Review ~ The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Title: The Fiery Heart

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines #4

Genre: YA Paranomal

Published: November 19th 2013

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 Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Oh my! What an ending! I want the next book in this series, like yesterday! What happened in those last few chapters are going to haunt me until the next book, Silver Shadows, is released in July!!

The Fiery Heart was a little different from previous books for a couple of reasons. The first was seeing Adrian’s POV; I quite enjoyed being in his head and seeing how he struggles. The pressure from Spirit really effects him badly, and I saw him hit highs and lows when he uses it. I was also able to see how much he cared for Sydney and that he is willing to do anything for her, no matter the cost. The second difference was the direction of the book; I was not sure where we were heading until the very end. Most of the story revolved around experimentation: trial and error, with magic, blood and tattoos.

Adrian and Sydney both grew a lot as people and so did their relationship. I was a bit annoyed about the pressures that Sydney put on Adrian about his spirit use, because I love him just as he is, but it is a testament to their love and what they would do for each other. Their relationship is tested continuously – with keeping it under wraps, and with new people in their group. However, the progress that they made as a couple was amazing and often left me swooning for more!!

Again we saw some of the characters that I loved from the original series and I was excited by another trip to court! There is significant progress in this book in regards to spirit and I was excited to see Adrian play a big part of it. He questions himself constantly and hits some serious lows when he does, and my heart ached for him a little as he struggled with what he could bring to the relationship he has with Sydney.

Although I thought this book was a little slower than usual, there was still some action, lots of relationship progress and an ending that has me eager for more. The relationships between other characters were a little strained, as Adrian and Sydney keep their relationship on the down-low, but they all continue to click as a group. I am excited about what's going to happen now, it has been set up for some exciting things to come and we could see a lot of characters return…I have so many predictions and I can't wait!!!

Other reviews in the Bloodlines Series

Bloodlines

The Golden Lily

The Indigo Spell

Other Richelle Mead reviews

Gameboard of the Gods