Review: Sweep of the Blade - Ilona Andrews

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 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.

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
As much as I love Dina and enjoy spending time at the Inn I'm really happy that we got a book about Maud and Arland. It was great to see more of the vampire culture and visit Arland's home planet but what I really enjoyed was seeing Maud find a place for herself with Arland's family - not just because Arland loves her but because they could see what an asset she is on her own merit!

Maud is very different to her sister, they both grew up in Inns so have a broad knowledge of the universe and all the different species that live in it, but Maud spent years living with vampires and in a lot of ways she's more vampire than human in her outlook on life. After everything that happened with Melizard she's wary of getting involved with Arland, she wants Helen to be happy and knows that she'd have a fuller life on Arland's home world, and more importantly than anything she loves Arland, but she's terrified of having her life ripped out from under her again. She wants to have her own place in society, one that doesn't depend on Arland where she's respected for her own abilities and she's determined to prove her worth to his family.

I loved how brave Maud is to fight for what she wanted and I really appreciated how patient Arland was, he never tried to push her further than she was willing to go and although he'd made up his mind about wanting to marry her he was happy to wait until she was ready for a relationship. I love the two of them together and when you throw adorable Helen into the mix they're just the cutest little family unit.

I've already read this story three times, first when it was being serialised on Ilona Andrews' blog, again when it had been finished so I could binge it in one sitting, and for the third time when the published version hit my kindle. I have to admit I was hoping we might have a little more heat added to the finished version but I just loved everything about this story. It's full of action, lots of humour, a sweet romance and a battle with space pirates. What more could I ask for? Oh and the ending left me desperate for the next instalment too. Interesting things are afoot in the Innkeeper universe and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 - Ilona Andrews

Dust jacket and interior illustrations by Doris Mantair.

Subterranean Press is pleased to present, from NYT #1 bestselling author Ilona Andrews, an omnibus of the first three novels in the Innkeeper series. Our edition will be huge (over 760 pages), with an original full-color wraparound dust jacket, as well as full-color and black-and-white interior illustrations by Doris Mantair.

About the Book:
Meet Dina Demille, a nice Texas gal who runs a seemingly ordinary, quaint B&B. But Dina’s inn is a magic, thinking entity; her fluffy Shih-tzu, Beast really is a beast; and her guests are the kind that no one on earth is supposed to know about: guests like a dethroned galactic tyrant with a massive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced—and superhot—alpha-strain werewolf.

So don’t expect a normal stay…and don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage….

In Clean Sweep, Dina—with the unwanted assistance of newcomer (and alpha werewolf) Sean Evans and Arland, a cosmic vampire soldier—takes on an extraterrestrial killing machine that could destroy her Inn, her neighbors, and everything she holds dear.

Sweep in Peace, finds Dina hosting an anything-but peace summit between three warring intergalactic species; Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char.

One Fell Sweep sends Dina to the galaxy’s worst penal colony to rescue her sister; and back home to fend off a clan of assassins in pursuit, all while saving a guest’s civilization from annihilation…and searching for her missing parents.

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
The Innkeeper Chronicles is a series that Ilona and Gordon Andrews initially posted on their blog as a free serial then, when each story is complete, it is fully edited, additional material may be added and it is released as a self published book. Subterranean Press has since released this beautiful, limited edition, signed hardback containing the first three books in the series: Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace and One Fell Sweep. At around 760 pages this is a massive hardback full of gorgeous illustrations from Doris Mantair (in both colour as well as black and white) that make it a fantastic collectors item.

As a huge fan of this series I immediately preordered my copy of this hardback as soon as it went on sale and I love finally having a signed book by Ilona and Gordon in my collection! I love all of their books but I think the Innkeeper Chronicles is possibly their most creative series yet. The idea of the Innkeepers is just brilliant and I love Dina and the family she has created for herself. I expect most people looking at this hardback will already be fans of the series and I can confirm you won't regret making this purchase. If you're new to the series you can also buy each story individually but you really should snap this up while copies are still available, there are only 750 of them available and once they're gone they're gone forever.

The photos below show you the gorgeous illustrations you'll find inside the book, I think most of these have already been shared on Ilona and Gordon's blog and in the previously published versions of the books but it was great to see them again and I particularly loved the glossy colour images. It's great to see the characters brought to life.

Colour Illustrations

Black and White Illustrations

Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review but I've also purchased my own finished copy because I love it so much I need it on my shelves!

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Limited Edition Hardback:

Review: One Fell Sweep - Ilona Andrews

Dina DeMille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to a very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage.

But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family to a planet that functions as the most lawless penal colony since Botany Bay. Then she agrees to help a guest whose last chance at saving his civilization could bring death and disaster to all Dina holds dear. Now Gertrude Hunt is under siege by a clan of assassins. To keep her guests safe and to find her missing parents, Dina will risk everything, even if she has to pay the ultimate price. Though Sean may have something to say about that!

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
This series just gets better and better, I love reading along with the weekly instalments as they're published on Ilona Andrews' website but what I love even more is getting my hands on the final version and seeing how much extra depth has been added to the story and the relationships between the characters.

