From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society… 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.
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I love the writing team of Ilona Andrews, but I wasn’t sure this series would live up to Nevada’s part of the Hidden Legacy series. Boy, was I totally wrong. Catalina is a very controlled protagonist. She’s afraid of how her magic will destroy people by making them love her. Fear makes her calm, cool, and collected. However, when Alessandro bursts back into her world, he works hard at tearing down her walls. And, when he succeeds, whoa! Add to that a fascinating plot about monsters, assassins, and murder, this book adds up to a great time. Totally engrossing from start to finish, I did not want to put this book down. The ending was just the piece de resistance: I have to have it now. Unfortunately, I have to wait with my heart broken and torn to pieces. Why, you ask? Read this to find out. I highly recommend this book! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
4.5 Stars!!
“Sometimes when you search the night, you’ll find monsters in the dark.”
Having read only one author book by this author, Ilona Andrews is still a pretty new author to me. But, if Sapphire Flames is any indication of this author’s writing style, then they have made a fan out of me for life!
While Sapphire Flames is technically the fourth book in The Hidden Legacy Series, it kicks off the start of a brand new trilogy featuring Catalina & Alessandro. As far as whether or not I think you need the other books in this series to understand this one, I’m going to go with no. I think you would be ok with starting with this one. I didn’t feel lost at all, but then again, that might just be me.
Let’s get to Sapphire Flames! Well, I absolutley loved it! This story hit the ground running and there was never a dull moment. I was sucked into Catalina and Alessandro’s story instantly. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and never wanted to put it down. This book had it all. It had a strong lead heroine and a hero that held an air of mystery about him, yet his actions left you swooning. The banter between these two was top notch. Now, let me just say, this story is not heavy on the romance at all. Yes, there is some tension and definitely some swoon-worthy moments, but this story was not centered around the romance. Instead, it was centered around the mystery that needed to be solved and family.
Sapphire Flames was action packed and totally thrilling. I loved getting to know the main and side characters. I thought the plot was fantastic and totally original. I thought the world building was creative and imaginative. I loved the fantasy and magical elements. The pacing of the story kept my eyes glued to the pages right until the heart-pounding ending. Speaking of endings, this one will totally leave you dying for more!! All in all, a terrific start to this new trilogy. I had a fantastic time diving into this novel and absolutely loved the characters. I’m thrilled to have discovered this author and look forward to seeing where Catalina and Alessandro’s story will take us next!
What great world-building. I barely got into it and was finding it really easy to be pulled into the story. And what about the people you ask? They were really good but especially Catalina who I thought was outstanding. She wasn’t anything like I expected. She was way better.
Catalina wasn’t the only great character. There was depth of description of each person and magical skills with each one. Even the “monsters” were really well done and scary. A couple of times I wondered if I had been dropped into the Twilight Zone. But I mean that in the best possible way. Because the emotions and interactions were good and there was humor too. Some of the interactions between Catalina and Alessandro made me grin. The whole part where Catalina was making salsa for the family and swaggering Alessandro shows up is really funny! The other people who were there and witnessed it was almost as funny. I know I giggled right along with them.
I have to admit more than once I was right there with Catalina when it came to “who is the real Alessandro?” It was fun with the different names that Catalina had for his persona’s. “Instagram Alessandro” was one of my favorites.
Is it unpredictable, you ask? Absolutely! And I loved every minute of that!!
There is a huge twist at the end. One I was half-afraid was coming. But in the end, all it did was make me want to see MORE of Catalina and Alessandro. But I do have ask, how in the world could this author top this book with other adventures?
By the way, the cover for this eBook was one of the reasons I stopped along the way to find out more about this book. I’m so glad it caught my eye and I read the book.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Sapphire Flames is Catalina & Alessandro’s first book. The action is edge of your seat exciting and the kissing is toe curling. The characters are likable, relatable, believable, and entertaining! The dialogue banter, fight scenes, side of romance, & bad vs. good is everything that I look forward to when reading an Ilona Andrews book. Just enough detail to suck you into the world but not enough to bore us action junkies. Also, I really like how the story ended! Definitely looking forward to the next book!
Catalina Baylor has finally come into her family bloodline and is the new Prime of her house. Catalina has a unique power of being a siren. She has a complicated relationship with Alessandro whose magic nullified others. This is my first look at this series but it did not disappoint. It’s a thrilling chase where your enemy is not in plan sight. I will be checking out stories with other members of house Baylor as soon as available. I was given an ARC by edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.