Friday, August 14, 2020

#Review - Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews #Romance / #Fantasy

Series: Hidden Legacy #5
Format: Mass Market, 400 pages
Release Date: August 25, 2020
Publisher: Avon
Source: Publisher
Genre: Romance / Fantasy

Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything—except the hearts of those who wield it.

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.



Emerald Blaze is the 5th installment in authors Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy series and the 2nd installment in Catalina Baylor's trilogy. Six months have passed since the end of Sapphire Flames. It has also been 6 months since Catalina Baylor of House Baylor & Investigative Agency took her place as Linus Duncan's Deputy Warden. A Warden's job is to investigate magical threats to humanity on behalf of he National Assembly. Something she still hasn't told her family about and is supposed to be kept a secret. But, with her family and Linus under constant attack, and the reappearance of Alessandro Sagredo as well as a deadly assassin, things are going to go from dangerous to deadly quickly.

Catalina is also learning everything she can from her grandmother Victoria Tremaine, one of the scariest Primes around. I still say that Victoria has more ammunition to use before all is said and done and we still don't know the identity of the alleged mastermind. In this world, magic is hereditary; Primes beget Primes which led to the creation of the Houses. There is also a National Assembly which oversees punishment to those who step over the line and bring back the banned Osiris serum. This story literally has everything.

From mammoth animals controlled by biomedical devices, to a father demanding justice for the murder of his son, to the father hiring Alessandro to kill the boy's killer, to a very pregnant Nevada's return to the series as well as a brief appearance from Connor Rogan. As a main character, Catalina has risen to the top of the ladder. She cares for her family and will do anything to protect them. Although, we've learned that her family isn't one to take things lying down. Especially those like Arabella and Leon who will bust a cap in anyone who crosses him. 

As I said, her relationship with Nevada is explained in more detail this time around. Nevada up and leaving like she did, left a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't understand if the authors had real reasons for doing what they did, (they did), or the fact that Nevada had her 3 books and it was time to move on to Catalina and later to her younger sister. Will the same thing happen to Catalina once her final book is finished? We shall see. 

On a personal note, Catalina and Alessandro's romp continues. She's really pissed at him for leaving so abruptly in Sapphire Flames and really makes him struggle to gain her affections and trust so that he can keep her out of trouble. Alessandro hasn't figure out that Cat can take care of herself which is why she is Deputy Warden. Alessandro also his own demons to deal with which should be interesting to see how they play out. The final chapter of this book felt like a cliffhanger to me as well as a wonderful surprise. Things are in motion. Things that may affect Catalina's entire family and bring them to war with the mastermind and possibly Victoria. Is it time for the next book yet? 



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49053880-emerald-blaze#other_reviews



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