Book Review: The Indigo Spell

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead
(Bloodlines Book #3)
February 12, 2013
Razorbill
401 pages
Source: Personal Purchase

Goodreads Summary:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

My Review:

Okay, I just finished reading, and I need to say it. I loved The Indigo Spell!! Each book in the Bloodlines series continues to outdo the ones before. Richelle's writing continues to entrance me and hold me to her characters. I love how she can write informative paragraphs about the Alchemists or magic spells or Adrian's car, and then write dialogue that captures the humor and/or heartfelt feelings of the moment. She is able to show Sydney's intellectual side in one moment and her wrestling with all her confusion and desires in the next. And along with all of Sydney's inner turmoil, Richelle takes us on yet another crazy set of adventures and mysterious circumstances, that Sydney, along with Adrian and whomever else she drags along, must explore, discover, and solve, and try to stay alive and undiscovered at the same time. The Indigo Spell was able to provide both a character-driven and plot-driven novel that should satisfy any Bloodlines fan. And if you haven't started this series yet, then you definitely should.

As for our heroine, I have loved watching Sydney's growth, starting in Blood Promise and throughout this series, and The Indigo Spell shows Sydney at her very best so far. She wrestles with her beliefs, or rather, the Alchemist beliefs, she grew up with. She wrestles with her feelings toward using magic. She meets Marcus Finch and has to wrestle with his beliefs. And then there's Adrian, sweet Adrian, and she must wrestle with her feelings toward him. I loved reading her journey and seeing what a strong, brave, loyal, confident, and beautiful person she is. It's no wonder Adrian is in love with her.

As for Adrian, if Sydney is at her best, Adrian is at his very best. Looking at who he was in the Vampire Academy series to who he is in The Indigo Spell, you can see he was just a shell of a person compared to who he has grown into in the Bloodlines series. Richelle has done such a wonderful job demonstrating to us what positive reinforcement and being believed in and loved can do to a person, especially Adrian. I loved reading his interactions with Sydney, not just trying to look for swoon-worthy parts, but to see his true self come out. His fierce loyalty is a beautiful thing and his artistic tendencies just add to his character.

But don't get me wrong, the scenes (including the swoony ones) with Sydney and Adrian are awesome. What happens between them? Well, you'll just have to read and find out. In fact, I flagged a bunch of sections in my book to re-read myself. But I will say that they are one of my favorite couples to read, even if they aren't a "couple" (oh wait, or are they?...again, you need to read to find out, hehe). But I love how they interact with each other, their honesty (even when Sydney's in denial), the way they positively support each other, their loyalty to each other, their friendship, and their trust. And the next book, The Fiery Heart, will alternate between Sydney and Adrian's POVs! Seriously, how excited am I about that!!

Kudos to you, Ms. Mead, for yet another page-turning novel filled with amazing characters. The Indigo Spell is a true treat, and I look forward to continuing this wonderful series.

5 STARS