Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The final book, and recent release, for the Hidden Legacy readalong was Ruby Fever. This is the 6th book in Ilona Andrew's very popular series and also wraps up Catalina's trilogy. The readalong was hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. If you missed the live show for Ruby Fever, I have linked it. I was able to use this to cover warm tone color(s) on the cover for Fall in Love!

Catalina has been working as the Deputy Warden of Houston. When the Warden gets attacked and self-enforces a comatose status at the same time a powerful political figure is attacked, she is made the acting Warden. As House Baylor works to solve the different happenings going on around town, a Russian Prince shows up to cause drama. When a lot of the attacks that have been happening around them end up being attached to the machinations of Alessandro's father's murderer, they have to prepare for war. As they work through the House's survival, old threats come into play as alliances, if not more.

This was such a great book and I thought it was so well wrapped up for Catalina's trilogy. There was so much going on that it's really hard to touch base on everything that happened and avoid spoilers. First off, there is a little less romance between Catalina and Alessandro in this book, but we just get to sit with them as a solid couple. Not that they don't get some alone time, but the romance I feel like isn't quite as important to the story line here. We also get some set up for Arabella's possible match (I know we'll probably have to wait a while before we see any books from her). What really blew me away was the more we learned about Catalina's powers. There was still more depth and nuance than I expected and it was really fun really getting to learn not only more about her powers, but some of the lineage behind it. For the "big bad" in this book, it was handled really well and it really did a good job of not only tying up a lot of the loose threads from Catalina's trilogy, but from Nevada's trilogy as well. I don't want to give spoilers, but this was such a great wrap up of the series to this point.

Just as an aside, if you weren't aware, this was officially the final book for their publishing contract. Ilona Andrews is now going to be indie publishing (as per a couple of their announcements). From an interview I saw, they are planning on eventually doing books for Arabella, but there's no timeline as of now. There are a couple hints and very tiny loose threads where her books could pick up, but I wasn't left feeling like there was still a lot left open for her books.

They hosts are planning on starting another Ilona Andrews readalong for the Innkeeper Chronicles series, but I the plan as of now is for it to start early next year in 2023. Stay tuned to all their youtubes and instagrams for the official announcement. While I would love to continue my binge reading of Ilona Andrews, I think I'm going to wait so I can have them all first time reads for the readalong. No matter what, I can't wait to read more from Ilona Andrews, both in their backlist and whatever they choose to write next!

Have you read Ruby Fever?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Ruby Fever, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 380 pages, published in 2022, traditionally published

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second main book we had to read in July for the Hidden Legacy Readalong was Emerald Blaze. This is the fifth book in Ilona Andrews's popular series. The readalong is being hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. I was able to use this for the prompts bright colors on the cover for Summer of Swoon and worked to cover the GM (character that pulls off something crazy) prompt for my Hockey Champions Readathon!

As the Deputy Warden of Texas, Catalina is tasked with continuing the search for the other missing vials of the Osiris serum. On top of whatever house problems and cases Baylor Investigations picks up, she has to drop everything and pursue what Warden Linus instructs. When he demands that she takes over the Morton case from Augustine, she has to finally reveal to him that she is the Deputy Warden. Felix Morton was a part of a reclamation project for the Pit and has been murdered. As per the agreement all members of the board signed, they have to allow the investigation or be shut down. When Catalina learns that one of the missing Osiris serums is involved to one of the largest threats faced, things become a lot more dire. When Alessandro comes back as Felix's father's associate and gets thrown back into it with Catalina. Alessandro has returned a changed man and does his best to convince Catalina he's only here to protect her from the man behind the theft.

Alright, let me just preface my thoughts with this, Emerald Blaze is my favorite book of the series so far and probably my favorite of their books that I've read. I became a huge fan of Catalina in Sapphire Flames and the ante has been upped even more. There's a few months between the two books and just seeing her really come into her role as the Deputy Warden was so freaking awesome to see. I also love that while Nevada was doing it for the good of everyone, I feel like what Catalina's taking on has a lot bigger risks. I mean the "big bad" in this book could potentially take down all humanity. That's a pretty big deal. I just absolutely loved and was mesmerized with how she managed to defeat The Abyss. I couldn't believe it, was rooting for her and super nervous at the same time. While I knew she most likely wouldn't die, I also didn't want to see any of the new side characters we've come to adore to be in danger as well. The final battle scene was just so freaking cinematic and such a fun end to the book.

I should also mention that we get more of Nevada and Connor in this book. Nevada is around most of the time and she is 8 months+ pregnant! Near the end of the book her water breaks and by the end we have her son! It was just so cool to really see her and Connor living in their HEA since they were away in the previous book. Also, the way that Alessandro comes back and has really changed. I loved how Catalina didn't trust it 100% and really pushed Alessandro to really open up to her. Their connection grows so much here and honestly, I feel really solid about where they're sitting. I'm hoping we get some good action of them working together as a couple in Ruby Fever, but if there's not too much relationship-wise I don't think I'll feel too sad about it. Back to Emerald Blaze though, another part I really enjoyed was just the family really being brought into what Catalina's actually doing for Linus. We also get some clarification about what happened when Nevada left the house and at the same time really seeing how much planning Catalina has put into action the past few years and really does have a lot of long game plans.

I also read a couple short stories. There is a short story listed as 4.2 in the series called Pay Me, however it takes place during Emerald Blaze. I waited to read it until done with Emerald Blaze and it's also available for free on their website! This was just a fun short story in Catalina's POV where she and Arabella arrive to close a case and receive payment. There was such a cool moment with Catalina that gave Boss-B* energy and I loved it. The other short story I read was The Cool Aunt. This is listed as book 5.1 in the series and also available for free on their website. At the end of Emerald Blaze, when Nevada goes into labor, Catalina sends Arabella with Nevada to protect her. This short story is from Arabella's POV and what happens from the point Catalina runs to get her and goes through the entire birth of her nephew. I loved this and can't wait to read more from Arabella's POV. It just gave me all the fuzzy feels and I gave both of these short stories 5-stars!

