The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)

by Richelle Mead

[Katie King]

**3.5 Stars**

Have you ever read something that seemed like when the author started out she knew what she was writing about, but then somewhere along the way she kind of fell off the tracks and the book became about something different? That's how I would describe the Bloodlines series as of The Indigo Spell. When you start out with the first book, Bloodlines, you expect it's going to be about protecting Jill (and thereby Lissa's reign) because that's what the description says. Then you read it and realize it's sort of about that...but it's also a lot about just Sydney's life, which is okay but unexpected.

Then you get to The Golden Lily, a.k.a. book #2, and it's even more about Sydney and even less about Jill (who's honestly boring anyways). After The Indigo Spell I can say with 100% confidence that this series is solely about Sydney and, as a result, a little about protecting Jill (but not really). Jill, the whole reason why we're supposed to initially care about Sydney, is a complete afterthought at this point. That doesn't necessarily mean that the series is bad, it's just different from what I expected going into it.

Anyways, I enjoyed The Indigo Spell a bit more than its predecessors once I pretty much accepted that this series had just become about Sydney (and Adrian). Sydney really grows into her own in this book. She not only accepts that magic is a part of her, but she also starts to accept that being an Alchemist isn't who she is or wants to be anymore. Previously she struggled with being almost like an Alchemist robot that did everything that was asked of her without question. In The Golden Lily, Sydney started to break away and question what was being asked of her. In this book, she gathers intel AGAINST the Alchemists and deactivates the magic in her tattoo. I think it's pretty safe to say she's not going to remain part of them anymore.

Adrian is still basically Sydney's best friend and, as of the end of this book, her lover. I will say that they have some steamy scenes together! I really enjoyed the hot and cold Sydney was giving Adrian because it felt very realistic. Too often you get forbidden romances where the characters are 100% into it right away, but let's face it, most of us would STRUGGLE with that decision to go against what's expected. The back and forth also really helped build up the sexual tension between them, so when Sydney did kiss him, it felt explosive. I'm so invested in this relationship, guys!

The major plotline (aside from the stuff with Adrian) was good, but it still felt like just an aside, like Jill. Haha, just kidding (not really about Jill though)! But it really did feel like that, like the conflict was both introduced and resolved within just this book. Sydney embraces witches and magic, faces down an evil witch, plus meets some ex-Alchemists, steals information for them, and deactivates her tattoo. It SOUNDS like a lot went down, but it's all over really quickly. I would love to see some major conflict that spanned more than one book. Something that really has the potential for that is the whole defying the Alchemists/going against them thing, which has been present in every book but really lacks attention. It's always developed in each installment so far, but it's moving really slowly. I'd love something explosive to happen there!

One thing that bothered me was the lack of depth of the other characters. It wasn't until Sydney snuck out through her friend Julia's dorm window that I realized we literally haven't seen "her best friend Julia" since the first book, or the other girl. Why is Julia still friends with her, because clearly they don't ever talk or hang out at all. Same thing goes with Eddie, Jill, Angeline, Trey, Dimitri and Sonya (they just up and left), or anyone else. They pop in every now and then to further the plot or just fill pages with relationship drama, but they don't feel real. At least not as real as Sydney, Adrian, or Mrs. Terwilliger. I still enjoy their scenes, but it all feels kinda transparent to me.