Shadow Kiss is the 3rd book in the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. It follows much of the previous story, and I recommend you read the first two books before you start on this book.

Let me first start out this review by saying that each book in this series has gotten gradually better, and I can not wait until the 4th book comes out in audio format. I don’t have time to read books much, but I do have a rather long commute to and from work, and I love listening to these books while I ride.

Now, on to the book! This book is set right before Lissa and Rose are due to graduate, they are in their last semester at St. Vladimir’s Academy, and they have a lot going on. Rose is seeing Mason’s ghost (if you remember Mason died in the last book), and she thinks she might be going crazy, and refuses to let anyone know what she is seeing.

Rose is also very much in love with Dimitri in this book, like every other book. And I still find it gross and disgusting. Then again most think Dimitri is Hot and Sexy – perhaps I’m weird. I still would love to see Adrian and Rose get together. Oh well, in addition to this though, Lissa and Christian are still together in this book, and Mead throws in a nice twist with having Rose guard Christian in their final guardian “in field” training each senior must go through.

The “in field” training is a 6 week training program where Dhampire’s are assigned to Moroi to watch and look after for 6 weeks, while the instructors sneak around and try to “get” the Moroi. The Dhampire’s must protect the Moroi against the instructors no matter what. Which is kind of fun, just thinking about being able to fight your instructors without holding back makes you go “hmmmmmm” lol.

Anyway, during the course of the book Rose becomes more and more convinced that she is seeing Mason for a reason, and tries to figure out what that reason might be. By the time she realizes what is happening its too late. The Academy is attacked by tons of Strigoi, and the Moroi, instructors, and Guardians must fight to protect the school and the Royal’s. This is a very exciting attack, not to mention the fight starts right after Rose and Dimitri “do the deed”. I would love to see this fight reenacted on film, it would be amazing!

This fight leads to the capture of several Moroi, and while on a rescue mission to take the Strigoi and save Moroi lives, Dimitri is turned into a Strigoi. This leads to a devastated Rose dropping out of school to go find Dimitri and kill him. This is the end of the book, and much like the end of this post, its way too abrupt to really be a “good” ending.

Of course ending like this really sets the tone for the next book, and I think its part of the reason why I am feining for the fourth book so much. Of course its not out in audio format yet, so we will just have to wait to see the next chapter.

All in all, this is one of my favorite books, 1, because of the Strigoi attack, it was described beautifully and it was very well thought out, and 2, because Dimitri gets turned into a Strigoi (hehe).  I would recommend this book, and this series to anyone urning for some more Vampire Love, Mead is a very talented writer, and these book seem very well thought out and they are easy on the ears.

Rose and Lissa are bonded together by a one way psychic connection. Rose can hear Lissa’s thoughts, and can also see what Lissa see’s through Lissa’s eyes. It is a very intriguing bond, and adds a lot to the story.

As for the specifics of this book, it is set in a ski lodge. Strigoi (the evil Vampires), attacked the Academy, leading to the whole school attending a very well protected ski lodge, usually reserved for Royal Moroi during Winter Break. Many extra Dhampire’s have been called in to help protect the students, including Rose’s very well known Mother. The tension between Rose and her Mother is well placed, and I believe it helps develop Rose a little more, and I like her character.

Again, Dimitri is in the book, romantic things happen, and it makes me uncomfortable… hahaha. I don’t like Dimitri, and I really wish his character was a little better portrayed. I listened to the audio book and his voice may be the thing that deters me, so it may be different if you are planning to read the book, instead of listen to it.

I love the character of Adrian, he is charming, mysterious, sexy, and I really dig the bad boys look (even though I get the feeling he isn’t too “bad”).

The plot revolves around the decision to either retaliate against the Strigoi for the attacks or do nothing. It is part of the old ways that the Moroi and dhampire’s stay clear of Strigoi, only fighting when necessary, but many Moroi and many Guardians think that it is time for a change.

