Emerald Blaze: A Hidden Legacy Novel

The Hidden Legacy series accelerates with Emerald Blaze, the second book in Catalina Baylor’s story and the fifth about the magical and dangerous House Baylor. It is possible to start here but why would you want to? Go back and read Burn for Me and catch up because this tightly plotted and fast-moving adventure drops you in the middle of the action with inventive and immersive magical battle scenes and doesn’t stop. Catalina has grown in the 6 months since playboy and assassin Alessandro Segredo abruptly left town to pursue his own agenda just as Catalina thought they had a chance together. She’s firmly in charge of her new and expanding House and taking cases for Linus Duncan in her role as Deputy Warden of Texas. And she’s hardened her heart against ever being hurt again. As she tells her cousin Leon, “I broke my own heart…he was just the hammer I hit it with.” Catalina has rebuilt herself so when Alessandro shows up in Houston determined to protect her at all costs, she has to decide if she can ever trust him. Alessandro has himself been broken and reforged but will his own interests allow him to touch Catalina's heart again? It will take all their combined powers to meet the challenge awaiting them as a mysterious power grows in the magic warped section of Houston known as the Pit. As Catalina gets closer to the heart of the mystery, she reveals herself to be a canny and somewhat terrifying leader in her family and among the Primes of Houston. But like all the Baylors, her moral core keeps her grounded even as her power and intelligence resists those who would bring her down. Given how fast this book moves, there is so much packed in here to satisfy readers of this series and keep them hungry for more. All the Baylors are here (including Nevada and Connor) and the conversations (some long overdue) and the support they give each other are one of the joys of the book. Old friends like Cornelius and Runa are pulled into the mix as well. The Andrews' wit and humor propel the events and spice up the character interactions. And by the concluding scenes, threads from previous books weave together to create some gasp-worthy twists as the true “Big Bad” of the Hidden Legacy series is slowly revealed. The concluding book in Catalina’s story will have a lot to live up to in order to meet the storytelling power of this installment. I love an introverted heroine but they are not common in either urban fantasy or paranormal romance. Catalina is such a fully realized personality and to see her come into her own as the Head of her House and such power player is truly a delight. She and Alessandro are a formidable team. I can’t wait for more in this series and I hope Andrews is able to continue with another trilogy about Arabella or Leon or anyone they want to write about in this world. This is a brilliant series—go buy it, read it, and get your friends hooked too! I would finally add that this is my favorite cover (the colors, the sparkle, the couple) of all time and every time I see it, I want to read the book again. Thank you to Avon and edelwiess for an eARC for review under no obligation. I also purchased my own kindle copy.

I am obsessed with this series! I wanted to start Emerald Blaze as soon as it arrived (preordered this as soon as I could) but knew I'd need an entire day to read it. Once I start something by Ilona Andrews I'm incapable of putting it down! Thankfully there was a day when my husband was home and I could disappear for a few hours. I'm not saying there weren't interruptions - - because there were - - but I still managed to get through this entire book within 24 hours. It may have been 2 AM, but it still counts! ;) This author duo is phenomenal and I will forever read whatever they write! The characters, world-building, and storytelling are always amazing. I can pick up the next book in a series (after waiting roughly a year for a new one) and immediately fall back into the story like I'd never left. There's a larger, looming goal that the characters are steadily moving towards, but each book can stand alone and comes with its own set of problems to solve. I really love how they're able to tie everything together, yet still make each book something that's unique and captivating. Initially, I was worried I wouldn't like Catalina as much as Nevada (for those of you new to this series, the first three books were from Nevada's perspective and the next three will be from Catalina's (they're sisters)), but Catalina's character is just as compelling. She doesn't handle situations the same way her sister would and is instead forging her own path on her own terms. If that means keeping her enemies close and learning their secrets, then she'll do it despite how it makes her feel (and even if it puts her at odds with her family). Catalina had to develop an icy exterior when dealing with the other Houses and their Primes or they wouldn't take her seriously. It's amazing seeing how much she's transformed over the course of this series! The family dynamics are on point! I love everyone in they Baylor family (and their respective paramours) and how well they work together. They're not afraid to laugh or call each other out, and they've got each other's backs no matter what. They'll fight monsters together but then argue over who ate all of the leftovers from the fridge. Even the characters that aren't related to the Baylor's are wonderfully written and fleshed out! The authors drop small hints to remind you of things that have happened in the past, and the nudges really helped wake my brain up after some time away. These are the characters you wish were real so you could all be BFFs. There are a ton of laugh-out-loud moments despite the seriousness of the story, and you can't help but want to be a part of it all. I also love Catalina's magical ability and really like that she's discovered new aspects about how it works. It's interesting to see the various ways she can use it to her benefit while dealing with the craziness of their world and individual circumstances. She's not someone to be trifled with despite how young and innocent she looks. Catalina is deadly in her own right and I loved that Alessandro never questioned or doubted her abilities. Speaking of Alessandro, I was iffy about his return after the last book. His motives were unclear, but thankfully the author cleared a lot of things up in this one. His reasons were valid, and he wasn't trying to mislead or lie to Catalina in any way. I am SO GLAD things are out in the open now and I cannot wait to see how their relationship progresses moving forward. #RooftopScene *fans self* Emerald Blaze was full of action and adventure, humor and family, magic and what people are willing do to obtain more of it. I love the complexities of this series and how I never feel overwhelmed by the various issues being addressed in a single book (that also span throughout several in the series). There is so much going on but it never feels like it's too much. The pacing is perfectly balanced with the information being shared. If you haven't read anything by this author duo, you don't know what you're missing!