The next day when processing my thoughts about Emerald Blaze, I really wanted to reread. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to see what happens. I'm happy we don't have to wait too long for Ruby Fever, but the end of August is still farther away then I would like. I almost want to reread this right before it comes out, but we'll see if I have time. I cannot wait to read more from Ilona Andrews and I couldn't impress upon you more, READ THIS SERIES! It's just so freaking good and I don't know why I didn't read these books earlier.

Have you read Emerald Blaze?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Emerald Blaze, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 392 pages, published in 2020, traditionally published

STATISTICS: Pay Me, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 8 pages, published in 2019, indie published

STATISTICS: The Cool Aunt, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 12 pages, published in 2020, indie published

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As we reach the final few books of the Hidden Legacy readalong, it was time to start book 4, Sapphire Flames. This is also the start of Catalina's trilogy in the series. The readalong is hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. This was able to cover the Summer of Swoon prompt blue on the cover and the Hockey Champions Readathon prompt for Logan O'Connor (fan favorite author).

As the three-year grace period for emerging houses comes to an end for House Baylor, Catalina is trying to get everyone ready for whatever may come. As the new Head of House, she is also taking point as the lead investigator for their business. When she she is urged to take the case of her friend's Runa, she stumbles upon a larger plot. While trying to figure out who murdered Runa's mother and younger sister, she learns that several vials of the Osiris Serum went missing and are connected with the murder. When she approaches "Uncle" Linus for clarification on some things, she is learns about the theft and is named Deputy Warden for Texas. As the assassin house starts coming for Catalina, Alessandro finds himself back in Texas and unable to stay away from Catalina. As they start to get to know each other, Catalina tries to not fall for him too hard. Alessandro is hiding a lot of things and doesn't plan on sticking around.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. This was such a freaking good book and I cannot wait to see what comes next for Catalina and Alessandro. Now, I have to prefece this with saying I loved Nevada. She was such a badass and super cool, but Catalina has stolen my heart. She is a lot more relatable to me and I loved seeing both her "Head of House" persona as well as who she is around her family, and then who is when by herself (and eventually Alessandro). As the reader you really get to see her doubts and struggles with keeping her magic contained. While Nevada was fairly blind to a lot of the workings of magic in the beginning, Catalina has had to study her magic most of her life to keep it contained. With the way her magic works it really broke my heart when she mentioned that she tends to push people away (that aren't family) because when she wants them to like her it's harder to control her magic. She is falling in love with Alessandro and wants him to fall in love with her, but it so worried that it'll be because of her magic (nevermind he's one of the few to be able to negate her magic).

As for the action of this, Ilona Andrews does such a good job. There is about a 3 year time jump from Diamond Fire and Catalina has gotten some training with Connor's mother. It was also nice to see Arabella and Leon also older taking more of larger role in the business. We get to see all most of the same side characters, but there are also some new ones that we really get to see fleshed out. I've said this before about Ilona Andrews, but the way that they create a world just feels so organic and real. Even if you see a character for a few pages, they don't feel one or even two-dimensional. I just love the way that world build and I think that every paragraph, every word, every letter just adds so much to the stories they create. It was also really neat to learn a lot more about Catalina's magic, especially as she's really starting to get comfortable using it.

I also want to mention that there are two short stories available on Ilona Andrews's website for free! 4.1 is A Misunderstanding and is a short scene about where Arabella and Leon are in the beginning of Sapphire Flames. We hear talk about closing out the Yarrow case and that there were some issues. Later on we get to hear more about what went down, but this was fun to really see what happened. This is from Arabella's POV, which is a first for this series. There is another short story listed as 4.2 in the series called Pay Me. It is noted that it takes place during Emerald Blaze though, so I will wait and read it until after I read that. I'll touch base on Pay Me in that review.

I am so excited to start Catalina's trilogy. While I wasn't nervous about the writing going in, I wasn't really sure who Catalina was. The novella Diamond Fire helped, but I have to say that Catalina is a new favorite character for me. The way that she really just holds it all together but isn't 100% bad-ass 100% of the time. She's also a little more bookish and nerdy in her bad-assery and I love that. She just really connected with me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. We had some heartbreak at the end and I need to know what happens! Thankfully Emerald Blaze is already out!

Have you read Sapphire Flames?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Sapphire Flames, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 393 pages, published in 2019, traditionally published

STATISTICS: A Misunderstanding, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 13 pages, published in 2019, indie published

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second book assigned for June for the Hidden Legacy readalong is Diamond Fire. This is listed as Ilona Andrews's book 3.5 in the series. The readalong is hosted by Megan, Stef, Heather and Izzy. I was able to apply this to the prompts F in SWIFTIE for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge, beachy read for Summer of Swoon and graduation for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

After having issues with previous wedding planners, Catalina and Arabella are now taking over to plan Nevada and Connor's celebration. Catalina is taking point on the planning and is tasked by Connor's mother in finding the stolen tiara all brides wear during their wedding in the family. As she struggles to juggle Connor's extended family, someone else is trying to derail the wedding. Catalina tries to not worry Nevada and take on the investigation herself.

This was the perfect novella to help us move from Nevada's trilogy to Catalina's. Not only do we get to see Nevada and Connor get married, but we also have a couple of the small threads from her books that get tied up. My favorite part was learning more about Catalina's magic. We also get to know her a lot better since we're in her POV. She definitely has a different tone than Nevada and I look forward to see her really start to use and master her magic as well. I also loved seeing how Catalina interacted with Connor and his people (like Bug and Rivera). We also got to meet Connor's mother and his extended family. At the end we see that Connor's mother will help train Catalina, which makes me even more excited.

This was the perfect novella to warp up Nevada's trilogy and move on to Catalina's. It was just great and I love reading anything by Ilona Andrews. I was excited to move on the the next three books in the series, and this was the perfect primer. Seriously, if you haven't tried Ilona Andrews, this is the perfect series to start. Especially since the 6th book comes out in August!

Have you read Diamond Fire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Diamond Fire, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 145 pages, published in 2018, traditionally published

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The June assigned books for the Hidden Legacy readalong starts with Wildfire. This is the third book in Ilona Andrews's very popular series. If you didn't see in my previous reviews, the Hidden Legacy readalong is hosted by Stef, Megan, Heather and Izzy. I used this read to cover the prompts Me! (one word title) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge and the prompt cover model with long hair for Summer of Swoon.

