Speculation/Alyssa's Hopes for Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Speculation/My hopes for Silver Shadows
SPOILERS for The Fiery Heart

At the end of The Fiery Heart, we see Sydney in Reeducation. She's drugged and naked, and she has everything against her. Her betrayal to the Alchemists is not going to be forgiven any time soon, so we're left wondering if Sydney has any hope.

But of course she does. There are still two more books. Silver Shadows, which comes out on July 29th, is the fifth book in the Bloodlines series, and I for one am beyond excited to read it.

My main hope for this book is that Sydney can somehow save herself in any way. It would really validate her strength and give female readers a true hero to look to. Sydney, although still a fledgling witch, is still very powerful and I'm hoping that her own magic will keep her alive and sane in Reeducation.

Of course, Adrian saving the day would be equally welcome. The center has to hold. It HAS to. Sydney and Adrian are one of my favorite fictional couples and if they don't make it through this together, devastation will ensue.

(GIF is from the Australian Bloodlines trailers)

I also hope Jackie has something to do with the rescue. As Sydney's mentor, she's played a huge role in Syndey's life recently and although she tries to keep her distance sometimes, it would be nice to see her helping in some way. The worry Jackie showed for Sydney at the end of The Fiery Heart is touching and for the two to reunite in the next book would assist Sydney in holding onto her sanity.

The last thing I really hope happens in Silver Shadows is that Zoe stops being so brainwashed and traitorous. If she sees how Sydney is being treated in Reeducation, she might understand that her sister did not truly do anything wrong, and maybe even that their mother has been the better parent all along. But there's still one more book after that, so we'll see!

Silver Shadows comes out July 29th! 

-Alyssa 

Here is a Gif of Adrian and Sydney dancing just because I love them so much. This is also Danielle adding this on to Alyssa's post, being a non-professional editor. 

Review: The Golden Lily and The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

I read these books back to back this week, so I thought I would combine them into one review. There's no major spoilers for either book, but their is spoilers for the first novel in the series Bloodlines.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) and The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) mainly focus on how Sydney’s torn between two worlds. One being the Alchemists her family and what she is raised to believe and the other is the Moroi world what she learns about them on her own. This is similar to what teens go through every day. While they are not debating whether or not vampires are morally good or bad, but rather in political views, future jobs they want to pursue, or maybe a hobby that their family does not believe in.

I also found Sydney’s slightly eating disorder another aspect that is easy for young readers to identify with, especially with today's media. Sydney is not over weight she even says she’s in a size 4. Yet she is comparing herself to Moroi who are supermodel sized 0. Personally, I can really relate to this. I’m also a size four yet sometimes feel the same way Sydney does.  In the first book her aversion to food seemed weird for a young adult novel and I wasn’t sure where Richelle Mead was going to take it. In the 2^nd book Adrian out right says Sydney is on the verge on an eating disorder. From there she learns she might actually have a problem. I really applaud Richelle Mead for putting this in her series. It's a great lesson for young adults.

The main character is not the only reason I love these books. The plot is always moving forward and interesting. The first Vampire Academy series dealt with the vampire world and didn't really extend much out of that. I loved how Richelle Mead added the witches to the Bloodlines series. It set it apart and gave it a new twist to the world. I also enjoy that each individual book in the series has its own plot. There’s a problem that starts, climax’s and is mostly resolved in each novel while also setting it up for more advance plot points in the following novels. It’s a great way for the series to advance.

Lastly, the romance between Sydney and Adrian has a forbidden Romeo and Juliet feel to it. I’ve been rooting for them since the first novel and can’t wait to see how it plays out in the rest of the series. They have some serious problems to get through if it is going to work out. They are literally not allowed to be together based on the Alchemist laws.

 

Can't wait to read more of Richelle Mead. I'm going to start the next book in the series ASAP!

 

--Danielle