The style in which they’re written made me feel really disconnected from the action, so I didn’t feel any of the suspense I should have done in those sequences. The pacing picks up massively towards the end, but there was once again something missing from the action scenes for me. There just wasn’t enough to hold my attention and keep me engaged. A trip to the royal court could have proved an interesting diversion, but that section fell a bit flat for me, as not much happened to create any kind of tension or suspense. But it didn’t feel like a whole lot was going on. Lissa and Adrian are learning to use spirit. Unfortunately, I found Shadow Kiss quite slow and somehow seemed to be lacking in direction.Īfter the events of Frostbite, Rose and the other students have returned to school and the dhampirs are undergoing the field experience part of their training. Even though I didn’t love the first two books, I enjoyed them enough to carry on reading. Shadow Kiss is the third book in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series.

In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most… but will her choice mean that only one can survive? The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. 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. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken… Her best friend, Lissa – the last Dragomir princess – must always come first. Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Dhampir. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die.

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. Publishing Info: Kindle edition 2008 by e-Penguin

Shadow kiss