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Shadow Kiss

Richelle Mead

5 stars
196,017 (55%)
4 stars
102,453 (28%)
3 stars
43,881 (12%)
2 stars
9,371 (2%)
1 star
4,440 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,791 reviews
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~Calliope~
234 reviews356 followers
January 31, 2023
"It won't happen to you. You're too strong. You'll fight it, just like you did this
time."
"I only did because you were here." He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest. "I can't do it by myself," I whispered.
"You can," he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. "You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.”



“Don't worry, little dhampir. You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine to me.”



Oh my god!!! I can't!!! That ending broke my heart!!




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1)
"I set off, off to kill the man I loved."

Why?????Why????????????????? I hate that Strigoi (Nathan?) that turn Dimitri into Strigoi!! Oh my god, at first I felt so happy that finally Rose and Dimitri found a way to be together (and made love of course :P) and then that happen!!!! On one hand, I am glad he is not dead but on the other hand he is Strigoi! They don't feel anything! I'm so sad!! When Dimitri was attacked I cried and cried!!


“I love you, Roza.” He kissed me again. “I’ll always be here for you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”



2)Finally, Lissa finds out about Dimitri and Rose! Okay, she is your best friend and it took you 3 books to figure it out! Congrats!


3)
“It’s like I said. You’ve never wanted me, never even considered me. The flowers, the flirting . . . it rolled right off you. You were so gone for him, and nobody noticed. If you go do your thing, will you take me seriously? Will you give me a chance when you return?”

Rose promised Adrian to give him a chance when she comes back! It's a terrible mistake! He is in love with her!! And she is in love with Dimitri even though he is Strigoi!


“I’m always crazy around you, Rose. Here, I’m going to write an impromptu poem for you.” He tipped his head back and shouted to the sky:
“Rose is in red
But never in blue
Sharp as a thorn
Fights like one too.”

Ohh, Adrian!!


4)When Rose sees Mason's ghost I was like "Wtf it's going on here?"


5)
“You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can.” She pointed to the Wheel of Fortune card. “The wheel is turning, always turning.”

Guys, that witch Rhonda, she scares the hell out of me!!!


6)A lot of things happened in this book,such as Victor's trial or that Rose was paired with Christian (I laughed so hard in that scene, she was so sure that she was paired with Lissa) or the Mana and so much more but all I can think is that ending!!


7)
“It's not about you, okay? This time, it's about me. Not you. All my life, Lissa... all my life, it's been the same. They come first. I've lived my life for you. I've trained to be your shadow, but you know what? I want to come first. I need to take care of myself for once. I'm tired of looking out for everyone else and having to put aside what I want. Dimitri and I did that, and look what happened. He's gone. I will never hold him again. Now I owe it to him to do this. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but it's my choice!”

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Kristi
1,188 reviews2,893 followers
November 15, 2008
Incredible! This series continues to get better. This is one of the best vampire themed series’ out there. After my disappointment with other series’ losing there touch, I have to say that it is not the case with these books. Everything that initially drew me in is still there and then some. I’ve been in anticipation for this book for a long time, and when I finally got a copy it trumped everything else!

There were parts of the story that I figured out, and even though I wanted the novel to end one way, I applaud Mead’s unpredictability. Does that sentence totally contradict itself?? Let me see if I can explain. In my quest to keep this spoiler free it may be more difficult, but here it goes. I knew that something big was going to happen to one of the characters in this novel. The clues where there the foreshadowing was set up wonderfully. And even though I had an idea of what was going to happen, Mead was still able to surprise me in the end. Why? Because, I never really thought she would do it. The ending wasn’t what I wanted I’ll admit that, but I don’t think I would have been happy with it being any other way.

One of the reasons I’m such a fan of this novel, besides the extraordinary writing ability of Richelle Mead, is Rose Hathaway. Let me just tell you how much I love Rose. She’s beautiful, smart, confident, she’s a smart ass and she kicks ass. I want to be her. She is one of my all time favorite literary characters.

I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this series.
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Shannon
3,090 reviews2,362 followers
March 18, 2010
I think I have to assume that something devastating will happen in every series that Mead writes. With this one I was pretty much crying from the last 40 pages until the end. Talk about heartbreaking! I sort of saw what was going to happen coming but it didn't make it any less horrible. I'm actually still feeling the effects of this novel and I had to quickly order the next two books to find out what happens.

On the heels of the death of her friend, Rose finds out that she's going to start six weeks of field exercise along with the other senior novices. The problem is though, Rose is seeing ghosts and feeling a terrible rage whenever angered or cornered. Rose had her temper before but something is different about these feelings. And being visited by the dead isn't helping her in going back to living any sort of normal life. Rose has grown up since the incident from the previous book and the people around her take notice. Rose isn't the only one changing though and she has to deal with these circumstances as a new threat from the Strigoi looms.

I FLEW through this book. I think I could read about Rose and her friends all day every day and not get bored. Honestly though, I think I feel this way about all of Mead's heroines so I could be biased. I love the characters, the story, the way the world is crafted, and Mead's simple yet effective writing style. This series is miles above any teen series I've come across and it rivals some adult series I've read as well and it's quickly become one of my top favorite series ever. Great addition to the series and I can't wait until my order from Amazon ships!

