The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)

Bow to the Vampire Queen Richelle Mead! She did something I didn't expect at all. She made me love Sydney. I liked her before but after reading those steamy scenes with Adrian she showed me she is capable of changing. Her awkwardness and coldness made me laugh at loud a couple of times and that made think Richelle sure knows what she's doing. I don't even miss Rose that much. I know! Blasphemy!

Bloodlines wasn't my favorite book, The Golden Lily made up for that and finally The Indigo Spell continued on the right direction. I wasn't blown away because nothing monumental happened,except for the kissing scenes which were spectacular. Man, Adrian sure puts up with a lot. Sydney keeps kissing him and then acting so defensive later,like it's forbidden and wrong. That is the only thing that I didn't like about her.

My bb Adrian is amazing as always. He is so protective, 'manly and brave' as Sydney says. He is honest with Sydney from the start and is not going to give up them. He is also attending his art classes and even gets into a fight with Marcus because of her. *sigh* He looks great in a tucks and his hair is perfectly styled. He doesn't need to be a guardian to kick some serious ass. *double sigh*
Eddie, Jill are even more irrelevant in this novel while Angeline is (always) up to no good. I have no idea how they can put up with her crap because she can't stay out of trouble even for a day. There's always something happening in her life, even if we don't know it at first. Jill toned down her moping and whining and actually starts giving great advices to Sydney. She probably got tired of Sydney jerking Adrian around so much, just like I did.

There's also a new 'character' in The Indigo Spell. His name is Hopper and he is amazing. Don't want to spoil everything/anything.

Steph’s Review:
The Indigo Spell has to be the hottest, most searing YA book Richelle Mead has ever written, and here I thought that was impossible after all the Rose and Dimitri awesomeness. Oh my goodness, just let me marry Adrian Ivashkov right this instant. That boy has drilled his way into my heart and I think I am officially converting from Team Dimitri the Russian Warlord (LOL!) to Team Adrian Ivashkov. He’s hot, and hilarious, and kind, and caring and--okay I need to stop. For now. Shewww! There are some steamy scenes to look forward too in The Indigo Spell!!!

I feel like this was a calm before the storm, the in between of the intro to the new Bloodlines world and the all-out fight climax. There’s lots of tension in here, along with several plots. Of course you have the Adrian and Sydney love story, but you also have Sydney trying to find out who this “Marcus Finch” is and what he has to do with the Alchemists. You also see Sydney trying to deal with her newfound witchy powers, and hiding them from everyone who might report her in. She’s got to deal with a crazy witch on the run, something outside of her Alchemist orders. It’s all quite complex when you read it, but I’m sure each part of the plot will contribute to the whole later in the series.

Before The Indigo Spell, I wasn’t a huge fan of Sydney. I felt like she was too much of a loyal dog to the Alchemists, which really bugged me because it’s almost blatantly evident that they hadn’t been entirely upfront with her. She was a complete smarty who could so naive at times. After TIS, that completely turned around. I love Sydney now, and she’s turning out to be a cunning protagonist completely different from Rose in VA. She’s strong in her own way, even when she’s treading on dangerous waters. I love that she’s becoming a little rebel and thinking for herself instead of just gobbling up everything her higher ups feed to her. You can feel her loyalties shifting in this installment, and her doubt in what she believed was the utmost truth. After thinking back to the more timid Sydney we find in the VA series, I could really feel a big, dynamic change in her. I’m really loving this new and improved Sydney!

And now we’ve reached Adrian. *swoons*. That boy has my heart and soul, I L-O-V-E him so much. He was just a drunken party playboy in VA, but now his sweet and caring side is really starting to show. You can just feel his love and devotion to Sydney in this book, and to all Bloodlines fans: You will be fanning yourself and loving his new relationship with Sydney :) Richelle gives this couple lots of attention in this book, and you will not be disappointed!

You know, when I first heard about Marcus Finch in The Golden Lily, I thought he was going to turn out to be some serial killer or creepy boxing champ (teehee). Well I was proven wrong yet again. He’s actually quite charming...but don’t worry about that because he’s not interested in Sydney :D. He is an ex-Alchemist, and you will learn his reason for that in this book. You will also find out about how he even got that blue mark on his face over his golden lily. He actually didn’t play as much of a role as I thought, but I’m pretty sure we will see him again in the series. I loved Richelle’s thing about Mexico too, lol!

I am trying to get to some of the major plots in The Indigo Spell, as you might’ve noticed. So next up are Sydney’s badass witch magic skills! That crazy teacher of hers Mrs. Terwilliger is not letting her off the hook, and Sydney is getting more adept with magic and even getting straight with it. She doesn’t chastise herself every time she performs it, and it has really helped get her out of some sticky situations. Did I mention the pet dragon and the fireball yet? And the mommy and daddy scene? You’ll just have to read to find out!

