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    The Fiery Heart
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    The Fiery Heart
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    The Fiery Heart
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Fiery Heart

    Written by Richelle Mead

    Narrated by Emily Shaffer and Alden Ford

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 19, 2013
    ISBN9781101631294
    Unavailable
    The Fiery Heart
    Author

    Richelle Mead

    Richelle Mead lives in Seattle and is the author of the Vampire Academy series. When not writing, she can be found watching bad movies, inventing recipes, and buying far too many dresses.

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    Reviews for The Fiery Heart

    4.5/5

    257 ratings20 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      With only two books left to go in the series, I knew to expect to have that devastating moment where I find myself saying "Nooooooo", and will be left with that hard to get over book hangover. I was dreading it and anxious for it at the same time. I know, I must sound like a masochist, but it's the good kind, believe me. A book hangover masochist. What better kind of hangover is there? But I also knew that of course it was going to be great and of course it was. In fact it was amazing, I loved that Richelle Mead decided to give us two perspectives this time around. I love, love hearing from Adrian, he is one of my favorite male leads in a series. I've been rooting for his ultimate HEA since the beginning of the series.

      Sydney is continuing her journey into the magical world and her and Adrian's relationship is heating up. Adrian is still dealing with the lows and highs of Spirit and wanting to do right by Sydney. Of course having her sister Zoe there doesn't help their secret romance and their already sneaky rendezvous from the others.

      Towards the end of the book I started to get that anxious here it comes feeling. I knew this chapter of Adrian's and Sydney's relationship wasn't going to end well. So now I'm feeling devastated and can't wait to see what happens next.

      Things for this series has gotten even more interesting and intense. With a nice little cameo from some of the Vampire Academy gang and Adrian finally getting some respect from them as someone they look to for guidance. The Fiery Heart was the best book of the series so far. The story, writing and familiar characters I can't get enough of has me I ruing the day of it's conclusion.



    • 4/5
      I love these books! Can't wait for the next one! They are fun to read and the relationships between the characters develops well.
    • 5/5
      Warning - may contain series spoilers. If you haven't read the previous three books, stop now and do it!Just to get something off my chest - I love this series, and Vampire Academy series, but can someone please re-design the covers so that they match the descriptions of the characters in the book? Please?Okay, phew- just needed to say that. As I was reading this installment of the Bloodlines series, I realized I had forgotten a lot of what happened earlier, so I am making my way back through the whole Vampire Academy series. Holy crap, I forgot how much I liked them!The Fiery Heart finds us catching up with Sydney and her crew in Palm Springs, just after she's made the decision to completely defy her way of life and turn renegade - a decision made more treacherous as her sister Zoe is sent to join the mission. Zoe's zeal for the Alchemist way of life, along with her desperate need to earn their father's approval, makes Sydney's need to keep her secret life a secret even more desperate. And what a secret life it has become! Sydney's commitment to magic is strong, as is her desire to aid Marcus in his attempts to recruit Alchemist defectors. Perhaps her strongest commitment is to her relationship with Adrian. Gone are the days when Sydney could hardly bear being in the same room with Moroi - now she is considering sharing a bed! While the series has often covered those taboos, this book also demonstrates the angst any young woman may have entering her first serious, sexual relationship. Personally I think it's nice to find literature in the YA and sci-fi/fantasy genres that doesn't treat decisions about sex and losing one's virginity as simple or a given.Mead takes a departure in this book by splitting the narration between Sydney and Adrian, and I think she does it really well. It's nice to get into Adrian's head, and adds depth to the story.
    • 4/5
      My best book in the series so far.
    • 4/5
      Gosh, do I love this series. It appeals to me so much more than the Vampire Academy series did and I loved that series. But I just feel this series more. I think it's because I love Sydney and Adrian so much. They are just the perfect couple. Their chemistry is just out of the ballpark. And the words that come out of Adrian's mouth just make me melt. I live for the lines I hear in these audiobooks and the dream that someday I will hear words like that from a man spoken to me. I also love how there isn't a lot of whether or not they will stay together or break up. They are both confident that they will figure something out - - they just have no clue what they will figure out. That's terrific in my book.

