BOOK REVIEW - THE FIERY HEART by RICHELLE MEAD - BLOODLINES # 4 - YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE - PENGUIN

By: Richelle Mead

Published By: Penguin, Razor Bill

Released: Available Now

Details: Paperback from publisher for honest review, 420 Pages

RATING: 4.5 OH, ADRIAN! STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

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.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

I am a HUGE fan of Richelle Mead’s writing. I have read everything but her Age of X series. I am waiting to read Gameboard of The Gods and The Immortal Crown, together.

I always enjoy reading an installment in the Bloodlines series. Adrian is very deserving of his spinoff series. He is so different to Dimitri from Vampire Academy.

He will always put a smile on my face.

I won't lie. Walking into a room and seeing your girlfriend reading a baby-name book can kind of make your heart stop.

"I'm no expert," I began, choosing my words carefully. "Well- actually, I am. And I'm pretty sure there are certain things we have to do before you need to be reading that."

"Easy there, Lancelot," Adrian said. "I don't think bowing is required when she's in jeans and bunny slippers."


Ok, my honest thoughts on The Fiery Heart were, I did enjoy it, very much so. Adrian can make me laugh at his wit as much as he can make me feel sad at his more vulnerable side.

The Fiery Heart is told from dual pov’s. Adrian and Sydney allow us into their heads. This I very much enjoyed. I really feel like I know Adrian better from this installment. Richelle really lets us see another side to Adrian. He really showed me how much he was struggling with Spirit. How it truly was affecting him and something needed to change.

Well, more than one thing needed to change.

Adrian becomes responsible for his actions.

"Don't look like that. Everything's going to be okay. The center will hold."

"How do you know?"

"Because we are the center."

There are two sides to Adrian, the one he keeps hidden from nearly everyone except Jill and Sydney. 

If Sydney was the main calming force in my life, Jill was the second. She was only fifteen, seven years younger than me, but there was a grace and wisdom that radiated from her already. Sydney might be the love of my life, but Jill understood me in a way no one else could. 

And the side that most Moroi and dhampir’s who know him expect to see. 

Even Rose expects the female juggling, drunk, casual Adrian.

But Adrian is changing and slowly letting the wiser Adrian take a big step forward.

I would have liked this installment to have been faster paced in some areas. I did find it slowed down when we were learning more about the vulnerable Adrian and watching him decide what he needed to do to be a better, Adrian.

For himself and for Sydney.

Sydney is smart, thoughtful, brave, ever present, always juggling a lot of things for everybody. She is dealing with her sister, father issues, boyfriend issues, learning magic, becoming the resident Einstein and keeping a lid on a lot of secrets.

Is it too much?

Will she trip herself up?

Sydney is Alchemist, match maker, friend, lover, investigator, guidance counselor, Einstein. Basically she is always kept busy. She is respected by her peers. Sometimes you can forget how young Sydney is. She is very mature for her age. She carries a lot on her shoulders.

I loved having Marcus, Eddie, Angeline, Dimitri, Trey... along for the ride, even though they had small parts. I am hoping the lads will come in handy in Silver Shadows.

I can’t forget Malachi Wolfe. He is always a fun character.

I felt I knew where The Fiery Heart was heading after The Indigo Spell finished, but that became a very small part of this book. I had this whole action packed theory with where I thought this book was almost certainly going to be headed.

Which it did... eventually.

I have this thing about Hopper. I can't help thinking the little beastie is here for a reason. 

I also have another theory that involves the two who are co parenting Hopper.

Will I be right?

Time will tell.

I must laugh I just went and checked out my review for The Indigo Spell and I did make a comment about a couple characters that totally came true. J

Again I was theorizing.

I will admit I was hovering between 4.25 and 4.5 stars for this installment. I had even written my review up as 4.25 stars, sat on it overnight,  but then I changed it. The more I wrote this review the more I still really liked this installment, even though the action was lacking, I just love reading about Adrian. I simply couldn't bring myself to put a 4.25 rating on this book. 

BUT!!!

I expect big things from Silver Shadows. I mean how can it not, after those last few chapters. 

“Don’t take the high ground and assume you already know what you’ll do. The truth is, when it comes to someone you love, you’ll find there isn’t anything you won’t do.”

I must admit I was sitting there the whole book waiting for it to happen. 

Richelle is getting tough on her characters. This is what I want to see. I want some gritty , tough shiz going on. Shake the story line up. Give me those emotions that leap off the page like I got from Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise and Spirit Bound. Make my heart ache and all that good 3D stuff you get from an excellent read.

Adrian was making my heart ache in Vampire Academy. I wanna see that hit me in the face in Silver Shadows. That raw emotion. 

Bring. It. On.

I did feel like The Fiery Heart was true to its title and was about Adrian and Sydney’s relationship and it getting more heated and them understanding each other more.

I just received the Shadow Kiss graphic novel from Penguin and I did blush , lol! ( nah not really ) at the Dimitri and Roza love scene.

After reading this book I think there will be a few pages of Sydrian in the hopefully , eventual , graphic novel for Bloodlines series and The Fiery Heart to rival Dimitri and Roza's nuddy page.

Heheheeee!

Well... there were a few fiery hearts in this book.

Zoe, I could have given her a stinky dead fish slap quite early into the book. She just assumed too much when it came to Sydney. She was a bit bratty. I know that she has a lot of growing up to do and that was part of her personality.

She played the part well.

I feel gahhh * face plant *, * smacks head repeatedly on wall* , bouncy... that I have to wait until July 2014 to read Silver Shadows. I think this is going to be the action filled book.

I hope so.

I did miss the action in this one. There was a little, but it was more about relationships and those that were developing, those that were struggling to remain just friends and then of course the * waggle eyebrows * moments with Adrian and Sydney.

“Relax, having kids is years away. But can you imagine? Your brains, my charm, our collective good looks... then add in the usual physical abilities dhampirs get. It's really not even fair to everyone else.” 

I simply love Adrian and all his flaws. He isn’t perfect and he knows it. He is used to hiding behind alcohol and the low expectations others have of him, but now seeing him in a new light and his enviable love for Sydney I know Silver Shadows is going to rock my kazbah.

I have been waiting for the one book in this series to rock my kazbah like Spirit Bound from Vampire Academy rocked me.

I can already see from the last few chapters of The Fiery Heart that I am going to be in for an emotional ride in Silver Shadows.

centrum permanebit

Michelle