{Audiobook} Review: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #5
Narrator: Emily Shaffer, Alden Ford
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: July 29th, 2014
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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.

So I was in a bit of a reading slump. I'm slowly clawing my way out of it. I was listening to a book that just was not pulling me in, so I put it down and loaded Silver Shadows on my phone. So glad I did, because it was just what I needed. 

When you leave off in The Fiery Heart, Sydney has been captured by the Alchemists. So I was DYING to know what would happen. I have to say, so far this may have been my least favorite of the group. It still deserved a 5 start in my opinion, but being that Sydney is holed up somewhere, there is much of the book where she doesn't even have contact with Adrian, and that was rough. 

The Alchemists... are crazy fuckers. There I said it. It needed to be said. Holy cow those people are messed up. I loved that we get to see what they are up to in those secret facilities they always hinted at in previous books. 

Sydney is as strong as ever, but you get to see some weakness from her too. She's always been so calm and collected. I feel like I got to see a whole different side of her in Silver Shadows. And Adrian, well, he has his demons too, and there were some times I got really pissed at him. But he redeems himself. 

The last quarter of this book was insane. Like none stop, and I could not put it down. I was finding every easy task I could at work, so that I could listen to bits throughout the day. My co worker joked that she thought I was hiding a man in the file room with me when she walked by and heard voices. HOLY CRAP ending. I kinda saw that coming though, with all that was going on. I need to know what happens. Hurry up February!  

I cannot stress enough how much I love these books. I will be starting The Ruby Circle the minute it comes out. I cannot wait. I'm so freaking excited! 

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Find Richelle:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, bloodlines, reviews, richelle mead, silver shadows, vampire academy

Waiting on Wednesday: The Ruby Circle & The Conspiracy of Us

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: The Ruby Circle
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines # 6
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: February 10th, 2015

The epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here...

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.

After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

So I just finished listening to Silver Shadows. I loved it. As sad as I will be to see this series end, I still cannot wait to get my hands/ears on it. I'm so glad I took a chance on these this year. I have to say though, these covers blow. So did the VA book covers.





's Pick:



Title: The Conspiracy of Us
Author: Maggie Hall
Series: n/a
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: January 13, 2015

To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.

They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle of Twelve, and Avery is their missing heir. If they discover who she is, some of them will want to use her as a pawn. Some will want her dead.

To thwart their plans, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the landmarks of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And unless she can stay one step ahead of beautiful, volatile Stellan, who knows she’s more than she seems, and can decide whether to trust mysterious, magnetic Jack, she may be doomed after all.

Oooohhh...a secret society! Forbidden love! Code-breaking! All things I love! =) I also love how fast-paced and intense this book sounds. That cover is pretty spectacular, too. So many points in favor of me reading this novel...hope it's as intriguing as I've been led to believe!

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: beautiful covers, bloodlines, maggie hall, penguin, richelle mead, the conspiracy of us, The Ruby Circle, thriller, ugly covers, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Audiobook} Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title: The Indigo Spell
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Narrator: Emily Shaffer
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: Feb 12th, 2013
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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 aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Oh my goodness, so far the Indigo Spell has been my favorite. Perhaps the next will trump my feelings on this one, we will see.

Golden Lily leaves us off with some serious tension between Sydney and Adrian. When I say tension, I mean all tension, especially sexual tension. Their chemistry is unbelievable, and I cannot get enough of it.

Adrian is as always, a dream come true. His devotion it Sydney is something I want to package up and deliver to every girl in the world. He’s just… *sigh*. Not perfect, by all means, but he’s perfect for Sydney that’s for sure. Lots of “romance” in this one and that made me oh so happy.

There is a lot of magic going on in this installment. Also, a lot of laughs. All I’m going to say is “The bunny room” That shit was funny. And the plot thickens. The alchemists are possibly up to no good, and I loved all the info that is revealed about all of that.

The ending, oh the ending, I loved it so much. But then… OH no… Something happens, and it’s going to make the following book very interesting! I would have downloaded and started it already, but I’m listening to an audiobook from my library and deadlines.. ya know? If I download it there will be no way I can hold off listening to it.