My reviews of books two and four: Frostbite and Blood Promise.
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Ikram
211 reviews1,279 followers
February 9, 2017
Buddy read with the lovely Yasmin

Finishing this book and running to Goodreads like


So this book started off really well. I think this might be one of those series that get more interesting with each new book. But that ending! Why did nobody warn me? The worst part is that I don't even have the next book.

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emma
1,822 reviews48.1k followers
October 28, 2019
this series is so, so fun and so, so terrible.

people die constantly and no one is sad beyond sometimes being like "i am sad. i am so very, very sad."

there's a romance between a teacher and a 17-year-old student.

there's so much sloppy nonsense magic.

answers to mysteries unknown for years come exactly when they're needed out of nowhere.

it's basically Pretty Little Liars but with vampires.

so...Pretty Little Liars but better.

bottom line: the reread will continue, and (presumably) continue to be a blast and a half.

---------

GUILTY PLEASURE REREAD IS A GO
Profile Image for Josu Diamond.
Josu Diamond
Author 9 books33k followers
February 13, 2023
WOW. Shit's getting real!

Madre mía, ¿por qué no había leído este libro en cuanto llegó a mis manos? Estoy temblando todavía. Además, hacía tiempo que un libro no me duraba tan poco. Menos de 24 horas. No podía soltarlo, era imposible. Gracias, Richelle Mead, por haber creado esta maravilla que perdura en el tiempo. Más de una década después sigue permaneciendo.

En Bendecida por las sombras/ nos adentramos en la Academia, de vuelta, e incluso en la Corte Real. No han cambiado demasiadas cosas desde la anterior entrega, más allá de las pérdidas que hubo, pero la calma poco dura...

Este libro está plagado de acción, lleno de giros y con un montón de información nueva que van sumando misterios al puzzle que ya casi parece completado. Ahí es donde entra la magia de Mead, aportando nuevos e interesantes conceptos que cuadran y hacen que nuestros personajes deban explorar situaciones inesperadas o encuentros con los que no contaban. Estoy DESEOSO de conocer más detalles sobre lo que le sucede a Lissa, sobre el futuro de Rose como bendecida por las sombras, así como esas pinceladas de cosas que están por venir y que auguran un futuro distinto. Es el inicio de una revolución, pero también de nuevas amenazas.

vampire academy

Rose vuelve a demostrar que es una de las mejores protagonistas de sagas juveniles que he leído. Es que no tengo palabras, la amo. Simple y rotundo. Además, su tira y afloja con Dimitir (al cual amo casi igual) y su relación con Lissa y el resto de personajes secundarios consigue que Rose avance, evolucione y se plantee situaciones que ponen en jaque todo lo que conoce.

No quiero decir demasiado –creo que ya he dicho bastante– porque esto no deja de ser una tercera parte de una larga saga, y no quiero estropearle a nadie las sorpresas. Ahora entiendo por qué Bendecida por las sombras/ está considerada por muchxs fans la mejor novela de esta serie, porque aunque los dos primeros atrapan y sorprenden, este lo hace casi sin esfuerzo.

Necesito ya la siguiente entrega. POR FAVOR. Además, menudo final... Necesito más.
Profile Image for Emily May.
Emily May
1,962 reviews293k followers
May 31, 2011

There's no denying it, I loved this third book in the series (probably best of all) and I finished it with all kinds of feelings and thoughts running through my head. The ending leaves the reader on such a cliffhanger and the fact that I am constantly being warned against reading book 4 just makes it all the worse. I want to know what happens... damn it, I NEED to know what happens. Can that possibly be it?

I've come too far not to try out Blood Promise and, who knows, maybe I'll actually like it. There's too much I must find out for me to give up on this series just yet.

Forgetting about the next book for a second, Shadow Kiss just ticked all the right boxes for me. I really like the mix of vampire politics amidst the love and heartbreak. Even though vampire issues might not exactly be relevant in our society, you can understand a lot of what lies behind it. For example, Rose has been brought up her entire life believing that Moroi "come first" and should always be protected, even to the point of laying her life down for them. Dhampirs, like Rose, are little other than instruments to ensure the safety of Moroi royalty. But this book starts to question why Dhampirs should sacrifice their lives and choices in order to serve a race that largely finds them expendable. And then, even within the Moroi ranks, there is a great deal of inequality with regards to which Moroi receive protection.

There's a political statement going on here somewhere under the surface and I like it. Today's society might not have Moroi/Dhampir issues but battles for equality and class issues are still very relevant. I just wanted to mention this now in my fear that this will be my final overly positive review in the Vampire Academy series. I hope not, but taking Rose away from the setting I've come to love... well, let's just say, so many things can go wrong from here. My negative mind is already seeing the numerous things that could make Blood Promise a chore to read.

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Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession
1,159 reviews3,189 followers
July 18, 2018
5 OMG Dimitri Stars



all kinds of SPOILERS up in this piece!!! It's like one huge spoiler

OMG OMG OMFG so much happened in this book I can't even wrap my mind around it. Rose is having all kinds of issues. Thanks to being Shadow kissed and bonded to Lissa she is taking all the dark emotions and crazy that Lissa gets from using her magic and it is flowing though the bond to Rose. This is making Rose act crazy, angry and at times totally out of control and dangerous. Also Rose is seeing Mason's ghost. Rose thinks she is going crazy, seeing ghosts and all but later finds out that she can see ghost thanks again to being Shadow kissed. She can also sense Strigoi when they are close. On top of all that craziness she is doing her 6 week field test to become a guardian.



