Review: The Indigo Spell

Book Three of the Bloodlines series
By Richelle Mead
Available now from Razorbill (Penguin)
Review copy
Read my review of THE GOLDEN LILY

I've heard a lot of people say that they don't like the Bloodlines series because of Sydney.  She's not Rose.  She hates vampires.  But I implore anyone who disliked Sydney at first to give her another chance.  No, she hasn't morphed into Rose.  But there's more than one type of leading lady, and I love Sydney's journey.

She's basically a cult member.  She grew up knowing she would be an Alchemist, going to Alchemist church, hanging out with fellow future Alchemists, Alchemist, Alchemist, Alchemist.  Now, she's spent several months in the company of vampires and dhampirs with no other Alchemists in sight.  She's on her own, making her life decisions for the first time, confronted with the fact that the people she's been raised hating are just people.  People she might, in fact, like better than the bigots she was raised with.

And the Alchemists do not tolerate dissent.  Sydney has to decide, like all teenagers, who she's going to be.  Her decision could cut her off from her family, forever.  It could get her killed.  When she discovers Marcus Finch, she discovers that others have left the Alchemists successfully.  She must decide whether she's going to follow the trail created by others or blaze her own.  Even for a rogue Alchemist, falling for a vampire is liberal.

That's right, o people who have loved Sydney from the beginning, in THE INDIGO SPELL she must finally face Adrian's feelings for her and figure out how she feels in return.  Anyone who has been frustrated by Sydney's complete lack of awareness of the romance she is starring in will devour THE INDIGO SPELL.

I know I said Sydney still isn't Rose, but she is definitely becoming more of an action hero.  In one scene, she could be Sydney Bristow rather than Sydney Sage.  She also learns to throw fireballs, which is one of those magic powers that is never not awesome.  It's a good thing she's becoming better at confrontation, because there's a big bad witch come to town.  That's right - an epic romance, potential rebellion, and a mystery.  It's no wonder Sydney's getting tired of being the responsible one.

THE INDIGO SPELL is just as fast paced as its predecessors and just as layered.  Richelle Mead tackles big issues and wraps them up in monsters, but they're still there.  THE INDIGO SPELL is no disappointment and I cannot wait for book four.

I leave you with a quote from Adrian (page 28, ARC): "You're not as much of a lost cause as she was.  I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic love with a Russian warlord.  You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years' worth of deeply ingrained prejudice and taboo between our two races.  Easy."