Book Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4)
Author:  Richelle Mead
Publisher:  Razorbill, 438 pages
Publication Date:  November 19, 2013

From 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:
I. Love. This. Series.  Sydney and Adrian.  Sydrian...love them together.  Richelle Mead has done such a fantastic job creating quirky, complex, and relatable characters that I feel like I know.  What's great (and unique) is that the two MCs aren't super strong, fighting ninja types.  Instead, Sydney uses her brain, she works incredibly hard, and ok, yes, she is learning magic.  She's grown so much throughout this series.  She used to be a bit cold, logical, and stiff, and to a certain extent she is still all that, but she's also warm and loving, and she cares so much about Adrian and her friends that she will do anything to protect them.  

“Love is . . .” An old memory with Adrian came back to me, and some of the turbulent emotion I always carried within me these days welled up in my chest. It was stupid, feeling so lovesick when he’d been gone less than a day, but I couldn’t get him or the ways he described love out of my head. “. . . a flame in the dark. A breath of warmth on a winter’s night. A star that guides you home.” 

And Adrian.  He's definitely not a fighter and even jokes about not doing manual labor.  He's used to relying on his charm and  good looks (and his compulsion ability).  I actually was not a fan of him in VA series, but now he's one of my favorite characters.  He's funny, charismatic, cocky yet insecure, struggling to believe that he is worthwhile.  I  enjoyed getting his POV in this novel, it made me just love him even more.  He still has the snarky quips, but you know where they're coming from now.   

“What's up?" Christian asked. "Need some hairstyling tips?"
"Tips you stole from me? No thanks. But I hear you've got a really good bacon meatloaf recipe."
It was worth it then and there to see his complete and total surprise.
"Since when do you cook?" he finally managed to stammer.
"Oh, you know. I'm a Renaissance man. I do it all. Send it if you've got it, and I'll give it a try. I'll let you know if I make any improvements."
His smirk returned. "Are you trying to impress a girl?""With cooking?" I pointed at my face. "This is all it takes, Ozera.”  

And just like Sydney, he cares so much for Sydney and his friends.  Basically, he has such a great heart.

“I had never thought I could love another person this much. I also never thought I’d live in such fear of losing another person. Was this how everyone in love felt? Did they all cling tightly to their beloved and wake up terrified in the middle of the night, afraid of being alone? Was that an inevitable way of life when you loved so deeply? Or was it just those of us who walked on a precipice who lived in such panic?” 

Sydney's trying to juggle her Alchemist duties, learning magic, her relationship with Adrian, and being a double agent.  To be honest, not a lot happens plot-wise but I just didn't care.  Be prepared, there is a cliffhanger.  Even though I could see it coming from a mile away, it still hurt.  

Posted by:  Pam