The real adventure begins when Rose learns that Mason, Mia, and Eddie have escaped the Ski Lodge and gone after the Moroi that killed Mia’s parents. Mia is enraged and wants revenge, and Eddie and Mason are willing and ready to help take out some Strigoi. Of course Rose goes after them, and they are soon caught and held prisoner by Strigoi and their human helpers. In the end Mason is dead, Eddie has been starved and fed off of almost to the point of being dead, and Mia and Rose must create a plan to escape their bondage. They devise a plan and the group is well into their escape plan when they run into powerful Strigoi that want them all dead. Rose ends up showing her kick ass skills and kills her first couple Strigoi, and Mia, the whiny little brat overcomes her ways and becomes stronger as she helps Rose take the Strigoi out using the element of water.

Overall this book is pretty good, and if you liked the first book, you will definitely get into this one, and want to pick up the 3rd one right after you finish. It continues the story really well, and takes some nice twists and turns. As with the first book Rose is very easy to listen to, and the concept of the bond really helps keep this book flowing at a nice pace.

As for the plot, with Victor out to get them, and how he used magic, and had used Natalie to test Lissa all was very well put together, and flowed really nicely.  I put together the plot relatively quickly, but their were some twists I didn’t expect, like Natalie turning Strigoi. Natalie was the last person I expected to be the villian, so I really liked that part.

Lissa and the spirit magic were great additives, and of course, the bond helped move the story along at a decent pace, never keeping on one character too long. It was good to always know that Rose was the point of view, even when speaking from Lissa and her psychic bond. The “shadowkissed” references really make me want to keep reading this book. To have bits and pieces of this story is what really keeps the series going, and I love the mystical, psychic touch it has. I can’t lie, I’ve already starting reading the other books, and I still like the “Shadowkissed” references in it.


Now Lissa, she is a good character, but I really don’t like her meek ways, and small voice. She seems strong, but  sounds way too childish, I think this might have to do again with the fact that I listened to the book instead of reading it, but anyway, Lissa just needs to toughen up. And I really didn’t like the crazy cutting, I don’t think it added too much to the book, and that kind of fear and frustration could have been shown in a different way. In the end though I think Lissa does the right thing with being with Christian. And speaking of Christian, he is one of my favorite characters, I wish he said and did more. (Maybe in the next book ;-P )

The last characters I want to address are Mia and Mason. Mia is a straight up brat, and I love how her character is portraided in the book. She is a typical snob you would meet at any high school, and I loved the twisted plots and rumors that were tossed around. It made the book fun to read and get into. A few times I think I even found myself giving Mia a sigh out loud, hehe . Mason was a nice character, not good for Rose, but helped to balance out the school atmosphere.  He was a good ole boy, and who doesn’t love a good ole boy.

Overall I really liked the book – enough to keep reading, and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this genre. I personally use Audible to download the audio books, and they have some really good deal for those interested in audio books.  

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It might be interesting to read and compare to the TV show. There are a few blogs I’ve seen on this, maybe I will write them down and let you know.

Happy Reading

Vampire Diaries

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Here you can Read Free Books Online here

Here you can find anything you want – from the beloved Count Dracula, to various handbooks and companion books where you can find new and interesting things about Vampires.

Handbooks, Companions and General Reference

• Vampires, Burial & Death: Folklore & Reality by Paul Barber
• Vampires and Vampirism: Legends from Around the World by Dudley Wright
• The Dracula Cookbook of Blood by Ardin C. Price
• The Varmpire Gallery by J. Gordon Melton
• The Complete Book of Vampires by Leonard R. N. Ashley
• The Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew E. Bunson
• The Vampire Lectures by Laurence A. Rickels
• Book of the Vampire by Nigel Suckling, illus. Bruce Pennington
• The Vampire: In Legend & Fact by Basil Copper
• Bloody Irish by Bob Curran
• Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures by Bill Schutt
• The Vampire Book: The Complete Encyclopedia of the Undead by J. Gordon Melton
• Bite: A Vampire Handbook by Kevin Jackson
• V Is for Vampire : An A to Z Guide to Everything Undead by David J. Skal
• Vampire: The Complete Guide to the World of the Undead by Manuela Dunn-Mascetti
• Private Files of a Vampirologist: Case Histories & Letters edited by Jeanne K. Youngson
• The Complete Vampire Companion by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and J. B. MacAbre
• Vampires: Restless Creatures of the Night by Jean Marigny, translated by Lory Frankel
• Vampires: The Occult Truth by Konstantinos

