Sweep In Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles) Paperback – October 22, 2015

I can’t believe I passed the first book over so many times because I didn’t like the blurb. The author is a master storyteller and the story so rich it’s easy to visualize every scene, despite its often alien nature. Love all the characters, love the storyline and it’s originality.

Fans of Ilona Andrews and their On The Edge series will be happy to see some familiar faces in the second book in their self-published series that focuses on a young woman whose struggles to survive lead her into an epic adventures fraught with suspense, humor, danger, and a smattering of romance. The Innkeeper Chronicles were originally published as serials, free of charge, on the Andrews’ blog. Book one, Clean Sweep, is the set up book for this world. We are introduced to Dina DeMille and given her backstory. You don’t have to read Clean Sweep in order to enjoy Sweep In Peace but it would help you to fully understand the characters, the world, and certain scenes in this installment.Dina’s parents were innkeepers until they and their inn abruptly disappeared one day. Dina and her brother searched all the galaxies for their parents with no results. Dina decided to open her own inn, the Gertrude Hunt, hoping that someday a guest will walk her halls, see a picture of her parents and recognise them. As an unestablished inn owner, she is the last on the list for guests to use. When an Arbitrator comes to her, asking to use her inn for a peace summit in order to negotiate peace between three warring factions (the Otrokars aka the Hope Crushing Horde, the Holy Cosmic Anocracy, and the Merchants), she seriously considers accepting the challenge, knowing this could be a huge win for her or a total loss.From this moment on you are swept away on a high octane adventure as the Andrews continue to expand and evolve this cleverly fluid new world; layering it with new storylines, conflicts, and faces. Fast pacing keeps you engaged as the story unfolds, maintaining a fine wire edged balance between the humor and sorrow that permeates the pages. We are shown the price war has on families and friends and how hard it is to step away from the battlefield when you have nothing left to defend but your memories. Dynamic well-developed characters are in abundance and offer readers a cornucopia from which to cheer and jeer. We met a battle-hardened general whose only thought is for her last living son. We meet a knight in shining armor who has learned that fairy tales don’t exist all he has left is his grief. We meet a man who will do the unthinkable to see his family survive. Each of these people want peace so desperately you can taste it but are unable to figure out a way to do so without condemning themselves and their people in the process. Lucky for them, they have Dina.Dina is a breath of fresh air in Urban Fantasy where too often the main protagonist’s own story is a weight that the reader bears while reading. While Dina has her own problems, she carries no real baggage that impedes her emotional or mental growth. Intelligent, witty, and fast on her feet, her no-nonsense attitude is the stabilizer on which the story is built. Not one to tolerate any misbehavior in her home, watching her handle her guests provided much laughter. What I adore about this heroine and the Andrews writing in general is they appear to have found the magic formula that enables them to balance the conflict with the emotion without succumbing to trite plotlines or made up controversy.Getting to see Jack, George, and Lark (On the Edge series) again was a gift I didn’t expect but so happy to have received. The changes in them are rather complicated and I can only wish we had been able to experience them growing up in order to understand why they are like they are now. Especially George. Sean and Armand revisit, though if you’re hoping for a clear resolution to that situation, you’re out of luck. And of course my favorite guest of all-Her Grace, Caldenia ka ret Magren. A ruthless predator whose actions in the past have left her in need of the inn’s sanctuary. Her love for Mello Yello and Funyuns is at odds with her diabolical nature.The end is a roller coaster ride of such dramatic twists and turns it would have left Machiavelli in awe. While the Andrews don’t make Dina’s journey easy at all, they do make it an exciting ride that further solidifies their reputation as fantastic storytellers who only seem to improve with each new adventure. I am definitely looking forward to more Innkeeper Chronicles in the future.GRADE: A