      Also, this series has a terrific cast of side characters. I love Eddie, Jill, Angeline and Trey. I would love to see some of them get their own series. There's an idea for another spinoff series. ;)

      I really think Emily Schaffer does a great job on the narration of these books. Alden Ford is good also; although, I have to admit I had a hard time getting used to him. This is the first time that dual narrators was used for the series and Mr. Ford's voice changed the voice that had been used for Adrian through both the Vampire Academy series and this series. Plus, Ms. Schaffer changed the voice that she used for Adrian and it took me until halfway through the book to get used to the change. Once I did, I was good with it.

      Can't wait for the next book as, of course, this book has a huge cliffhanger.
    • 5/5
      With only two books left to go in the series, I knew to expect to have that devastating moment where I find myself saying "Nooooooo", and will be left with that hard to get over book hangover. I was dreading it and anxious for it at the same time. I know, I must sound like a masochist, but it's the good kind, believe me. A book hangover masochist. What better kind of hangover is there? But I also knew that of course it was going to be great and of course it was. In fact it was amazing, I loved that Richelle Mead decided to give us two perspectives this time around. I love, love hearing from Adrian, he is one of my favorite male leads in a series. I've been rooting for his ultimate HEA since the beginning of the series.

      Sydney is continuing her journey into the magical world and her and Adrian's relationship is heating up. Adrian is still dealing with the lows and highs of Spirit and wanting to do right by Sydney. Of course having her sister Zoe there doesn't help their secret romance and their already sneaky rendezvous from the others.

      Towards the end of the book I started to get that anxious here it comes feeling. I knew this chapter of Adrian's and Sydney's relationship wasn't going to end well. So now I'm feeling devastated and can't wait to see what happens next.

      Things for this series has gotten even more interesting and intense. With a nice little cameo from some of the Vampire Academy gang and Adrian finally getting some respect from them as someone they look to for guidance. The Fiery Heart was the best book of the series so far. The story, writing and familiar characters I can't get enough of has me I ruing the day of it's conclusion.



    • 4/5
      4.5 Stars! I really liked this but would of liked a little more progress in their ultimate quest. And the ending...UGH!
    • 5/5
      Uhm, are you kidding me Richelle Mead? How can you leave me hanging like that? Warning: huge cliff hanger ahead. CAUTION!! HAVE THE NEXT BOOK READY. My library doesn't seem to have it, and I'm telling you that it's a crisis.In this book I got everything I was hoping for the entire series just to have it all ripped away. Richelle Mead, I don't know why you think it's funny to play with someone's heart like that.Honestly I don't know how to write a review after a cliff hanger like that. I love the book, that is all.
    • 5/5
      Great book, painful ending! I love when characters have to work for their HEA, and boy are Sydney and Adrian getting ready for some heavy lifting! Cliffhanger alert: if you've waited this long to read it, might I suggest you wait until the next one is published...to save yourself the agony of waiting?
    • 4/5
      I really loved The Fiery Heart, I thought it was a perfect continuation of the series. Sydney faces a lot of difficulties having Zoey around full time, which causes problems furthering her relationship with Adrian. She also makes headway on the anti-compulsion tattoos and she and Adrian make progress with making sure Strigoi cannot turn others. The other minor characters all make good appearances as well. Unfortunately, Sydney runs into big trouble at the end of the novel, which I knew was inevitable, and I'm looking forward to the next book to see how she endures her punishment and hopefully escapes unscathed.
    • 3/5
      I have a bizzare attitude towards this series. My opinion fluctuates constantly, and I think that might be because the writing fluctuates. In Fiery Heart, Mead has written some amazing scenes- but these are primarily the action scenes, that aren't the focus of the book. The story has great plots and characters, but I feel that the writing itself has generally slipped from the VA standard, with glimpses of it here and there. I'm not sure what the reason for this is- perhaps a rush job by Mead, or perhaps Mead just can't connect properly with these books in the same way as VA. VA was inherently emotional, full of intrigue & action, in a well-imagined world. It also had Rose's easy-flowing, never-boring perspective, and a tonne of spark. Bloodlines just doesn't have as engaging material.

      That being said, there is a reason I've kept up with the Bloodlines series- in this latest book, the Sydney/Adrian romance felt a little generic & insincere to me- but in the previous books there have been some creative and exciting romantic moments between them. The alchemist and witch plotlines are also interesting, and well-developed- it shows us another side of the VA universe, one quite different from Rose's world. The characters are also great- just written kind of flatly at times, not utilising their full potential.