Dracula Books – A short list of some very interesting books

• The Dracula Book by Donald Glut
• Dracula : Between Tradition and Modernism by Carol A. Senf
• Dracula : Bram Stoker (New Casebooks) by Glennis Byron
• Dracula : Sense & Nonsense by Elizabeth Miller
• Dracula : The Novel and the Legend by Clive Leatherdale
• Dracula : The Shade and the Shadow edited by Elizabeth Miller
• Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula by Kurt W. Treplow
• Kurt W. Treptow Dracula : The Vampire Legend on Film by Robert Marrero
• Dracula, Prince of Darkness by Martin H. Greenberg

In addition to the above, these below authors have a lot of books on the subject of vampires, and seem to have extensive knowledge regarding anything Vampire. Please check out the authors below to see what they have to say regarding Vampires

Authors to check out

• Michelle Belanger
• Leonard Wold
• Bob Madison
• Montague Summers
• Raymond T. McNally

Since Twilight came out more and more people are looking for Vampire Books. Vampire books have been a favorite theme with many writers. With Dracula, and all its renditions to the very popular kids series The Bailey School Kids by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones, these types of books have become a staple in paving the way for a more mainstream Below I have compiled a short list of Vampire books that can be appealing to teenagers, or young adults. Mostly I have added series, I find that series are really great, I feel that I can get to know the characters much better should I have more to read about them.

The Anita Blake Series

by: Laurell K. Hamilton

The Vampire Chronicles / New Tales of the Vampire Books

by: Anne Rice

Dark Series Books

by: Christine Feehan

Dark Day Series

by: Jocelynn Drake

1. Nightwalker
2. Dayhunter
3. Dawnbreaker

Vampire Kisses

by: Ellen Schreiber

1. The Beginning
2. Dance with a Vampire
3. The Coffin Club
4. Royale Blood

Books by Shannon Drake

• Beneath a Blood Red Moon
• When Darkness Falls
• Deep Midnight
• Realm of Shadows
• The Awakening
• Dead by Dusk

The Sookie Stackhouse Series (aka: Southern Vampire) Books

by: Christine Harris

The Twilight Series

by: Stephanie Meyers

1. Twilight
2. New Mood
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn

The Vampire Academy Books

by: Richelle Mead
*The audio books of this series is available at audible.com, and they are among my top 3 favorite books

1. Vampire Academy
2. Frostbite
3. Shadow Kiss
4. Blood Promise

Vampirates

by: Justin Somper

1. Demons of the Ocean
2. Tide of Terror
3. Blood Captain

Vampire Huntress Legend Series

by: L.A. Banks

Danielle Walthers Series

by Scott Ciencin

1. Vampire Odyssey
2. The Wildlings
3. Parliament of Blood

The Dracula Horror Series

by: Robert Lory

The Others Series

by Sergei Lukyanenki

1. Night Watch
2. Day Watch
3. Twilight Watch

Necroscope Series

by: Brian Lumley

If you have any more Vampire Series that you would like to add, let me know and I will add them to this list! I know there are plenty more series out there, but most of them I haven’t had a chance to get through yet. I would love to know what your thoughts are on these books as well, so be sure to leave a comment telling me what your favorites are!

