Book Review: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

Summary: 

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Release Date:  February 12, 2013

Age Group: YA

Source: Purchased

Review:
I really can't think of any series that I love more than Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series.  I have never loved a spin-off this much.  

I always thought Adrian was weak and whiny in Vampire Academy.  I was so scared that he and Rose would end up together.  I liked him okay, but knew he was not Rose's perfect match.  There was no room for anyone but Dimitri in my heart.  

But, in Bloodlines, I started to like Adrian.  My feelings for him have grown from a grudging acceptance as Adrian as a main character to a genuine respect and admiration for him throughout this series.  I have been rooting for Syndey to acknowledge her feelings for Adrian for a long time.  I love seeing Adrian stand alone, instead of constantly in Dimitri's shadow.  He has done a lot of growing in this series, and I love that.  

I had a big problem with Sydney's body image issues in the first two books.  She is a constant dieter and feels big in a size 4.  (Boy, I wish I had that problem!)  Sydney starts to loosen up just a little in The Indigo Spell.  She even eats wedding cake---hey, baby steps, right?  She is feeling like it's okay that she actually gained a pound and is not obsessing as much about her size as she did in the first two books.  I still maintain that I would like to see Sydney have a different character flaw, but hopefully this will be a big area of character growth for her.

I thought that The Indigo Spell had a more interesting plot than the first two books in the series.  I especially liked the inclusion of magic and Sydney's involvement with magic.  I liked seeing a softer side to Sydney and think there is real promise for this aspect of the story. 

But my favorite part of this book was the love story, as always, Mead really delivered there.  The emotion and slow build to the love story was the best!  There will never be another Dimitri, but Adrian is great in his own way.  

If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it.  I can't wait for book four!