Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3)

by Richelle Mead

book data

2,407 ratings, 4.52 average rating, 415 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		62%
4		28%
3		7%
2		1%
1		0%

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published

November 13th 2008 (first published 2007) by Razorbill

binding

Paperback, 443 pages

characters

Rose Hathaway, Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir, Dimitri Belikov, Christian Ozera, ...more

isbn

1595141979 (isbn13: 9781595141972)

description

Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Maso...more

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09/03/08

Courtney rated it:

bookshelves: horror, teens

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: fans of the twilight series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like this review? yes (10 people liked it)

5 comments

07/04/08

Sarah rated it:

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: people who can handle it none of you twilight-happy ending people

what to say about this book... i just finished it and it was really good but some people will be very angry about it not to give too much away. and just to tell you rose does make a huge decision in this book and it's mind blowing. i liked it because it continued on in the infamous manner of the series not to give too much away. defiantly a must read series and it left a wide opening for the next book to be awesome. there's not really much to say i really liked it but it makes you sad just like ...more

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

16 comments

01/02/09

Mitabird rated it:

bookshelves: paranormal, ya

Read in January, 2009

Shadow Kiss started off slow, but ended up being great. I really like how Ms. Mead takes things to a level where not everything has a happy ending. It has realistic qualities for being a young adult paranormal book. I felt Rose's pain and confusion as she struggled with what she had to deal with being "shadow kissed". I enjoyed her interactions with Lissa, Dmitri and Adrian. Even though I inadvertently knew a big piece of the story, it didn't happen as I envisioned. This book has a lot...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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11/13/08

Christy rated it:

This is the third book in the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series and I highly recommend you read the first two books before reading this one. I read all 400 plus pages of this book in one day ~ it grabbed my attention from the very first and I could not put it down. Intense, suspenseful and full of shocking surprises ~ I can't wait until the next book is released!

Like this review? yes (5 people liked it)

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10/11/08

Catherine rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in January, 2009

Her best book so far. More substantive (and longer) than the first 2 in the series or her other works, despite being classified as a Young Adult book. Her heroine faces some very serious challenges and does a lot of growing up in this one. Good adventure, great characters.

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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02/05/09

Rhianna rated it:

Read in January, 2009

After the tragedy of Frostbite, Rose and her friends are coping as best they can. Bearing her first molnija marks might be a bit of a status symbol but their earning was bittersweet. As her final months at St. Vladimir's begin winding down the guardians are facing their field experience testing. They'll be facing weeks of practice guarding their Moroi classmates from their instructors pretending to be Strigoi. Expecting to be paired with Lissa, Rose's field experience should be easy. But when sh...more After the tragedy of Frostbite, Rose and her friends are coping as best they can. Bearing her first molnija marks might be a bit of a status symbol but their earning was bittersweet. As her final months at St. Vladimir's begin winding down the guardians are facing their field experience testing. They'll be facing weeks of practice guarding their Moroi classmates from their instructors pretending to be Strigoi. Expecting to be paired with Lissa, Rose's field experience should be easy. But when she sees the ghostly image of Mason and freezes at her first attack everything goes downhill.

For the first time in her life Rose is beginning to question the life of a Dhampir. Becoming Lissa's guardian means she will never choose what classes to attend or where she will live. The guardian standard "They come first." suddenly doesn't have such a great ring to it. Meanwhile, Lissa continues to practice her spirit magic with Adrian causing turmoil with Christian. When Adrian begins to see how Lissa's magic use is affecting Rose the mystery of St. Vladimir and shadow kissed Anna holds answers Rose isn't ready to face. She's always known she may one day have to give her life to protect Lissa but can she? When an unexpected threat breaks over the academy the students' lives are forever changed but none moreso than Rose who has to choose whether to protect her best friend or fulfill a promise to the man she loves.

As with the first two books, I very much enjoyed being emersed in the world of St. Vlad's. In just three short books Rose has gone from mouthy runaway to seasoned guardian. It was great to see her beginning to question whether she really wants to live her life for Lissa. That aspect of the Dhampir/Moroi relationship has always bugged me. It was also enjoyable seeing Rose put into a position she didn't expect no matter how upset she got.

I will say that I struggled with the pacing this time around. I also felt that the events of Frostbite seemed as if they were being overlooked almost as if they had happened a very long time ago instead of just a couple of weeks. I've always looked forward to Rose's interactions with Christian and Adrian but both characters seemed different this time around, not bad just... as if they weren't being written with their usual stronger personalities. The focus was definitely more on Dimitri and I know many readers of the series adore him but I've always found him boring. I had hoped that the extra focus would make me like him more and approve of his relationship with Rose but I was again unable to find a spark for him. Without spoiling anything I feel it is safe to say that the next book, Blood Promise, will be mostly Rose and Dimitri again. (less)

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

5 comments

05/15/08

Its Spelt rated it:

I love this book HATE the ending but love the book none the less

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

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07/08/08

thestorysiren rated it:

bookshelves: books-i-own, signed-books

Read in November, 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...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

4 comments

02/16/09

Jennifer rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, read-in-2009, urban-fantasy, young-adult

Read in February, 2009

I fell into this book so thoroughly that I both wanted and dreaded the ending. So frustrating! I want the fourth book to be out now and it's killing me that I have to wait until August.

