Publication: 12th June 2012
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages: 418
Genre: Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
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.
Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.
But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.
Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?
My Thoughts.
I love anything that Richelle Mead writes, her books always keep me entranced and enchanted and I can never, ever get enough, and this series Bloodlines which is the Vampire Academy spin-off is no exception.
What I love most of all about this series is Adrian, he was definitely one of my favourite characters from Vampire Academy and I was ecstatic when he was made one of the central figures in this series, I also like Sydney but I'm not kidding myself, it's all about Adrian Ivashkov for me!
After the last sentence in Bloodlines I was desperate to get my hands on and read this book, unfortunately I've only just gotten around to reading it *hangs head in shame*, but it has worked out well as I was accepted for an e-galley of The Indigo Spell on NetGalley it gave me a reason to pick it up.
Obviously as it has been a while since I'd read Bloodlines I was a bit hazy on what had happened in the previous book but throughout the story it recounted what happened previously and I sort of got caught up, although I really don't remember Angeline at all, I really should have found the time somewhere to reread Bloodlines.
So this time around we have a secret society of sorts that used to be connected to the Alchemist's centuries ago who take the spotlight in this book, an old myth of a group of vampire hunters have found to be verified and have their sights set on Sonya who used to be a Strigoi and who has now been turned back into Moroi.
Sydney is set up with Brayden whom is described as her soul-mate, they are both interested in the same things and have intense, academic discussions, but we all know who she really likes as much as she denies it and we just are waiting for the time when she will finally admit her feelings to herself.
Fingers crossed that Jill finally realises what a great guy Eddie is and gives him a chance, Eddie and his unrequited love for her while she's dating his roommate Micah is just heartbreaking the way that he thinks that he's no good for her, Richelle hopefully won't be so cruel as to not pair these two up.
And then THE ENDING!, Richelle How could you? I mean to get so close to what all the fans want but yet so far, just frustrating.
Another fantastic book, I don't expect anything less from Richelle these days, and I hope it continues in The Indigo Spell.
I give this 5/5.
A Big Thanks To Penguin Books Australia.
