Maud Demille is a daughter of Innkeepers—a special group who provide ‘lodging’ to other-planetary visitors—so she knows that a simple life isn’t in the cards. But even Maud could never have anticipated what Fate would throw at her.Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her young daughter, Helen, were exiled with him for his treachery to the desolate, savage planet of Karhari. Karhari … Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud—completely abandoned by his family—has spent over a year avenging his debts. Rescued by her sister Dina, she’s sworn off all things vampire.
Except… In helping Dina save the world, she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr, one of the most powerful vampire houses. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined. Arland is not used to hearing the word ‘no;’ and try as she might, Maud can’t just walk away from Arland. It doesn’t help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.
To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is extremely influential and Maud knows that a woman—a human, with a very questionable past—who’s turned down a proposal from its most beloved son won’t get a warm reception. Maybe she’s not sure about marrying Arland, but House Krahr isn’t going to decide for her. Maud Demille has never run from a fight, and House Krahr will soon discover that there’s a lot more to Maud than they’re expecting.
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Sweep of the Blade is book 4 in the Innkeeper Chronicles series by Ilona Andrews. We are treated to Vampire politics, a wedding, a double cross, and battles that are very bloody.
OMG I loved the audio. I actually had the book and eBook on release day, but I was waiting for the audio to come out. I LOVE the audios for the previous books and felt this book would be so much better to listen too. I wasn’t disappointed.
In Sweep of the Blade we focus on Maud and her daughter. If you haven’t read the series I suggest starting at the beginning or at least read/listen to One Fell Sweep before picking up Sweep of the Blade. That is where we meet Dina’s sister Maud.
When the book starts it starts with Maud’s exile on a lawless Vampire plant where all the criminals are sent and then moves onto present day.
Maud was married to a Vampire and had a daughter. It was perfect at first, but then things went wrong. She doesn’t want to open her heart up, nor does she want her daughter to get emotionally hurt, again. It’s a tough road to let someone in and hope they won’t hurt you like her previous husband and his family. Maud doesn’t give up easily. She ends up coming to terms with her past, who she is, and what she wants in life. It felt like a rebirth and self discover story.
I loved that we get to visit the Vampires, learning more about them, and traveling to one of their home worlds.
As for the romance; well I didn’t feel any romance between Maud and Arland. Like is their, but the romance was lacking for me. They are just so formal with each other; even in private. Their guard comes down some of the time, but not enough. Mainly we are focusing on Maud and her issues; instead of the romance.
Narration: We switch narrators from Renee Raudman to Natalie Naudus. This is my first time with this narrator. She was amazing and wonderful. Her voices are smooth and easy to listen too. The battles are vivid and Maud’s inner issues are brought out. I really enjoyed the audiobook and recommend listening.
Rated: 4 Stars
Loved this book just as much as all her others! It might be helpful to read the other books in the series before you read this one. But they’re all awesome. If you like fantasy/sci fi mixed with romance then read Ilona Andrews!
Sweep of the Blade is the latest edition of the Innkeeper series, but follows Dina’s sister Maude as she travels off world, away for the Inn and apart from her family. While the baseline of the story seems to be the simple “boy meets girl” this girl is far from simple. She comes in with her own baggage and he has a whole planet-full for her to deal with. As always Ilona Andrews ramps up the pace with unexpected twists and turns that keep you rushing from one page to the next. As with all her books if you start with this one, you can easily fall into place, then go back to start at book 1 should you so choose. I loved this book; I give it all the stars, and a few battle cruisers.
I highly recommend this book. Great plot, great character and great action.
I love everything Ilona Andrews writes. The Innkeeper books are awesome, and I loved this one that switches from Dina as the POV character to her sister, Maud. I read it when it was posted to their blog, but I always reread when they come out in book form. Sometimes there are additions and small changes, and that was certainly true here, with an entire beginning that was new, and showed us some of Maud’s time in exile.
I’m going to try and make this as non-spoilery as possible. So, I’ll start with how much I loved getting a closer look at the vampire culture in this universe, and then move on to Maud as a character and how much I adore her, Helen, and Arland together. I hope this isn’t the last of these from her POV that we get. It was wonderful how Andrews’ wove in Maud’s Innkeeper background with her as a non-Innkeeper character.
Favorite bits: Pretty much everything Helen. The lees (of course). The vampires’ general surprise at Maud’s competency and fierceness. Maud and Arland. The bit at the very end that I can’t go into because spoilers! Also, Maud’s surprise ability that I also can’t go into because spoilers, but makes you wonder what might have happened if her life had taken a different path, and if Helen might inherit it.
Pretty much, if you love the rest of the series this book will be a fast favorite. If you’ve never read them before, start from the beginning. If you’ve never read Ilona before, this series is not a bad place to begin. It has it all: great world building, compelling characters, action, humor, and a mystery that keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next!
She’s done with vampires, she wants nothing to do with them. Yet here she is, following a vampire to his dangerous home-world. Is she willing to step into a world filled with danger and enemies for him?