Review of the finished ebookThe best thing about the ebook version of Sweep in Peace IS you can read it all in one sitting. The story feels a little different when you are able to immerse yourself in the world over a much shorter timeframe and live in Gertrude Hunt for a few days. The emotions hit harder, the pain is more palpable and the story definitely flows better.Clean Sweep was just a good time going up against the bad guy and getting used to the world of an Innkeeper and the magical world that brings with it. Sweep in Peace is a little darker and much more of a political story as three different factions come to Gertrude Hunt for Peace Negotiations. Just in time too Caldenia was getting bored and I have a feeling that is dangerous.***” Caldenia blinked. “Who are the attending parties?”“The Holy Anocracy, represented by House Krahr; the Hope-Crushing Horde; and the Merchants of Baha-char. They are coming here for the arbitration, and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door.”Caldenia’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!”***Who is heading up these negotiations? None other than George Camarine from the Edge series who brings with him some of my other favorites Jack, Sophie and Gaston. So the question is do you need to read The Edge Series before this? Well no, it isn’t necessary, the story will totally make sense even if you have never read The Edge Series. Although it is Ilona Andrews so why haven’t you read it yet? But for those of us who have read The Edge Series it is a special bonus to see all the kids from that series all grown up AND I LOVED IT!!!Okay so I have seen where a few people are sad about how cunning and manipulative George grew up to be or that Sophie hasn’t completely overcome the tragedy from her childhood. But that made their stories even better to me. You didn’t expect George to grow up completely normal did you? He was already brilliant, manipulative and powerful as a teen. He went to work for The Mirror before he was really an adult and he was fantastic at it. After years of that and heading up the Mirror he has honed him into the sharpest, deadliest and best planner/manipulator possible. Sophie on the other hand would love to not be the killer she became as a child. But her past shaped her and she still can’t escape it no matter how much she tries. She hasn’t accepted herself completely yet but I love the is on that journey and we come to her in the middle of coming to terms with the woman she has become and can’t hide from.***You are not a gentle flower who spends its whole life in a greenhouse. You are a wildfire, Lark. A wildfire.” A sun burst on the images, its violent fury drowning the cosmos. “Dare to take that step and I will show you wonders beyond your imagination. I will give you a chance to make a difference. Come with me.” George offered his hand to her. “Live. Join me or not, but live, gods damn you, because I cannot stand the thought of you slowly aging here like some dusty fossil under glass.***♥♥♥I SHIP IT!!!! George and Sophie Forever.♥♥♥Okay back to the story. This might seem to move a little slower due to the format of the story and it being more of strategic plotting type book than kill the bad guy sort of situation. It also has a darker tone to it. Dina is lonely, she has lost her parents and she is really taking the fact that Sean left to discover the universe and they didn’t have a chance to explore what might have been a little hard. Plus it seems like at least the Vampires and the Otrokar have no serious interest in making peace as each has lost too much in battle. The deaths of their family and friends looms large. But don’t get me wrong there are plenty of shenanigans along the way to sort of lighten the mood of the story and give a chuckle or two including another streaking scene due to coffee consumption.I missed Sean along with Dina…yeah I know they didn’t have much time together but I also loved the possibility of a them. But I also understood why he needed to travel a bit to discover a universe he didn’t know existed until he met Dina.***“I asked him if he was leaving anyone behind. He said he’d met a girl with stardust on her robe, and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the universe looking back.”“He said that?”“He did. The blood of Auul flows through him. We were warriors and poets, often both. I asked him if he thought this girl would wait for him, and he said he wasn’t sure.”***I wasn’t initially sure if I liked Sean’s character development in Sweep In Peace but after some reflection I totally LOVE IT. For one he has been to the universe and seen some things, some really hard things. They have left him a little broken, and that is my favorite kind of hero. I think that before he wouldn’t have been able to have a settled life with Dina at the Inn. But after the events in Sweep in Peace it is set up that they could build something together, there is a great amount of possibility there now. YAY!!!Dina’s connection with the Inn is explored more and a few new characters are added to the cast. A yet to be named Cat (that I’m not entire sure is just a cat) and Orro a prickly hedgehog-ish chef. Orro was simply fantastic and I enjoyed him and his high maintenance masterchef ways. The inn it seems is becoming a hodgepodge of interesting characters and each one brings something new to the party. There are a few new hints made about Dina’s parents and their disappearance but no discoveries as of yet. I’m super interested in figuring out what happened to them although we do get a glimpse of her brother Klaus *wink, wink*.This went better for me in ebook format and so I’m upping my star rating to 4 stars. I’m really excited to see what is in store next for Dina, Sean and Gertrude Hunt.Review of the Free Chapter Installment version On-LineThis is almost like a review of a first draft since I read this in the free chapter installments online. The cool part is that it is like being in on a beta read of the first draft of an Ilona Andrews book. I walked along with them as they developed the main body of a story but it definitely doesn’t have their finished polish to it yet. I am really excited to read the final version of the story that will flesh out some of the things and make the overall story flow better. I have complete confidence in IA’s ability to do that.The hardest thing about reading a book in chapter installments is the waiting. Between the chapters there was a lot of waiting and a few times it had to be put on their back burner as other commitments and real life trumped it. So I sometime forgot what I’d read awhile back. Some of the installments I loved and others I just found myself waiting for something to happen. I don’t think I would have noticed as much in final book format though.Having read The Edge series I was beyond excited to see George, Jack, Gaston and Sophie all grown up. It was an extra bonus to know their background but not really needed. Dina’s inn needs some guests for its magic to grow, George needs a place to host a dangerous arbitration between three factions. Win-Win right? If only the arbitration was going smoothly, but there are issues and problems around every turn it seems right from the beginning.I enjoyed getting a look into some of the other beings in this world and the conflicts that arose between them. I spent a long time in the book waiting for Sean to show up and it might have been a bit distracting to me but I did like how that eventually played out. Still Roland is there with the Vampire faction and the vampires are as deadly and entertaining as always.Dina and her inn are fascinating characters to me (yes the Inn is a character it is totally like a living breathing entity in its own right) the magic and switch up to the usual vampire, werewolf and other lore are fascinating. I enjoy most of the ideas of this world.This book had a lot of minor flaws in pacing and sometimes forgetting a character was there for a while. I’m not disparaging it as I love IA and I’m sure that the final draft will be an improved version of this story. For now this is a 3 star book, subject to change on the final edition