There’s no doubt that Vampire Romance is one of the most popular genre’s on the market today. With the release of the Twilight Movie, and its Forbidden Romance theme, there will most certaintly be a hike in Vampire Romance in the coming years.

In the past Vampire Romance has been a hot topic, blowing up when Buffy The Vampire Slayer came to the TV and Movie screens, and just getting hotter and hotter throughout the years. Between the fiery romance, and most often the forbidden encounter between a human and a vampire, whats not to love. You have all you need in Vampire Romance, and here you can check out tons of new and old titles that you are sure to want to sink your teeth into (hehe – had to throw that one in there).

The Fever Series

By: Karen Marie Moning

• Darkfever
• Bloodfever
• Faefever
• Dreamfever
• Shadowfever (Coming Soon)

——

The Vampire Series

By: Rosemary Laurey

• Kiss Me Forever
• Love Me Forever

——

Love at Stake Series

By: Kerrelyn Sparks

• How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
• Vamps and the City
• Be Still My Vampire Heart
• The Undead Next Door
• All I Want For Christmas is a Vampire
• Secret Life of a Vampire
• Forbidden Nights with A Vampire

——

The Brethen Series

By: Sara Reinke

• Dark Thirst
• Dark Hunger
• Dark Passion

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The Vampire Diaries

By: L.J. Smith

• The Awakening
• The Struggle
• The Fury
• Dark Reunion

——

The Immortals After Dark Series

By: Kelsey Cole

• A Hunger Like No Other
• No Rest for The Wicked
• Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night
• Dark Needs at Night’s Edge
• Dark Desires After Dusk
• Kiss of a Demon King

——

The Tremayne Vampire Series

By: Linda Lael Miller

• Forever and The Night
• For All Eternity
• Time Without End
• Tonight and Always
• Into the Night

——

Wings in The Night Series

By: Maggie Shayne

• Twilight Phantasies
• Twilight Memories
• Twilight Illusions
• Beyond Twilight
• Born in Twilight
• Twilight Vows
• Twilight Hunger
• Embrace the Twilight
• Two by Twilight
• Edge of Twilight
• Blue Twilight
• Prince of Twilight

——

This is a small listing of Vampire Romance on the market. I have only added series to this list, which is what I mostly read. Of course this list is no where near complete, and these are just the books or series that I have either read, or partially read. They are all pretty good, and worth the read. And if you are short on time, try some audio book, they are great for a long commute (like me)!

Should you need any more ideas or have any reviews on the above books please comment and let me know, I would love to get some of your ideas on these books.

In addition if you have read a book that you don’t see on this list, and think its worth adding, just let me know!

For many years the Vampire crazy quieted down, but with Vampire books, movies, and television shows on the rise lately, its no wonder that many authors are finding new adventures for our beloved Vampires.

Below you will find a list of Vampire Novels from a variety of genres. Some of these can go into multipe categories, but I have broken it up as much as possible.

Mystery Novels

The Sookie Stackhouse Series (aka The Southern Vampire Mysteries)

By: Charlaine Harris

• Dead Until Dark
• Living Dead in Dallas
• Club Dead
• Dead to the World
• “Fairy Dust” in Powers of Detection
• “Dancers in the Dark”
• “One Word Answer”
• “Dracula Night” in Many Bloody Returns
• Dead as a Doornail
• Definitely Dead
• “Tacky” in My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding
• All Together Dead
• “Lucky” in Unusual Suspects
• From Dead to Worse
• “Gift Wrap” in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
• Dead and Gone
• A Touch of Dead
• Dead in the Family

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Vampire Detectives – edited by Martin H. Greenburg

The Vampire Files – by P.N. Elrod

Victoria Nelson Series – by Tanya Huff

Blood Walk – by Lee Killough

Strangers in the Night

by: Anne Stuart, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro & Maggie Shayne

• Dark Journey
• Catching Dreams
• Beyond Twilight

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Other Novels

Some Girls Bite: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel – by Chloe Neill

