Name: esh's review of Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Item: Emerald Blaze
Rating: 5
Author: esh

Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything...except the hearts of those who wield it. As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers--powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart. The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.

A Hidden Legacy Novel

Emerald Blaze

honestly probably a 3.75 maybe.. listen are these books pretty predictable? sure. do i skim over the battle scenes because i don’t love action? yes. but these books are addictive, fast paced, actually fun, and i enjoy myself the whole time. the characters are just the best, i love bug, leon, catalina, arabella, rogan, and bern. honestly i know alessandro gets a lot of hate but there’s literally no way he could compare to the OGs. we’re setting him up for failure that way.

big ab

Lover of Romance 

I am pretty sure that I read this book here. There is no review though for it that I did. I do remember actually getting this one in audio though. And as I read this a year ago, remember little but I do remember really enjoying this and thought it was a solid read.

Alessandro arranged his stunning face into an expression of concern. “I’d like to help. I really would. But she’s a very dangerous woman and you’ve made her angry.”   
   “There is something about you and that boy. The two of you talk like a matched pair. He came back here for a reason. He came back for you.”  .
When I tell you this book was the first positively breathtaking thing to happen to me in this this dumpster fire of a year, know this:  I'm not kidding  and it's the sole reason I even made it to August, so... yeah. It's  that  spectacular

Annabella

My reread is done. What the heck do I do with my evenings now? (Also, book 6 is still too far away help me)

Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything…except the hearts of those who wield it. As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart. The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.

Sarah Escorsa

I'm afraid it's officially official, this series really is not working for me. 



I can't bring myself to give a fish about Catalina. She's just there. She is now the head of House Baylor but there's no spark there, no enthusiasm. She does the job because she has to but I'm pretty sure that she'd rather be shepherding shrimps. (Which would be a more fitting job for her than leading this trilogy, if you ask me.) 

I still don't like Alessandro. But hey, at least I no longer want to unleash my murderous crustaceans on him (not today anyway), so yay and stuff!

(Oh, and by the way, Catalina + Alessandro still = too much NA angst for this somewhat ancient, slightly decrepit soul, thank you very much.)

Unlike other IA books, this one feels surprisingly choppy. And clumsy. The story seems to be made of loosely connected sequences and because of that, there is no real sense of plot. (It probably doesn't help that the main mystery is resolved at the very beginning of the story, making the rest of the book pretty pointless.) There are inconsistencies and some plot points are so convoluted and far-fetched I nearly eye-rolled myself to death while reading. (You don't want to get me started on the reason why Nevada stepped down as head of House Baylor. No, you don't.)

Also, what the fish happened to the series arc? We still don't know who was behind the conspiracy in the original trilogy but the way Catalina talks about it in this book you would think it was resolved 🤔. 



I never thought I'd ever say this about an IA book, but...💤💤💤. The info dump (countless descriptions of buildings and houses and constructs and arcane circles and...), the neverending interviews with potential culprits, the countless heart-to-hearts between Catalina and Alessandro, and the interminable fight scenes just about kill the pacing of the story.

One of the highlights of this series has always been the cast of characters, their quirks, and priceless interactions. This installment boded very well at first, with Leon and Cornelius working a case with Catalina, but the secondary characters took a back seat after that. And so did the humor, unfortunately. I wanted more Arabella shenanigans and more Bern and more Leon and more Bug and more hahahahaha and more Zeus and more Runa and more Pancakes and more Sergeant Teddy and more hahahahaha and more despicable Matilda cuteness and pretty much more of everyone and everything except for Catalina and Alessandro. You would think that Nevada and Rogan making an appearance in the book would have made me slightly very happy, but it didn't. They kind of felt out of place here and their appearances felt forced, as if they didn't belong in this series anymore (view spoiler)[😭😭 (hide spoiler)]. 



So, will I read Ruby Fever? I highly doubt it. (I might be masochistic but I'm not suicidal. Yet.)

So, will I read any other story/trilogy/blurb/novella/whatever the Andrews might write in this world? Oh you can bet your little selves I will 😬.
 
