Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead (Blood Lines Series #5)-a review

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About the book: Release Date: July 29, 2014

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:

Very few times have I ever sat down to write a review and can’t come up with the first line. I literally have too many thoughts going through my head about this one. The story picks up shortly after The Fiery Heart ends. Those familiar with the story know that Sydney was taken against her will by the powers that be within the Alchemist organization for becoming too “chummy” with the Moroi (the vampires). If they only knew………….

Sydney was held, and basically tortured psychologically for months. Once she is released from the “cleansing” cell, she knows that she has to play along in order to make the Alchemists believe that she is on the mend and on the path to redemption. She finds herself in the ultimate game of cat and mouse and knows that if she doesn’t play her cards right, she’ll never see the light of day.

Adrian is utterly devastated that he hasn’t been able to contact Sydney in their dreams. Unfortunately, for Adrian, he falls back into his old habit of drinking to numb the pain. He begins to lose hope, and then there’s a knock at the door. I don’t know who was more shocked when he opened the door, him or me!! He is whisked back to Court and tries to enlist the help of their queen and his friend, Lissa and her guardian, Rose. But, Lissa knows that it’s a slippery slope and can’t risk her fragile reign to go up against the Alchemists when it isn’t one of her subjects in danger.

Despair descends on Adrian and he soon descends into a routine that he knows all too well: drinking and partying. Thankfully, the pity party doesn’t last long and he’s able to finally connect with Sydney and knows that she is alive! However, the one thing he needs to know is very elusive. He needs to know where she is and she has no idea. Adrian springs into action and heads back to Palm Springs and a plan is formed. He enlists the help everyone who will listen to him, and soon enough, the plan is enacted. Will they truly be able to get to Sydney in time? Will their crew be able to get in and get her out? Oh my friends, you’ll have to read to find out. Because as fans of this series know all too well, there isn’t always a happy ending…………

Richelle Mead is a phenomenal author. Her YA series, Vampire Academy (which Bloodlines spun off of), is one of my absolute favorites and I never thought that I’d like this particular series as well as that one. Well, I’m a big girl and can admit that I was wrong!! She has a different spin on vampires and the world and it more than works. It works WELL! Her supporting characters, all of which we get to see in Silver Shadows, are such an integral part of the story, but you never feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that IS this story. I wish that I could share more about some of the things that happened in this one, but don’t want to spoil it for anyone. You also don’t have the quintessential love triangle in this series as you normally get in a lot of YA series. At least, not with the main characters.

All of Mead’s books grab you on the first page, and this was no exception. This one was a bit brutal in the Alchemist’s treatment of Sydney and her fellow detainees, but was necessary to portray just how far the Alchemists will go to get what they want. If you’ve not read Mead, you are missing out on a fabulous ride. And, even though it’s YA, I can’t fathom anyone who is a fan of paranormal with a twist not liking this series. The downside? I have to wait on the next and I cannot wait. Well done Richelle Mead, very very very well done!!

Reviewed by Vickie M.