Lissa and Adrian are working on their spirit magic. Christian is very unhappy with Lissa and Adrian spending so much time together especially after he finds out that the Queen plans on setting Adrian and Lissa up to marry. Adrian still flirts with Rose and wants to be with her but she blows him off. Rose and Dimitri make love for the first time. They say I love you and decide they can have a relationship. They make plans on how to go about living their lives together. There is a huge Strigoi attack on the school right after Dimitri and Rose make love. Dimitri is turned Strigoi. Rose is heartbroken and goes to Adrian and asks for a lot of money. He tells her he will give it to her if she will give him a real chance at a relationship when she gets back. She tells Adrian she will give him a chance. The next day Rose drops out of school and goes after Dimitri with the plan to hunt down and kill the man she loved, the man that is now Strigoi!

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Claudia Lomelí
Author 11 books75.2k followers
April 16, 2017
OH MY GOD with this book. I can't believe it. I'm crying right now :(. I wasn't expecting that. THAT. Oh, this book was amazing and I loved it, but the ending broke my heart.
Profile Image for Ahmad Sharabiani.
Ahmad Sharabiani
9,566 reviews56.5k followers
October 21, 2020
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3), Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss is a vampire novel written by Richelle Mead. It is the third novel in the Vampire Academy series, and was preceded by Frostbite.

Shadow Kiss continues the story of the main character, Rose Hathaway and her education in becoming a Guardian.

Rose, in shock over Mason's death, prepares with the rest of the novices for the Qualifying Exam, in which the novices protect the Moroi students from "attacks" by "Strigoi" (their Dhampir teachers).

Rose is positive that she will be paired with Lissa, but instead is paired with Christian Ozera, while Eddie Castile (Mason's best friend) is paired with Lissa.

Rose complains to her teachers, but ultimately resigns herself to guarding Christian. During the first attack on Christian, Rose sees Mason's ghost and freezes - and is accused of being a sore loser by her teachers. In a sudden twist, Christian is the only person who truly believes that Rose didn't screw up on purpose. ...

عنوانها: «آکادمی خون آشام - جلد سوم - بوسه سایه»؛ لمس سایه: آکادمی خون آشام سوم؛ نویسنده: ریچل مید؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نوزدهم ماه فوریه سال 2017میلادی

عنوان: آکادمی خون آشام - جلد سوم - بوسه سایه؛ نویسنده: ریچل مید؛ مترجم: وبلاگ دوران اژدها؛ ژانر: فانتزی، رومنس، خون آشامی؛ سال انتشار: 2008؛ تعداد صفحات 443ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م

عنوان: لمس سایه: آکادمی خون آشام سوم؛ نویسنده: ریچل مید؛ مترجم: فاطمه پاک ��بان؛ ویراستار منا تابش؛ تهران، نشر باژ، 1397، در 420ص؛ شابک 9786222190002؛

چکیده داستان: چه میشود اگر دنبال کردن دلش، از دست دادن بهترین دوستش را، به دنبال داشته باشد؟ «لیزا دراگومیر»، یک «پرنسس موروی» است؛ یک خون‌ آشام میرا، با موهبتی که می‌تواند جادوی موجود در سطح زمین را، کنترل کند؛ همواره باید از او، در برابر «استریگوی»‌ها محافظت شود؛ حریص‌ترین خون‌آشام‌ها، کسانی هستند که هرگز نمی‌میرند؛ ترکیب توانمند خون «انسان»، و «خون‌ آشام»، در رگ‌های «رز هاتاوی»، بهترین دوست «لیزا»، جریان دارد؛ «رز» برگزیده شده، تا با به خطر انداختن زندگی خویش، از «لیزا»، در برابر استریگوی‌هایی که میخواهند «لیزا» را تبدیل کنند، نگهداری کند؛ «رز» می‌داند، که عشق ورزیدن به دیگر نگهبانان، فدغن است؛ «لیزا» بهترین دوستش، آخرین پرنسس «دراگومیر»، همیشه باید در ارجحیت قرار گیرد؛ اما زمانی که پای «دیمیتری بلیکوف» جذاب، به میدان باز می‌شود، برخی از قوانین محکوم به شکسته شدن، هستند؛ و پس از تاریکی عجیبی، که در ذهن «رز»، به رشد خویش، آغاز می‌کند، و سایه‌ های روح مانند، نزدیک شدن شیطانی خوفناک را، به دروازه‌ های آهنی آکادمی، هشدار می‌دهند؛ مردگانِ متحرکِ نامیرا، که خواهان انتقام از زندگی‌هایی هستند، که «رز» گرفته است، در حال نزدیک شدن اند؛ در نبردی جانکاه، که با بدترین کابوس‌هایش برابری می‌کند، «رز» مجبور است از میان زندگی، عشق، و دو فردی که برایش بیشترین اهمیت را دارند، یکی را برگزیند؛ اما آیا گزینش او به معنای نجات تنها یکی از آنهاست؟

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 29/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
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Μaria Vrisanaki
189 reviews135 followers
September 9, 2018
Μα πώς είναι δυνατόν να νιώθω τόσο απελπισμένη και να κλαίω, ενώ ήξερα και ξέρω τι θα γίνει???