Dina and Gertrude Hunt are building a reputation of being able to deal with difficult guests and, thanks to the meddling of a certain Arbitrator, they are now facing their most impossible challenge yet. The future of an entire race rest on Dina's shoulders as the Hiru come to her with a very important request and when she finds out how they have been persecuted she has to help them. It puts the inn at risk of exposure though because the Hiru's enemies will do anything to destroy them. I love that Dina is always willing to fight for the underdog and I'm really enjoying learning more about the Innkeeper's abilities. Just when you think you know everything she can do Ilona and Gordon throw in new twists to keep you on your toes. They really are the most creative authors out there!

While we're on the subject of Dina I want to talk about how much I love the relationship between her and Sean. It's been a lovely slow build relationship and I missed him a lot in the last book but they make real progress in One Fell Sweep. There are some important heart-to-heart discussions that melted my heart a bit and for anyone who was a little disappointed with the fade-to-black sex scene in the online version you'll be glad to know that it was much more in depth in the final published version now that no young eyes can stumble across it on their webpage.

I have always been team Sean when it comes to Dina but I also love Arland so I was very happy that he has a pretty large role in this book too. We finally get to meet some of Dina's family when they travel to a vampire planet to rescue Maud and her young daughter Helen and it looks like Arland has a new sister to crush on. Maud is an excellent character, she's very vampire in her thinking and her fighting skills have Arland completely enthralled. It was Helen that stole the show though, she is utterly adorable in a rather bloodthirsty way but what else would you expect from a half-vampire who was raised by two warrior parents?

Of course we still have all the much loved core cast of the series, Caldenia never fails to make me laugh with her acerbic comments, Orro makes me constantly hungry by talking about his delicious creations, Beast is just a little bundle of cuteness when she's not getting ready to eat Dina's enemies and Gertrude Hunt is definitely a character in it's own right even though it isn't able to communicate with anyone apart from Dina. We get a few hints about Dina and Maud's brother Klaus has been up to and a very big clue about where they can find more information about their parents too so I'm eagerly waiting for the Andrews to start on the next instalment.

Reading the weekly online version is a unique kind of torture as you have to impatiently wait for each new chapter but the interaction between fans and with the authors make it such a fun experience. Even if you read it online I would still highly recommend buying the finished version too, there are so many little extra details added and they really turn the story from amazing into phenomenal. I'm looking forward to many more adventures with Dina and her friends.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review but I've also purchased my own finished copy because I love it so much I need it on my shelves!

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Sweep in Peace - Ilona Andrews

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn...and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper . . .

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
It's no secret that I'm a total fangirl when it comes to Ilona and Gordon Andrews, in fact I've probably said that at the beginning of nearly all my reviews of their books, and I'm completely addicted to their Inkeeper Chronicles. I love the way these stories are initially posted in free instalments for fans to read online, we get to comment on the story as it's written and I think the feedback received possibly helps take the stories in slightly different directions to where they could have gone if they were written in the traditional way. As much as I love following that process it's a unique kind of torture having these amazing stories dolled out in tiny pieces over such a long time period so I was desperate to get my hands on a final, finished copy so I could read it from start to end in one sitting.

So, I've read Sweep in Peace twice now and I absolutely devoured it this time around. The series is just getting better and better and I adore Dina and the other characters. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review will already have read Clean Sweep so I'm not going to give you background information on Gertrude Hunt or Innkeepers in general - I'd rather focus on this story and what's so fantastic about it. I'm loving learning more about Dina's family (I still have high hopes that we'll meet her siblings one day and I desperately want to see her solve the mystery surrounding her missing parents!) and also about Innkeeper abilities. Dina is basically master of the universe when she's inside Gertrude Hunt, what she says goes and I love seeing her lay down the law when she needs to. Most of the time Dina bends over backwards to make sure her guests have everything they could possibly need but anyone who pushes her too far should be very, very careful because payback will be a bitch!

Long term inn resident Caldenia is fantastic, she's like a sweet old lady one minute but then she'll be creepy as hell the next and I love how unpredictable she is. Beast is her usual cute and charming self but she's also very quick to defend Dina and her territory when needed. Then we have a new (hopefully permenant) cast member Orro, a fabulous but disgraced chef who looks set to keep Dina on her toes but I'm sure his wonderful food will make it worth the effort. I'm going to admit I was disappointed that we didn't see more of Sean in this instalment, I have such high hopes for him and Dina so I was hoping for a little more romance BUT I actually think the development of his character was spot on and although he wasn't around as much as I'd have liked I'm very hopeful that's going to change in the next book.

Now let's talk about Dina's latest guests. Anyone who has already read the Edge series are going to be thrilled to spot some familiar faces and I have to admit to some very excited happy dancing when George first makes an appearance! I loved the younger generation of characters in the Edge books and it was so much fun to see the fully grown up and now out in the world living their own lives. I really hope that we'll see more of them in the future, either as guests in the Innkeeper Chronicles or perhaps in a spin off series of their own - I think George's new job gives plenty of scope for at least a couple of books but I'm not sure Dina will be so keen on having him as a guest again any time in the near future!

