ARC Review: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Recommended Read!

“Team Andrews has reached inside my head and my heart and served up exactly what I was hoping for.”
~ Under the Covers

Catalina Baylor is the Head of House Baylor and a powerful Prime with unique and dangerous powers she’s always had to carefully keep in check. But, when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, she seems to be the only one willing to take on the case. Apart from Alessandro Sagredo. Alessandro is every girl’s, including Catalina’s, teenage crush, but his careless playboy image is just a façade hiding a lethal and powerful man with motives that Catalina can’t fathom. However, even Alessandro and Catalina’s combined power don’t seem to be enough; they have uncovered something far more dangerous with repercussions that could impact not just her friends and family, but the whole world.

When thinking about Sapphire Flames it took a prestigious effort to hold back from just squealing I love it I love it IloveitIloveit over and over again. And that was before I had even picked up the book. Now that I have read it my fangirling is impossible to contain. So, if you are after an objective and clear eyed review not written by a super fan of Ilona Andrews…walk on by. I came into reading Sapphire Flames already fully prepared to adore it, and adore it I did.

Sapphire Flames is book 4 in the Hidden Legacy series. However, if you haven’t read this series before then you could start from here. It’s the start of a brand new plot line with a familiar character as our heroine. But, although you could start here. Don’t. To really fully appreciate the world and the characters you should read from book 1 Burn for Me.

Sapphire Flames is the start of the second ‘phase’ of this series. In books 1-3 where Neveda – Catalina’s older sister- was the heroine, we had the story of a scrappy, smart heroine who was on the outside of power, but through sheer competence and her gigantic lady balls proved herself and her family as a power. No matter how reluctant that ascent to power was. Now in ‘phase 2′ of the series House Baylor has been established and are part of the magical elite…now they just have to stay that way. For that, we have Catalina, the Head of House Baylor who has the same razor sharp intelligence and insight as Nevada but with a better grasp of the House politics and how to navigate those treacherous waters.

I loved this switch in perspectives it opens a whole new world to us readers that Andrews built magnificently as we get more involved in House politics. But, that didn’t mean that there was no action in this book. The world of the magical elite is a dangerous and violent place and this book was a fast paced and exciting read. But for me, what always draws me back to an Ilona Andrews book, apart from the great world building and interesting plot lines, is the characters.

I loved the Baylor family in the first 3 books of this series they added warmth and humour as well as being interesting in their own right. I love the decision to switch from Neveda – whose story arc and development is essentially done – to Catalina. There is so much scope for character development for Catalina as she grows into her role as the Head of House Baylor and overcomes the obstacles that her powers can raise. There is also the introduction of Alessandro, our new Mad Rogan hero character, whose carefully curated persona as a playboy masks someone with lethal skills and secrets. Secrets I can’t wait to discover alongside Catalina.

This has been my favourite read so far in 2019 and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Once again Team Andrews has reached inside my head and my heart and served up exactly what I was hoping for. Bring on the next book!

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[about-author author=”Ilona Andrews”]

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