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

The Fiery Heart

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines

Pages: 438

Publisher/Source: Penguin Books Australia

Amazon

Release date: 19^th November 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers

The Fiery Heart is the fourth book in the wonderful Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. It has taken me forever to write this review and to be honest my mind is still reeling over the events that took place, the plethora of emotions has left me so anxious to get hold of the next book just to find out the outcome of what has happened.

The Fiery Heart definitely made me realise that Sydney and Adrian are meant for one another; the banter, interactions and chemistry between them is entertaining and written to perfection, the uptight Sydney is long gone and in her place is someone with courage, strength and determination - I have absolutely loved her character progression throughout this series.

I don’t feel we got to see as much of the secondary characters in this book which was disappointing; they have each played a pivotal part up until this point so their presence was missed. I did enjoy meeting the new characters we were introduced to and I can’t wait to learn more about each of them.

We also get Adrian’s POV in this book which I think was needed to get more insight into his thoughts and reactions and how he feels about his ability to use spirit; he was quite troubled and understandably so for very good reasons, I liked how it was all dealt with - he is also a character I feel has really matured since we first met him in the VA series. The transition and contrast between the characters was flawless and both had their own distinct voice which I enjoyed.

The Fiery Heart is filled with plot twists and turns I never saw coming - we learnt more about breaking the alchemist tattoos, the connection between spirit use and the strigoi and also found out more about Sydney’s unique blood. There were some amazing action sequences which kept things entertaining; everything blended beautifully to create a brilliant page-turner and one that is written perfectly.

Richelle Mead writes the most riveting and engaging books and The Fiery Heart was no different; I wasn’t wowed by the first book, Bloodlines in the series; I compared it too much to The Vampire Academy series but this is fast becoming one of my favourites.

The ending killed me! It was brutal so I can’t wait to read the next book, Silver Shadows to see how it all comes together. Hopefully what has been built up to this point has not been destroyed – those who have read the book will know what I mean ;)

Thank-you to Penguin Books Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Fiery Heart.

   

About the author: Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.