I am really loving these books. Fans of VA who haven’t read these yet need to get on them! Now! I'm blowing through them

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Find Richelle:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: Audiobook, awesome, bloodlines, richelle mead, the indigo spell, vampire academy, vampires

{Audiobook} Review: Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #2
Narrator: Emily Shaffer
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: June 12th, 2012
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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?

I have become obsessed with these books. Much like the Vampire Academy ones, I waited until the first 5 came out, now I will blow through them, and then have to wait for the last. Why! oh why! do I do this to myself? I should I have just waited, but I can’t stop the train now.

I finished Bloodlines and then immediately started Golden Lily. I remember, because I stopped putting always laundry just so I could download it to my phone. Once I was up and ready, I finished my chores. lol

The Golden Lily was so good. My favorite thing by far is her budding relationship with Adrian. *sigh*. I could talk about that all day long. She puts up resistance but he’s a hard one to stay away from.

There is a lot that goes on and it’s full of action. I loved the new elements to the story. Not only does Sydney have to struggle with her growing feelings for Adrian, there are other personal things she needs to come to terms with that completely goes against all she’s ever believed in.

Series books are so hard to review because there is only so much you can say. I will say this, I’ve listened to this one and the following already and they keep getting better!

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Find Richelle:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: Audiobook, awesome, bloodlines, reviews, richelle mead, the golden lily, vampire academy, vampires

{Audiobook} Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #1
Narrator: Emily Shaffer
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2011
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Blood doesn't lie...

Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

Well, I've certainly put this series on hold for long enough! I loved The Vampire Academy books. They are forever favorites of mine. I think for all this time, I've just been scared. I couldn't imagine any spin off could live up to my beloved VA books. I was wrong. Oh how very wrong I was. 

If you haven't read the Vampire Academy books yet, then shame on you and you probably should skip reading this review, because obviously there will be a bit of spoilers from the original series. Bloodlines follows Sydney. I forget what book you meet her in, but her character has always fascinated me. The whole Alchemist thing was interesting to me then, and still is. You get a front row seat to that world and you see all the inner workings. Which was so cool, because the VA books only touched on what Sydney does. 

Ahh, and then there is Adrian. We are only given Sydney's point of view, but Adrian is a prominent character. I liked him in VA, but I didn't love him. I always viewed him as a barrier between Rose being with Dimitri. Not that they didn't have other stuff in their way, but Adrian was just another obstacle. In the end, Adrian doesn't end up with Rose, thank goodness. He just wasn't right for her. 

I enjoyed all the characters in Bloodlines but Adrian by far is my favorite. There is so much more to him than I ever new. I'm currently about to finish the 3rd installment of Bloodlines as I am writing this and I can assure you that my love grows for him with every page. He's quite literally amazing. And funny! Like hysterical. Some of the things out of his mouth are hilarious. A lot of laugh loud moments for sure. 

I think that most Vampire Academy fans will enjoy this spin off. I wish I had taken a chance on it sooner. My only complaint is that book 1 lacks in the romance department, but rest assured, things heat up as the series continues!

As for the Narrator. She is awesome. I have to listen to the rest, because she really brings these characters to life. I was nervous because I saw an audible review complaining about her voice for Adrian being annoying, but I loved it. 

If you have been on the fence about trying these out, don't be!! get on it! :) 

Bravo!

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Find Richelle:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Read More

Labels: alchemist, bloodlines, reviews, richelle mead, spin off, vampire academy

{Audiobook} Review: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Narrator:  Emily Shaffer, Alden Ford
Series: Bloodlines, book #5
Length:  10 hrs 41 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Source: borrowed from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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.

When you get to this point in a series, it gets increasingly more difficult to review a book without spoilers. Also, it's all relative. What one person considers a spoiler may not matter to the next person. I didn't provide any major plot details below, but as always, you should read at your own risk if you've yet to read this installment.

