Friday, December 6, 2013

Review: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4)
by Richelle Mead
Publication Date: November 19, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
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 thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

My Thoughts
The center will hold. 

Wow! Just...WOW!! Loved this book to explosive pieces!!

The Fiery Heart is an exciting installment to the Bloodlines series. BEST.ONE.YET!! Filled with alternating perspectives between the two main characters and a constant flow of action, this is one book that fans of Richelle Mead should NOT miss! Truly enjoyed this one, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final conclusion of this series!!

In this fourth installment, we get to journey alongside both Sydney and Adrian as they share their ongoing quest to not only define their relationship but keep it secret from others that might pose a threat to their future. As we witness Sydney mastering her magical powers, we also see Adrian trying to cope with the effects of his spirit abilities.

First off, I must say… I.LOVED.ADRIAN’S.POV!! My attraction to Adrian truly compounded in just this one book. Where his confidence and arrogance was a constant in the other novels… getting a glimpse into his head and heart proved that he carries an ongoing battle with himself. Having a chance to hear directly from Adrian about how he feels about himself, Jill, and most of all Sydney managed to cast aside all doubt that Adrian is a worthy character. Loved him in this book!!

I also have to acknowledge Sydney’s character development inThe Fiery Heart. I’ve enjoyed seeing her grow into her own person. She’s managed to capture my heart in the last two installments, and that’s saying a lot because I was truly skeptical at the beginning. In this novel, we get to witness Sydney’s confidence and determination to do what’s right, despite how much it goes against what she’s been taught her whole life.

“With my eyes open to the truth, I could no longer answer blindly to the Alchemists, even though I still technically worked for them. That wasn’t to say I was in open rebellion against them either… Really what it came down to was that I was working for myself now.”

Sydney’s character has come full circle and I hope she gets an ending worthy of her efforts.

Overall, Adrian and Sydney’s romance was handled perfectly in this book. You can’t deny the struggles these two faced in coming together. With so much against them, the stolen moments and the constant building romance between these two is not only believable but heart-rending. They’ve each sacrificed a part of themselves to be together, and I hope it works out for this dynamic couple.

In addition, I loved the secondary cast of Eddie, Jill, Angeline, Trey, as well as the new comers Neil and Zoe. Their interactions blended well with the story-line and they each added a layer of depth to the series, especially Neil with his readiness to jump into the action. Despite a rocky start for this character, he assumed a cadence with the rest of the band. I never quite connected with Zoe, but I think that was purposeful on Mead’s part. The decisions Zoe made toward the end of the book were not only costly, but truly served as a game changer in the story. Well played!

One last note, I have to mention how much I enjoyed Adrian’s escape plans. There’s not one that I wouldn’t want to venture along with him. It was a true treat to get a firsthand insight into his complex, yet endearing mental rambles.

Overall, I have to say that The Fiery Heart ranked as the best installment for this series IMHO. Despite the steady pacing of events, there was never a moment of downtime because the level of emotions was at a constant high. I knew a painful cliffhanger was coming, and I just can’t wait to see how it all comes to an end in the final installment of Silver Shadows.
4 Snowflakes


3 comments:

  1. After Silver Shadows there's one more book coming out in 2015 :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog. A great read. Agen Bola Online Sbobet Casino

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