Nevada is getting hounded by her paternal grandmother to join her house, things are getting more serious with Connor "Mad" Rogan, and she has taken the case of his ex-fiancé's missing husband. A lot is happening at once for Nevada and her family and more of the houses are starting to pay attention. When the Caesar and the conspiracy group end up behind the husband's disappearance, things start to become more deadly. With all this going on, Rogan and Nevada come to the conclusion that the best way to protect her family from Victoria is to establish themselves as their own house, House Baylor. Connor is concerned that when they become a house Nevada and her family with join the houses and adopt the same mindset and won't want to be with him any more since their genetics probably won't help bring forth magically powerful children. Nevada didn't grow up in those games though and fights for her right to choose her man because she loves him and will love any kids they have regardless of magical ability.

Oh my gosh. Oh my freaking goodness. This was such a fun wrap up to the trilogy and to see how much Nevada is starting to master her powers was so good. We also get to see more of her family's magic. I've mentioned this before, but Ilona Andrews does such a good job fleshing out their worlds/universes and here it is just the same. I love the full cast of secondary characters and you really get attached to them as well. We get so much more about magic and the houses here with Nevada petitioning to become a house and I cannot wait to see the future books when they are officially established. If you haven't read this series before, there are a lot of threads tied up in this book, but we do still have the identity of Caesar unknown and he's not taken down. The next trilogy will be focused on Catalina and will be in her POV. If you aren't interested in reading more, I think this does a good job of leaving some small threads to continue on, but tying it up enough that you could stop here if you so choose (buy why would you choose that?). 

Let's focus on Nevada though for a moment. I loved her even more in this book and I loved that with Connor's ex around, while she wasn't fond of her trying to finagle her way into his life more, she trusted Connor. She understood why Connor was helping his ex in this touch situation, but also was over the way she was acting. She didn't get all jealous or butthurt though and I just loved how she put her foot down. She made it known that she understood why Connor wanted to help her (since they were childhood friends as well), but she wasn't going to be 2nd in priority. She also didn't let Connor distance himself and she got closer and closer to finalizing her house's formation. She was so staunch in that who she wanted as a husband was Connor. Did she go on a date with someone who approached to make a  match, yes. She made it clear though that it was because she wanted to learn more about her abilities and talk with another truthseeker, as well as try to get more information from him. I just loved how level-headed she was and just was so open about her feelings with Connor; never mind the fact that as much as Connor "tried" to distance himself, he never really could stay away from Nevada.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the future books and how House Baylor is going to grow. I'm so intrigued to learn more about Catalina's, and Arabella's, magic. Ilona Andrews just does such a good job getting you so invested in so many side characters, but it also doesn't feel like it's too much. I'll pick up any of their books and am so excited that we'll be catching up in time for the release of book 6, Ruby Fever, in August!

Have you read Wildfire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Wildfire, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 391 pages, published in 2017, traditionally published

White Hot by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The 2nd book assigned for the month of May for the Hidden Legacy readalong is White Hot. This is the 2nd book in Ilona Andrew's popular series. The readalong is hosted by Heather, Stef, Megan and Izzy. I was also able to use this for the Love Has Sprung and Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge reading challenges covering the prompts continue a series you forgot about (from board 2) and Death By A Thousand Cuts (over 1,000 ratings) respectively.

Nevada is still hurting over how things were left between her and "Mad" Rogan after Burn for Me. When she is asked by an acquaintance to look into his wife's murder, Nevada reluctantly agrees knowing she'll be wading into the mess of Primes and higher houses. While trying to figure out why the house her client's wife worked for is trying to hide the murder, she runs into "Mad" Rogan again. They once again start working together. When Nevada makes the decision to stop hiding her magic as much, Rogan starts to worry that she'll become Prime and want to distance herself from him and his antics. Nevada, no matter where she ends up as she enters the higher echelons of magic, will stay the same person and not allow Rogan to push her away.

Oh my gosh. Now before starting the readalong, I had only read Burn for Me. All I could think of after finishing White Hot was "What was wrong with my past self?" Why did I not pick up the rest of the series the first time I read it? This book was so good. I loved how we just get an expansion and more information about all of our side characters and their magic, but we also get to see a power-up of sorts for Nevada. It's not that she's getting more magic, but just accessing it properly and learning about how it works. It was crazy to learn that her being able to just tell if people are telling the truth or not was a passive ability. Think of it as a fun bonus to having truthseeking magic. Just so freaking awesome and I love that we're going to get to see her really push what she can do not only here, but in the next book as well.

I also love how Rogan and Nevada were thrown back into it again, but with their previous interactions burned hotter quicker this time and it was worth it! Oh my gosh do I love Rogan and how he really just wants the best for Nevada and her family. We get to learn a lot more about him and how he runs his business and house and get to see how much he really does care about those around him. The action was really well done (once again) and we do get to learn a little bit more about this group behind all of the attacks, but they're mostly still a mystery. I felt we got enough information to not feel like it's being dragged out too much and am still intrigued for more.

I cannot wait to finish the first trilogy of the series and see how Rogan and Nevada wrap up their time as main characters. I am so happy that I am finally picking up the rest of the series. I love Ilona Andrews and the way they can build their worlds and magic systems. They really are becoming one of my favorite author duos. So freaking good. I know I've probably said this in each review, but it stands to be said again. If you haven't read Ilona Andrews, please give their books a try. They are fantastic!

Have you read White Hot?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: White Hot, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 389 pages, published in 2017, traditionally published

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After getting through my Rake Appreciation Book, I had to jump into my next readalong books for the Hidden Legacy readalong. The first book this month is the first book in the series by Ilona Andrews, Burn for Me. The readalong is a continuation of the Kate Daniels readalong I participated in, we've just switched series. It is hosted by the same ladies, Stef, Heather and Megan, but also added is Izzy! I was able to use this for my reading challenges as well covering the prompts building or house on the cover for Love Has Sprung board 2 and Cornelia Street (road or building on cover) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge.

