Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 25th August 2020

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

My Rating:

As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.

I will always say when I am wrong. And I was wrong in my review of Sapphire Flames, Alessandro is amazing and these books do not fall down on their romance. They just take a whole to develop.

I immediately began reading Emerald Blaze almost immediately after finishing Sapphire Flames. I may have had some grumbles after finishing the last book but  I did really enjoy the story and I loved all of the characters in the Hidden Legacy series (even if Alessandro had failed to impress me). I was excited to see how Catalina’s new role within the National Assembly and  working with Linus would change things and I really wanted to see what was next for her with her grandmother, Victoria. I have a bit of a soft spot for Victoria Tremaine, she is in no way a good person, but I find her really interesting her schemes and her plans. She seems like she is on the side of the Baylor’s even when she’s hatching ridiculous plots to work against them.

I’ll begin talking about the romance because that is where the last book fell down for me but I am here to eat my words and say I was wrong. I wasn’t convinced by the connection between Alessandro and Catalina before, it felt forced as there wasn’t enough history between the two to explain this connection they seemed to have. I think the fact Alessandro was constantly keeping things to himself and refused to answer questions yet expected Catalina to fall all over him was ridiculous. He had respect for Catalina but wasn’t seeing her for the badass she so obviously was. I think he was fooled by her quiet introversion and I didn’t like that because I knew she could totally handle herself. This time around he arrived with full respect for her abilities and expected nothing from her but hoped that she would let him protect her. I liked him so much more when he was giving Catalina the control in the relationship. Did he always do as he was told? Hell no, but you could tell he was following Catalina’s lead and just hoped that she would give him something. I also believed Catalina and her heartbreak so much more than her fantasy love for an Alessandro she hardly knew from the last book. I believed it this time around and I enjoyed the book so much more because of it. I was hoping they could find a way to be together which never happened last time around.

I really loved the plot of this one, as well. The last book was interesting, there is always a good plot with an Ilona Andrews book as you figure who did what where and figuring out who the bad guy is. But this time I couldn’t stop reading. Sure, I think the first 30% of the book was a little slower. There was the build up of what the plot would be and who the major players were, but once you figured that out I was just there for the ride. Ilona Andrews manages to write a fast paced plot interspersed with some good quieter moments of the characters just being together with friends or family and I love that.

And my favourite part? That will always be the Baylor family and their friends. I loved seeing Nevada and Rogan in this one, they didn’t get enough page time before. It’s always fun to see characters you have followed in previous books from another characters perspective. I just really love those guys. They aren’t the only ones I love, though. Leon got more page time and it was great, he is such a fun character who is way too impulsive, but he cares about his family and definitely puts on a persona to deal with some of what he has to do with his abilities. And Arabella! When she was talking about how she just stood there and let someone shout at her I so felt her pain that she didn’t react. I really hope this series continues and we get some books from her perspective because she is so entertaining and the total opposite to Catalina and Nevada. You know she would be fun.

I think I’ve done a terrible job of reviewing this book but I just really enjoyed it. I love this series way more than the Kate Daniels series and cannot wait to see what comes next.

Have you read this book or this series? And have you ever been forced t eat your words about a series when the next book proves you wrong?

I had originally intended to write some reviews for shows I’ve been loving lately but as I was writing my reviews I realised reviewing TV shows is way harder than reviewing a book. Even a film would be easier because there aren’t as many plot lines to spoil, but a TV show there is so much you don’t want to give away but also need to giveaway to explain why you loved it so much, it’s crazy! But there you go, so here I am writing a review last minute the night before. Isn’t it nice to know some things never change?

I adore Ilona Andrews’ writing. This writing duo is fantastic, I am always totally invested in their books and their characters and usually fly through them. The Hidden Legacy series is actually one of my favourites, so it will be surprising to hear I fell so far behind in the releases for the series. They decided to release another trilogy in the same world focusing on Catalina Baylor, the sister of Nevada from the original trilogy. I always get worried when a series shifts to focus on new characters because what about if I don’t like them? I reread the original trilogy when I was stuck on what to read next and decided it was finally time to begin the newer releases in this series so here are a couple of reviews.

Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 6th November 2018

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Novella

My Rating:

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Diamond Fire was a novella released before the next new addition to the Hidden Legacy series. It was released as an introduction to Catalina, probably as a chance to get used to a new character, but also to fill the gaps between Wildfire and Sapphire Flames. This novella was a quick and easy read which took me 5 days to finish which really demonstrates where I am with my reading at the moment. I may have been slow reading but I definitely enjoyed myself.

As I said, this novella is set after the end of Wildfire. Some of the major plotlines had been resolved in that book and now we get to see the preparations for Nevada and Rogan’s wedding. Catalina and her sister, Arabella, have taken over wedding planning duties and as Nevada is a slightly neurotic bride who really can’t handle the lies wedding planners normally tell the bride as they’re putting out fires. I think this was the perfect occasion to get to know Catalina, you get to see her being organised and capable but also see her growing into an adult. She had always been the quieter sister, understandable given her abilities. She was hesitant to grow close to anyone outside of her family and it was nice to see her thoughts and understand where the reluctance came from.

I went into this book uncertain if Catalina was strong enough a character to hold my attention and invest in her story and it was safe to say she showed me I was wrong to have doubts. She is such a strong character who may not be as obviously strong and forceful as Nevada but she wasn’t to be overshadowed by her sister either, she has a different kind of strength and I loved it. It was also great seeing her work solving her own case, showing he had grown up working for Baylor Investigations the same way Nevada had and had the same skills, even if she wasn’t a human lie detector like her sister.

