Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #5
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Source: Purchased, Audiobook

Summary from Goodreads:
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.

Review

Note: This review contains spoilers for The Fiery Heart

Silver Shadows was just the book to get this series back on track, after The Fiery Heart's lackluster performance. Sydney is in an Alchemist re-education center and is struggling to stay true to herself and her beliefs while still managing to appease her captors enough to survive. It's no easy feat, as she is mentally and physically tormented, but she is the strongest she's ever been. I loved watching her try to outsmart and outmaneuver the Alchemists and she does a damn fine job of it. Meanwhile, the Palm Springs crew is devastated over her disappearance but nobody is suffering as much as Adrian is. His feelings of helplessness and loss eventually overwhelm him and he slips into his old destructive behaviors. I admit, I expected the worst of him when I started this book so I was a little relieved by what I saw but I still wanted to shake some sense into him until about 30% of the way through.

This book just got better and better as I read - with Sydney working from the inside and Adrian working from the outside - everything just came together so well to culminate in one action-packed conclusion. Since the outcome of The Fiery Heart was pretty predictable, I worried that Silver Shadows might read the same but I am happy to say that it still managed to surprise me (and left me a little smitten). I am pretty pleased with the progression of events and the ending of this book. But I admit that I have high expectations for the final book, fair or not. I feel like the scope of this story has expanded with each book but we haven't really received any closure yet on what's been introduced. I hope everything is tied up nicely in the end, and if I had to venture a guess, I think it will be.

In summary, Silver Shadows was a great follow up to The Fiery Heart and a nice set up to The Ruby Circle. I was thoroughly entertained while reading, more and more so as the book progressed. And Sydrian fans are in for a treat! I can't wait for the next book (and fortunately, I only have to wait until February)

REVIEW: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

Title: The Fiery Heart

Series: Bloodlines #4
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: November 19, 2013

Pages: 438, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

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• I think one of Richelle Mead’s greatest talents is her character development. Not only are her characters memorable and unique, but the growth they experience over the course of a series is remarkable. Sydney is a perfect example of this. I always liked Sydney because I saw little pieces of myself in her but I wasn’t impressed by her as a protagonist at the start. She was relatively bland and not-fun in Bloodlines, which was a big change after having Rose as a protagonist in VA. But four books later, her character has become much more complex, much more appealing. She still has all the attributes that make her Sydney, but is less robot-like. Her opinions and actions have definitely evolved. Adrian’s character is experience an equally significant transformation, but in the opposite direction. He’s becoming more stable, among other things


• Sydrian <3. This book was largely about their relationship which has finally come to fruition. I am kind of fascinated by their romance because I don’t think two people could be more different yet work together so well. There were some growing pains, a whole lotta sexual tension, but mostly it was just sweet and honest. AND LONG OVERDUE J


• The ending. I knew it was coming but that didn’t make it any less nail-biting. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I have some predictions about what is going to happen. 

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• Adrian is probably my favorite character in existence. Yes, I love him that much. And I was thrilled to get his POV for the first time. But in the end, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in what I saw. I don't mind getting a sensitive, more stable Adrian. I think that is only inevitable when he is with Sydney. But this Adrian was a total bore. I feel like he lost what makes him him. He wasn't snarky, or fun. In fact, his POV made the snark seem like it was always just an act. 


• Also, essentially nothing noteworthy happened outside of Sydney and Adrian's relationship. Really, nothing. And don't get me wrong, I love Sydrian, but I needed more than that. In fact, after 400 pages of nothing but relationship woes, I was almost tired of Sydrian. 

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I love the world and characters that Richelle Mead created, so I always enjoy reading her books. But if I am being honest, this one was a bit of a let down. It is still a solid read, and I recommend readers to continue because this series does hold promise. Just.. don't have too high of expectations. 

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2) by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June, 12, 2012
Pages: 418, Hardcover
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:
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.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

When I found out Richelle Mead was writing a spinoff of the Vampire Academy series, I was ecstatic.  I loved the series and was so happy to get another 6 books written in this world. But I didn't fall in love with Bloodlines nearly as much as I had with Vampire Academy. I think a big part of this had to do with the switch from Rose to Sydney as the main character. Rose is rebellious and confident and so full of life, whereas, Sydney is more reserved and refined, and well, a little dull. Even though I still enjoyed Bloodlines (a solid 3 star rating), it just didn't compare to the thrill I got from Rose's story and POV.

The Golden Lily is a step in the right direction. I don't know if I will ever like Sydney as much as Rose (there's not many female leads that I like as much as Rose period) but I found her more endearing in this book. Sydney begins questioning everything she's been taught to believe by the Alchemists as she spends more time with the Moroi and dhampirs. She loosens up a bit and I think this makes her more likable. We also get to enjoy more of her quirks and eccentricities - her intellect, her whit, her complete social/romantic ineptitude - and all around she's a bit more exciting than in the first book. We get to endure her first relationship and she also dabbles more in the magic that her teacher introduced to her. I'm exited to see how the latter will be used in the later books. We also get to see her and Adrian get closer *swoon* and I admire her ability to keep up with him in snarky comments. Definite plus for entertainment value. Did I mention I LOVE ADRIAN? He's still his usual drinking/smoking/sarcastic/i-don't-give-a-damn self but it's not who he is anymore as much as who people expect him to be. We continually get to see the softer/caring/more vulnerable side of him, especially when it comes to Sydney. I'll admit I like bad boy, cocky, and rebellious Adrian better but I believe this side of him works when were dealing with Syndey rather than Rose (and I'll take what I can get).

As usual, Richelle Mead's writing just rocks. I swear she could make the dullest of events sound interesting if she wanted to. Her characters are so distinct and she has them interact so well. None of her books are without some humor and silliness but she still packs all the heavy emotions and themes in there too - love, anger, self-doubt, duty. I liked the mystery/developments in this novel more so than Bloodlines. I mean, were talking VAMPIRE HUNTERS!! Consistent with Richelle Mead's other books, we get good-pacing, a steady unveiling of pieces to the puzzle, a nice set up for the third book, plot twists, and adventure. She never disappoints.

Overall, The Golden Lily was better than Bloodlines, but still not as good as Vampire Academy. A lot of this resides in Sydney, who I've already noticed big improvements in. I seriously think each book will keep getting better and that this is a series to stick with. Richelle Mead has already set up so much, that I can't wait to see what she has in store.