Valeria Andrea

Ah, fuck my life. Big time. I'm a total sucker for big endings. They do harm, but oh, dear karma, how I need them. The end was amazing-ly bitch-slapping! & not just because of the end itself but how Richelle Mead delivered.
To Cliff-Hang or to not Cliff-Hang.
Yes. So, as if all the romance & drama & clock ticking wasn't enough, the end lived up for the tension build up all along.
Hell yes.
YES.

This book has the least twisty plot lines in the whole series. More than anything, the book builds up to the (THAT!) end. Meanwhile, we have hot make out sessions & a mile long line of breadcrumbs to distract us.
Still, with that plot, the dual POV was a total win-win. Of course I'd rather be in Sydney's head any day, given how much I identify with her, but Adrian is no stranger of me & I actually liked his view. Too... Adrian-ish! He's the whole deal *wink*
I doesn't matter how much I like Adrian, though, so the dual POV is more of a plot device & that's it. & a very well done.
Also, the action is replaced with passion. (Oh, hell yeah (but I'll get to that)).
So, on the action.
There is no big mystery to run after. The Whatever Warriors were unveiled & that ended with a bang; Veronica's magical tricks were chased after & that ended with a BUM; here there is no wild chasing or the risk to die as much as there is hard thinking & scientific hope. That's it, because this book has shit loads of intellectual action.

It all pretty much comes down to ink.
Tattoo ink
*wiggles eyebrows*
Just think Marcus Finch & Strigoi blood & there you go.
Magic is Sydney's bitch. No joke, squeamish who? She's beyond that & is determined to blend her whole new array of talents with the number of skills she already has to go against Alchemists & be free from them, as to cooperate with Marcus.
Even so, Sydney's task is no easy one, & the stakes for what she's after & what she's risking are actually higher. I really loved how the only two worthy plot lines of intellectual action were leaded by Sydney on the side of humans & Adrian on the side of everyone else. Adrian got a very specific place of action & importance for the greater good, too, which is kind of refreshing for a change.

& talking about Adrian...
MY Adrian (mine) is a badass & I love him & I really hope he's strong enough.
You see, viewed form Rose's POV, Sydney's & even Lissa's, spirit is, even if dangerous, something captivating. Oh, healing powers, dream walking, aura sight... that's wonderful(!).
But from Adrian's side spirit becomes quite a scary shit.
Now that we've been in his head is easier (& funnier, too) to comprehend him. Spirit is no joke for him.
It pretty much affects him way more that it does other spirit users, so he'll have to learn to deal with that.

Who was I to do this?
I was Adrian Ivashkov.
And I was about to kick some ass.

He is learning, so I believe Adrian's place on the greater story will be much bigger.
Oh, but hey, he has Sydney &, as he says, she's his flame on the dark & his steadiness & all that good whatnot that helped him.
The fact that he was willing to cooperate & that Sydney is no quitter made up for any sort of drunken haze on Adrian's past.
He's a total keeper, Sydney girl.

Now, with all due regard, I shall go full Sydrian in about... now: Oh for the freaking dude upstairs.
OMG!!
It doesn't matter how much I like my books to be full of tension, rapture & bittersweet, when it comes to couples these two are the real deal.
Whether it was dear Syd coming to her senses or Adrian facing his personal demons, their relationship works. Funny, sweet &, ah well, dangerous too.
Sydney puts everything on the line for this relationship. It adds up to her magic, her rebellion & her relationship with Marcus. Adrian is the deal breaker & the thing that marks the point of return was long gone.
Not that she cares.
It is, though, a toss up for what would piss of more the Alchemists. Those self righteous bastards. I am rotting for a fire ball to land on their heads, courtesy of Ms. Terwilliger (I love her so much) & her coven.
What's deadly fire for the Alchemists for me will be sweet fireworks.
Ogh, but Sydney & her sweetheart can still get too sugary at times, high risks & everything.

“Oh, man. This is my dream come true: having an ‘I love you more’ debate. Here, I’ll start. I love you more. Your turn.”

Kidding, I'm actually jealous.

Hey, here's a though. Lets burn Zoe on the stake!
She's no witch, like her sister. She's a total stupid, annoying bitch & she shall die! & I HATE her so much.
Zoe is such an attention whore (pardon my french) is just ridiculous. So the Sage sisters got an asshole as a father. That is a pretty big deal. But seeing how the big sister went away head high & how Sydney has overcome the fear to her dad, Zoe should know better.
Even then, one thing is to need your father to pay attention to you by shaming your sister's work AND another very different thing is to demonize your own mother because he says so.

"You're right. We shouldn't fight. Today we are sisters, not just Alchemists. We need to unite against the common enemy."
"You mean mom?" I asked incredulously as Zoe nodded in affirmation.

I would hurt Zoe any day.
With a stake.
Through her brain.
I wish the Dad would be like Oh, Zoe, about you telling on your sister, good. We will save her soul blablabla. BUT (something about treason on another Alchemist on a mission or something), so you will NEVER become one. What a disappointment. Bye.
Aw, yes please.
I believe Sydney could have managed Zoe way better than how she did.
She could have said better lies, for starters. Way better lies. Mrs. Terwilliger is great & did a magnificent job helping you, Syd, but every lie has its limits.
Sydney did screw on that part.

So, sister's stuff.
A lot of old fellas made appearances in the book, from dear Rose to Lissa. *eye twitch* & I came to remember why I hate her so much.
On the other hand, I really like her sister.
I don't care how wise they say Jill is, she is a badass in her very particular way & I applaud that, plus, her relationship with Adrian is all too sweet.
On the other hand, Jill should have been a tool on Adrian & Sydney's relationship, more than the unwanted spectator.
As for the rest the gang... everything the same.
Actually, Fiery Heart, as built up as it was, was exclusively about Sydney & Adrian. I wish there was something else for the gang. Some more development beyond their romantic drama, you know?
We are talking about kick-ass guardians & a princess, for freak's sake!
The only one who stood up was Neil, the new dhampir on town. He developed on his manners & was also big point for the plot, so good for him.
The biggest thing the others got was... vain hints on the future.

Oh, dearness.
Considering this book centers in Adrian & Sydney, it all is...
*sigh*
They are good together, & underneath all the banter & the jokes, there is a quite desperation as well, it is hidden & kept quiet, but still there. Covered up on fake escape plans, but are they?

“Escape plan number seventeen," I told her. "Run away and open a juice stand in Fresno."
"Why Fresno?"
"Sounds like the kind of place people drink a lot of juice.”

Yeah, but it didn't matter how ridiculous & unreachable the plans were, not that deep down both needed them to happen. To be real because it doesn't matter if it was Texas, Rome or New Orleans, any option was way better than reality.
*Tear*
Ow, Sydney dear, why did you have to do that.
& Eddie... you go man.

As for the end... Well.
*sigh* Somewhere, somewhat I always knew it would happen. It was meant to happen. Would happen because Richelle Mead just writes like that. & she knows she does harm!
Just look at what she says in the acknowledgments:

Ha!
Aja...

But. I also thought Sydney would get away because of her superpowerful-ness. Magical, Logical & otherwise.
So, the end is not as much about her being in Springfield as much as Adrian's reaction.
Yeah. Think about it.
Sydney be Sydney.
But what about Adrian...? What is he capable of doing.
Think about it.

Just one last thing.
Centrum permanebit.
Yes, I am evil.