description

Πώς είναι δυνατόν, ενώ ξέρω τη συνέχεια, να ανυπομονώ να διαβάσω τη συνέχεια?? Πώς είναι δυνατόν από τη στιγμή που διάβασα τη λέξη buria να βουρκώνω?? Πώς είναι δυνατόν να νιώθω έτσι??? Γιατί, γιατί, γιατί??? :(((

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description

Το τέλος αυτό θα με σκοτώνει όσες φορές κι αν το διαβάσω!

description

Είναι τόσο άδικο! Τόσο τόσο άδικο!!!! Λίγο ήθελε! Τόσο τόσο λίγο!!!

description

Δεν υπήρχε κάτι που να μη λατρεύω σε αυτό το βιβλίο! Για μένα είναι το καλύτερο της σειράς. Γιατί να μην υπάρχουν ειδικές βαθμολογίες για κάτι τέτοιες περιπτώσεις??
Τι να πρωτοπώ??? Η αρχή! Η πρακτική άσκηση! Η Ρόουζ και ο Κρίστιαν! (άπαιχτο ζευγάρι!) Η δίκη! Η πρόβλεψη! Ο Ντιμίτρι και η Ρόουζ! I will go down with this ship

description

Σ-Ο-Κ-Α-Ρ-Ι-Σ-Τ-Ι-Κ-Ο
Profile Image for Kat Kennedy.
Kat Kennedy
475 reviews16.2k followers
March 31, 2010
So far, Shadow Kiss is my favorite book in the series. Richelle Mead steps up her game on a number of fronts, in my opinion.

Plot, characterization, style, pacing and romance. All of these receive a marked improvement.

The VA world becomes more real, relatable and defined. The relationship become more involved, less childish and the main character, Rose, receives a healthy dose of adulthood.

I am coming to really enjoy these books. I wouldn't have continued past the first one without the encouragement of Tatiana and her niggling carrot-on-a-stick comment about Adrian. I still feel that I would choose the Fever Series any day over these.

But I can't say that they aren't appealing to me. Off to read Blood Promises to see if I can discover for once and all, what all the fuss is about.
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♥ℂĦℝΪՖƬΪℕÅ
230 reviews3,933 followers
March 12, 2019
5 Devastating ★'s

"It won't happen to you. You're too strong. You'll fight it, just like you did this time." "I only did because you were here." He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest. "I can't do it by myself," I whispered. "You can," he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. "You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.”

Oh My Gawd!!!! This book! It's soooo damned good. I love this series, I can't put it down... It just gets better and better with every book. I cried! I mean I really freaking cried, like a baby. This crushed my poor little heart :(

*Spoiler if you haven't read Frostbite book #2*
So much happens in this book, I don't even know where to start... I guess I'll start at the beginning.
Rose is still facing the aftermath of the Strigoi attack that happened in Spokane. The aftermath that left her friend Mason dead! She has so much grief and is blaming herself for what happened to him. It's all just sooo sad. Eddie Castile, Masons best friend is also having a hard time with Masons death. Eddie hates how he really doesn't remember anything of that time because of the euphoria he got when the Strigoi drank from him.

The now,

“Throughout history, people with new ideas—who think differently and try to change things—have always been called troublemakers.”

Things are to about to get a whole lot worse.
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Courtney
700 reviews4 followers
November 12, 2008
Dimitri a Strigoi? I hate it. It's kind of a Buffy and Angel situation. Rose now has to kill her true love. I knew that Dimitri was either going to be killed or turned. Once things started working out with him and Rose and all that, I knew something was going to happen. It sucks though. Maybe in the next book Lissa will be able to track Rose down and some how heal Dimitri with her magic. I don't know if it is possible, but I hate Dimitri being evil. It will be interesting to see what he does with all of his inside information-going from one of the top Guardians to the enemy. He could cause a lot of harm and problems for the others. I really liked Christian in this book and am interested to see how things develop for his character. I also really started to like Adrian. I want Rose and Dimitri to be together, but since that's no longer possible, I don't thing I would mind if Rose gets together with Adrian in the future. We'll see what happens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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Neeks
130 reviews939 followers
July 23, 2016
I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW AND I CAN'T STOP CRYING.
Why did I think reading this series would be a good idea, WHY?
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♔ Leah.
42 reviews156 followers
December 12, 2010
☆ ★ Spoilers ahead, you have been warned ☆ ★



I think this book kind of made me love this series because it went on a level that no other YA book went before and I was very happy about the fact that Richelle Mead took a risk, but looking back in hindsight at this series? I was wrong, terribly wrong but let’s save that for when I do reviews of Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice, shall we?


In Shadow Kiss, Rose is suffering the trauma of the Spokane incident and Mason’s death- which adds another twist: she is able to see his ghost and is connected to the world of the dead. While being haunted by Mason, she is also facing field experience (where the Dhampir novices guard Moroi for 6 weeks while they are tested throughout the time) while creaming over Dimitri (honestly, what did you expect?) and hating on her best friend for no apparent nor valid reason, she torments over choosing between them until of course a tragic event changes everything.