The mystery in the book was fun, we saw the usual family antics and we got to know the characters. Ilona Andrews has always been good about writing a strong novella, as seen with the novellas in their Kate Daniels series, and so I had no doubts the story would be strong here too. I really enjoyed getting to know Catalina and it had me excited to see where her story would go in the next lot of releases in the Hidden Legacy series.

Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 27th August 2019

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

My Rating:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

I want to say upfront, I liked Sapphire Flames but I didn’t love it. This book jumps three years into the future, Catalina has become Head of House Baylor and is preparing for the end of the three year grace period all new houses have. It was interesting to see how she became the Head of the House and what had happened in the three years we had missed. Catalina was just as strong as an investigator as her sister and she was the right leader for the Baylor family. Nevada was too rash, but Catalina is quiet, she sits in the background more and thinks about her actions because she wants to avoid notice and because of that she does have more forethought than others. This is also helped because she has been trained by Rogan’s mother in how to act. At the end of the novella she invites Catalina to spend time with her and teach her how to fit in with the other houses and she uses this training well throughout this book.

As I said about the novella, Catalina really can carry her own story. She is such an interesting character because her abilities are so unique and you can see she has learnt a lot about them since last time we saw her. She is still learning herself, but she wasn’t like Nevada at the start of Burn for Me ignoring what she could do with her powers, she had learnt everything she could about magic and now has slowly figured out how to use it to the best of her ability. I loved she was strong and was willing to put the happiness and needs of her family above her own, even when it broke her heart. It was sad to see some things later on in the book, but as you see many of the Baylor’s are impulsive and don’t think about their actions and I loved her Catalina was level-headed and occasionally a bit too practical.

This book fell down in one simple way, the romance. Normally I get swept away by the romances Ilona Andrews writes but this time I just couldn’t quite believe it to be invested. The romantic interest here was Alessandro, we got a small glimpse of him when the Baylor’s petitioned to form a house but learn next to nothing about him. Well, you certainly learn something about him here, but nowhere near enough. It felt like I was being told there was chemistry and a brilliant romance between Alessandro and Catalina, but I didn’t believe it because I just couldn’t see it. There was a small spark of something for sure, but it felt like it was written that there was a whole heap of history between the two when they met like twice. Why did Catalina care so much and why was Alessandro out there all invested in Catalina. They don’t know each other! I know the same could be said for Nevada and Rogan when they first meet but I feel like their romance took longer to develop than this one did. I just didn’t ever believe it and that definitely meant I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped.

That being said, the actual mystery and story developments were brilliant. I was invested and eager to know more and annoyed when the book ended because I still had more questions I wanted to be answered. It was. A solid addition to the series in that sense. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for more of the plot and seeing more of the characters I already know and love. Ilona Andrews’ secondary characters are always really strong and interesting (which might be why I’m so annoyed Alessandro felt so flat). I enjoyed seeing the Baylor families usual antics and it was great to return to this familiar world. I am excited to read Emerald Flames.

Have you read this series? What did you think about the change of focus to Catalina? And what are your thoughts on the Alessandro/Catalina romance, does it get better or am I just being too fussy?

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

Ender's Game meets The Hunger Games in this, the first in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.

Rivers of London (Rivers of London #1) – Ben Aaronovitch

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) – Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy trilogy overturns the expectations of readers and then goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.

A word of mouth success in the states the Mistborn trilogy has, this year, broken onto the New York Times Bestseller list. The time is ripe for its success to cross the Atlantic.

Callie Delgado always puts family first, and unfortunately her brother knows it. She’s emptied her savings, lost work, and spilled countless tears trying to keep him out of trouble, but now he’s in deeper than ever, and his debt is on Callie’s head. She’s given a choice: do some dirty work for the mob, or have her brother returned to her in tiny pieces.

Renting souls is big business for the religious population of Gem City. Those looking to take part in immoral—or even illegal—activity can borrow someone else’s soul, for a price, and sin without consequence.
To save her brother, Callie needs a borrowed soul, but she doesn’t have anywhere near the money to pay for it. The slimy Soul Charmer is willing to barter, but accepting his offer will force Callie into a dangerous world of magic she isn’t ready for.

With the help of the guarded but undeniably attractive Derek—whose allegiance to the Charmer wavers as his connection to Callie grows—she’ll have to walk a tight line, avoid pissing off the bad guys, all while struggling to determine what her loyalty to her family’s really worth.

Losing her brother isn’t an option. Losing her soul? Maybe.

Pestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) – Laura Thalassa

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him.

And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

One woman is in a world of otherworldly trouble—and she’s going to have to bet her life to save humankind.

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has put her dreams aside to look after her eccentric mother. Case in point: saving her from a mysterious stranger who’s just stormed the terrified woman’s antique store wearing a rattlesnake tattoo, leveling threats, and brandishing the weirdest deck of cards Ernie’s ever seen.

When Ernie grabs some of the cards and runs, she’s launched into a world she never knew existed—one her mother may know more about than she’s revealing. With a handful of stolen cards, Ernie has just been made an unwilling player in a game of good versus evil. But she’s not even playing with a full deck, and its original owner is more than happy to kill to get his cards back.

Suddenly Ernie’s matching wits and plays with the supernatural Immortal Dealers, who can raise empires, damn souls, and shape the world’s destiny. It’s up to Ernie to defeat the most brutal member of their order. And if her roguish new ally isn’t bluffing, he can help. The mystery is all in the cards, and to save her life—and humanity—Ernie had better learn how to deal.

Giveaway

Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…

Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.

As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke.

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada's "talent." But there's no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice . . .