What I Love Mini Reviews: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead & Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Silver Shadows
by Richelle Mead
Read: July 28 - 29, 2014
Published: July 29, 2014 by Razorbill
Source: Hardcopy Purchase
Category: Fantasy, Vampires, YA
Series: Bloodlines #5
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository 

Book description: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

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.
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Note: Silver Shadows is book 5 in the Bloodlines series. My thoughts may contain spoilers for the previous books. See previous reviews: Bloodlines, The Golden Lily, The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart

What I love - Mead has completely convinced me of Sydrian as a couple. 

I was very unsure of Sydney and Adrian as a pair when I began the Bloodlines series, but with each book I've been more convinced of how right they are for each other. Silver Shadows has managed to up all of my Sydrian feels. It is probably the toughest of the books in terms of what these two have to face, but I was surprised by the level of swoon in here as well. Speaking of surprises Mead is the master of that as well. There are several things in this book that I did not see coming - some bad and some good - and she certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails as I read, desperate to know the fate of these two. 

In Silver Shadows, we (finally) see Adrian stepping up and fighting for what he wants. Sydney's inner will of steal and convictions are as strong as ever, and I am so proud of her for how far she's come from our first meeting with her in Russia back in the Vampire Academy series. I also appreciate so much that this couple is not the standard guy/girl dynamic. Sydney is far from being a damsel in distress, and is usually the one with the plan and doing the saving. But it is Adrian's determination and willingness to take action that we've needed to see from the beginning. After some faltering, that made me very nervous, I was thrilled to see him do just that. But in mostly, I love how these two have truly rescued each other. 

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Medium - This conclusion was far less stressful than the last one was. But it's clear that there's still a lot these two are going to have to face. 

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Opposition
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Read: August 4 - 7, 2014
Published: August 5, 2014 by Entangled Teen
Source: Paperback Purchase
Category: PNR, Aliens, YA
Series: Lux #5
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository 

Book description: Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.
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NOTE: Opposition is the final book in the Lux series. My thoughts may contain some spoilers for the previous books. Previous books are Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, and Origin.

What I love - Jennifer Armentrout is not afraid to write longer series and keep her couples together throughout them. I also know that I don't need to fret about her finales. They will be filled with action and tension, but also swoon and ultimate happy making. 

In the Lux series, Katy and Daemon go through ups and downs, but we get to see them as a powerful team through several books. There are no weird breakups or love triangles in this series. I feel like I know Katy and Daemon individually and as a couple, and can truly understand why they are a great match. I loved the way this particular book began - I was definitely freaking out, but it led to some of my favorite scenes between these two. 

It's true that I'm more interested in the characters than anything else in this series. Not just Katy and Daemon but their entire entourage - Dawson, Beth, Archer, Dee, Luc and a few others. But I also very much enjoy how much Armentrout has expanded the Lux world and mythology from when Katy discovered aliens living next door in Obsidian. Now this alien civilization is taking over the world, and Katy and Daemon must work together with their friends and some unlikely allies before the invasion and destruction is complete.  Opposition has Katy and Daemon, lots of action, some freak out moments and is all together a solid, satisfying JLA approved conclusion. 

Love Triangle Factor: None

Cliffhanger Scale: Series conclusion 

*If I were doing a Six Degrees of Separation post, I would have said that Silver Shadows reminded me a great deal of the last Lux book Origin. The overarching plot is quite similar.