Nevada runs her family's investigation business. When they needed money for her father's medical issues, they joined the conglomerate of House Montgomery. When tasked by their parent company to bring in a Prime fire magic user that's playing rebel, Nevada gets thrust into a larger plot than expected. As she tries to track down the missing Prime and bring him in to his family before the authorities catch him, she runs into one of the most powerful Primes around, "Mad" Rogan. They find themselves working the same case and decide to team up. As a secret group's activities start to become exposed, things get even more dangerous for Nevada and her family. She'll have to embrace her magic, and even "Mad" Rogan to complete her mission.

Oh my gosh! Now, this is a reread for me, but I honestly forgot how much I loved this book. I knew I loved it the first time and remembered that I loved it, but oh my gosh this book is just so good. Now the magic system in this series I do have to say is a little more complex in hierarchy, but is still easy to pick up. Ilona Andrews once again just completely creates such a vivid and expansive world. They are just masters and not only fleshing out our main characters, but all side characters now matter how minor their role. It just feels so encompassing and I think Ilona and Gordon are some of the best at world-building in books. 

We do get a little more romance here compared to the Kate Daniels series, and I am here for it! I love the tension between Rogan and Nevada. The way that they dance around each other and the attraction that's building is so fun and I'm glad that they amped it up for this series. I don't want to go too much into plot because it might spoil some things, but the way that we see Nevada get thrown more into the higher magic user ranks really helps the reader understand what's happening. While she does have truthseeker magic (and is pretty powerful level wise), she has kept it hidden thanks to her father knowing that she would've been taken advantage of from a young age. She knows a lot about the magic world, but is still missing the nuances compared to if she had grown up and taken classes from a young age. It's all just masterfully done.

Seriously, if you've read Ilona Andrews, but haven't read this series yet, definitely pick it up. If you are reading this closer to when I originally posted, please join in on the readalong! The June books will be 3 and 3.5 and the live show is planned for June 17th. If you want to go back and watch the live show for the May books, you can watch it here! I also do want to mention there are two POVs from Rogan that are free on their website. They were super fun and a great extra addition to the books. Especially the first one which is set when Rogan kidnaps Nevada.

Have you read Burn for Me?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Burn for Me, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 382 pages, published in 2014, traditionally published

The King of Fire & Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

To start off April, I decided to finally pick up the next books in what was former the Kate Daniels readalong. Now that the Kate Daniels series is officially over, we are moving over to the newest spin-off, Aurelia Ryder! The readalong is hosted by Heather, Stef and Megan and I think the plan is to eventually get through most of Ilona Andrew's backlist! For April the plan was to read the prequel short story The King of Fire and book 1, Blood Heir. The short story is available for free on their website, but it's also included at the end of Blood Heir. Since The King of Fire was pretty short, I didn't use it for either of my reading challenges, but I was able to use Blood Heir for the Love Has Sprung prompt first book in a series and the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge prompt Everything Has Changed (story has magic or spells).

Before we get into the meat of the review, let's chat about The King of Fire. It's a short story that is several years after Magic Triumphs, but several years before Blood Heir. We see Julie hanging out with Conlan in Roland's pocket dimension. She's trying to stay anchored as she's intentionally gotten herself captured by Moloch. She's there to try to bring him down since she was notified by Sierra (one of the witch oracles) of a prophecy that Moloch killing Kate would pretty bring a second apocalypse. Julie is going to try to stop it. We then get Julie leaving Moloch's fortress while it burns to the ground and she reveals to Erra that Moloch stole one of her eyes. Julie, badass that she is, stole one back and now has one of Moloch's eyes in her head!

Quick thoughts... this was such a good primer to get me back into the Kate Daniels universe. I was already really excited and hyped to jump in, but this was a good way to bridge what was going on and also give a hint to what was going on with Julie before being told in Blood Heir. 

In Blood Heir Julie is back in Atlanta, only now she goes by Aurelia Ryder. She looks and smells different and is hoping that she doesn't get recognized. She has been told by Sierra that it's the last chance to keep the prophecy from coming true. She's in town to investigate a murder of a priest and the connections it has to Moloch. As she tries to avoid her friends and family (if they know she's there the prophecy will come to pass), she struggles with her sense of identity. While she knows that the people that actually know her shouldn't recognize her and it would be better if they don't, there's still a part of her that hopes that they do. When she ends up joining forces with Derek, now going by Darren, she's torn on her feelings. As Moloch's minions high priest starts going against Julie as well, things come to a head.

Oh my freaking goodness, this was so freaking good. How is it that every book I read in this universe by Ilona Andrews gets better and better. There is so much we need to learn about the time jump and I need to know it all! So, this is 8 years later and about 4 years after the short story. Julie has fully grown up and is a badass like Kate, but her own version. I love how the few people that realize who she is point out that she has similar tendencies as Kate and all the little nods were just so heartwarming. We also get to know that it didn't take long (two weeks) for Julie to reach out to Kate and Curran after leaving. There was so much going on in this book and I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read what happens next. Usually I would spend a couple paragraphs going over my thoughts and feelings on the book, but since there's already so much, I'll just keep it simple. This was absolutely amazing and if you've read the Kate Daniels series and haven't start this one... YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!

I am just so happy to finally get back to more Ilona Andrews and can't wait to read what comes next. I haven't talked about it too much, but I did start a booktube channel where I mostly stick to doing vlogs and other fun random things. I vlog all of my reads, so you can check out my channel. It'll be included in week 14's vlog which will be out next Wednesday. Tonight is the live show as well and I can't wait to gush about this book with everyone else! I'll link to both videos when they are posted!

Have you read The King of Fire and Blood Heir?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: The King of Fire, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 6 pages, published in 2018, indie published

STATISTICS: Blood Heir, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 375 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We have reached the final book in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Triumphs. I've been reading the series in part of a readalong hosted by Stef, Heather, and Megan. The readalong will be continuing with the spin-off and I think they are talking about doing their other series as well, but I'm sure they announce it at one of the next couple live shows. I was able to use Magic Triumphs for the FaRoFeb prompt favorite trope and Winter's Kiss 2nd board prompt want to read before the New Year.

Kate and Curran are anxiously awaiting the next call to war from her father Roland. It's been a couple years since the end of Magic Binds. Since then, Curran and Kate have given birth to their boy, Conlan. He is 18 months old and they are constantly aware of Roland wanting to take him from them. When small villages of people start going mysteriously missing, Kate starts investigating. When it turns out to be at the hands of her father's oldest enemy, Kate and Curran struggle to keep Atlanta safe from two old powers.