In The Fiery Heart, Mead finally did what all of us had been expecting for awhile based on our experiences with her previous books. She gave us what we wanted and then took it away, as she is wont to do. The Bloodlines series is actually the third of Mead's that I've undertaken, and it might just be my favorite. And not just because of the Sydrian romance, though that is definitely a big part of it. Yes, you can see some patterns among the different series; you know that she's going to separate the beloved couple and wreak havoc on the lives of everyone involved, but she manages to do so without her tactics becoming stale and predictable.

I loved Rose and Dimitri in the Vampire Academy books, but they were extremely compatible, with the same sense of duty and honor. The only thing that really kept them apart, besides Dimitri turning Strigoi, was the fact that he was several years older and also her mentor and tutor. With Sydney and Adrian, though, there are so many more complications from a relationship, which is why Sydney fought her feelings for Adrian so adamantly. She's an Alchemist and he's a Moroi...one of the good vampires. They're not exactly enemies, especially as the Alchemist's primary mission is to keep the Moroi's existence a secret from humans, but neither is a relationship -- friends or otherwise -- simply frowned upon. No, it's flat-out not allowed...by the Alchemists or the Moroi. Which is why Sydney and Adrian kept their relationship a secret for as long as they could.

Until someone close to them betrayed them to the Alchemists. Which landed Sydney in a rehabilitation camp, not unlike the one Keith was sent to earlier in the series for his crimes against the Alchemists. And if you've read the previous books, you know that didn't turn out so well for Keith. The Alchemists resort to all methods of torture to rehabilitate their wayward agents, and when all else fails, a full re-inking is their last option, one that leaves the Alchemist traitor resembling something closer to a robot than a human being. If Sydney isn't careful, the same could be her fate.

Lucky for her, though, Adrian's not going to give up on finding her. He does lose track of himself, letting his depression and feelings of inadequacy lead him astray for a time, but his thoughts are never far from Sydney. I love that we got to see some dream-walking again (finally) and that Sydney got to use some of the magic she'd been practicing, that the Sydney Sage we knew and loved way back in VA is still alive and kicking. And she's not going to take this rehabilitation thing lying down. Sydney's a strategist, the girl with the plan, and even though she knows Adrian is out there doing everything he possibly can to help her, she knows she cannot rely on that hope alone.

But just rescuing Sydney from the Alchemists won't be enough to keep her safe, so Adrian does something so completely out of character, so crazy that I never even considered it within the realm of possibility until now. Though, if you've been reading the series, you'll understand that it's not that unbelievable that he'd do something like this. And now that we've come to know the lengths that the Alchemists will go to in order to further their own agenda, it isn't all that surprising that they would retaliate because of Sydney's escape and the subsequent aftermath.

This book had such a different feel from previous books in the series. Still the same old cliffhanger, still action-packed, still full of the antics of one Adrian Ivashkov. And yet this book was just MORE. More daring. More intense. More to the point. I'm surprised by how much I loved this installment but at the same time, I'm not. With VA, I found myself growing weary by the fifth book, more than ready for Rose and Dimitri to get their happy ending. But with these books, I'm just curious to see what craziness Richelle Mead has in store for us next.

I've listened to both the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines books on audio, so I'm more than familiar with Emily Shaffer and how she voices some of my favorite characters. I'm exceptionally pleased that Mead went the dual POV route, though, with this series after the first couple of books so that we could get a male narrator for Adrian's perspective. I guess because he's Moroi royalty, Shaffer always affected a slightly English accent for Adrian, which wasn't bad, but it also seemed unnecessary, especially when Neil came along and really was English. It doesn't matter now, though, because Alden Ford owns Adrian. Ford as Adrian is cocky and self-assured, but he also capitalizes on Adrian's self-doubt and failings in order to gain sympathy for the character. He's kind of perfect for the part, as is Shaffer as Sydney. If you haven't started the series yet, I highly recommend trying out the audio, though the fact that Mead manages to give both Adrian and Sydney very distinctive voices means you'll have no trouble keeping the perspectives separate if you read the text.

GIF it to me straight:

Some serious shockers in this installment but some serious Sydrian feels, too.

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Find Richelle:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Read More

Labels: audiobooks, bloodlines, penguin, reviews, richelle mead, vampire academy, vampires