I definitely liked the pacing of the book, more so than I did with Frostbite, because something new and interesting was brought up at certain intervals so it kept the reader’s interest so the structure of the plot was pretty good. I also liked how in this book, we delved more into the Spirit element and the shadow-kissed bond- its dark side-effects of mental instability was definitely very interesting to read about as it explained why Rose was able to see ghosts which causes complications and her dark attitude throughout the books. I thought it definitely made the story move forward and I thought that it could be used for a lot of potential in the future books, looking in foresight. (I was wrong about this too, hindsight changes everything, people.) What I also liked was how the Moroi monarchy/politics system worked and we saw how they functioned too when Rose & Lissa travel there to visit Queen Tatiana in the Royal Court.

I also love how in this book, there was a multiple storyline going on and each character had their own arc: - e.g. Lissa being with Christian when the Queen wanted her to be paired up with Adrian, causing Christian to be jealous of Adrian whilst Rose having to choose between Lissa and Dimitri (I don’t give a rat’s ass if you think it’s romance, it isn’t, it’s glorifying hero-worship), how it all intertwines together to create drama (that’s isn’t something like Gossip Girl or Days of Our Lives) that is realistic and not exaggerated is a plus for me, because mostly in YA, there is so much bullshit in the air that I can smell it when turning over the pages.


Now on to the characters:- in my honest opinion, Rose seems to be getting more immature & hypocritical as the story goes on. I couldn't handle her angst in this book because it was getting ridiculous! I specifically remember in Vampire Academy, that Rose criticized two guardians that ran off together yet in Shadow Kiss, she constantly complains about how bad her life is, how she can never live her own life and how Lissa is to blame for the situation she is in. If you don’t fucking want to be a guardian then don’t be a guardian- no one is forcing her to become a guardian plus it’s been established that the ones that are guardians who go off and live with humans, get jobs and live a normal life. I just only think she is doing it to impress Dimitri, because Dimitri always seem to appreciate her more if she does something “guardian” like.


She also hates Lissa for not being able to understand how hard it is for her, for fuck’s sake, I know that the bond only works one way but you can still tell her how you fucking feel. That’s what best friends are for, how is she supposed to know if you are “suffering” when you’re acting like a prissy bitch by keeping secrets? I don’t see what hardships she is facing, she was brought up with Lissa’s family who welcomed her, looked after her and treated her as if she was their own daughter by giving her what she wanted and taking her to places yet she calls herself a “lowly dhampir” even though she prizes herself by being around royal Moroi? I'm sorry I didn’t realise growing up with Royals was soooo horrible compared to growing up in a blood whore commune(!) *eyeroll*


Dimitri is still a dumb bastard, I can only think of two people that can give him personality: Tasha Ozera and hot chocolate. Rose is meant to be a character that stands her ground in any given situation yet everything changes when she is with Dimitri, he slutshames/degrades her for her age yet she just takes it in even saying that he is right. What the fuck? Yet people still call her a good heroine? She fucking isn’t. Period. It becomes more apparent in this book that the only reason that he even likes her is because she is physically strong- notice how “suddenly” he becomes close to her after she killed Strigoi in Frostbite yet neglects her prior to that incident or how he comes all starry-eyed when she tackles him. See? This relationship is just based on physical assets; she calls him “badass” and “God” (Also Richelle Mead, thank you so fucking much for ruining the word badass for me and also ‘God’- I was an agnostic and now I am strictly atheist, you twat.) similarly he loves her because she is strong. It makes sense as to why he was also attracted to Tasha- she fought and killed Strigoi who happened to be her sister and her brother-in-law initially showing strength as Moroi aren’t known to be physical fighters.


What makes me sick is how the whole romance was based on a forced lust spell (even if there was a hint of an attraction, it was still forced), it’s gross and vile, she was a victim in that incident yet she glorifies the moment like its Christmas or something. Likewise how she is falling prey to Dimitri’s child grooming especially when he is in a position of power because that itself is a form of abuse and I don’t know why the fuck Richelle Mead is making it seem lawful. Oops. Silly me. Dimitri is hot. That excuses him from everything (!)


The sex scene was boring, I'm a virgin and I could write better- the quote “I didn’t know where my body began and his ended” reminded me of The Human Centipede which made me react like this:
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I hated Dimitri for taking advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable, for fuck’s sake, if a girl is crying because she is going crazy, you do not just whip your dick out and shag her so she can shut up. Yes, the Montana age of consent is 16 but the Moroi/Dhampir society do not follow their rules as 18 is the rightful age for being an adult according to their own laws.


Anyway moving on to much brighter things in the book: Adrian- I loved him in this book and I was delighted to see development of his character that he isn’t just this drunken, bad boy faced but he has a heart of gold. He genuinely seems to care for Rose and although he is of Royal blood- he treats her as an equal. His lines made me have a good laugh and the chemistry between him and Rose has the power to become something amazing and I think that their romance would beat Rose and Dimitri by a fucking mile. How Rose treated him at the end of this book was not right by playing with his feelings to get money for her dumb “find-Dimitri-&-feel-the-power-of-his-tiny-dick-again-lol” and I honestly believe he deserves so much better than her. So to all you reviewers who are thinking I am a bitter Rose and Adrian fan, I'm not, because Rose and Dimitri deserve each other for being the two dumbest shitheads I have ever read about since Edward and Bella.


