Sapphire Flames

I love this series with House Baylor and House Rogan and all the backstabbing mage houses of the world out to kill each other. We’re now at the start of Catalina’s trilogy. Catalina is a siren, and while she’s not quite as much of a badass as sister Nevada, she definitely has the snark thing going on, and the chemistry between her and Alessandro is off the charts. Plus, when she uses her siren abilities, awesome scenes. I really enjoy the way the Ilona Andrews writing team comes up with such cool powers for each of their characters. This book had some truly awesome good and bad guys.

A brutal murder/fire has taken place. Or has it? House Baylor has been hired to take over the investigation. But some creepy mages keep trying to show more kill Catalina whenever she investigates, and Alessandro, who her sisters have annoyingly put up in pictures by her bedside table, keeps showing up to rescue her. If only he weren’t hot. Bonus points for adorable dog and great snark about Texas drivers and lax gun laws. These authors know how to weave together great romance, fantasy and a good mystery that keeps things cooking all the way until the end. And OMG Victoria Tremain and that deal!!! Now how am I supposed to wait for book two? I am loving this ship just as much as Nevada/Rogan. Amazing!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

In a world where magical families engage in open warfare for power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is in a precarious position. The three year restriction that protects newly formed Houses from the violence of House warfare is about to expire. As Head of her House, Catalina must strive to secure strategic alliances to strengthen House Baylor's position, keep her House financially stable and, more importantly, keep everyone alive in the process - all while while acting as lead investigator in the family's private investigations business. When her friend's mother and sister are murdered, Catalina puts everything on the line to help House Etterson get to the bottom of a dangerous situation.

Sapphire Flames is the fourth book in the Hidden show more Legacy series by Ilona Andrews and the start of Catalina's trilogy. This was over-the-top fun! I think it's safe to say that if you're a fan of the series you are going to enjoy this book. I know I did.

I like Catalina a lot. She's such a fascinating character. Her magic is so different that it's been great to see how she's learned to use it in new and surprising ways. She's really turned into a kick-ass heroine, even if it freaks her out most of the time. I think it's knowing that she has those jitters inside while still having the courage to get the job done that makes her both relatable and a character you can admire.

The mystery takes a lot of unexpected twists and turns and is quite satisfying. I also really enjoyed how many more magical abilities are explored in this installment. About the only thing I wasn't completely sold on is Alessandro. He feels a tad too much like Rogan-lite at the moment. I'm hoping his unique personality will come through more as the series progresses.

Overall this was a solid start to Catalina's trilogy. I love the Baylor family. I can't wait for book 5. show less

I'm so sorry, IA. So, so, so sorry.

I've never even thought about giving an IA book less than four stars, and I tortured myself thinking in circles about this book trying to give it a better rating, but... alas... here we are.

It's not this book was bad. As always, the world building was some of the best I've ever read, the supporting cast was as 3-dimensional as can be, and I loved grown-up Catalina figuring out how to lead House Baylor.

However. All of you out there that read the original trilogy (and if you haven't, you should), do any of you really think that Nevada would ever abandon her family? You're telling me that Nevada, who we've seen sacrifice everything for her family, would turn over leadership of her fledgling House to her show more 21-year-old sister right before their grace period expired, exposing them to the scheming of every power-hungry House in the country? That she would leave her family to face assassins and magical monsters while on an idyllic trip to Spain? I don't believe any of that for a second, and it's not just the elephant in the room, it's the herd of elephants plus a couple zebras that's between me and the bathroom. I just can't get around it, no matter how much I want to. show less

Sapphire Flames
4 Stars

Series note: The focus in the series has shifted from Nevada to Catalina and begins a new plot arc. Nevertheless, in order to understand the world-building and terminology, it is necessary to read the first trilogy prior to this book.

As is to be expected from Ilona Andrews, the world-building is excellent and the plot revolving around assassins and stolen serums is well-developed and action-packed. That said, the characterization and romance are weak, especially in comparison to the first trilogy.

Catalina has an unfortunate "woe-is-me" attitude that makes it difficult to view her as a strong and resilient heroine. Alessandro's characterization also suffers due to the inevitable comparison with the all-powerful show more and sexy as sin Rogan. Regardless of whatever strengths he has, Alessandro will always fall short.

In terms of their romance, Catalina and Alessandro have very little chemistry and their dialogue is missing the snark and wit that characterized Rogan and Nevada's relationship. Moreover, their attraction for one another lacks foundation. It has been 3 years since their initial encounter, and the reasons for their continued feelings are unclear. This is exacerbated by the fact that Catalina's affections are connected to Allesandro's apparent immunity to her magic rather than any real emotion.

Overall, the writing, world-building, and story make this a worthwhile read. Hopefully, the romance issues will be resolved in upcoming installments. show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
0🌶

*Contains spoilers if you haven't read the previous Hidden Legacy books*

Sapphire Flames is the first book in the Catalina trilogy, but book 4 in the overall Hidden Legacy series. We have skipped forward a few years and Catalina is now 21, a recognized Prime, and the official head of House Baylor. Nevada is married to Rogan and in the three years since becoming a House, Catalina has gotten training from both Rogan's mother and her scary grandmother on the ways of House society and politics. She isn't the nervous teenager we saw in the earlier books, she's now a confident, smart, and strong head of house. She has also learned a lot about her magic and has gained new levels of control over her show more relatively unique Siren powers.

