The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)

by Richelle Mead

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I love this series. Everyone who knows me as a blogger knows. So it will be no surprise to anyone to hear that I was SO excited when I received The Indigo Spell, the third book in the Bloodlines series, that I started reading it the very same day. And wow.

Sydney isn't having the best winter. Adrian, gorgeous Moroi vampire who refuses to believe she has no feelings for him, and won't back down. With his constant flirting and getting far too close, Sydney is having a hard time believing herself, too. She is also searching for Marcus Finch, a possible ex-Alchemist who left the fold after finding out some of their secrets. Suspecting that the Alchemists have lied to her, she wants to find out what Marcus knows. But when Marcus tells her what the Alchemists are really up to, and asks her to help him find proof, Sydney is disbelieving; has she really been lied to her whole life? Can she really go against everything she knows? But Adrian and Marcus are the least of her troubles; Ms. Terwilliger, her history teacher and sometimes magic instructor, has discovered a witch has come to town who is after the lives of young, untrained witches. Sydney must immerse herself in the magic she hates so much in order to try to save lives - and her own.

On the whole, compared to the other books in the series, The Indigo Spell feels a lot less busy when it comes to action. Despite this, it's still an incredible book. There a lot more working things out, learning, discovering and searching - and of course huge amounts of sexual tension - rather than a lot of danger. The things discovered and learned are fantastic when it comes to how this series is going to progress. I can't see where things are going to go, but there's a definite feeling of no-where good.

Although they're still about, we see a whole lot less of Jill, Eddie and Angeline than you would expect; for the moment, there is no major threat to Jill's life, and so Sydney is finding out all she can about the possibly corrupt Alchemists. She has a hard time stepping away from all she knows and loves, but her logical brain can't deny the inconsistencies, nor the facts laid out to her by Marcus Finch. However, those three do have their own lives going on while Sydney is dealing with everything on her plate, and there are some rather interesting developments there! Sydney shows how clueless she can be yet again, not catching on to what was glaringly obvious to me.

The Indigo Spell is a much more magical book than the others, with a lot of Sydney's time spent learning new spells and how to defend herself against the evil sorceress, and the tension surrounding trying to find her and keep safe is hugely exciting! I personally would have preferred more details in these spells - what's said? What are the different things she used? What are the hand gestures? But, I suppose, if we were told this for every single spell she learns, The Indigo Spell would be a hell of a lot longer than it's 401 pages!

The Indigo Spell is also the hottest of the series! There is no denying the affect Adrian has on girls, and as much as she would like to be, Sydney is not immune. Her body will tell her one thing, while her Alchemist brain is screaming at her something else. And Adrian doesn't play fair; he might say he'll stay away, but he finds loopholes, and to say his feelings for Sydney are obvious in the understatement of the year, as he takes every opportunity to tell her exactly how he feels. We all know Adrian is hot, and has his adorable moments, but in The Indigo Spell we see just how sweet and vulnerable this guy can really be. He is just incredible! God, I wanted to shake Sydney so many times, though! Come on, just face the facts, woman! Or if you're going to continue to deny everything, just point him in my direction.

But then we come to the ending, and oh my god! My jaw literally dropped, and I was internally screaming "Nooooo!" I can't believe Mead did this to us! How long do I have to wait to pick up The Fiery Heart, the fourth book in the series?! Not only do I need to know now how things are going to pan out because there are So. Many. Problems., but also because it's going to be told from both Sydney and Adrian's points of view! I have no idea how anything can happen next, but I know one thing for sure - it's nothing good. So excited! Fans of Mead need to get this book ASAP!

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a review copy.