I loved Lissa and Christian; they seem to be the only couple I care about at this stage because a.) they have a lot of intense lovin’ going on- I was turned on in the first couple of lines, not going to lie and b.) they seem like a healthy balanced relationship whose characteristics compliments each other and actually encourage each other to become a better person. I also loved Christian and Rose’s warm friendship that developed, it was hilarious yet cute seeing those two interact and my favourite part of the whole book was when they both teamed up to fight Strigoi with his power and her stake skills. I also rate Richelle Mead (even though I have problems with her primary romances in her books) for killing off Dimitri and making him into a Strigoi, I was cheering personally, but I loved how intense it was because usually most YA authors would never do that to their love interests, especially to the principal one. I admire her for going there and building momentum in this series because it made the ending a whole lot more powerful.


The rest of the characters I liked. Eddie is one of those characters that I just love because he is always there for Rose, Mia has developed a lot and I like that, and I also liked Tatiana because she seemed to ooze power and control and made the plot a lot more interesting. I didn’t like Jill, she just seemed to be there so she can jizz her pants over Rose and Dimitri to show how super ~speshul they are and she had no real value to the plot line.



Overall, aside certain things, I really liked this book, the writing has improved and she certainly stepped up in her game which is why this book stands out for me amongst other YA novels.
Profile Image for ☆ ĄňŊǡƂėƮĦ ☆ ŞŧŎŋė.
☆ ĄňŊǡƂėƮĦ ☆ ŞŧŎŋė
154 reviews
February 6, 2016
5/5

OH MY GOSH! I am so upset right now after reading that ending! I seriously have tears in my eyes. I have to collect my thoughts before I write a full review.

So that 30 minutes did about nothing to help me get over that ending. I was basically depressed and now desperate to read the next one.

This book has to be my favorite book ever. There subplots and subplots. The whole Strigoi problems, relationships, mystery ghosts, and again relationships there were no pauses and that was very good.

Dimitri. I have declared that he is my book boyfriend. He was so serious and focused on his job but you couldn't help but see his true feelings for Rose and that is what made him so much better.

Rose Hathway. She is the best female protagonist. Even though she was questioning whether she was crazy or not, she was so strong and was willing and did put so many others before her.

The minor characters were pretty cool. I did like Adrian, despite his bad drinking and smoking habits, and I hope that we are able to hear more of him in the rest of the series. I am also glad about Eddie and how he changed over time even though it was a little sad.

Speaking of sadness, this book had so many sad parts, especially nearing the end. There was death and don't get me started to who turned Strigoi. Rose has to figure out a way to get him changed back!

There was a slight cliff hanger at the end but I still liked it.

On a parting note, this gif pretty much sums up how I saw Rose at the end of the book:



Only if Teresa Palmer had dark hair, tanner skin, and Rose had some fire powers that Christian had.
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Heather
387 reviews16.8k followers
April 30, 2013
I didn't really enjoy the first two books of the Vampire Academy Series but I adored this one! Shadow Kiss has a ton more action & I actually feel for the characters!
Rose is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite female characters. She is strong, smart and not taken lightly.
Lissa- I'm not really a huge fan of Lissa. I mean I like her don't get me wrong but I just feel like she could be more.
Dimitri- There's nothing more to be said.



This is very true.

Christian- I am beginning to like him more as well. In the begininng of the series I was all 'ehhh' on him. He is growing on me.
Adrian- I love this character. Hilarious, dark, I love finding out more about him.

I loved this book & am excited to read the rest of the series!!!
Profile Image for Norah Una Sumner.
Norah Una Sumner
851 reviews447 followers
February 9, 2016
description

I feel like it doesn't get better than this.Rose is finally becoming more mature,the whole story was really interesting and captivating,there are a lot of serious issues and topics included in this book and the characters are finally starting to feel...real.If that makes any sense.That ending was so intense-I would have never ever thought that a Vampire Academy novel was going to make me cry but it really happened.I don't think that the rest of the series can take this book off the throne when it comes to making you feel all the feels.

Also,this monologue is probably the best thing Rose has ever said:

“It's not about you, okay? This time, it's about me. Not you. All my life, Lissa... all my life, it's been the same. They come first. I've lived my life for you. I've trained to be your shadow, but you know what? I want to come first. I need to take care of myself for once. I'm tired of looking out for everyone else and having to put aside what I want. Dimitri and I did that, and look what happened. He's gone. I will never hold him again. Now I owe it to him to do this. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but it's my choice!”


The next one better be good.
Profile Image for Pearl Angeli.
Pearl Angeli
622 reviews949 followers
July 14, 2016
(I realized that I wasn't able to make a review of this book. Lol. I'm sorry) :D

Anyways, Shadow Kiss is the third installment of the Vampire Academy series. I loved this sequel because everything that happened here was remarkable. I saw the strength of character Rose was able to develop. I also loved the romance between her and Dimitri. The whole book was also filled with adrenaline-pulling action scenes which were a lot better than the first two books.

The great aspect of this book was the climax which was super awesome. And that MAJOR TWIST! I did not expect that something like that will happen! Richelle Mead took a great risk in pursuing that plot twist but hey, she was able to pull it off!

I also loved the development of some supporting characters here, including Adrian, Christian, and Lissa. Not to mention Eddie!

