Review: Shadow Kiss (Graphic Novel) by Richelle Mead

ShadowkissedShadow Kiss
(Vampire Academy Graphic Novel, #3)
By: Richelle Mead, Leigh Dragoon (Adapter), Emma Vieceli (Illustrator)
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: Dec. 31, 2013
Genre: Paranormal/YA/Graphic Novel
Rating:
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Goodreads

It’s springtime at St. Vladimir’s Academy, and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven’t felt quite right. She’s having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all …might be seeing ghosts. Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world – and make her choose between the two people she loves most.

 

 

1thoughtsYet another great graphic novel adaptation by Leigh Dragoon and Emma Vieceli. In this installment we learn a little bit more about Rose’s shadow kissed condition and what that means for her. Plus, Rose and Dimitri’s relationship picks up and boy is it hot!

I love the work that these two ladies do for Richelle Mead’s VA series. Sure, Leigh Dragoon takes a lot out of each book in order to fit it into one graphic novel, but she keeps the heart of the story intact. Not only that, but she still adds some little quirky parts that are in the story. For instance, she included the scene where Dimitri makes hot cocoa for Rose and as he’s making it, he explains how using two packets is the secret to delicious hot cocoa. That’s something that could have been easily over-looked. I mean, it’s not like Rose uses hot cocoa to save the day or anything. However, that was one of those vulnerable moments from Dimitri that always stuck out for me when reading Shadow Kiss.

Like I’ve said before, you don’t have to read the series in order to read the graphic novels. We get a prologue at the beginning describing the who’s who of players and what’s going on. So, if you are more of a graphic novel person and don’t really want to read the series itself, you don’t have to. I think that’s one thing that I love about this graphic novel series. It’s not dependent on you having read the original series. It can hold it’s own. However, given the fact that the graphic novel is still a series in itself, I would highly recommend that you start with the first book and work your way through the graphic novels.

One of the things that stuck out to me the most was probably the cave scene at the end. I always had such a hard time envisioning it in the novel. I mean, there’s all these tunnels, fighting going on, the strigoi are hiding in hidden pockets and attacking people, it was pretty hard to picture when reading the novel. So, it was great seeing it illustrated. I think with seeing it illustrated it made it that much more suspenseful.

I can not give this graphic novel series more praise. Leigh Dragoon and Emma Vieceli have taken one of my favorite series and turned it into a graphic novel. A successful graphic novel at that. I really hope the publisher decides to publish Blood Promise as a graphic novel. The last I heard they were waiting to see how the sales from this one did before they approved the next one. All I know is that this girl will be crossing her fingers. I kind of want to see how Emma Vieceli pulls off the new Dimitri.

 

1favepartSK

While I liked a lot of parts from this graphic novel, I’d be a big fat liar-liar-pants-on-fire if I didn’t go with the cabin scene after Rose goes a little crazy from drawing spirit away from Lissa. I’m pretty sure the cabin scene is my favorite part of the whole stinkin’ series.

 

 

 

 

Previous reviews from the Vampire Academy graphic novels
Vampire Academy
Frost Bite

kRISTIN

10 Thoughts on “Review: Shadow Kiss (Graphic Novel) by Richelle Mead

  1. I haven’t read a graphic novel in forever!! I need to correct that. Glad you enjoyed this one so much! 🙂

    • Yes. You must! It took me a while to get into them because I was choosing bad ones. So far, this is the only graphic novel I enjoy. Sad to see that there aren’t any plans to make another one yet. 🙁

  2. I really need to get my hands on these! My library didn’t have them so I’ll have to buy I guess.

  3. Wow sounds like they’ve done an awesome job with these. I still need to finish the actual series. One day hopefully 😀

    • Ha! I still have two more books left in the Bloodlines series before I’m finished. I guess I’m procrastinating because I don’t want it all to end. I’m hoping the publisher decides to finish the graphic novel series. :\ It would suck to stop where it is.

  4. I kinda remember that scene! Gosh that scene looks intense on the graphic version

    • Yeah. They even cover the sex scene in the graphic novel. Obviously they don’t show any naughty bits but there’s intense faces and strategically places sheets and arms to cover stuff up.

  5. Wow, a graphic novel version, that is pretty cool.

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