Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead |

Shadow Kiss
(Vampire Academy, #3)
By: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: Nov. 13, 2008
Genre: YA
Rating:
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Is Rose’s fate to kill the person she loves most? It’s springtime at St. Vladimir’s Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason’s death, Rose hasn’t been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can’t concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret . . . .She’s in love with Dimitri. And this time, it’s way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever…

1thoughts
This book had more action to it than the others. The school has paired Dhampirs with Moroi as if they are in the real world. The administrators are acting as the Strigoi and are randomly attacking the students to test their reflex skills. So with the mock fights there is a lot of action going on through out the book. On top of that Rose has started to see ghosts. She has no idea why she’s seeing ghosts and what it means but something doesn’t seem right. Add in a trip to the Royal Court, two real Strigoi attacks and two huge surprises at the end and you have got yourself one hell of a story.

I don’t know where to begin and I definitely don’t want to give anything away for those who’ve not read the previous books. After the way Frostbite ended I didn’t know what to expect between Dimitri and Rose. He has certainly lowered his defenses a bit and he has been in the book a lot more interacting with her. For instance when she gets in trouble during a mock fight and is given community service at the church, Dimitri shows up to help her with it. You could see that he was opening up a little bit more towards her.

The only thing I cannot get out of my head is the ending though. Boy does Mead know how to leave you hanging. First you’re like “OMG I cannot believe that just happened!” and then #BAM# “WHAT?! How did that happen?”… “Oh no, that’s not good.”…. “Yes kill those Strigoi!”… “No! No! No! Are you f*&’ing kidding me?! No!”… The end. I mean talk about emotional ending. Out of the entire book I think that the ending took the cake for me. I got goosebumps reading the highs and lows all in a matter of chapters. I cheered, I got nervous, I cheered again, then got sad, then things were looking up and then Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am I was thrown off my butt and didn’t know what the hell happened.

1favequote
“You can’t fool me, comrade. You want to put on a cowboy hat and keep lawless bank robbers in line.” -Rose