So with all this new magic, The Indigo Spell takes a magical twist. Mrs. Terwilliger’s sister Veronica is on the loose, and she’s rampaging LA area and sucking up the youth from girls to live longer herself. Its not in Sydney’s orders to do anything about this, but how could she possibly let all these girls die around her and she could do something about it? How could she let it go if she’s a possible target? It’s great to watch Sydney’s self conflict, and realizing she should be doing what’s better for everyone, and not just for Alchemist society.

This was definitely a surprising novel in the Bloodlines series! There wasn’t as much featuring of the school characters like Jill and Eddie, but that is totally made up for by our showcase on Adrian and Sydney. I feel like the real plot is starting to thicken, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in The Fiery Heart! It’s going to be in dual POV’s with Adrian as our other narrator. *squeals* You have no idea how much I am looking forward to that. I’ve always wanted to be in that crazy boy’s head. Great installment to Bloodlines, and surely a book all PNR lovers should read. The Indigo Spell has done nothing but reinforce my love for the VA world Richelle Mead has created!

Dani says: I agree with EVERYTHING Steph said! Well...almost everything. I still like Dimitri more than Adrian :P Sydney really becomes a strong "don't mess with me" girl and I LOVED the pet dragon scene! ;) Gotta read this book to know what I'm talking about!

Amazing. Simply amazing.

Even though I received a copy of The Indigo Spell for review, I knew that I wanted to wait for it to release so I could buy the audiobook. I read Bloodlines, but listened to Golden Lily on audio, and I completely fell in love with this series on audio. The narrator, Emily Shaffer, does such an excellent job of bringing Sydney's voice to life. It's exactly how I would imagine Sydney's fast-paced quick-witted banter. Emily Shaffer really just brought more life to Sydney and this series.

As for the story itself. I ADORED Indigo Spell. Golden Lily left me more frustrated than satisfied. If you have read it then you know that ending was just - GRRRR!!!! Indigo Spell on the other hand was full of amazing. There were so many great Adrian moments. Adrian has been one of my favorite book boyfriends since my Vampire Academy days, so anytime I can get more of him, I am a happy happy girl. He had so many lines in this book that literally had me swooning. I was listening to Indigo Spell while working one day and had to stop and clutch my heart at an Adrian line!

There are also a few new characters that are intriguing. Marcus Finch, who was teased about by the publishers pre-release, is finally revealed. He tells some secrets and makes Sydney re-examine who she is and what she really believes, in more ways than one. Of course, Eddie, Jill, Angeline and Miss Terwilliger are just as important as ever, and their own personal stories just help to add to story.

Indigo Spell had a great storyline and mystery. I was scared for Sydney and the other girls as the evil witch was after them. As more craziness unfolds with the Alchemists, and with the witch on Sydney's back, things get more and more intense. Indigo Spell was my favorite in the Bloodlines series so far. That ending left me smiling for DAYS. I have hopes that this series is only going to get better and better from here!

Originally published on "Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek" at http://bookgeekconfessions.tumblr.com/post/41794880287/the-indigo-spell-bloodlines-3-by-richelle

Indigo Spell cast its spell on me, that is for sure. From the first page, I didn't want to put it down. Adrian is hot as ever and comes out with lines like this:
Because I can't help doing it. And hey, if I keep loving you, maybe you'll eventually crack and love me too. Hell, I'm pretty sure you're already half in love with me." p. 30
Remember--no matter how ordinary things seem between us--I'm still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will. p. 30
So, yeah. I am glad that he is in the process of getting his happy ending. Because, surely Richelle can't be that cruel and not eventually get these two together, right?? Right???
The pacing is awesome. There are multiple plot threads going on, but it kept me on the edge of my seat and I began to see how they all worked together to help Sydney become stronger and discover who she wants to be, instead of who she has been told to be.
There are some steamy moments, that I wanted to read over and over... To put myself in Sydney's body because then Adrian would be talking to me, touching me, thinking about me, and loving me.
I should have just stopped before the last two pages, because then I would have been okay waiting a bit for Fiery Heart. (well, who am I kidding? Even if neatly tied up, I would still want more Adrian and Sydney) But of course, Richelle had to be a little mean and throw a huge obstacle in their path. One that I have no idea how they are going to combat.
Non-stop awesomeness going on. There is magic, hot Adrian, a new mystery character, kick ass Eddie, and Sydney is changing so much! I loved watching her come into her own, and want to think for herself.

Bottom Line: Great installment in a must read series.