Silver Shadows, by Richelle Mead

Mind control, torture and deprivation – the dark side of the Alchemist cult is fully revealed in the fifth Bloodlines book. It is again told from the alternating viewpoints of now-renegade Alchemist Sydney Sage and her lover, Moroi prince Adrian Ivashkov, with Adrian’s voice gaining some strength. The secretive Alchemists have always walked a fine line in protecting the interests of humans and vampires, but the extreme lengths they will go to in disciplining their own clearly demonstrates their delusion on being a power for good in the world. The sheer number of ‘re-education centres’ shows the growing problem of Alchemist dissent, giving rise to the question of just who are the monsters. Can Sydney’s resilience and intelligence and Adrian’s determination win through against the forces ranged against them? The gripping tale overcomes a few minor plot queries to end on yet another cliffhanger to signal the direction of the final novel in the series.