Austra Family Series

by Elaine Bergstrom

• Austra Family Series
• Blood to Blood

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The Darkangel Trilogy

by: Meredith Anne Pierce

• The Darkangel
• The Gathering of Gargoyles
• The Pearl of the Soul of the World

——

The Olivia Series

by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

• Flame in Byzantium
• Crusader’s Torch
• A Candle for D’Artagnan

——

The Saint-Germain Chronicles

by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

• Hotel Transylvania
• The Palace
• Blood Games
• Path of the Eclipse
• Tempting Fate
• The Saint-Germain Chronicles
• Darker Jewels
• Better in the Dark
• Mansions of Darkness
• Writ in Blood
• Blood Roses
• Communion Blood
• Come Twilight
• A Feast in Exile
• Night Blooming
• Midnight Harvest
• Dark of the Sun
• States of Grace
• Roman Dusk
• Borne in Blood
• Saint-Germaine Memoirs

——

Graphic Novels

The Vampire Lestat – A Graphic Novel By: Anne Rice

Blood: The Last Vampire 2002 by Benkyo Tamaoki

Blythe: NightVision by David Quinn, illustrated by Hannibal King

If you would like to add more novels to this list please let me know, I would love to see what others are reading as well as get your opinions on the books above. Please let me know what you thought of them!

Twilight has grossed over $70M in revenue since the movie’s debut, it fast became a must have for any Vampire lover. Now with 3 more books to go in the series, there is no telling how high that number will go, but I believe it is safe to say that Twilight (the books and movies) aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

I decided to write a very short (and I do mean very short) excerpt on what the Twilight Books are. I don’t want to go into much detail and spoil your reading, but here is the general background of what is going to happen in each movie.

Main characters:

• Bella Swan – high school girl
• Edward Cullen – Vampire that goes to school with Bella
• Cullen Family – Edward Cullen’s family
• Victoria – Part of the Vampire’s clan that tries to kill Bella
• Jacob Black – Werewolf and friend of Bella’s father

—-

Twilight

Bella moves to Phoenix to live with her Dad, while her Mother travels around the globe. Bella meets Edward Cullen, a vampire who lives with a family of vampires that have vowed not to drink human blood. Edwards family meets Bella and trusts in her to keep their vampire secret. While out with Edwards family, they run into a clan of human drinking vampires. And a fight breaks out. The Cullen Family must get Bella and her family to safety, all the while having to fight off this other clan of Vampires.

—-

New Moon

The Cullens leave Phoenix to help keep Bella and her family safe. While gone Bella gets to know Jacob Black better, who is a family friend that was introduced in the first book. She learns that Jacob is a werewolf. Jacob and his tribe of werewolves now have to protect Bella because one of the vampires, Victoria, are out to kill her. When Edward learns (mistakenly) that Bella is dead he tries to commit suicide, but gets stopped by Bella who comes to Italy to see him. Edward and Bella meet with a very powerful coven of Vampires and are told that Bella must be turned into a vampire soon.

—-

Eclipse

Victoria creates an army of vampires to try to kill Bella. The Cullen Family and Jacob’s tribe of werewolves must join forces to defeat her. , and get through her defensive line, the Cullen’s Family and Jacob’s tribe. While being protected by both Edward and Jacob, she must choose between the two.

—-

Breaking Dawn

Bella and Edward have gotten married, and Bella is pregnant. Her pregnancy is quite different that normal, and almost kills her in labor. Edward saves her life by making her a vampire. Bella delivers a half vampire / half human girl. They name her Renesmee. A debate breaks out about Renesmee, who is not an immortal child, violating Vampire Law. Bella and Edward win the debate, saying the child is no threat to anyone, and Bella and Edward live happily ever after.

—-

So basically, thats what you are going to read if you have been thinking about picking up these books. They are much more exciting than my short description might make you think – so don’t be fooled, they are definitely worth the read, or in my case, the audio book is worth a listen.