Guys.... oh my gosh. I was so torn on starting this book. I was ready to dive in and read how it would end, but at the same time I didn't want it to end. It did help knowing that there would be more entries in the Kate Daniels Universe, but it was bittersweet for me. Now, this took some turns I wasn't expecting and I tried really hard not to do too much speculating. I don't really want to talk too much about this as usual, because anything would be a spoiler. I will say that there were moments I was crying, moments I was cheering and moments I was on edge. I do have to say, I'm a little disappointed that we lost two of the characters that we had grown close too. One I was more okay with the passing, but the other I wish it was just left open-ended. I also wanted more of an HEA for Kate and Curran. The last chapter was a couple weeks after the big battle and I just wanted more than a few pages with them finally being able to take a breath and enjoy being a family.

The epilogue was also great and very much led into Aurelia Ryder. I really wanted to pick up the next book right away, but I also wanted to pace myself. I also didn't want to read it too early. I usually try to read a required book closer to when the meeting/live show is so I still have my thoughts and feelings fresh. Otherwise, this was such a fantastic ending and I loved the way that things were wrapped up, but you can also just see the world continuing. It wasn't the closing of a book, but more of a zoom out into darkness. I don't know if that makes sense, but really that's the best way to put into words how I felt when I finished Magic Triumphs. If you are interested in Kate Daniels, please pick it up. It really was such a great series and I can't wait to get through the rest of Ilona Andrews's backlist!

Have you read Magic Triumphs?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Triumphs, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 3 days, paperback, 439 pages, published in 2019, traditionally published

Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

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The next books I needed to pick up were for the Kate Daniels readalong! I've been having a lot of fun participating and it's been hosted by Heather, Megan and Stef! For the month of February, we had two books to read. The first is Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews. This is book 9.5 in Kate Daniels, but also the first of the The Iron Convenant. I was able to use this for the prompts recently acquired for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss and indie author for FaRoFeb.

After being exiled and cast aside by Roland, Hugh is struggling. Roland had taken Hugh in as a boy and has spent decades, if not centuries, molding him to be his perfect weapon. Now that Hugh is left adrift, he feels like he has lost all purpose in life. When the leaders of the Iron Dogs come to Hugh to help pull him out of his depression, he finds the motivation to move forward in life. The Iron Dogs need a place to protect and give them housing and they end up in agreement with a settlement in the midwest. To help firm up the alliance agreement, Hugh marries the White Warlock, the lady of the manor Elara. When an army and strange creatures start magically appearing and taking settlements of people without a fight, Hugh and Elara step up to protect themselves and the surrounding area.

Oh my gosh. I can't say this enough, but I love Ilona Andrews. I wanted to read most of their books before, but I am firmly on the Ilona Andrews can do no wrong (writing wise) train. If you've been following along with my Kate Daniels reviews, I was really intrigued and liked Hugh, but after the events in Magic Rises I wasn't quite on board. Here I am firmly back on the Hugh train and can't wait for more of this series. I also wasn't expecting the arranged marriage/marriage of convenience trope for Hugh and loved how his and Elara's relationship really started to evolve. There is a not in the beginning of the book that it will be a trilogy, but the other books haven't been published yet.

I loved learning more about Elara and what kind of magic she has. We still are a little in the dark about what exactly it is that gives her her power, but I'm certainly intrigued. It seems like it might a little more on the evil side of the spectrum, but Elara herself is good in her core so I love the dichotomy. I also loved how even though Elara and Hugh were at odds with each other at times, they were both just trying to to the right thing by their people. I really just enjoyed how Hugh came to think of all of the villagers as his people and Elara started to really care for the Iron Dogs.

I could continue, but honestly, if you like Ilona Andrews and/or the Kate Daniels series, this is another great addition to the Universe. I can't wait to read more both in this setting and more of their backlist. Ilona Andrews is quickly becoming a favorite author (duo) of mine and honestly I'll pick up anything by them at this point. I can't wait to see what else they publish!

Have you read Iron and Magic?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Iron and Magic, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 394 pages, published in 2018, indie published

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

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The last book assigned for January for the Kate Daniels readalong hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan is Magic Binds. This is book nine in the long running series by Ilona Andrews. I was able to use this for the prompt white on the cover for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss and for the prompt a light kidnap for the Heaving Bosoms 2022 Reading Embrace!

We pick up shortly after Magic Shifts. Kate and Curran are on the brink of war with her father Roland. When he starts doing more to antagonize Kate and Curran as well as the other groups in Atlanta, Kate realizes she needs help. While Curran and crew plan to rescue the kidnapped Saiman, Kate returns to her father's prison Mishmar to ask for help from her own blood. As the first major battle approaches, will Kate and company be able to not only withstand Roland, but possibly defeat him?

Oh my gosh. This book has so much. The first 20% just has so much going on and you jump right in. There's so much I could talk about, but I don't want to get too spoilery. I just was blown away by so many pieces that were put into place (some that we didn't even realize were pieces to play). One thing that I really enjoyed (as well as with Magic Shifts) was that we get Curran and Kate together for most of the book. Now that Curran has resigned as Beast Lord of the Pack I love getting to really see Kate and Curran be equal partners and really be able to put themselves and their family first without politics getting in the way. A big plot line throughout this story is the planning of Kate and Curran's wedding. Kate is very much not a wedding person so Roman ends up basically planning everything and officiating. I loved seeing Roman again. He's become one of my favorite characters of the world.

I also loved the Kate didn't really get or need a "power up." I've been wanting one for her, but I love that there was more emphasis in that she actually does have the power, just doesn't know how to effectively use it. So while she is technically getting stronger, it's not the gaining of more power. I character that I really enjoyed earlier on in the series is back to help train her and I loved learning more about the history of Kate's family. So many characters come back in this book and I loved getting to see a lot of them again. We also get to learn more about some that have been around for a few books that have been more mysterious.