      As for this book specifically, I liked hearing from Adrian's point of view & the exploration of his spirit experience. I also liked the meeting up with our old favourite characters, and the tension that created for Sydney & Adrian's secret relationship. On the downside, I was let down by Zoe, who I had much anticipated. Her scenes felt repetitive and dreary, and she was whiny rather than likeable. The other characters were also kind of neglected here- they all get cursory looks into their romances, but not much else. No character development, no exciting non-romance plotlines. I wanted more of Jill- after all, she was the reason they were all there in the first place.

      I think it all comes down to this- it has most of the elements of a good story, but is let down by some lacklustre writing, and a failure to realise its potential. I also think perhaps it was simply a case of choosing the wrong series to write. Here is what I would have preferred to read;

      A series from Adrian's point of view, following his depression and bitterness of Rose's betrayal, and gradual recovery through his bond with peppy, innocent Jill, a developing romance with a troubled alchemist, and finding purpose through helping others with spirit. This version could have stayed at court, following Lissa's royal journey, attacks on Jill, and uneasy revelations about the alchemists. It would have all the good elements of Bloodlines, whilst taking place in a setting that is inherently much more interesting than a preppy high school. I love Sydney, but I don't think her perspective is suited to Mead's writing. Adrian is a better fit. I think this story would have more of VA's spark, and thus have resulted in better writing.

      Nevertheless, I will continue to read the rest of Bloodlines, out of curiosity, and the chance to occassionally glimpse the elusive VA spark.
    • 3/5
      I like the Blood Lines series. It is entertaining. I use that word a lot but it describes a book that does not have a lot of meat to it but still is enjoyable. A spin off of the Vampire academy series, there is comfort in the movement of characters from one series to the next. Like finding an old familiar friend.
    • 4/5
      A bit of advice: Do not read The Fiery Heart until Silver Shadows releases.

      However,

      If the temptation is too much, make sure to buy a box of tissues and a punching bag. You'll need them.

      AND, WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IN PUBLIC!

      There will be crying, laughing, swooning, and yelling. (Which may be embarrassing in a public place.)

