The Indigo Spell: Bloodlines, Book 3

Readers patiently waiting for the Sydney and Adrian relationship to finally move forward are duly rewarded with the most romantic installment in the Bloodlines series to date. The charming, artistic Adrian is everpresent in the story, and he perfectly balances Sydney's high-strung, type-A tendencies. That said, Mead's focus on the star-crossed lovers comes at the expense of secondary characters Jill, Angeline, Eddie, and Trey; there's considerably less about them here than in the first two novels, but it's clear they will feature more prominently in upcoming stories.

Although there's action and intrigue -- particularly about the former Alchemists who want to "break" the ceremonial tattoo that bonds them to the order -- this book is mostly about Sydney's character development. An Alchemist trained to regard vampires with a healthy dose of revulsion, Sydney knows that her blossoming and at times overwhelming feelings for Adrian go against everything she's been taught -- as does her newfound proficiency with magic. Faced with so many life-altering decisions, Sydney is a compelling protagonist you can't help but root for, even when she's exasperating. Mead is an author who knows how to keep you interested in her universe of characters, and it's already obvious the fourth book will be a game-changer.