THE BLURB
Maud knows she can’t stay on Earth; her vampire daughter will never fit in and will grow up isolated and lonely. The best place for Helen is on a vampire planet, surrounded by other vampires. Good thing that the vampire Arland is completely smitten with her. But she carries a scarred past; her late-vampire husband used her again and again, causing her exile from vampire society… and she’s not willing to let her heart break twice.
Arland is the Marshal of House Krahr, the head of military for his planet. One of the most powerful vampire houses. He’s asked Maud for her hand in marriage, but she’s declined. Arland isn’t used to hearting the word “no”, and he’s not about to give up on her. He’s convinced her that if she just visits his home planet, she will want to stay with him.
Maud knows that a human, with a very questionable past, visiting a vampire planet is a bad idea. Especially when she’s just turned down a proposal from it’s most beloved son. She’s might not be ready to commit, but Maud has never run from a fight.
TONE OF THE BOOK
Sweep of the Blade is a lighthearted novel. There is no doubt tension, especially since Ilona Andrews typically writes a lot of action scenes, but most of these tension scenes are broken up with comedy.
SENSITIVE TOPICS
Sweep of the Blade is aimed at young adult, but mature audiences.
Arland swung his blood mace. It smashed a female fighter’s skull in a gory explosion of blood and brains. Before the swing was finished, the Krahr knight turned, grabbed the one to his left by his throat, shook him once like a rag doll, and tossed the dead body aside. The perfect blend of sheer brutality and efficient precision was beautiful to watch.
All of Ilona Andrews novels, Sweep of the Blade included, are heavy on action scenes. As a result there are a number of gory scenes, described in some detail.
There are some sexual scenes, however they do not drift into eroticism as many other romance novels do.
SERIES SYNOPSIS
Sweep of the Blade is the fourth novel in The Innkeeper Chronicles series. The first novel in the series is Clean Sweep (our review).
It’s the first novel in the series written in Maud’s point of view. The first three novels is written from the point of view of Dina, Maud’s sister. Sweep of the Blade is not a standalone, nor would I encourage you to start here without having read the initial novels.
There is a happily ever after for the characters Maud and Arland, but like most of Ilona Andrews works, there are major world plot points that are left unanswered with cliffhangers.
Sweep of the Blade is 256 pages long, slightly shorter than our average romance novel (300 pages). The writing is direct and to the point, and feels just about right in length to give a satisfactory story. Though I wouldn’t object to more length just for the sake of exploring the universe a bit more; its a lot of fun…
You can read more about the series on the Innkeeper Chronicles Series Review page.
REVIEW
Arland’s face took on the stony expression of a man who was either about to charge the enemy line for the fifth time in a single day, or do his taxes.
Ilona Andrews, a husband and wife writing team, are known for their comedic and action filled stories. I absolutely love the way they mix the tension filled scenes with humour, giving a more lighthearted adventurous feeling to a novel that could easily tip into a drama otherwise (I’m a sucker for fun over drama).
“Children leave,” Ilemina told her. “It is the greatest tragedy of motherhood that if you have done everything right, if you have raised them in confidence and independence, they will pick up and leave you. It is as it’s meant to be.”
Andrews, Ilona. Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles Book 4) (p. 185). NYLA. Kindle Edition.
One aspect that many people overlook is their way of integrating profound statements that leave you as a reader truly pondering. Its these moments of insight that breaks through the tense action scenes and lighthearted comedy to make Sweep of the Blade memorable and deep.
FINAL WORD
I was hesitant to leave Dina behind and start what felt like a new series, and I’m glad I did; if anything I enjoyed Maud’s story and take on the world more. Sweep of the Blade is an excellent adventure that leaves you longing to find out what happens next.
This is book 4 of The Innkeeper Chronicles. I hope there will be a book 5. There is a 4.5, but these characters and the Inn have many more stories to tell.
For me this was another winner in this series. I like how the beginning of each book is handled in such a way as you get a good foundation on what has happened before. It’s not an overwhelming rehashing of things but it’s great for someone new to the series. It’s also a great refresher for those of us who have been reading the series.
Maud is one unusual person with some amazing talents. Her most important one is that she is a survivor and will do anything to see that her daughter will also survive. She is a fierce warrior but also so tender with her daughter, Helen who she calls, “my flower.” That made me smile every time she did that. So did Helen, who was one fierce little girl who was half human and half vampire. She’s also a little girl NOT to be underestimated because she had been very well trained to defend herself and kill if she must. She is a force to be reckoned with, now at 5 years old and promised to be even more as she gets older.
Maud knew going in that the vampire world that she was re-entering was going to be tough. And it was and SO MUCH more.
There are plenty of emotions battles, plots and intrigues and Arland continues to be his charming but lethal self. It takes Maud a long time to realize how much he loves her and he is happy for her to be herself no matter what. He actually is in awe of her and has respected her for some time.
The world-building continues to be excellent, with every creature, their culture, clothing and customs so well described. It’s almost like a picture with words has been painted.
The whole story is edge-of-your- seat reading and epic battle is to be expected. It explodes across the pages racing towards a really great ending.