      Read The Fiery Heart at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

      Overall, I loved this book! I just wish the fifth book was in my hand. :D
    • 4/5
      For the most part, I thought this was a really great book. It definitely is worthy of the four stars that I'm giving it, but it is the worst book (so far) in the Bloodlines series. I really enjoy the series and Mead's writing, but this book just didn't make me feel the same kind of rush that the previous 3 books did. That doesn't mean that I won't end up loving the last two books, especially considering that in the Vampire Academy series, my least favorite book was the fourth book. Maybe I just have a problem with that part of the arc in stories? Anyway, I digress.The story was intriguing and it was definitely filled with drama, which was in keeping with the past stories. Unfortunately, it didn't have the same level of wit that I had come to expect. It was rather dry when it came to that, and the drama that happened was a lot more predictable than it should have been. The whole series has sort of been building to what happened in this book, so it didn't end up really shocking me or anything.I can say, without a doubt, that I absolutely hate Zoe and think that both she and Sydney's father are extremely most despicable characters. I know that Zoe is motivated by jealousy and was raised by a bigot, so her motives might not completely be her own, but she was given a chance to grow and change and she didn't, which makes her actions that much more abhorrent. I already knew I didn't like Sydney's father before this book, with his previous love of a rapist and his somewhat subtle emotional abuse of his daughters, but this book made me realize what a schmuck the dude really is. I hope that Sydney's mom gets custody of Zoe, if for no other reason than I know it would make Zoe and Jared so horribly miserable.I'm glad that Adrian was finally coming to terms with the fact that he had been living an extremely self-destructive life. I hope that he can learn how to use spirit while being on medication at some point because he really deserves to have some sort of normal life. I'm sure that his decisions to go on the medicine and, later, to go back off it will be dealt with more in the fifth or sixth book...or at least, I hope that that's the case. I think that the way his lack of faith in himself was portrayed was extremely poignant. A lot of times when writers choose to write about a mentally ill character, they don't completely "get" what having a mental illness is like, but Mead did an excellent job in portraying what it was like for him. Kudos for that.There seemed to be too many characters in the story. I know that all of the VA and Bloodlines stories have featured multitudes of characters, but there were so many in this book that it felt like some weren't getting the level of attention that they deserved. Hopefully that won't be an issue in the next two books.Overall, even with the stuff that I didn't like about this book, I found it entertaining, easy to get into, and easy to read. I think it is definitely worth reading and I'm glad to see at least one paranormal romance series writer getting it right. (Some of the fails that have befallen other writers in the genre had made me start to lose hope.) I would recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance stories, especially within the young adult age group.
    • 5/5
      This is going to be the simplest, quickest and easiest review to write.Plot: Simply put...its amazing. The movement in the story flows well along with the character setting up this wonderful world for any reader to dive into. There is lots going on in the school as well as outside of it. Once I started reading this book I became consume by it. I couldn't no..I wouldn't put it down because everything written just sucked me in.Love: What can I say about this relationship that has not been said. I adore the movement of the relationship and their friendship. They are so comfortable with each other. They give each other this peace..its like when they see each other, they mesh so well and know exactly how to help. Basically, I love that they are not just in love but really have a good friendship established.Ending: Holy crapola!! When I got to the end, I thought," No way" and "No. There's got to be more." I want the next installment already. I need it!! It has me at the edge of my seat and my mind can't even begin to function without Sydney or Adrian.In a nutshell, I'm in love with Richelle Mead. She writes such amazing and fantastic stories that I can never get enough of. I can be hitting the age of 50 and I will still always read anything this wonderful author writes. The Fiery Heart is without a doubt, a fantastic addition to the series. It's brings much to the table as well as opening new doors for new possibilities. Satisfying and amazing, The Fiery Heart is superb!
    • 3/5
      I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I really liked the Vampire Academy series but loved the Bloodlines spin-off even more. Sadly, The Fiery Heart was a huge disappointment. There was way too much introspection and recapping of events. We've read the series, we know what's happened. The pacing was incredibly slow and it seemed like what plot development there was was just thrown in the book. The real focus of the book was Adrian and Sydney's clandestine romance, which was downright BORING (I actually started skimming over their "passionate" moments together). Forbidden love should be an automatic win in the heart-pounding romance department, but Sydney and Adrian's intimate moments were overshadowed by their internal thoughts about what awesome soul mates they are. In the other books, the author did an excellent job of infusing the scenes with passion and heat so I'm pretty puzzled about why this book was so lacking. And really, I feel that way about everything in this book. Everything lost its sparkle. Sydney could barely take care of herself and Adrian turned into a gushy, lovey-dovey romantic and lost all his charm. There was definitely nothing "fiery" about this book.
    • 4/5
      The ending was fairly out of nowhere though also completely foreshadowed and predictable so I'm not sure how I feel about it. Still really love Richelle Mead as an author though and this series continues to progress nicely.
    • 5/5