I'm so excited to see how things wrap up in the series, but am also sad it's almost over. The books we read this month really amped up the overall storyline. Next month books 9.50 and 10. I believe the readalong group will then be moving on to the Aurelia Ryder spin-off and I'm so excited to see Julie as our new hero. I've really enjoyed my time reading Kate Daniels and if you are looking for an expansive universe in an Urban Fantasy, definitely check it out!

Have you read Magic Binds?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STASTICS: Magic Binds, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 352 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

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The next book in the Kate Daniels readalong is Magic Stars. This is listed as book 8.5 in the series by Ilona Andrews. I'm reading the Kate Daniels series as a part of a readalong hosted by Stef, Megan and Heather! I used this to cover the prompt gray on the cover for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss. I also applied this to the prompt Murder Robe for the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace.

Julie receives a case at Cutting Edge to track down a rock that's emitting magic. Derek has been tasked by Curran to look into the murder of a smithy and their family. When their cases intersect, Derek and Julie team up to take down the Warlock Adam. As they fight through various magic traps and try to figure out what the stone is, they become even closer.

Oh my gosh, if this is what we can look forward to in Aurelia Ryder, I'm all in. I loved the banter between Derek and Julie. I don't know if Derek is in the spin-off series, but I absolutely loved it. It's not said outright, but it's mentioned that Derek "belongs to someone else." I'm thinking it's Julie and I really hope so. I love them paired together. There is a slight age gap between them with Derek being 4-years older, but it's not that much and they both are definitely more mature beyond their years.

I loved seeing Derek do his thing and how he deals with the almost loupism he experienced as a child. It was really neat seeing how much Julie has learned and grown since Magic Tests. Although I'm not too sure what to think about her training with Roland behind Kate and Curran's backs. Although I'm happy that at least someone knows. I loved seeing Julie use her power and how her magic has changed since Kate saved her life and transferred her blood to her. We also learn that Julie knows more about the situation than Kate thinks, but isn't going to pressure Kate about it.

I loved this novella and it was so fun to get Derek's POV. I can't wait to see how Julie and Derek grow and evolve over the remaining books. It'll be fun to see the kind of person that Julie grows into when she becomes our main POV. I love every entry into this universe and just get more and more sucked into these characters and their lives with every word. I can't wait to read more from Ilona Andrews!

Have you read Magic Stars?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Stars, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 77 pages, published in 2015, Indie published

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

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Before the Romance Takeover Readathon started, I needed to get through my Kate Daniels books for January! This month's assigned reads starts with book 8, Magic Shifts. We are almost at the end of this popular series by Ilona Andrews. The readalong is hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan! I was able to use this for the prompt borrowed from a friend or the library for the first board of Winter's Kiss. I also applied it to the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace prompt Keep Being a Badass.

Kate and Curran are officially on their own and working on making more business for Cutting Edge. Now that Curran doesn't have the Pack to run, he's missing the challenge of making it all work. When Jim, the new Beast Lord, offers Curran the Pack's shares in the Mercenary Guild in exchange for flat out money in buying out some of his investments, Curran and Kate are not excited. The Guild isn't doing well and starting to fall apart. When one of the council members is rude to Curran, he changes his mind and the Guild will be his new project. When fellow shifter and guild member Eduardo goes missing, Kate and Curran start investigating. A lot of little cases start popping up and eventually they all connect to one big threat.

Oh my gosh, we got Kate and Curran working together for pretty much the whole book. I was so excited to see them grow and adapt to their new life and loved just seeing them work together on cases. Also, this book absolutely wrecked me in the middle. This is a little bit of a spoiler, but Kate has a worse battle then usual and ends up having a bunch of mini strokes. She almost dies. I repeat, she almost dies. I was so scared. I know that there are two more books, and the series name is Kate Daniels, but this isn't a romance. There's not guaranteed HEA, although I do think the series does have one. I was so wrecked and upset and couldn't put it down because I just had to get to the next magic wave so Doolittle could try to heal Kate. I don't quite know if this will come into play in the next couple books, but I do think that we've been slowly seeing Kate get injured more and more lately. I know that's partly due to her gaining more power and taking on stronger creatures/villains, but at the same time the power she's gaining isn't making her less human.

When Kate was in the hospital we got to see a lot of emotion from Curran and this was a more romantic scene between them. Seeing the connection between them was so beautiful and heart-wrenching. I also loved seeing Curran step up and be firm with Julie that no matter what happened to Kate, she's his daughter too. To get away from the more depressing part of the story, we got new mythos! This time was middle-east mythos and dealing with djinns. I love seeing more of the world and how Ilona Andrews seems to incorporate so many different religions and mythologies so seamlessly. I just can't believe how good they are at world building and making everything fit so naturally. I don't really have any nitpicks with this one except for the sudden emotional turmoil, but that just goes to show how emotionally invested I can get with books, especially when I'm with them for more than 8 books.

I'm super intrigued to see what happens as we wrap up the series. I'm trying to stay away from blurbs, but I do know that outside of books 9 and 10, we do have two .5 books. The 8.5 is a Julie and Derek book and I believe at the last live show they said that the 9.5 is Hugh's POV. I'm certainly intrigued there, especially since I really enjoyed his character until he went psycho crazy and tried to kill everyone. We'll see what happens. I'm excited to get to the end and see how this all ends up, but at the same time I'm also sad it's almost ending. At least we have the Aurelia Ryder spin-off that's set around Julie!

Have you read Magic Shifts?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Shifts, Ilona Andrews, 5-star, 1 day, eBook, 375 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Kate Daniels 7.5 & 7.6 by Gordon and Ilona Andrews

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After reading the first couple books for the Historical Romance Readathon, I was checking my tbr list and noticed I missed reading two novellas for the Kate Daniels readalong. Thankfully they are both shorter and I'm going to combine the two reviews. I didn't use either of these for any of my readathons or challenges since they were so short. The series is written by Ilona Andrews with the Curran POVs being writing by Gordon. The readalong is hosted by Stef, Megan and Heather. Also, I'm using the Curran POV Collection cover since one is a Curran POV, but it's actually not included in that collection.

