Silver Shadows (book 5) (Bloodlines, #5)

by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines: Silver Shadows is the heart-pounding fifth instalment in the bestselling Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, set in the world of the international bestseller, Vampire Academy - NOW A MAJOR FILM.

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.

'Exciting, empowering and un-put-downable.' MTV's Hollywood Crush

'We're suckers for it!' - Entertainment Weekly

Also available in the Bloodlines series:
Bloodlines (Book 1)
Bloodlines: The Golden Lily (Book 2)
Bloodlines: The Indigo Spell (Book 3)
Bloodlines: The Fiery Heart (Book 4)
Bloodlines: Silver Shadows (Book 5)

Discover where the story began in the Vampire Academy series:
*NOW A MAJOR FILM*
Vampire Academy (Book 1)
Vampire Academy: Frostbite (Book 2)
Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss (Book 3)
Vampire Academy: Blood Promise (Book 4)
Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound (Book 5)
Vampire Academy: Last Sacrifice (Book 6)

• ISBN10: 0141350180
• ISBN13: 9780141350189
• Publish Date: 29 July 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Silver Shadows was pretty intense. It starts off with Sydney in solitary confinement, attempting to figure out how to get free without losing herself. Meanwhile, Adrian has gone off his medication in hopes of locating her in a dream, but that doesn't help much if he can't stay sober as well. It's just a big ol', depressing mess. In a good way. The Alchemists are ruthless in their methods without being over the top. Sydney quickly learns how to play their game though, and it's just a matter of time until Adrian and the others find her.

The beginning of Silver Shadows is a little slow, which is not surprising. Not much can be done when the heroine is locked and drugged underground and the hero is passed out drunk. It's not boring though. The re-education center is fascinating, if horrible. I wasn't quite as invested in Adrian's chapters until a certain someone sneaks up on him and forces him to reevaluate what the heck he's doing. From there, it's nonstop action as he pulls himself together and gets a plan in motion to break out Sydney and the others.

I can't say a lot about Silver Shadows without spoilers. Lots of spoilery things happen. The last third or so was very exciting and more things just kept happening and I was never sure if things were going to turn out okay or not. Then of course, the last page has to deliver a new shock which threw me straight into the final book.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[KitsuneBae]

See an overall review in Ruby Circle.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

5 ★ Audiobook⎮I can't believe I'm giving a book in this series 5 stars. Especially when my last five star books were Illuminae & The Scorpio Races. Don't get me wrong, Silver Shadows was nowhere near as amazing as those two, but my enjoyment level while reading this was nearly as high. I think I would feel more comfortable giving this book 4.75 stars instead (because apparently now I rate books on a .25 scale...). It wasn't "amazing" as a whole, but parts of it definitely were thrilling. This was the best book in the series thus far and it made me eat my earlier words about the series not having enough action. Readers that were loyal throughout the slower-paced first four books were definitely rewarded for sticking it out. ♣︎

[Chelsea]

Initial Thoughts

I’m nervous. I don’t want this series to end and I especially don’t want the ending to suck. It’s going so good right now that I’m worried that the author will mess up. Fingers crossed!

My New BFF

It’s not a new bff, it’s the same one since I started this series. Sydney really does surprise me. She’s not a fighter but she’s fighting for her life in this book. There’s so much going on with her and it makes me love her even more. Not only is she trying to escape, but she’s trying to get the others to escape too. Most of them are brainwashed so it’s kind of hard to do. I was nervous that someone was going to stab her in the back the whole time! I’m glad she was smart enough to figure all this stuff out though. The next book is going to be crazy!

My Crush

I’m glad we still got to see Adrian in this book. I was worried that the author would focus on Sydney more but we got to see pieces of how Adrian was handling her disappearance. I was actually really impressed with his break out strategy. I figured he’s be more of a backup player but he was really important during this whole book. His character just keeps getting better and more complex!

Writing Style

I especially love the characters in this book. We meet tons of new people and some of our old friends come back. One thing I’d like to see is more of queen Lissa and the whole court because I feel like they should be involved with this whole scenario. aybe next book!

Closing Thoughts

I’m in love with this series and I can’t say that enough. I can’t find anything wrong with it. As soon as I opened this book I couldn’t put it down! I get sucked into the world and I feel like I’m right alongside the characters. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves action and romance with a little bit of supernatural added in. I can’t wait to see which direction this series goes in.

[Sam@WLABB]

I swear! I fall more in love with this series with each additional book. This book was really emotional. Adrian and the rest of the gang are trying to reconcile with the fallout from Sydney's capture. The best couple are torn apart and fighting to find each other despite their horrific circumstances. Yes, it was all very emotional, and the story is just going in directions I didn't expect (in a good way). I am simultaneously excited and sad to read the final book of this series. Excited, because I need to know what happens next and some really great and amazing things transpired in this book. Sad, because it will be my final book with Adrian and Sydney. I have grown to love them and many of the original VA characters and will miss reading about them.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

Oh my god, this series! I know I was a little disappointed with The Fiery Heart, but Silver Shadows more than makes up for it. And I've come to realise that we need the romance heavy The Fiery Heart to get Sydney and Adrian's romance and understand it's development, so we can be rooting for them in Silver Shadows. This book is incredible!



There's no way I can really sumarise this book in any way that's better than or equal to the blurb above. So much happens in this book, and it would be incredibly easy to spoil certain things by trying to summarise it, so I'll pass on that this time round. But god, this book is pretty much all tension. Sydney's life in re-education is hell. The extent to which the Alchemists will go to "fix" those who have "sullied their souls" is disgusting. It's practically torture. As long as you're going along with everything they say and do all they tell you to do, things are pretty much ok - but their opinion of what is right is so out of bounds, that you would have to swallow your morals and beliefs, your urge to correct them for their disgusting views, all the time just to get by. And that doesn't always happen. Sydney is so awesome though, because she is so strong. She may play along at times, but she always keeps in mind that she's doing this to get to Adrian sooner. And she does what she can to learn about the facility and how she might escape, and she tries her utmost to help the others there - despite it being encouraged to shun other detainees who have slipped up.