Great story and characters. New worlds. Sense of humour.My only dislike of Ilona Andrews is their need to recap everything. I could really use book versions for the well read Ilona readers that don’t recap. Otherwise I super love this series.

Dina is on a mission. Her parents, along with their magical inn, disappeared without trace some six years ago and despite an exhaustive search, no one has seen any hint of them. She has now decided to settle down and run her own inn – though she has also posted pictures of her missing family and watches every guest’s reaction as they walk through the door, hoping that one day someone will offer valuable information – or betray a shocked jolt of recognition. However taking on this particular mission is doing things the hard way.I loved the sense that Dina is plunged into a situation well over her head and scrambling to keep up, often several steps behind. She is a likeable protagonist – steady and determined, particularly when under pressure, but with the ongoing vulnerability of constantly missing her parents.Andrews is also good at writing animals – Dina’s little dog is suitably annoying and yappy, except when he… isn’t. And when a cat makes an appearance, I was also convinced – I get a bit fed up when pets are depicted with too much treacly sentimentality. But what sets this intriguing fantasy/science fiction mashup apart is the originality of the premise – and how effectively Andrews raises the stakes. We are left in no doubt as to the high cost of this terrible war raging between two warlike species – and the impact on everyone, those taking part as well as those caught between them.In addition, Dina finds her own happiness held hostage as to the outcome of the peace conference. Andrews’ pacing and handling of the narrative tension is spot on as she steadily ramps up it up with a mixture of the domestic mundane with a twist of fantasy – the galactic superchef produces wonderful meals and Dina has to spend a lot of time and magic ensuring each delegation’s needs are fully met – with the crucial details we need to understand exactly how important it all is. This is all deftly done, producing a smooth, enjoyable read that covers all the epic consequences of this nasty war through the fallout in Dina’s magical inn.I have the next book in this entertaining series – One Fell Sweep – and I won’t be waiting so long to get to it and if you are seeking an interesting fantasy with a sci fi twist, then this series comes highly recommended.9/10

Secondo volume della serie di Dina e della sua magica locanda.Ho trovato questo libro meglio strutturato rispetto al primo e con una trama più intrigante.Per aumentare il prestigio (e di conseguenza la qualità magica) della sua locanda, Dina Demille decide di accettare di ospitare un negoziato di pace fra tre fazioni che lottano per avere la supremazia sul pianeta Nexus la cui unica virtù è di possedere grandi quantità di una sostanza preziosa e rara.La guerra si trascina da 20 anni con immense perdite di vite e di quattrini ed è divenuta una questione di principio, oltre che commerciale.Per uscire dall'impasse vengono coinvolti gli Arbitratori galattici che mandano il loro inviato a cercare una locanda disposta ad accettare l'incarico.Solo Dina Demille è messa talmente alle strette da prendersi la responsabilità di un summit rischiosissimo e con scarse possibilità di successo.Da qui iniziano i guai che coinvolgono, in una girandola di accadimenti dove non mancano elementi di umorismo nero e violenza, tutti i personaggi tra cui alcuni, in un interessante crossover, erano presenti anche nella serie The Edge.Ho trovato stupenda l'inventiva dei due scrittori che inseriscono in ogni loro libro elementi inusuali e curiosi ma sempre coerenti con la trama. Non mancano poi momenti francamente divertenti, dallo chef pluristellato e depresso all'ospite permanente che è stata una sterminatrice galattica ricercata in tutti i pianeti il cui contributo alleggerisce le parti più drammatiche e commoventi della vicenda.Vi è anche una piccola zona romantica dolceamara che non mancherà di coinvolgere il lettore.Agli amanti del genere non posso che consigliare vivamente le avventure alla locanda di Dina.