As a whole, this book is kick-ass! I loved everything in it!

Rating: 5 Stars
Profile Image for Μaria Vrisanaki .
Μaria Vrisanaki
189 reviews135 followers
May 18, 2017
"Τρέξε!" μου φώναξε ξανά.
Έτρεξα, μαζί με τα δάκρυα που έτρεχαν ποτάμι στο πρόσωπό μου.

Και τα δικά μου, Ρόουζ! Και τα δικά μου!
Profile Image for Dan.
Dan
982 reviews98 followers
July 27, 2013
Let me express my feelings of this book by using this gif

description

That pretty much sums up my feelings for this book.
Profile Image for Juliana Zapata.
Juliana Zapata
280 reviews4,198 followers
May 20, 2015
En este libro las emociones no hacen mas que aumentar a cada página, llegas a un punto en que la acción, la pasión, el romance y el peligroso no te dejan parar de leer.

Hasta ahora mi favorito de la saga. Ademas el final esta de muerte, no puedo creer ninguna de las cosas que pasaron al final de este libro.

Reseña Completa: http://bastvilard.blogspot.com/2015/0...
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Ida
128 reviews192 followers
Read
September 12, 2018
DNF. There's just so many other books I'd rather read instead.
Might try picking this series up later, but I doubt it.
Profile Image for Muse-ic ♬.
Muse-ic ♬
384 reviews111 followers
February 7, 2018
Read #3

*sigh*
*sobs*
*hiccup*
*feels*
*love*
whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
________________________________
Read #2

**Don't worry about spoilers. I'll tell you when they're coming.

REREAD: HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE! I've read this two whole times. This is my second time. I know exactly what is going to happen and I was unfortunately spoiled about the ending of this book before I even read it the first time. I've always known what was going to happen.
.....
So.............HOW THE F*CK AM I STILL SUFFERING EMOTIONALLY?! I'm experiencing a nice slow torture session still! My chest hurts and I just CANNOT do this!!
I've got two things to tell you all:

1) SOS: Save our Sandra
2) SSS: Save Sandra's Sanity


Thank you.


Five stars for round two! Yet again.
I love everyone. Our main characters, that is. I don't know how every other single freaking character manages to be a supreme asshole (Jesse, Ralf, and the rest of the fucking crew). All the freaking gossip about Rose like:
owh my gawd, did you hear....
Rose is it tarue that......
You should TOWTALLY become a blood whore...
Rose do you rilly hate Christian Ozera??
Rose why are u such a bitch?
Rose is it tarue you're only doing half-time because ur mentally unhinged??

You get the idea.....blatant and total 100% asshole-ism. I spelled things wrong so you can read it in the voice of a stereotypical annoying gossip/valley gurl accent. I'm not stupid, I promise.

Ah the ROMANCE WAS THE BEST!!! Guys, we've been over this 100 million times. I love Dimka SO much!!
We know Rose . Me? I'm dying to know if Dimka ! Completely out of curiosity. I have asked Richelle that question twice here on Goodreads. The first time was on her author page. The second time was also on her page, but that time she actually said she was answering questions for VA's 10-year anniversary.
Sadly, I received no response both times.
Richelle needs to write a pre-Vampire Acadamey Dimka novella!!! Get on this Richelle!!!! Please! I'm begging you!

See my old review below. BUT BE WARNED THERE ARE UNCOVERED SPOILERS!!

___________________________________________________________
NOOOOOOOOOOOO...etc.
tears tears tears tears of devastation tears of joy tears of love...so many emotions!!! This review is filled with SPOILERS! So leave if you haven't read!!
I'm gonna start with Dimitri because he is my book crush. I love this guy, because he is so bomb, nice, handsome, and generally pretty awesome all round! Also because I am a sucker for mature and gentlemenly males.
I found out before I read the book that he turns Strigoi so pretty much throughout the entire book I was devastated and sweating and waiting for him to turn Strigoi with the next page turn! and then when he did I was like *clench my fist at the heavens* "WHYYYY HIM?!". And literally after he and Rose FINALLY are a couple (albeit a secret one).
Rose is again a very mature character in this book. So now she is seeing ghosts! It seems typical that no one would believe her. I hope every one does since she used said ghosts to lead the guardians to the Strigoi cave. Also every time she kept that secret I was like "You gotta tell someone already! This isn't gonna work for anyone!" Finally she told Dimitri and the doctors so that was good.
Throughout the entire book, every scene with her and Dimitri is intimate as in like the air between them...no touching, when suddenly....BOOM! They have sex. I guess they were just depriving themselves for too long.
The guardians FINALLY realized that they should be using Moroi powers...especially fire Moroi....because dude, like COMMON SENSE! They specialize in FIRE that is the freaking WEAKNESS of their mortal enemies...like what?!
Queen What's-her-face....totally hate her! She shouldn't be playing matchmaker. Also she is an old hag who's having affairs with a very young and handsome blood whore Dhampir. She shouldn't talk about relationships, especially those that don't concern her.
Also this dude Ambrose, doens't it concern him that he's the lover of an old, ugly, and mean hag? He could probably have ANY girl he wanted but chose the one wayyyy out of his league.
Lissa and Christian, cute as usual.
Adrian? So he actually likes Rose? I still think she should avoid him and/or let him down another hundred times before he gets it. I ship Dimitrose. Not Adriose!
Also another note on Rose's maturity level....how noble of her that she decides she going to kill Dimitri. Most characters are like "oh I love him and I want him to be happy so I'll give him what he wants", usually meaning if they want another relationship or something that this person disagrees with.
Rose is all like "I know he would hate himself if he knew he turned Strigoi. He told me he'd rather die so I shall indulge him". That is so thoughtful of her, though I'd rather she find a way to un-Strigoi him.
I'm so EXCITED to read the next book! NEED...MORE...DIMITRI...THAT....ISN'T STRIGOI!! AAAHHH!
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eleni
95 reviews34 followers
September 16, 2017
"I set off, off to kill the man I loved."

