Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Page Count: 438 Pages, Hardcover

Date Published: November 19th, 2013

Find it on Goodreads: The Fiery Heart

Source: Purchased

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.
In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .
But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.
Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

It is no secret that I am a huge Vampire Academy and Bloodlines fan. I absolutely adore these novels and Richelle Mead’s fantastical world of vampires and alchemists. Each time another installment is released, I get so excited because I know it’s going to be great.  (I probably just jinxed it…)

The Fiery Heart is the fourth book in Mead's spin-off series Bloodlines and is the first book in the series that is told in dual perspective.... WE GET TO BE INSIDE ADRIAN'S HEAD! 

First of all, let me talk about Sydney. I absolutely adore her. She's strong, but still gets scared, she's smart and sharp-minded and is actually the main character instead of just the geeky side-kick. She has her flaws, her insecurities and she has her beliefs. Sydney has changed so much throughout the Bloodlines series, especially since the first time we meet her in VA. She's totally kick-ass with her magic, too, which I think is so awesome. 

THEN, we also get Adrian's perspective. 

Adrian is such an incredibly complex and interesting character, being inside his mind is an experience like no other. The way spirit affects him  and how he feels about himself makes me so sad yet there are so many things about him that make me smile as well. The way he sees Sydney in a light so different from anyone else is beautiful... Mead's creation of a character so in love is gorgeous and I loved reading about their relationship from both sides. Speaking of, this. book. was..... HOT.

wow. 

yeah...

OKAY. Anyways....

Mead has once again pulled off a book filled with action, romance, fantasy and overall awesomeness. It was fast-paced, filled with characters that I loved, characters that I hated, characters that I got annoyed with... Mead is a talented author who creates books that are well-rounded and fantastic. The ending was.. a bit predictable, but at the same time I loved it. It had to happen at some point or another, so I suppose why not now? I cannot wait for the next book to see more of Adrian and Sydney and hopefully a bit more of Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and Christian! I definitely miss those four, but they do make appearances here and there which is nice. If you have yet to read Mead's epic Vampire Academy series, GO DO IT NOW!!!!

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Interview + Excerpt: Bella Forrest

 Hello everyone! A little while back I reviewed A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest. It's a short but fantastic novel about well.... vampires! Now I'm inviting the fabulous author to the blog for an interview and at the end there's an excerpt from the book!

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

 Hi Bella! What made you want to write about vampires?

The interaction between vampires and humans is something I find fascinating to explore.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes. Writing is something I’ve always done for enjoyment since I was a kid. I had a hyperactive imagination and felt the need to express myself in words from a young age.

  Is there a significant message you hope your readers will take from your novel?

There are definitely themes that run through my writing, but I generally don't write with the purpose of imposing a particular message.

Who was your favourite character to write about?

Derek is probably my favorite character to write about. His head space is very interesting.

Did you have any difficulties with any of the characters in your book?

I wouldn't really say "difficulties", but Derek's evil brother, Lucas, was quite challenging. He had to have just the right amount of creepiness without being over the top.

Favourite books from your childhood?

The Chronicles of Narnia!

Where is your favourite place to read? Write?

Not particularly. Once I start writing/reading I am generally too lost in the story to notice where I am.

Do you have a favourite animal?

I love elephants.

Favourite Colour?

Again, I have lots of "favorites". I guess I'll say blue.

What do you like to get to drink from a coffee shop (like Starbucks)?

I'm a fruit tea geek! So probably something like blackcurrant or strawberry tea, or whatever they have going.

Author Bio:

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.

I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,
you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

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A Shade of Vampire: #1 Christmas Bestseller in Vampire Romance, Paranormal & Fantasy 

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Happy reading!
~Kristy