Valeria Andrea

Oh my god, that end was <i>hysterical</i>! Whether that fact is good or bad, I just can't tell yet. I am... frustrated & excited & worried all at the same time, which means I am living my own version of FREAKING out.
Dear Sydney has a hell of fun in this book.
She's trying to take down the Alchemists;
Readies herself to fight magic with magic;
(<i>Not</i>) Loves the enemy;
All that in <i>Femme Fatale</i> high heels. A totally dangerous lady, I loved the lengths Sydney went to, including certain <b>hot</b> guy...

Anyway, I fell for this twistedly woven plot & the things going on. It was a far shout from The Warriors of Light thing, which was... well, they are crazy(!), compared with what happens in here, they are rather meh-ish.
Sydney's hands are full in here, with two different threads going on. The real deal is to fight the Alchemists & find a way to break free, though all that work would be for nothing if she doesn't survive the mysterious attacks to young witches going on, staring Mrs. Terwilliger's sister.

The mind breaker starts here.
By the end of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/208451004">The Golden Lily</a> Sydney had pretty much accepted the fact that Moroi & Damphirs can be a lot of things, but evil & unholy by nature they are not.
She is beginning to judge by her own ideas, specially regarding Moroi, now that it is something The Alchemists have always told her, & Alchemists are not reliable source just now.
Oooh, no.
<i>Those guys are going DOWN.</i>
Just as hard as it is, Sydney is determined to find out what other lies she's been told & deal with what she finds. Sydney is taking huge risks, starting with the M-word.
Yes!!
She's hitting the MAGIC!
Because * drums-roll* the witches are in town!
Okay, shock down. She's still somewhat <i>ugh, unnatural stuff</i> like, though that nagging voice (thankfully!) shuts the hell up to give in survival instincts. She HAS to practice, & into her logic, it is the right thing to do. Let the magic rush begin! Fire ball, ancient dragons, scrying stuff... ALL those spells (the Callistana!) are badass & I want to learn them. <blockquote>“Maybe you're graduating from fireballs to lightning bolts," Adrian suggested.</blockquote>Differently from the warriors, at least Veronica, Ms. Terwilliger's sister, has a schedule to follow. Her plan is to get the youth out of young witches & move on to the next. I'd have liked to shake her hand or something.
Such a vain witch.
Mrs. Terwilliwer is the right amount of knowledge & sarcasm to settle the balance, & I love her. Yet, seeing her in such... depression, torment of what her sister was doing, was so frustrating. I thought she would break & then, what would happen to us?
With Sydney's magic?
Having Mrs. Terwilliwer as my <i>Magic</i> teacher would be the great finale of a relatively short list of awesome teachers.
What?
Why not?
I am going to end up with 13 cats, anyway.
Hmp, well... I do believe that Sydney's willingness to go & practice came from the possibility of dead by youth-sucking <i>plus</i> the fact that Adrian was supporting her on the matter.

Ooh, <b>Adrian</b>!!
*love love love*<blockquote>"I wasn’t that crazy on spirit when I said you’re my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other."</blockquote>I can't seriously talk about Sydney without adding Adrian just as I can't talk about Adrian without adding Sydney; they are just PERFECT together.
Totally made for each other.
The have become Sydrian(!) for love's sake. <blockquote>“Do you want me to call you Celery Stick instead of Cupcake or Honey-Pie? It just doesn’t inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.”</blockquote> What I liked the most about the new development on their relationship is just how real it felt.
Sydney's wholeness hurts, period.
She has a thing about control, & yet, there are those feelings she cannot control, that came out of nowhere & that she cannot understand. Really, being in love without even knowing it yet, having all those things inside one, is a pretty scary thing.
It'd scare the shit out of me.
Plus, the more she tried not to think about him (about his kiss(es)) the MORE he's there, in her mind.
Like a physical pain.
Which was funny & wrenching at the same time.

Now, Adrian.
I liked, LOVED, Adrian's attitude in this book.
I have always liked him, ever since his <i>Little Damphir</i> thing going on, he got me. Even so, somewhere along the line in the last couple of VA books, he lost himself. He was more depressed (& drunk) most of the time, which... no.
Just no.
But since Sydney appeared there's... something for him. May be because he's now a guy truly in love & has found the right girl for him, his purpose in life, IDK.
He was a total cheating jackass about his approaching toward Sydney & I just loved it. He played a rather tricky (& really awesome!) game with her that was an all-or-nothing. <blockquote>“I'll just love you whether you want me to or not.”</blockquote> Basically, he's calling the shoots.
Yeah, apparently he sulked a lot & was a total bitch the first weeks after their is-not-a-break-up thing.
Well, duh, of course he'd be upset. Who wouldn't?
BUT, he gets to his feet, & I love it.
He actually started <i>thinking</i> & pulled out the smart ass card (just as fun & great as ever!!), & decided to fight for the girl he loved, even if to win her, he had to fight <i>against</i> her.
He knows exactly why she feels that way toward vampires, just as well as he knows that she has feelings for him too. That's why with every angelical move he made there was an edge of desperation in his actions, because, <i>what if I lose her?</i>
What if?
& why why why...
When Adrian asks her WHY her words were against her reaction toward him I kind of... I wanted to cry, damn it!
His desperation.
& there's her frustration.
Both their confusions.
I would have been crying was I her in that situation.

But oh, the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/455007430">Fiery Heart</a> reference! That's so beautiful; I love you Adrian. <spoiler>She should totally seal her tattoo in indigo with the Fiery Heart symbol Adrian made!!!</spoiler>

All this rhetorical whooshing about love & fears & perfect love takes me straight to Marcus Finch.
Damn Marcus, stop smiling, you idiot.
Marcus was... just there. Him being in the cover & all that stuff going on was just too big.
Marcus has defied the Alchemists & is the key point for Sydney to start defying the Alchemist's too, for what I have a soft spot for him, even if that spot is more metaphorical than anything else.
That's it, because Marcus Finch is more metaphorical than anything else.
He has his owns plan, that nothing have to do with Sydney's.
Besides, Sydney is just facing the lying she grew up with & is putting herself in great danger; what Marcus has to offer is too little. There are Jill, Eddie, (Adrian!!!) & Angeline that she cares for. She'd rather use whatever she unveils to <i>help</i> those she loves, instead of joining a group-ish.
Good Sydney. ILY.
Though, I suspect Marcus will come back?
Maybe when the Warriors of Light come back, too (with those plans I'm beginning to fear, I tell you)?
Ugh...
The Fiery heart...

OH, THE FIERY HEART.
Okay, so, that end. You know how much I identify with dear Sydney, though just after... after THAT, she wen't full YOLO & damn it, Sydney!
Why would you do that?
Fuck it, why you did it?
Being in contact with Marcus was dangerous enough, <i>asking</i> about him was dangerous, & then you go & do careless stuff. THAT is not you! Just a phone call may have been messed it all up.
& then what happens next... <i>(A&S)</i>!!
& what comes <i>next</i>...!
Mixed feelings.
Mixed feelings everywhere.

The end brings a lot of things to my conspiracy-theory self. It is a warning, all right, but as it could ultimately make things easier... it could mess it all.
Mess THIS up! <spoiler><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEFrG9WCQAA2VaM.jpg:large" width="350" height="260" alt="description"/>
<i>See? They even look like Sydney & Adrian!</spoiler>
Oh, please, no *sniff*