Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars (I'd give it more if i could)

Date Read: 6th January, 2012

Date Published: 4th February, 2012

Blurb: Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...
But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.
Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmare, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most..but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Review: Oh. My. God. That ending was UNREAL and extremely CRUEL!! Oh Dimitri...why? WHY? I literally had to hold back the tears because I was in the living room with lots of people and if I burst out crying then they would think I was a crazy woman. But I cannot give this series anymore praise than what I am doing. There are no words to describe my love for it!

This book picks up where Frostbite left off. A month has gone by since the attack at Spokane and Rose is getting ready for her field experience where she will have to be a Moroi’s guardian. She thinks it will be Lissa she is protecting but she’s in for a surprise. But there’s a huge problem. Victor Dashkov is on trial for his freedom and the Moroi world is tensed. But Rose is seeing the ghosts of her past, literally, and feels a terrible rage whenever angered or cornered. But when an attack on the school takes place she must learn to protect those that matter the most to her.

First I want to say that I was SO HAPPY to see Dimitri and Rose together and that scene after Rose kinda flipped out was super sweet!! One of the best couple scenes I’ve read in a long time. They are meant for each other but then the ending had to ruin it!! I didn’t expect one like that but I have a feeling that everything will turn out okay. I hope!

I did not expect Rose to be able to see Mason in ghost form. It was so unexpected and that’s why I love this series. It throws things at you that you don’t expect, whether they be good or bad. The mysteries in this book kept me reading, wanting to know more. Why did Rose have a dark aura? Why does she think she’s going crazy or is she actually crazy? Why can she see ghosts in the first place? We also see the politics side in this book and I enjoyed that. It made it seem real.

Rose is an amazing character as always and I could honestly read about her for days on end. Her life is funny, dangerous, dark, daring and I love reading from her POV. She has strengths and weaknesses just like every other person and I feel connected to her. I’m rotting for her to win in everything and I want her to be with Dimitri so bad!! In this book Rose also takes on a lot of responsibility and we see her grow up. I liked that.

I personally want to thank Richelle for creating such amazing characters that I fall in love with and for making a storyline that has captured me and will not let me go. But I did not like that ending one bit. I didn’t expect it at all and it was a shock. And that is why I cannot wait to read the rest of the series when they arrive. Best vampire series ever and it is definitely one of my top 10 series so far!!