Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Rating: 4 Stars

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. - Summary from Goodreads

     I was disappointed when I first started reading Silver Shadows. I felt like the voices, especially Adrian's, were flat and I was bored by what was going on. Sydney is trapped in the alchemist re-education center where they are trying to psychologically recondition her to hate Moroi and reinforce her loyalty to the Alchemists while Adrian begins to fall back on bad habits. I knew what was happening was essential to the story, but I hoped the book would get more interesting. I should have known not to doubt. Everything starts picking up on page 157 and it doesn’t stop after that. Silver Shadows amps up the drama, action, and cuteness levels of the Bloodlines series.  

     The book focuses on Adrian and Sydney completely. Most of the Palm Springs group show up only a few times and Rose a Dimitri each make very small appearances, but the main trouble in this story is a lot more dire than Jill’s outdoor gym class or the possibility of Angelina getting expelled. The stakes have been raised, lives and sanity are at risk and there’s no going back. While the book deals with some pretty dark and disturbing things I wouldn't say that the book as a whole is dark. Sydney and Adrian are made weak by circumstances out of their control, but once they find their footing they become strong and are able to fight back. This is not a hopeless story, it is a love story. And you will not believe some of the things that happen in this book!

     Even though the beginning was incredibly dull the rest of the book made up for it many times over, and it manages to hold its own against the rest of the series. If you were wondering if this book ends with a cliff hanger then answer is yes. Now that you have that  warning go forth and read!

     While still being its own book Silver Shadows continues the fantastic Bloodlines series and sets up The Ruby Circle perfectly. I cannot wait to read the conclusion when it comes out in February 2015. It is going to be EPIC!

                          -Christina