However, the three-year grace period granted to new houses is almost to an end and now the real threats can emerge. She and her family have spent the past few years building a good reputation and forging some alliances to ensure the continuation of their house. However there is always a danger that a new house won't survive the first few years after their grace period so it's up to Catalina to guide them through.

As the head of House and also the head of the Baylor Investigative Agency, one of her first cases post-grace period is to help a sister-brother duo investigate the murder of their mother (not to mention the Prime and head of their House). Through the investigation we get to meet some great new characters to add a few folks to our already great motley crew.

Now to add some spice to the murder mystery mix, back when she was in HS and House Baylor was formed, Catalina had to get her magic tested to register as a Prime. Her tester was a powerful Prime named Alessandro, an extremely handsome Italian Count and one of the only mental magic type users that can counter her own magic. Where most people are in danger of becoming obsessively infatuated with her if she lets her magic slip, Alessandro can counter her and is able to like her for herself (a rare and scary possibility for someone with her skills and romantic inexperience).

Catalina hasn't seen Alessandro since her test, but suddenly he shows up during her investigation....... and kills someone she was hoping to question! Turns out Alessandro has secrets of his own.

Through some crazy series of events Catalina and Alessandro have to work together to solve the case, and let their chemistry grow along the way. But can she trust him with her heart? show less

Ah, friends. It’s been so long since I’ve written my last review so please forgive me while I pretty much just gush over this book. If you’ve been here for any length of time, you’ll know that Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors. I’ve devoured their books one by one, cried a lot, laughed a ton, and basically just been impatient waiting for whatever comes next. When I found out that Sapphire Flames would be from Catalina’s point of view, I was ecstatic! While I loved Nevada so much, I wanted to see how the life that they built for themselves affected the other members of her family. To say that I was excited for this is probably an understatement.

Now, I will admit that it took a minute for me to get used to our new show more narrator. Andrews’ fans know that Renee Raudman brings quite a life to most of the characters in these stories. Emily Raskin was absolutely fantastic though and, after a chapter or two, I was right into the story. She brings Catalina’s character to life perfectly. A young woman who is in charge without really wanting to be. A sister who wants to protect her family. A person adrift in a sea of powerful people who want to see her fail. Catalina stole my heart, and I’m not even upset about it.

True to form, the plot of this story flew straight from setting things up into full on panic mode. The Baylor family isn’t known for getting any down time, and that’s very true in this story as well. I won’t lie, their family dynamic has always been one of my favorite parts of this series. There is so much love mixed in with all the insanity, occasional terror, and humor. My favorite addition this time around? Oh, it was Alessandro thrown into the mix. No spoilers, I promise. Just know that his banter with this family is wonderful, and I want more of it as soon as possible.

Oh, friends. I laughed, I teared up, I literally shouted “NO” at this audio book more than once. If you’ve been following along with the Hidden Legacy novels, you’ll absolutely want to pick this one up. The ending made me a little bit pouty, but it’s also quite perfect to continue this series. So, once again, I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next book to make it into my hands. show less

Oh my, this book was an absolute delight. I went in with high expectations and it did not disappoint. Putting this book down proved a difficult task. It was exciting, suspenseful, action packed and magical. If you are looking for a story that will transport you into a world where the impossible becomes possible, then Sapphire Flames is the book for you.

Sapphire Flames is the fourth book in the Hidden Legacy series and part one of the Catalina Baylor Trilogy. I first met Catalina in the previous Installments and I found her to be an intriguing character. After reading Diamond Fire, I wanted to see more of her in action. So learning that this would be her story was a treat.

Strong, independent, selfless, determined and brave. She show more epitomized all these traits, which were fitting being that she was head of the House of Baylor. She handled herself well and proved to be a worthy adversary. Catalina showed significant growth since her appearance Wildfire.

Alessandro, an Italian count and a Prime who had an air of mystery around him. The man is fine, so I understood why Catalina was smitten with him. I loved how the authors highlighted both his fun and serious sides. He may have appeared conceited, but this was not the case. There are so many layers to him and I cannot wait to peel each one away.

The chemistry between them sizzled. They made a great team professionally and romantically. Although there was a hint of romance, it was not an integral part of the plot. The focus was on solving a crime and putting an end to a network of assassins.

I enjoyed the banter and snark between the characters. There were a few scenes, that had me laughing aloud, at some rather inconvenient times, but I was having too much fun to care.

Conclusion/Recommendation
I was sad to see Sapphire Flamesend, as I am eager to know what is in store for this awesome couple. I recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy. It can work as a standalone as the authors provides sufficient background information to allow readers new to the series to understand the world and the intricacies of the Baylor family. However, I would recommend starting from the beginning as the series is downright amazing. show less