Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4) by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Publication date: November 19th, 2013
Number of pages: 420 pgs
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | The Book Depository


Sydney always believed that alchemists were born to protect vampire secrets and human lives - until she met Marcus and turned her back on everything she once knew.

But she's not free yet. When her sister Zoe arrives, Sydney can only tell her half-truths about her past. And with every word she risks exposure - and the fatal consequences.

Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney must choose her path once and for all. Even if that means harnessing her magical powers to destroy the way of life she was raised to defend..

In the newest Bloodlines installment, things are a little different when we not only have Sydney's POV, but also Adrian's. I thought this was gonna be great. I was excited for it, but that excitement soon died down a lot as soon as I started it.
I felt like I was reading a romance novel, it was as if the plot didn't exist.  The thing I loved about the VA series was that it had a bit of everything. Plot. Friendship and romance, and it doesn't overtake the series or plot, but with this book, Ugh.. it really did.

Sydney did not act like Sydney. And don't even get me started on Adrian. Yes, it was interesting to get inside his head and to find out more about his past and how he is dealing with the magic that comes with dealing with spirit, but it just was not what I was expecting. There are certain things in the book that I felt disgusted at and I felt my love for this couple dying down.

The things I did love were, interesting enough were the side characters. The Trey and Angeline and Eddie and Jill stuff.  It was subtle and gradual, unlike another couple in this book.
I adored both of those relationships and the progress they made in this book. I went from.. "Come on," to  "finally."  Angeline has grown up a ton over the last few books and that is saying something for the girl who went to fight Rose so she could marry Angeline's brother in Last Sacrifice, LOL.
Then we have Jill and Eddie, who never got to the point where they could get it right between them. Whether they never realized their feelings, or when they did, one of them was too stubborn to make a move. I was happy that things started happening, although I don't like the fact that Eddie has become a side character when I assumed he was meant to be a lead character.

The magic stuff was alright, but what I loved most of all was some surprise appearances by some of my favourite characters. This book was very predictable, I knew how it was gonna end way before now. There was just no excitement in it when you know what's gonna happen a few books back.
This series cannot hold a handle to VA in my opinion. I have now decided that while I do enjoy it (some books more than others) it just is lesser than how I feel toward the original series.  Can we like we back to Rose's POV in another spinoff? Thanks so much.

Anyway. I guess we'll see how Silver Shadows goes, but at this point, I am hoping this series is over sooner rather than later.

                                                                     3.5 Stars