· Book 1: Burn for Me ★★★★★
· Book 2: White Hot ★★★★★
· Book 3: Wildfire ★★★★★
· Book 3.5: Diamond Fire ★★★★
· Book 4: Sapphire Flames ★★★
· Book 6:  Ruby Fever - to be released



[August 31, 2019]

Bloody shrimping hell of the stinking shrimp, a NEVADA SIGHTING!!!!! Here!!!!!!!!





[August 29, 2019]

We got our little selves a spoilery snippet, my Little Barnacles!

Everything I said about Alessandro in the last book? I take that all back, love him but he definitely needed to go through some stuff to grow and be willing to let himself open up and be honest with Catalina.

I had a great time reading this. It’s the first book in ages which had me curled up reading for way longer than I planned to. I ignored household chores to read this. 

This book was stronger than Sapphire Flames was. The plot was stronger, teh characters were stronger. It was all around better. maybe thats because it didn’t have to spend so much developing plot arcs which would go over the space of these books, I don’t know. It just worked better for me and I really enjoyed it.

You saw more of Catalina being calculating and smart which I loved. All of the Baylors are impulsive messes and I love them for it, but it does mean when you see Catalina, who is always thinking ahead (she’d be an excellent chess player) you can really appreciate how she is so much quieter and underestimated by so many. It makes it all the more satisfying when she smuggly tells people all of the ways she has outsmarted them. 

I loved this book and cannot wait to see what’s next because hot damn!

Becky

danielle bush

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it was AWSOME!! it was everything I wanted between Catalina and Allesandro. It was action packed literally from the first page and I cant wait for more.. i have never been disappointed by an Illona Andrews book and everything they put out is an immediate auto buy..

Amanda J 

I enjoyed this entry in the saga. Was it my favorite? no. But it wasn't bad. The next book will show whether or not it progressed the overall plot forward or not. I didn't quite follow the "monster" plot--all the whys and such, but it was enjoyable. And like always, with these authors, the fight scenes were well done.

Totally Addicted to Reading

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I had a wonderful time with this installment of the Hidden Legacy series. I have been enjoying the series from the start and so I was ecstatic at the opportunity to read Emerald Blaze. Did I have high expectations, yes without a doubt and it didn’t fail me. I enjoyed every moment spent revisiting the characters and the magical world the authors created. What a blast.

The story began on an interesting note and intensified as it progressed. The previous book ended with Alessandro leaving to pursue his quest for revenge, which left Catalina heart broken. Now he has returned to protect her from whoever wants her dead. While he is protecting her from danger, she will be safe guarding her heart.

I loved these two together. I enjoyed their passionate interactions and the non-stop action they frequently faced. Catalina has shown immense growth throughout the series. Her position as the new head of Baylor House allowed her to show her efficiency and capabilities as a leader. I loved her take charge attitude and the way she allowed no one to intimidate her. Regarding Alessandro, I had a wonderful time uncovering the mystery of who he was and learning what made him tick.

Although the characters shares a moment of passion the romance was not the focal point of the story. The authors made the main characters’ feelings for each other known, but they do not give readers a front seat view as it relates to the development of the romance. For me this was not an issue as I was too busy hanging on the edge of my seat as the characters faced danger at every turn. The magic, action and suspense were superbly woven together to create an intense and exciting read.

It was good to get answers as it relates to Nevada’s decision to abdicate her role as head of the Baylor House. The story ended on a happy note, leaving me smiling from ear to ear. The epilogue though hinted that there is more to come and I for one can’t wait to discover what next this brilliant duo has in-store for their readers.

Conclusion/Recommendation
If you are looking for an action packed, fast-paced and magical read then I highly recommend the Hidden Legacy series.
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

Lacey

4.5 stars!!! I LOVE CATALINA AND ALESSANDRO SO MUCH. Their second book was probably my most anticipated read of 2020 (especially after that ending from Sapphire Flames) and I’m so happy it didn’t disappoint. I could read about these two forever. Emerald Blaze was epic, as usual from Ilona Andrews, and I already can’t wait for the next book!

Full review to come.

esh &
Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

Reviews

Join the club

esh &Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

Reviews

Join the club

esh &
Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews