Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
by Richelle MeadPublishing Info: November 13, 2008 by Penguin
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Young Adult
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // GoodreadsDate Completed: September 14, 2012
Related Posts: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2), Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4), Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5), Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1), The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2), The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3), Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6), Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1), The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1)
It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.
As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.
Wow, it’s almost really hard to talk about this book without being spoiler-y. I really like how Richelle Mead sets things up so well in the book. We get lots of little hints of foreshadowing in the beginning when Rose and Lissa visit the fortune teller. Lots of little things pop up throughout the book and I was like, “Oh yeah! Oh wait… oh no!!!”
LOVE the development between Rose and Dimitri in this book. We finally get to see them taking baby steps toward actually being together (yay!) which is something that they’ve been denying themselves (and us. Come on, already!) so that tension is finally starting to break.
Just like FROSTBITE, Mead leaves us with a HUGE surprise. I literally gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth. I really honestly have NO idea where the next book will take us and I’m so tempted just to keep reading straight on to find out! And who’s the blonde? That’s a really pretty spoiler-y question, but you wouldn’t know what I was talking about until you got to that point in the book anyway!
Rose: Well, she’s typical Rose still. Hot-headed, feisty – But I do like that we get to see a more serious side of her. She’s finally starting to understand the real seriousness of her being Lissa’s guardian and she really wants to prove to herself and to the staff that she can do it. She’s starting to think more rationally and maturely instead of like a rash teenager and I love it.
Dimitri: Dimitri, I love you. One of my favorite love interests in any book I’ve read! We get to stir up a little more passion in this book instead of pushing everything down and it’s like, FINALLY. And as always, I love that protector role.
Eddie: I really liked seeing more of Eddie in this book. He had a major part in the end of Frostbite, but I still didn’t feel like he had a major role. He’s a great character and we really start to make a connection with him here.
QUOTES
P131: “Victor had figured it out by watching us and gathering data. I guess when you’re a scheming villain, you get good at that stuff.”
P178: Rose: Why do you read these? Dimitri: Some people read books for fun.
Read it!
While SHADOW KISS wasn’t my favorite of the series so far, it was definitely still a lot of fun! These books are just addicting.
12 thoughts on “Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) – Richelle Mead”
Do I need to try this series again? God, I hate Rose. I’m going to wait for you to read them all and then you can tell me if I should do it.
Haha it’s up to you! I can see why you wouldn’t like her. I think she reminds me of one of my friends so I made a comparison between the two and maybe glossed over some of the more negative traits because I was seeing someone I liked in her character. It makes a difference! I think even more so than the characters, I’m just really enjoying that it’s a different take on vampires. It’s something new for me to explore and I like the world Richelle Mead is creating! Still don’t get the Adrian appeal… Maybe it takes time?
I have Last Sacrifice staring at me from my TBR – must read it soon, especially after this review! Well done. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 I can’t wait to pick it up!!!
I adore this series and the Bloodlines series. You’ll want to quickly tear through all the books I’m sure. Love your Dimitri quote!
Thanks! I can’t wait to read the next one! They’re so good
This is one of my favorite series! Love it!
It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites too 🙂