7.5 Prequel to Magic Shifts

This is another short Curran POV and listed as the 10th short in the collection. I mentioned above that it's not included in the POV Collection for free on their website, but it is included in the full POV collection that's in the Small Magics anthology! I did give this 4-stars and enjoyed it. We get to see Kate, Curran and Julie moving into their new house after stepping down from the Pack. Julie and Curran are talking and he decides to share his history with Julie. He does this not only because she's family, but also to show that he trusts her and she is apart of his inner circle. I love seeing Curran get all paternal with Julie and it was a fun dynamic we haven't seen too much of. They talk while unpacking the kitchen and Kate ends up interrupting to so they can eat. Curran continues telling Julie his story and really I loved it to see them connecting and almost really becoming a family. Now that there isn't the pack underfoot anymore, I'm looking forward to how they all move forward together. 

7.6 Kate and Curran Texts, Dabwaha

Another fun text/twitter thread but in a different way. This one specifically is Kate and Curran debating if their series is better with the hero Rogan and heroine Nevada from the first three books of Ilona Andrew's newer series Hidden Legacy. Thankfully I've already read the first book and knew who they were. This was cute and fun, but didn't really lend much to the Kate Daniels universe. While I was there however, I looked over the other text threads to see if they would fit into where I'm at. The first on the page is I'll Be Right Back and is between Kate, Curran and Jim. They are waiting on Kate and end up seeing her fighting an octopus monster on tv. It was super cute and one of my favorites. The other one I read was The Dress. This would fit probably about this time in the books since we have Kate, Curran and Julie texting about Curran accidentally ruining Kate's white silk dress when doing laundry. Another super cute and fun text chain. There's one more left on the page and it's about someone named Conlan. Since I don't know who that is yet, I'll wait to read that one. If you haven't seen these before, they are free on their webiste!

I had a lot of fun reading more, but I have to say my favorites were the other text chains I added on my own. I love the little snippets that Ilona Andrews (and her husband) add to their series and am so sad that we're reaching the end of the series. I will definitely be trying to get through their backlist as soon as I can and maybe I'll keep up with the one or two books a month for fun!

Have you read Prequel to Magic Shifts or Kate and Curran Texts?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Prequel to Magic Shifts, Gordon Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 15 pages, published in 2015

STATISTICS: Kate and Curran Texts, Dabwaha, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 4 pages, published in 2015

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

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The last full length novel for the Kate Daniels readalong December books is number 7, Magic Breaks. The readalong of Ilona Andrew's long running series is being hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan. I was also able to apply this to the Winter's Kiss prompt wintery cover on board one.

We pick up a few months after Magic Rises. The pack has been working on getting more pancacea and there are more shifters moving into the pack's territory or right nearby. When Curran needs to leave town for a couple days to meet with a nearby pack, Kate is left alone to attend the conclave meeting. When Hugh crashes the party with dead higher up from the casino killed by a shifter, all hell breaks loose. A war is being started between the Pack and the People while Curran's out of reach and it's finally time for Kate to confront Roland.

Whoa Nelly! This book had so much going on and there was a lot of movement. I have felt that Kate's power growth and the overall plot was kind of slowing down the last couple books, but things quickly escalated here and even more than expected. I'm still just blown away at how much was fit into this book. While I was a little frustrated for a good portion of the book that Kate and Curran were separated, once again, we do get a rescue mission of Curran saving Kate and them they stick together the rest of the book. I really enjoyed how they work together and didn't like that Curran was kept away at first. Although, it was needed for Kate and Curran to be in Roland's prison. I also enjoyed getting to see and learn more about Gastek. I find him so interesting and loved learning his backstory and seeing him and Kate strive to survive.

I also wasn't quite sure what to think about Roland. There's the first confrontation between Kate and him, although it was more of a information gathering endeavor on both sides. I'm not sure what to expect moving forward since we met him so early and I almost kind of think that he's not a complete bad guy. He's been pitched before this as this horrible evil person that Kate's goal is to kill, but at the same time he's her father. And while he still wants to rule the world and be the ultimate power, he also wants to take care of Kate in his own way and get to know here.

I'm so interested and intrigued on what's going to happen in the future. I mean we have 3 more full length novels on top of any novellas. I'm glad that Kate also finally got some level up in her power, but since the previous couple books were mostly non-growth, it did feel a little bit sudden. I'm happy to see Kate accepting and using her power more and am trying really hard not to speculate too much on what's going to happen. I just don't want to weave some fun storyline in my head and then have it be completely different and then ruin my expectations/enjoyment. We'll see what happens next!

Have you read Magic Breaks?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Breaks, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 392 pages, published in 2014

Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews

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The next book for December's books for the Kate Daniels readalong is Magic Steals. This is book 6.5 in the series by Ilona Andrews. The readalong is being hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan on YouTube. This novella was also included in the Night Shift anthology, which is how I read it. I was able to use this read to cover the prompt author you love for the first board of Winter's Kiss.

We are back with Jim and Dali for this novella. Jim shows up once again and immediate falls asleep on Dali's couch instead of having the dinner she made for him. When her mother suddenly shows up the following morning before Jim has left, Dali tries to hide that he's there. Her mother has brought a fellow Indonesian that has come to Dali for help when her grandmother went missing. Dali helps, as his her way as the white tiger. She finds a curse has been placed on the residents of the office building the grandmother has a salon. Jim helps her deal with the situation while Dali struggles with feeling confident to be with the Cat Alpha and head security for the Pack.

This was another great novella and I loved seeing Jim and Dali's relationship progress. We got some great steam. One thing that I've mentioned in their previous novellas is that I like the dichotomy of Dali being paired with Jim the alpha. I get and understand why a lot of alphas get paired with the stereotypical "strong female" that's more along the lines of Kate. I also believe that there are different ways to be strong and a more submissive or maternal person could be the alpha's mate. Seeing Dali work through her insecurities about being with Jim was really refreshing in the world of fated mates. I just feel like I can relate to those heroines more and I also love seeing the couple work in their relationship to make sure that neither one is forced into being a submissive in every aspect. I also like that this type of relationship tends to not have as much of the power struggles, butting heads and challenges between them.

Another great novella by Ilona Andrews and I loved seeing and learning more about the type of magic that Dali has and practices. I know that we're getting closer to the end of the series, but hope there's at least one more novella between them. I'd really like to see them as an established couple, especially since Jim refers to Dali as his mate at the end. I'm really enjoying the readathon and can't wait to see what happens next!