I cannot get enough of this series!! Not going to lie, I was bummed when I found out this was going to be Maud’s book but now not at all! This has been one of my favorites in the Innkeeper Chronicles and now I am sort of heart broken because it seems like this might be the last one in the series.
Maud, Helen and Arland are the perfect little family!! The family aspect Andrews wrote into this book was sheer PERFECTION!! Maud was very levelheaded but in her heart of hearts she knew what she wanted. The vampire planet that Arland is from was a beautiful backdrop for this book and it just broadened the world that Andrews has so beautifully created.
While you could read Sweep of the Blade on its own I highly recommend reading the other three books in this series because you will fall in love with Dina (from books 1-3), Maude, Helen and all the other vamps, shifters and other alien creatures that were in this series. This was my first series from Ilona Andrews, and I can’t wait to dive into another one of their series.
Of all the Innkeeper books, this is the one I keep reading and re-reading. This is a grand romance in both the adventurous and amorous senses of the word. The characters are vivid and greater than life; the courtship is bright, individual and farcically over the top; the intrigue is intricate and involving. This feels like a modern retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers”, Baroness Orzcy’s “The Scarlet Pimpernel” or Anthony Hope’s “The Prisoner of Zenda”. For anyone who loves grand romance, this is worth reading and re-reading.
While I love the Innkeeper Chronicles series where the action takes place at the Inn, I am blown away with following Dina’s sister, Maud Demille, as she pursues a chance at finding love half way across the galaxy! Maud is gutsy, smart, a devoted mother, a superb swords-woman and she isn’t about to let snobs dictate her actions.
The action scenes are excellent as are the characters. I’d love to see Maud’s world as a spin-off series.
I love this author so I love nearly everything they write, but especially the Kate Daniels series. This series isn’t my favorite by these writers, but it’s still a fun read!
So many things to love about this book. Chivalrous space vampires. Conspiracies, power politics, and hand-to-hand combat. Charismatic characters and sparkling banter. Hot heroes who are all in, even when their beloved is justifiably commitment-shy. Alpha males who want an equal partner, not a damsel in distress. Capable heroines who are underestimated by everyone but the hero, and who emerge triumphant. Outsiders who gain a home, respect, and a worthwhile role as well as True Love.
Innkeeper Chronicles is my favorite Ilona Andrews series, and Sweep of the Blade is my favorite Innkeeper story.
Maud Demille was once the wife of a powerful vampire knight but now she is a single mother trying to do what’s best for her child. Now she has to decide if she wants to risk her heart again with another vampire.
OMG this book!!!! I couldn’t put it down. Maud and Arland’s story was everything I didn’t know I wanted. I loved their slow building relationship, the trials they faced, and the tender moments with them being a family. Helen was adorable and I just loved her.
One of my favorite things about this book, besides the couple, was that we finally get to see vampire society and events. I found the whole wedding event and all the dinners and parties fascinating. They really added richness to the world and made this book so much better. I love when the world is well developed and has a great romance on top of it.
Overall, this was an amazing book and a great addition to the series. I am so glad we are getting more than just Dina’s POV. The last paragraph in this book really excited me and I am so glad I don’t have to wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next in the series!!!
As all books, the characters are wonderful and here Maud and the handsome vampire, Arland make us stay reading until the end of book. Wow…
Delightful and very interesting.
I love this series so much, and this is my favorite book in the series, so far. I love Maud and Helen, and I loved reading how Maud’s relationship with Arland develops. The scenes in the beginning where we see some of the events from book three through Maud’s eyes are really well done. But most of all, I love the vampire politics and drama and Maud’s growing confidence and ability to navigate both. Highly recommend.
Full disclosure: I wasn’t looking forward to this book. I’m not a huge fan of Maud and really didn’t want to switch focus away from Dina. However, I will say that I really got into it. The story was great, though like the rest of them, the romance doesn’t have a lot of foundation and it’s more lusty than romantic, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I’ve really enjoyed the Innkeeper Chronicles and reading Dina’s sister Maud’s story was wonderful. I liked Armand in the other stories and it was great to see him meet his match in Maud. She has survived her exile on Karhari, a desolate, savage planet, and avenged the death of her husband there. Once rescued by Dina, and having helped her in a fight to save the world, she receives a proposal by Arland, Marshal of House Krahr, which she turns down. Although she’s done with vampires, there’s something about Arland that she has trouble resisting, and so she goes with him to his home planet. Of course she will have to prove herself if she does decide to marry him, and these vampires don’t make it easy. Maud is in a unique position to assist House Krahr after some machinations by an enemy, and she certainly holds her own in every fight that comes her way. Her daughter Helen is a handful, and so is the lovable Arland, but Maud is determined to make the decision about marriage be what is best for her and her daughter above all, not what anyone else decides she should do. I loved how everything turned out in the end and can’t wait to read more in this world.
This is a fantastic book that blends action, family, and HEA to make the perfect blend in a book. I love the characters. The fierceness of the main character who is absolutely determined to protect her child is inspiring. She absolutely deserves her HEA!