4.5
WOW. Definitely the most intense book in the series so far! I even teared up a bit at the end!
Profile Image for Jianne.
Jianne
292 reviews
February 19, 2012
Shadow Kiss is the third installment in The Vampire Academy Series and it is by far, my favorite book in the series! I mean, how can I not? It's so good!

Adele won 6 Grammy in the past Grammay's. What does she have to say about the book?



Adele approves!

Summary

Shadow Kiss continues the story of the main character, Rose Hathaway and her education in becoming a Guardian. Rose 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 tutor Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken... Including school rules and the law when she takes her romance with Dimitri to the next step... love.
Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between love, life and the two people who matter the most... But will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Plot

I pretty much suck at summarizing so I just copy-paste that portion, kind-of. I love the idea of the Qualifying exams because I get to see Rose in action! But what is the most epic aspect of the book? The unexpected twists! I am really really caught of guard and totally did not expect that. I admit that there are a number of books that made me cry, and if they did make me cry, it was a lot. This book is no exception, it was really emotional. Everything about it. But I had to control the tears from my face because I was reading this in class but they were already dropping! This following conversation happens.

My seatmate: Hey, Jianne. Are you okay?
*Me sniffing and pretending to scratch my eyes*
Jianne: Yeah, I'm cool. *smiles*
My seatmate: You crying or something?
Jianne: *pretends to be innocent* No, just scratching.
My seatmate: *doubtful look but nods*

Because I do not want to look like a total physco and crybaby in class. The teacher might call my mom and say I'm crying or something like that. You get the point. But seriously, if I was just at home I'd really cry my heart out. This book, everything in it, the plot especially is a total knockout.



Characters

I love Rose's character. It is true that the reader will detect the change of her character in the book, she's more mature and much much more better than before. Not only physically but emotionally as well. I love how she puts Lissa's life ahead of hers. They say she's she acts harshly but I believe she's logical when it comes to making decisions. She can kick ass and she's such a fierce heroine! I love her.

My husband, Harry approves too!



Forgive me if you will, but I totally do not like Lissa's character. Okay, royalty and last Dragomir but hey, her character is nothing compared to Rose's. It's just so annoying that even if yes, she is a royal but that doesn't mean she has to depend on her all the time. She's so goody goody, being pretty pretty and not very verbal about her emotions which annoys me. Just let it out. And for most of the happenings of the book, she has (unintentionally) affect Rose negatively. And this spirit power thing, yeah she can heal people but it's pretty lame if you ask me since she doesn't even wanna use it for whatever Rose asked her to use it in the end. It's useless too. Not really since Rose is shadow-kissed but for the most part it is. Rose's character overshadows her character because she's so opposite to her.

Adrian? So hot. So sexy. Love his flirtatiousness and playing-the-bad-boy-role. Whatever he said to Rose at the end? It made me melt to pieces. I certainty did not expect that. See, not all guys who act like assholes are actually one.

I'm one of Adrian's crazy fangirls.

Romance

For some unknown reason, I have the desire for Rose and Christian to have some form of connection. Is that because I don't like Lissa's character? Possibly. I just don't like her. I can't explain it into words, but I just don't. Anyway, well in the book Rose and Christian are going to be sort-of close but only as friends. So I am disappointed.

BUT. There's Adrian AND Rose. So not really that disappointed. Under normal circumstances, I would've been annoyed if a guy continues to flirt with a girl that clearly has no interest in him. But Adrian is an exception. He is just hard to resist. I have that weakness in boys. It sucks. But I love Adrian and Rose's interactions which contrast a lot to Dimitri and Rose's interactions which is sounding so professional.

Oh, and I think I need to add this too.


And of course, Dimitri and Rose shouldn't be forgotten. At first, I admit that I was not a big fan of this couple. But things change. Especially whatever happens in the end. I've come to conclude that well, there is still some spark for me with this couple. Especially whatever will happen to them throughout this book, they've went through a lot and that proves that love conquers all. And age is nothing but a number. Besides, their love story is forbidden love ain't THAT my favorite kind of story.

And besides.

Ending

Totally unexpected. Epic. Masterpiece. Emotional. Great. Bravo. I'm out of adjectives but I'll just say that the ending is wonderful. In the next book, I'm sure I'll be reading a whole new side of Rose. Again. The much more emotional, fragile, independent and braver side of Rose. I'm sure she'll be facing a lot of problems. As in. I'm excited. Love the ending, totally. I though it was this but it turned out to be this. So my reaction was this.



Richelle Mead? My new favorite author! This series started light now it's going heavy! Hang on tight then.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,791 reviews

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