Have you read Magic Steals?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Steals, Ilona Andrews, 0 days, 5-stars, Paperback, 83 pages, published in 2014

An Ill-Advised Rescue & Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

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The December books for the Kate Daniels readalong starts with Magic Rises. It's book 6 in the series by Ilona Andrews. However, there is the short story An Ill-Advised Rescue that counts as 5.8. It is included in the back of Magic Rises, so I'll be combining the reviews! I am reading these as part of a readalong hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan. I was also able to use Magic Rises for the prompt buddy read for the first board of Winter's Kiss.

I'll start with An Ill-Advised Rescue. We see Kate get an emergency call from the Guild that Saiman's been kidnapped. In the last full length novel, Magic Slays, we saw Kate help Rene from the Red Guard with a case and she ends up getting a promotion. When she does, she pretty much cleans house and several former guards ended up petitioning the guild to join. One of them has decided instead to kidnap Saiman for $1 million. Kate gets the call after having his name flagged in the system and grabs Derek. Instead of paying the ransom, they rescue him. I really enjoyed the short story and rated it 4-stars. It was mostly a battle scene, but I loved getting to see just Kate and Derek team up again. Derek's one of my favorite characters so it's always fun to see him go wolf. I'm intrigued on how this will fit into Magic Rises and the plot overall. We see Saiman stuck in his ice giant form and I'm wondering if that paired with The Retribution Clause will factor in.

Okay, mini-review is over. Time for Magic Rises!

Kate and Curran are dealing with another young shifter fighting loupism, this time twins and one of Julie's best friends. When Curran receives an offer to mediate a situation in Europe and the payment is panacea, they agree despite it feeling like a trap. Panacea will help cure and stop loupism and is something that American shifter packs have been clamoring for. When they arrive, it turns out the lord of manor is none other than Hugh D'Ambray. When lamassu's start attacking and Kate and Curran get pulled into political relations between three packs, things start to turn. Top if all off with a young wolf shifter going after Curran to steal him from Kate and it's a perfect situation to start a war.

This book was good, but I would have to say one of my least favorite so far. I wanted more growth from Kate's powers, especially since she's been a little stagnant lately. I also didn't like that Curran kept Kate in the dark again and lied to her. I also wasn't into the pack politics, especially with them being packs that we don't really care about. While there were a lot of fun and interesting moments, I also was not prepared for the battle at the end. I was saddened by one particular death and not happy. I get it's the precursor to war and there'll be casualties, but I didn't like how it went down at all.

I also really got angry with Curran and really felt for Kate. Even though they knew they were entering a trap and hostile territory, I was still excited to see Kate and Curran practically trapped together for a full length novel. After reading Magic Gifts and seeing that small scale, I really wanted more. Also, we do see An Ill-Advised Rescue come into play, but not The Retribution Clause. I'm still wondering how exactly they will relate the rest of the series.

I am still enjoying my time and feel like things are really starting to ramp up and we still have 4 full length books left. I'm intrigued to see how this will all play out and outside of Kate at least confronting Roland, who knows what will happen? I'm trying not to speculate too much so I end up being disappointed with what actually happens compared to what my brain imagines should happen.

Have you read An Ill-Advised Rescue or Magic Rises?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: An Ill-Advised Rescue, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 30 pages, published in 2013

STATISTICS: Magic Rises, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 2 days, eBook, 257 pages, published in 2013

Kate Daniels 5.6 & 5.7 by Ilona Andrews

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If you're new here, I've been reading the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews as a readalong hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan. Now, on their list of "assigned" reads 5.6 and 5.7 of the series weren't listed. I had asked about them at the previous live and they aren't really including them in the discussions. Since I'm a completionist, I knew I had to read them. Since we move forward next month, I decided to add them to November's tbr. Since they are both rather short and not officially apart of the readalong, I decided to combine the reviews! I also read these during the Black FaRoFriday Readathon and used Hex Appeal to cover the prompts, Gods, Buddy Read, Post a Cover Pic & Tag FaRoFeb, Witches/Shifters and Portal Fantasy.

5.6 is titled Retribution Clause and is included in the Hex Appeal anthology. We move from Atlanta to Philadelphia. Adam is an ice giant, Siaman's cousin and an insurance adjuster. He and his magical partner Siroun get assigned a new case. A wife was killed by her husband and her insurance provision is to kill the guilty party. They must break into his heavily guarded and warded estate to complete the claim.

This was super fun and it was interesting to see a different city in the Kate Daniels world. I'm hoping that either of these characters or what we learned will come to play in the future. I'm also really intrigued about what Siroun is. She seems almost like a shifter, but she also knows a lot about witches and old magic. I want to know more for sure. I also loved the pining on both ends and wish there was a little more development between them. I wish it was longer so we could more development overall, but it was a fun novella. I just hope we get to see them in the future, especially knowing he's Saiman's cousin. I also want to know about the chocolate cupcake. Why?

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5.7 is a short called Kate and Curran Texts, The Wilson Building. It's available for free to read on their website. We get to see a text/twitter chain of Curran texting Raphael, Jim and Kate. Raphael is at a building auction and sees Saiman there. They are bidding on the Wilson Building. Curran wants Raphael to bid against him and is trying to figure out why he wants it from Jim. At the same time Kate is waiting to spar with Curran and done waiting.

This was such a fun and quick read. I love getting to see some of the more "everyday" moments between them all. And as much as I enjoy Saiman as a character, it was fun to see how Curran is still trying to mess with him indirectly. They ended up making him spend $1.8 million on a $600k building. Poor Saiman.

I enjoyed these quick reads and am always happing to pick up something from Ilona Andrews. I couldn't remember if the Wilson Building was mention before or it'll come into play in the future. If it doesn't that's fine, but I would love to see it as a little easter egg. The same with Adam and Siroun. I really hope we get to see more of them in the future and I'm really intrigued to learn more about Siroun. I'm always happy to pick up these novellas from Ilona Andrews and love how they add more to the world they've created.

Have you read Retribution Clause and/or Kate and Curran Texts?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Retribution Clause, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 40 pages, published in 2012

STATISTICS: Kate and Curran Texts, The Wilson Building, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 4 pages, published in 2013