Nous voici bien entrés dans le monde des auteurs. Une auberge qui accueille des clients aliens , la terre est considérée comme un territoire neutre et les humains ne doivent absolument pas soupçonner qu'il existe d'autres monde et d'autres races. Le rôle de l'aubergiste est de protéger ses clients à tout prix. A savoir qu'il y a une communion magique entre l'aubergiste et son auberge. Que l'auberge a besoin de clients pour se renforcer magiquement et pouvoir subvenir aux besoins de ses clients. Gina une humaine aux pouvoirs magiques a réveillé l'auberge depuis quelques années. Mais il lui faut des clients et elle ne peut qu' accepter la proposition dune sorte d' ONU intergalactique: Accueillir les délégations de 3 peuples qui sont en guerre depuis 20 ans afin de trouver un compromis de paix . Ce qui n'est pas gagné ! Manipulation, traitrises, sont au rendez vous et il nous permet de mieux comprendre le rôle et le pouvoir de Gina et de son auberge. Humour et suspense retournement de situation, c'est haletant. Nous retrouvons avec plaisir quelques personnages ,Arland le vampire, la cliente permanente Caldenia, et découvrons d'autres très sympathiques: notamment un cuisinier Orro . Ce livre est très complet et j'ai pris grand plaisir à le lire avec le suspense jusqu'au bout. Je me precipite sur le suivant !

Note: being the second installment of a series, this isn’t the best place to start reading. To experience the awesome UF/SciFi series to its fullest, I suggest to start with “Clean Sweep”.ReviewAs with the first book in the “Innkeeper Chronicles”, I didn’t read the book during its making on the authors’ website. I just knew I’d love whatever Ilona Andrews wrote and bought “Clean Sweep” without knowing anything about it. And I was right to do so. Now, with the 2nd installment, I was already in love with all the characters and my anticipations rose to impressive heights. But: “Sweep in Peace” met them all. It was such a great read.If you know book one you know that Dina and her magical inn lack customers, which is bad, because she needs the money and the inn needs the magic of the supernatural guests. Her lone permanent resident, the former world enslaving tyrant Caldenia, just isn’t enough [she has more page time here and she is such fun!]. So when one of the Arbitrators asks her to host a peace summit, she knows it may be suicide, yet there isn’t any alternative left to her.Oh. My. God. Did I love that plot! First of all, there is an ingenious merging of the “Innkeeper” world with the “Edge” world. Strictly speaking, we meet George Camarine [if you haven’t read the Edge series, I recommend it. Not because you need it here, but for its awesomeness] and a few others and he rocks. Not purely in the best way, he has become a rather complicated person one really doesn’t know what to make of. His job changed him a lot and his machinations are awesome, but you want Dina to punch him at times. At least I did. So he is the orchestrator of how things play out in the inn during the stressful peace conference on which’s outcome so much depends [Dina learns at the end just how much]. The plot twists are awesome. Some of them I saw coming [I had a hunch about the warrior’s identity], but most I didn’t’. And if I liked Dina before, I now adore her. She is a fabulous person, both likable and the epitome of hospitality, but when she is fed up, she is even better. And boy is she fed up at some point [see title of this review]!I don’t know how Ilona Andrews manage to always accomplish this mixture of ingenious plot that has you bug-eyed, characters that are so well drawn they feel like living, breathing people and a world building that makes me ask myself if in some parallel universe, couldn’t it just be like that?“Sweep in Peace” is a bit darker than book one was, but there are still Dina’s hilarious comments that lighten the mood. And her ideas of how to keep her guests entertained had me cracking up loud [“Let me introduce to you “Call of Duty”!”]. And the same goes for some of the added characters, especially the new chef. He is great fun to read about, although he as well is more than a fun guy and has his own tragedies to cope with.Overall this is another wonderful addition to the “Innkeeper Chronicles” and I can’t wait to read the next book!