I really liked how Catalina and Alessandro's relationship evolved in this book. The action and plot were great. However, I disliked how the book ended. I'm not a fan of cliffhanger endings.

This was as action packed as expected, and the emotional payoff was amazing! Can't wait for the next installment of the series

Un tome que j'ai littéralement dévoré, ne réussissant à m'en détacher que très difficilement. Il faut dire que, comme à son habitude, le couple d'auteurs nous gratifie d'une enquête prenante, passionnante et bien menée qui permet, une fois de plus, de nous faire creuser cet univers magique tout en clairs-obscurs et d'en explorer les diverses branches et ramifications. Si j'ai pu trouver le premier tome de ce nouveau cycle avec Catalina comme héroïne un peu en deçà du point de vue des personnages principaux et de leur dynamique relationnelle, c'est en partie gommé dans celui-ci. Les auteurs ont mis à profit les 6 mois qui séparent les événements de Emerald Blaze de ceux de Sapphire Flames pour faire vivre des expériences significatives aux deux protagonistes principaux et ainsi tailler dans les aspects encore trop tendres, trop adolescents de leurs personnalités. C'est donc une version upgradée à laquelle nous avons droit et ça fonctionne bien mieux étant donné l'orientation romance paranormale franchement sexualisée (mais pas trop non plus) de la série. Il y a d'ailleurs plus d'un personnage qui se voit plus nuancé. Mon intérêt se porte une fois de plus sur Victoria Tremaine, la grand-mère mal aimée (en comparaison de Frida), qu'on a du mal à trouver totalement mauvaise. Disons, qu'à l'image d'un Roland dans Kate Daniels, elle a une conception des choses bien à elle. En tout cas, c'est un personnage que j'adore voir intervenir et qui n'a pas fini de livrer des secrets, puisque c'est son grand business ainsi que son plaisir. Si je ne peux m'empêcher de constater que nous suivons encore exactement le même schéma de construction et d'évolution de l'intrigue de fond, des personnages et leurs pouvoirs, de la relation amoureuse, etc. j'espère que ce cycle proposera une conclusion plus aboutie et moins ouverte que le précédent. En tout cas, elle semble promettre des affrontements épiques à la « Avengers » avec une maison Baylor qui développe lentement mais sûrement de sérieux atouts et de puissants alliers, tout autant que de redoutables ennemis. En bref, beaucoup de choses se mettent en place dans ce tome au niveau intrigue et personnages. Et même si, du côté de la romance, un ultime rebondissement qui fait bien sourire, vient sacrément bien arranger les affaires de Catalina, on sent que tout n'est pas forcément encore gagné. Tout cela laisse entrevoir quelques complications bienvenues pour la suite et fin de ce cycle pour laquelle je serai au rendez-vous.