      Wow, does a lot happen in this one. We get steamy romance, Adrian fighting his darkness and figuring out more of the direction of his life and what it means to really leave an impact, Sydney dealing with her sister, magic, tattoos, school, hiding her love life, and parental issues all at once. She has made such great strides in her thinking and in learning to be herself it is amazing. Oh, and we get dual perspectives in this one. Amazing right? We get into the head of Adrian Ivashkov, and I loved every second. I got to see a whole other side to his life, thoughts, and also Sydney. The characters in this one are a mix from all over, as well as some new people to shake things up even more, and you can almost feel the tension building and forming into what I know will blow my mind. There were some really profound conversations, hilariously funny moments, and also ones that made me want to melt. It really re-enforces Richelle's place on my fave list (well, I can only speak personally from the YA perspective because I haven't read her adult novels for some weird reason yet). How far they have both come and how far they have still to go is so heavy on my mind right now. In fact, as usual my complaint is that I want the next book right this instant and I don't have it. Oh, and that ending. Wow. Left me hanging, and drooling to find out what's next. But also scared because in the acknowledgements she says to remember we are in the middle of a series, and the hard things are getting deep (well, something to that effect) but for us readers to hang in there. So, I am a lot afraid of what terrors await them in the next book while things get sorted out, but I was extremely glad to see the character development and a bit of peace, love and happiness with Adrian and Sydney before the proverbial shit hit the fan. There was plenty of action to go along with all of this character growth, and there were some decisions made that were hand in hand brave and stupid, but it resulted in some great knowledge and strides for the changes brewing for this hidden vampire world and all who are associated with it. Bottom Line: Action packed, swoony, and lots of character growth. Give me more.
    • 5/5
      Richelle Mead kept her promise. She said that things would get tough for the characters in this middle book of the Bloodlines series. And did they ever get tough!Sydney and the crew are still in Palm Springs keeping Jill safe from Moroi assassins. However, she has been joined by her younger sister Zoe and has to be much more careful to keep her growing closeness to the Moroi and Dhampirs a secret. She also has to hide that she no longer unconditionally supports the mission of the Alchemists. But most of all she has to hide her relationship with Adrian. They are hiding their love from the Alchemists and from the Moroi too since neither group would really support a relationship between an Alchemist and a Moroi. While Sydney is exploring and learning more about magic, Adrian has to deal with his demons. His overuse of Spirit is very damaging to him. Sydney is very worried about him. He finally decides to see a professional who diagnoses Adrian and determines that he is bipolar. He prescribes some pills but a side effect is that Adrian can't use Spirit. Adrian hasn't told Sydney that he had begun the pills because he didn't want to disappoint her if he couldn't cope with taking them. Between romance, magic, finding a way to keep Moroi and Dhampirs safe from being turned to Strigoi and tattoos that can keep rogue Alchemists from being brainwashed by the Alchemist leaders, this book is filled with action and excitement. I can't wait to see what happens next.
    • 5/5
      This is the fourth book in the Bloodlines series and was an excellent continuation of this story. There are six books planned for this series and the fifth book, Silver Shadows, is scheduled for a July 2014 release. I listened to this book on audiobook and the audiobooks for this series have been very well done. They have separate narrators for Adrian and Sydney; both narrators do a very good job capturing emotion and having distinct voices for different characters. Sydney is still trying to balance her work as an Alchemist, her relationship with Adrian, the magic she is learning, and her effort to break the Alchemist tattoo. Things have gotten even more complication now that Sydney’s sister, Zoe, is living with her on campus. Now to make things even worse Sydney’s parents have decided to divorce and Sydney’s dad is coming to visit..he expects her to take sides.This series has turned into a major soap opera, which isn’t all bad. There is just soooo much drama between all the characters and who loves who and all the secrets being kept.Sydney’s life has become extremely complicated. She is keeping secrets from so many people that I am not sure how she keeps track of them all. Her and Adrian are keeping their relationship a secret, and with Sydney’s sister so close it is not easy. Sydney is also trying to keep her magical training under wraps, Adrian knows about it but no one else does. She is desperately trying to find a way to seal her Alchemist’s tattoo so that it can’t be re-inked. I didn’t like Sydney much in the first couple books, but in this book she finally won me over...she has a lot more metal and really starts to think independently in this book.There is just a lot going on here. As with previous books there is a lot of Adrian angst going on. Adrian is struggling with the darkness that his power over Spirit brings in a big way. It is even more prevalent because he has some really good times where he has things under control in this book and some really bad times when he spins completely out of control. I get sick of all the whining and angsting Adrian does, but I guess it’s who he is.I love how both Sydney and Adrian have changed and grown as characters throughout the series. I have also enjoyed how Sydney's use of magic has grown throughout this series.We meet some other witches in this book and they were awesome characters. We also end up back at Court for part of the book so Lissa, Dimitri, and Rose all make cameo appearances.I didn't like how things ended, it's a pretty big cliffhanger, but it wasn't an unexpected ending. The horrible thing we have all known was going to happen at some point has finally happened….and I expect it’s going to be even more awful in the next book.Overall this was a very enjoyable read, I really liked it. The story is progressing nicely and I am finally starting to love Sydney as a character. Both her and Adrian grow and change a lot in this book. I still get kind of sick of Adrian’s angsting and his long overly emotional complaining...I also did not appreciate the cliffhanger ending. However, I am hooked on this series and will definitely read Silver Shadows when it releases. I still think the Vampire Academy series was better than this one. I would recommend this book to fans of the Vampire Academy series and to fans of paranormal young adult books.