Adrian is at his wits end. He is trying and trying to reach Sydney in his dreams, but it's just not happening, and all other things he's tried have fallen trhough. He doesn't know what else he can do. He's in the deepest, darkest pit of despair, and using Spirit so much is taking it's toll. He goes back to alcohol in a big way, and the voice he hears of his Aunt Tatiana just gets louder. But when a small glimmer of hope, some way to possibly help, is discovered, Adrian's determination is incredible. I'm not sure I've read a book with a male perspective where the guy is more fiercely loyal about doing all that must be done to save the one he loves. Adrian in this book just took my breath away, especially considering all his other issues.

Thinking back over everything that happens in the book, it's hard to believe it's only 380 pages long! Seriously, I've barely touched the surface. I was wound up so tightly the whole way through, desperate to know how things were going to turn out! To say it's action-packed wouldn't be quite true, it's not full of fighting, but there is always something happening. Some plot, some scheme, or some new torture from the Alchemists to discover. There is no let up with this book! Then last 100 pages or so kind of feel completely separate to the rest of the book in that it's so far removed from what happens earlier. As I said, it's surprising how short this book is considering all it fits in! And it's all so terribly exciting! And the ending! Oh my god, oh my god! I have a theory already. But life is not going to be easy for everyone after the events of this book, so I'm pretty sure the next book, The Ruby Circle, which will also be the last in the series (gone by so fast!) is going to be explosive!

[journalingirl]

Why I read it?:

I don’t usually read vampire novels (I haven’t since the 8th grade), but I love this series and this author, so I am trucking myself through until it finishes.

What I thought about it?:

This has to be my favorite book in the series. It is action packed and moves fast. It starts out in a scary place and readers aren’t sure if things will end okay or not. The ending is a bit cliche, but if you are a fan of the series and vacillating on whether or not to read it, definitely give it a chance.

[catiebug]

I think this is my favorite book in the series!

[ellieroth]

Hermoso



SIN SPOILERS

Publicado originalmente: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

No me duró ni veinticuatro horas. Silver Shadows fue mucho más de lo que esperaba, en estos momentos estoy en un limbo, con un subidón de satisfacción que solo baja un poco cuando me doy cuenta que este es el penúltimo libro. No sé que va a ser de mi este año con la espera de Ruby Circle. Pero todavía no nos pongamos tristes, te vine a hablar de Silver Shadows. Todos teníamos teorías y 40% de ellas estuvieron equivocadas. ES CRUEL. No te diré exactamente cuales son, no voy a quitarte nada de la experiencia de lo que es leer este libro.

Recuerdo que en The Fiery Heart, sino me equivoco, dije que se me hacía difícil seguir a Sydney, era un poco denso. Esto cambia totalmente en Silver Shadows, he disfrutado todo, no sé si es porque la magia ya no es tan protagonista como el libro anterior, sólo sé que empecé a leer y simplemente no pude parar hasta las tres de la mañana y luego tuve que poner mucho esfuerzo en interactuar con gente a la hora del almuerzo, salió mal por cierto.

Es un libro en cual las fans más sensibles van a llorar a mares, por cosas malas y por cosas buenas. Richelle es una escritora brillante ¿Una de sus especiales? Los finales traumáticos (como ya se imaginaran este libro no es la excepción) pero cuando escribe romance, Richelle ESCRIBE romance. Romance del tipo que te hace creer que quizá algo como el amor de Adrian y Sydney pueda existir, del tipo que solo quieres abrazarlos y decirles que todo saldrá bien... aunque sabes que será casi imposible, porque al parecer este mundo cruel y malvado no los quiere juntos.

Unos días antes de la publicación de Silver Shadows, ya podíamos leer los cinco primeros capítulos ¡Y qué cosa más dolorosa fue eso! Primero Adrian, oh Adrian, quise golpearte, sacudirte y consolarte tantas veces pero te perdono ¿sabes? Porque es parte de tu personalidad, porque si hubiera sido de manera diferente no habrías sido tú. Y luego Lissa, ay Lissa, nunca has sido un personaje muy... entrañable digamos, pero las fans te odiarán en Silver Shadows. Y aunque no lo crean, kittens, yo la entiendo, sé que si nosotras hubiéramos estado en el lugar de Lissa habríamos puesto a toda la Guardia Real en busca de Sydney pero es política kittens, para bien o para mal. Y es lo que me gusta mucho de la escritura de Richelle Mead, el que sus personajes tengan personalidad, nos guste o no. Además recuerden que Richelle no hace las cosas solo porque sí.

I've always made it a rule in my life not to pick fights with children, cute animals, or ignorant old men. I will, however, make a exception for you

Deben estar preparados para todo tipo de sorpresas, de las buenas, de las malas, de las adorables y las aterradoras. Hay muchos personajes nuevos, recuerda que nadie es lo que parece, también hay personajes de los cuales sentimos curiosidad pero no pudimos ver hasta ahora y también veremos a otros que preferiríamos no ver nunca más.

¿Valdrá la pena todo el dolor y la tortura? ¿Adrian y Sydney arreglarlo todo? Y lo más importante ¿encontrarán a Sydney a tiempo?

Twitter || Blog || Pinterest || Tumblr || Instagram

[Linda]

O. M. G. AWESOME!