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could. This book continues 6 months after the last one in the series. In order to save Alessandro in the last book, Catalina made a deal with her grandmother, Victoria. She was to remain head of her house and not marry a prime and leave for their house the way her elder sister, Nevada, did. She was also expected to visit Victoria to be ‘educated’ on how to lead her house. In the last six months Catalina has learnt a lot from her grandmother, and from having her heart broken by Alessandro’s leaving. She’s also been drop kicked into being a Deputy Warden and having to learn on the job. However, the money from being a Deputy Warden comes in very handy. When Catalina is informed she has to take on a murder case, she comes into contact with Alessandro who has been contracted to kill the person who murdered the victim. Linus, the Warden forces Catalina to work with Alessandro and she has to face the fact that she can’t have him because of her grandmother. In his time away Alessandro seems to have changed too and his priorities seem to be to protect her. This is quite an intense book. A lot happens plot wise. We have the murder investigation, the relationship issue and dealing with Victoria and her machinations. Poor Catalina has the weight of the House on her shoulders, along with needing to protect Texas and it’s inhabitants. I really enjoyed the book and some of the fight scenes were really impressive. I loved the descriptions of the magic and how it is accessed and used by different individuals. This book continues on the world building that has gone before in the series and it makes the world more complete and interesting. Catalina is a serious young woman who is always putting other people first. She’s highly intelligent, but still retains her compassion despite learning to be ruthless when necessary. Every action seems to be about looking after someone else. The rest of the family have all seemed to grow and change, which I like. There isn’t much focus on the family in this book but we still see their development in their interactions with Catalina. The plot was fast moving and complex. I dove into the story and didn’t really come up for air very often. There was so much going on that I was always wanting to know what happened next with each strand of the plot, trying to see how it all connected. I really enjoyed how the story wound up and then was walloped with a hideous cliffhanger in the last few pages of the epilogue. That was not a nice thing to do! I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series.

Con Emerald Blaze siamo al secondo volume della trilogia dedicata a Catalina Baylor, sorella di Nevada (protagonista della precedente trilogia), che ora è capo della Casa Baylor. Catalina è però anche aiutante del Guardiano di Huston ed in quanto tale viene coinvolta in un'indagine particolarmente insidiosa che procede a un furto di cui si era parlato nel primo volume. Si parte dalla morte sospetta di un Primo e dalla richiesta da parte dei familiari alla multinazionale investigativa MII di scoprire il colpevole e il movente. Catalina scopre che anche Alessandro Sagredo (Primo antistasi) è stato chiamato e che dovrà collaborare con lui. Alessandro si era dileguato alla fine del volume precedente senza dare spiegazioni e spezzando il cuore di Catalina. Ovviamente la fanciulla guarda con preoccupazione ed imbarazzo a questa situazione ma Alessandro spiega che il suo unico obiettivo è quello di proteggerla (cosa che gli toccherà fare parecchio nel corso di questa indagine). In questa vicenda il duo di autori che è Ilona Andrews ha dato spazio, come di consueto, ad una notevole riserva di immaginazione e se il colpevole viene scoperto abbastanza rapidamente, meno facile è capire l'estensione del pericolo e il modo di risolverlo. Molto belle sono le scene di azione ma quello che rende il libro migliore del precedente è che finalmente vengono spiegate al lettore le molte (apparenti) incongruenze che avevano reso Sapphire Flames molto sotto alla media di quanto ci si aspetta dai coniugi Andrews. Il rapporto sentimentale fra Catalina e Alessandro comincia ad avere senso ma bisogna dire che questo aspetto è anche il meno interessante, se non per il fatto che sistema in modo conveniente un impasse in cui si è venuta a trovare Catalina. Ovviamente il livello è alzato anche da tutti i personaggi secondari che vengono trattati alla stregua dei protagonisti e che sono molto ben definiti: dalla famiglia di Catalina ai capi delle Case di Huston. Una menzione speciale per la perfida nonna Tremaine e per l'oscuro Linus Duncan. Ogni libro di Ilona Andrews vale la pena, anche quelli che sono meno strutturati. In questo caso siamo tornati ai migliori livelli, per fortuna!