Review: Silver Shadows

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Richelle Mead sucked me in with her VA series years ago, and I've read everything she has written. Bloodlines is a spin-off of the Vampire Academy series, featuring Sydney Sage, the Alchemist responsible for covering up the existence of Vampires, Rose & Lissa in particular.
Silver Shadows starts out with Sydney still stuck in an isolation cell, and held captive by the Alchemist. Adrian is going out of his mind trying to find her, but he can't even reach her in a dream. Using so much spirit is weighing heavily, and Adrian's number one vice is too tempting. Sydney just hopes she can survive until Adrian finds her. After being betrayed by her family, the Alchemist will stop at nothing to break her will, even if that takes breaking her body and mind.


****Spoilers****
Sydney goes through unimaginable abuse at the hands of her Alchemist leaders. In their minds she is tainted for allowing one of those filthy creatures to touch her. She spends two months in solitary confinement with no clothes, shower, or even light. She finally decides that she is going to have to play along if she ever hopes to escape. When they bring her into the general population with other rogue alchemist she learns her transgressions are even too much for her fellow captives. Luckily Duncan befriends her in art class, but he warns her he won't be able to get too friendly outside of their class. She eventually learns that the sleeping gas they were pumping into the solitary cells, is still present in her new room. Her roommate Emma is straight as an arrow, or so she thinks at first. Emma's sister was releases from re-education, and messed up again. They are taking their time to make sure that when Emma leaves she won't mess up again. Adrian is sinking into spirit induced depression without his meds, but he can't take them and still be able to search for Sydney in her dreams. He turns to drinking to help dull the effects, but it's eventually too much for him. Jill calls his mother, and asks her to bring him back to court. While at court Adrian hangs out with Nina, another spirit user he knows. He is trying to drink his pain away, and she eventually confuses his friendship for something more. Emma reveals to Sydney she can help her, and tells her how it is they pump gas into the room. One of the other girls causes a distraction, while she takes off the ceiling tile, and stops the pipes up with a sock. The first night she is able to dream, she is disappointed that Adrian doesn't come to her. The girls that helped her are more than disappointed when they find out it was for nothing. Once Nina comes onto Adrian, he realizes that he has been wallowing in his misery, and decides to head back. When searching the next time he finds her, and they're able to discuss the things they need to. Marcus the number one most wanted Alchemist, Adrian, and a few others all find out where the re-education center is, and break Sydney and the other prisoners out. Sydney and Adrian decide to leave them since she knows it's her they will be coming after. They don't get far before the Alchemist are on their tail, and they come really close to being recaptured. Adrian comes up with the bright idea that they should get married, because as his wife the Moroi community would be forced to protect her. Once they make it to the court, the Moroi, the Alchemist, and Adrian's family are all waiting. The Alchemist are furious when Lissa refuses to hand over Sydney, and are eventually escorted out. Adrian's father is pissed that Adrian is serious about the marriage, and not just using it to keep Sydney safe. They finally get to bed that night, only to be woken a short time later, and told that Jill is missing. As the Queen's only living relative, without knowing her whereabouts, the Moroi can move to dethrone Lissa. They are only one month shy of changing the law that requires the Queen to have at least one relative, but they may be too late.



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