Thursday, November 14, 2013

Review: Shadow Kiss

Shadow Kiss
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: November 13, 2008
Paperback, 443 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

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.


I was super excited going into this book. Frostbite was so good and I couldn't wait for more Rose. It started with a bang with Rose having dark thoughts since killing her first Strigoi. Things aren't feeling quite right and she's pretty sure she's seeing Mason, her could be boyfriend who got killed during the attacks in the last book. Not only that but Lissa is experimenting with her magic with Adrian, causing friction between Lissa and Christian, and Victor Dashkov may be released from jail soon. Shit just keeps hitting the fan in Rose's life but she doesn't  have time to deal with any of it as she is now in her field practice for becoming a guardian, protecting someone she didn't think she'd be paired with. 

There was so much going on in this book, it was hard to put it down. I loved the field practice, where the dhampirs have the chance to put everything they've learned to practice and fight off the Guardians as though they are real Strigoi. Rose's practice starts off rough, but we all know how strong she is and she eventually proves it again to everyone around her. This book is a game changer. Everything that happens in it is sure to make an impact on the rest of the series. Lissa's powers are getting stronger everyday, but this is bad news for Rose since she is sucking up all the madness coming off of Lissa. Victor is still alive, though locked up for good, but I have a feeling he'll be back. Rose has finally discovered what being Shadow Kissed really means and it may not be a good thing at all. The ending is flawless and unexpected. Everything was written well and sucked me in and there was no way I was letting go. 

Rose and Dimitri's relationship also changes drastically in this book. I got chills every time they spoke, hoping for another kiss to add to the two they've shared so far. Dimitri is a good match for Rose. He knows how to calm her down but also understands that if she wants to do something, she'll do it. The age difference barely registers with me when they are together and the moments they spend together in the cabin were swoon worthy. I'm not sure what I'll think of the next book, Blood Promise, since the ending to this one may have scarred me for life, but I'm eager to find out what happens between Rose and Dimitri now that everything has happened. Rose is such a refreshing heroine, and I can't wait to see what other trouble she gets into. 

“Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe—kind of surprises me myself—but I guess it has to happen. It's probably some kind of karmic way to balance out the universe. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to have one person so full of awesomeness.” 

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