  CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT!!  In book to movie news, my #2 series is also in production.  I have been keeping my eye on what is happening with the Vampire Academy movie and 2014 can't come soon enough for me.  Some of my favourite series being made into movies (Hunger Games, Beautiful Creatures, Mortal Instruments, Vampire Academy).  Zoey Deutch (Emily in Beautiful Creatures) will be playing Rose Hathaway in Vampire Academy (can you say skyrocketing to fame?)  

 

So let's have a chat about Indigo Spell.  Sydney is torn in all sorts of directions in this book.  She is exploring her magical side, being hunted down by witch, discovers the truth about her Alchemist background and has found a new friend (or foe?) in Marcus Finch (ex-Alchemist).  It is a good thing this gal is smart because she is also attending school.  How does she juggle it all?  With a little help from her friends, a teacher and a very forgiving dorm mother.  The Indigo Spell is an excellent continuation in Sydney's story.  She grows a lot in this book and I'm happy to see her opening up to new ideas.  As always, she has her wits about her (usually) and though she may seem very conservative and boring, her life is anything but.  I love how she is coming out of her shell.

Mead.  It rhymes with Read.  As in, support your local bookstore, buy it and get your nose in a book.  



The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Published: June 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 418

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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.

Review:

The Golden Lily is book #2 in the Bloodlines series, a spin off from Mead's every popular Vampire Academy series.  Now I'm a huge fan of the Vampire Academy series so its no surprise that I'd be right in there with the Bloodlines series.  I love how Mead has developed some of our favorite side characters such as Adrian, Jill and of course Sydney.

Ahhh....the every so book smart Sydney Sage...have you ever known anyone like her in your life?  She is brilliant and seems to know every fact and detail, history and calculation but when it comes to dealing with real life issues and people, she's sorely lacking.  Yes, that is our Sydney.  How, how, how can she miss all of the signs from a certain Moroi who is interested in her?  The Golden Lily for me was less of the regular thrilling adventure and more of a romance.  The storyline in this title was a little transparent for me but still enjoyable nonetheless.  If you are searching for Richelle's regular action packed fights and mystery/adventure, you may be a little disappointed.  She spent a lot of time developing relationships and establishing Sydney's naivety about life.  Never fear though, Adrian still has wicked comeback lines and I was still entertained with his antics.

In Case You Missed It - The Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Published: August 2007

Published by: Razorbill

Pages: 332

Copy Provided By: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Review:

OK, so where have I been?? We're posting this as an In Case You Missed It review because apparently, I did miss it!! The first of the Vampire Academy series came out in 2007. I'm sure many of you have already read it...

I'm not sure why I felt that I needed to start up another SERIES but I have read so much about this one in the blogsphere that I just had to check it out. I'm not certain that it was a good idea or not because it's so FREAKING ADDICTING!! This is an incredible series. If you have not started reading it and were in the same group I was a few weeks ago, you need to check it out. Now.

So let's talk characters. At first I thought that Rose came on a little strong and Lissa had much more confidence that she let on but that was not the case. Let's face it. Rose is a bit of a bully. And apparently a very attractive bully at that. I would like to see how this series plays out and watch Lissa's character develop. I felt she was a little weak and I'd definitely like to see her kick some butt like Rose.

Let's talk love. Ahhh...here we go - Rose and her multitude of admirers. Or kissing companions, whichever you prefer. I love how Dimitri and Rose's relationship builds all on its own with this nearly tangible tension. It makes all the rest of the boys seem well, like boys.

Plot. Ms. Mead, you did a great job at setting up the first book and creating an interesting world with heirarchy, intrigue, mystery and fabulous characters. Two thumbs up! It's complicated so I don't want to get into details or spoil the fun. You'll like it though. Trust me.

So let me tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Before I finished reading it, I tried to reserve book 2 (Frostbite) from the library and it wasn't available so I considered purchasing it on Kobo for my Blackberry and realized that I could read the first chapter for free. I am refraining from book purchases though because I already have a huge stack in my dresser. Yes, I do not have bookshelves. I have a dresser....where I keep my books...to be discussed at another time...so back to Kobo. This is how I know that I'll enjoy a novel. If I read the first chapter and it has me screaming for more. Screaming for more people. I'm on book number 3 now. BTW, I don't feel that this series is for a younger audience. I wouldn't recommend it to pre-teens.