Mead continues to weave a complex tale with excellent characters. The stakes keep getting higher and her characters are never quite perfect but always enthralling. The dialog, pace and plot are perfect and everythnig spirals out to the end.

SPOILERS BELOW
SPOILERS BELOW
SPOILERS B...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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04/04/09

Lmb rated it:

Read in April, 2009

recommends it for: Buffy fans & most people who love Genre.

I loved this book & now the series as a whole. I cannot wait until the next one. This is a very adult worthy read, IMO.

I saw huge parallels or rather - I felt this was a fabulous homage to Joss Whedon's brilliant Buffy series.

Fans who read this will know what I mean after they read book 2 & now this one.

SPOILERS below:

I have to admit I did not see coming Dimtri becoming Strigoi . That nearly ripped my heart out...more

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11/17/08

Immortal Fiction rated it:

Read in November, 2008

recommended to Immortal by: online reviews
recommends it for: ya/teen paranormal action romance

A painfully beautiful and adventurous paranormal romance story! This one didn't astound me like its predecesor, Frostbite, (wow!) but it did move me to tears more than once and held me on the edge of my seat as well. I believe I read this book faster than anything else this length, but it could be a tie with Frostbite (and I've read most of the popular vampire novels written in the past 10 years now!) So I absolutely recommend this to anyone teen and up that enjoys vampire action romance stories...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

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06/27/08

Marcy Jo rated it:

bookshelves: myalltimefaves

Read in November, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of YA Fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I loved this book so much. I love Richelle's writing style, and I love that despite the series name, which makes the books sound like they might be juvenile, I love that they really aren't. They sure as heck have a lot more depth than the other YA Vamp series that is so popular (which I also love, but that is beside the point here)

So once again I'm flying through the pages, completely absorbed in Richelle's writing and riding the wave of emotions along with the characters. There was ...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

01/12/09

Heaven rated it:

This book is by far my favorite so far out of the three that I've read. You could feel the pain and confusement Rose goes through. With being "shadow-kissed". Having to protect her best friend from strogi and herself, keeping her lover a secret from everyone, and with graduation coming up, Roses life is spinning out of control. Lissa on the other hand( Roses best friend) is taking things a little easier. Her realtionship is good, shes off her depression meds, and is learning how to con...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

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01/25/09

Jess rated it:

Read in December, 2008

At first when i got the first book i wasn't really interested to read it but my cousin insisted that i get a book for my b-day so i chose a cheap but good looking cover. Then i started reading it and couldn't put it down! I absolutly loved these books but then after the third one i notice that it goes on..so i checked online for some more info. then found out that theres 5 books altogether and finding out that the 4th one doesn't come out till end of July or Aug. which totally sucks cuz I cannot...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

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06/10/09

Rachel rated it:

Read in January, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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12/01/08

Michelle rated it:

Read in November, 2008

recommended to Michelle by: M

I liked this one the best of this series. Still - the whole series has some pretty racey parts. The language in this book was excellent compared to her first. :) I LOVED the action!! Lots of creep me out parts!

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

11/04/08

Anitra rated it:

Read in October, 2008

recommended to Anitra by: my best friend chirstain
recommends it for: anyone who loves harry potter or twilight

This book was freaking awesome!!! I was hook from the first sentence! I got my friend reading the series and she finished Frostbite in a day. we are both addicted to this series and our boyfriends hate when we ignore them to read it. O well they have to got over themselves,lol. I loved shadow kiss and the ending was spectacular. when I was reading, I didnt fell like i was reading words but I was watching it in the movei thearter. I love Richelle and I cant wait until the fouth one comes out. I t...more

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11/25/08

Midnight rated it:

I loved it and I hated it at the same time. I don't want to say more because that would ruin it for others.

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

11/18/08

Shawna rated it:

Read in November, 2008

I really like the writing in these books. I love the characters. I liked this one the best of the series right up until the last few chapters. Then, not so much! It definately left a lot wide open for the next book in the series.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

02/06/09

Tasha rated it:

I absolutely loved this book. This series is probably one of the best vampire series I've read in a long time. The ending was unpredictable, but it sets a nice base for the next book. I can't wait for the next book. I'm sure that it'll be amazing. While there were people who didn't like the ending, I personally think it makes the series a lot more interesting. And it's life-like, seeing as life isn't one big fairy-tale. Bad stuff does happen.

The characters are amazing and charming. ...more

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