Review: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead (ABSOLUTE love)

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines
Book #: 5
Pages: 380
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 4.47
Published: July 29th, 2014

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.

Taschima's POV:

By far the best book in the Bloodlines series, even better than Fiery Heart (and that one was amaze-balls). Silver Shadows was everything that we have been waiting for. Everything that had been built up over the entire series (the comments on the re-education camps, consequences of vampire/human relations, the danger that is surrounding jailbait Jill...), hell even before Bloodlines more like since VA, come to a budding eruption in this title. Everything has gone to shit and it is up to Sydney and Adrian to find a way back to each other. Best. Book. EVER.

What I love about the Bloodlines series is that it is a continuation of the Vampire Academy world. It takes account of everything that is going on in that world still and it builds upon it. It doesn't just ignore everything that came before. Next we could easily pick up novels with Queen Lissa's POV without much of a hitch. I wonder if Richelle Mead is going to do more novels in the VA world after Sydney and Adrian's story comes to a close... I should hope so. Queen Lissa's life seems like a good option, she has a LOT of stuff going on.

Sydney... is a bad ass. She is so different from Rose, remarkably so, and yet they are both equals in the kick ass chick club. It really shows you there is more than one way to write a character you are able to look up to in the SAME series. I've always connected more with Sydney because she is more real than Rose. Rose is the fantasy, Sydney is much closer to reality. She is human after all... well, a human with magical abilities anyways. In Silver Shadows Sydney just... shined. All her best qualities came out, and she SOMEHOW managed to save everybody's life. She was put in a hole, far away from everything and everybody she loved, and instead of giving up, like so many before her had done, she prevailed. Did I mention that she is a bad ass?

Adrian, poor little Adrian. Adrian was never my favorite in the VA series, I was Team Dimitri all the way, but he and Rose just didn't work. He and Sydney are a total team though. They make each other stronger, better, and I am sad to say that Adrian WITHOUT Sydney is just a hot mess. It is really sad that even after having Sydney in his life Adrian still managed to succumb into old habits once Sydney is kidnapped. Yes, he was hurting but that doesn't mean he has to be weak. Adrian with Sydney is a sight to behold, Adrian without her is just plain sad. I was really hoping he was going to remain strong but that is just not Adrian. If he doesn't have someone next to him to keep him in check he just goes back to old habits and loses sight of what is important. He does not work well win situations that are robbed of all hope. Funny, cause in situations like these is when Sydney shines brightest.

Even though Adrian IS a sad little creature without Sydney I still love them together. They really do complement each other, and they do really love each other. It's the kind of love Adrian wanted with Rose, but that Rose had with Dimitri. The ending of Silver Shadows... Damn, I saw it coming a mile away and it was still the BEST THING I've read in a while. THEY GET MARRIED. It is a way for Sydney to receive Lissa's protection because by marrying Adrian she becomes one of Lissa's "people" and then she can throw her crown's weight behind protecting them. I think their wedding is the only YA wedding that I don't feel was forced or a way for the writer to impart some bullshit wisdom, it was just right

The pace of the book was perfect. The parts that were a little on the more mellow side (Sydney in re-education) were so full with psychological battles that you can't help but BE at the edge of your seat. And after 70% in it was all "Escape! Escape! ESCAPE! Action, action, ACTION!" I was not bored nor did I ever feel the need to put the book down.

I am real sad to see the end of this series coming so soon. I really can't believe Bloodlines was published only 3 years ago, and The Ruby Circle will be published next February. I would gladly keep the party going, maybe (as I've suggested above) let Lissa take the reins. She does have a lot going on in her life after all, would make for an interesting read (specially with Richelle Mead writing it... plus if I manage to get more sneak peaks of Dimitri and Rose, well, that would make my life). I am not ready to let go, could you guess that?