Dina finds herself facing the challenge of a lifetime when George approaches her asking if she'll host a peace summit at Gertrude Hunt. George is working as an Arbitrator and it is up to him to bring peace to a war torn planet. Unfortunately that means meeting the demands of all three interested parties, each of whom has their own unique customs and requirements. War has been waging on Nexus for twenty years with much bloodshed and loss on all sides but most people are more keen on avenging their dead than they are on bringing about an end to the fighting. It's George's job to find a solution but it'll be up to Dina to keep all three groups separate and prevent anyone killing each other during the talks.

As great as it was to see George (and a few other character's who I'm not going to name drop because it'll be more fun for readers to get a surprise) I have to admit I was surprised at how ruthless and calculating he has become. He was always intelligent but he proves here that he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals even if it does mean he ends up making himself a few enemies along the way. I actually kind of admired him for doing what had to be done but there were more than a few times I wanted to punch him in the face, particularly for the way he used Dina and put her at risk by withholding information from her. He's definitely turned into a very complex character and I have to believe we've not seen the last of him or his allies.

Sweep In Peace is wonderful, it has everything you could hope for from a book by Team Andrews - great humour, quirky but realistic characters and a well thought out world full of unique and unusual creatures, customs and history. Now Ilona and Gordon please, please bring on the torturous release of book three, in tiny bite sized portions that will have me desperately begging for more and stalking your website on a daily basis! I can't wait :o)

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review but I've also purchased my own finished copy because I love it so much I need it on my shelves!

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Steel's Edge - Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale - and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny . . .

Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has been filled with nothing but pain. After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself. But when Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, Charlotte's life is turned upside down once again.

Richard is a swordsman without peer, the future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan - and he's on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird. So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them. The slavers' operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, he and Charlotte may not survive . . .

The Edge Series:
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Inkeeper Chronicles:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I have absolutely loved reading the Edge books and I'm actually kind of gutted that Steel's Edge was the last one but if you're going to end a series then what better way to end than with a high like this! These books grabbed my attention from the beginning but they really did get better and better and Steel's Edge was probably my favourite. Any time I pick up a book by Team Andrews I know I'm going to love it, they excel at kick butt heroines, fantastic character development, relationships with depth to them and of course off the charts action and you'll get all that and spades in this book.

When healer Charlotte gets her heart broken she decides to leave her life in the Weird behind her and she goes to the edge looking to start afresh. Life may be very different now but she's made a home for herself and enjoys using her healing abilities to help the locals, it's not easy to earn the trust of the edgers but she's made some very good friends and she's happy with her lot in life. All until one terrible day when a badly injured man is brought to her door, Charlotte is determined to save his life but his enemies aren't far behind him and suddenly she finds herself in the centre of a battle that could destroy everything she's worked so hard to build for herself. Now that Charlotte is involved she isn't going to sit back and meekly let her enemies get away with it so she sets out to rescue Richard and to claim her revenge.

As someone with incredible healing powers you wouldn't necessarily expect Charlotte to be a fighter but she's actually one of the most deadly heroines we've met in the series so far. She has a darkness inside her that she's constantly fighting but when her buttons are pushed she will push back hard. Imagine someone who has the ability to cure illnesses, now imagine that she knows exactly how the body works and that she can reverse her ability to actually make someone sick. Imagine the plague she could bring down on the heads of the people who have wronged her. Yes, Charlotte isn't someone you want to be on the bad side of and I loved how capable she is. She is actually a perfect match for Richard, they're both incredibly noble and always try to do the right thing, they protect the people they care about and their own safety is the last thing they think of. When Charlotte finds out more about the gang of human traffickers that Richard has been trying to take down she knows she has to do something to help him no matter what it costs her.

Steel's Edge is darker than the previous books, Charlotte and Richard are about to unleash a whole world of hurt on their enemies and I loved every minute of it. You'll still find the humour you'd expect from Ilona Andrews but there are also a lot of battles and a fair amount of blood and gore. These characters are fabulous, they have such depth to them that you'll feel like you met real, living people by the time you've finished the book. They're both messed up in different ways but they compliment each other perfectly and where one is weaker the other compensates for it. I loved seeing them work together and I really enjoyed the developing romance, here are two people who have spent their whole lives doing right by others and it was about time that they took something for themselves. It was great to catch up with some of the previous characters too and I just loved the whole story from beginning to end. I'm really happy that some characters from these books are now starting to appear in the Innkeeper's Chronicles which is another excellent series from this husband and wife team and I'm definitely going to continue auto-buying anything that they write in the future.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Fate's Edge - Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale - and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny . . .

Born into a family of con men, Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge for an unmagical existence in the Broken. Audrey is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, but when her brother gets into hot water, she takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack-of-all-trades.

Kaldar Mar is a gambler, a lawyer, a thief, and a spy with some unusual talents that guarantee him lucrative work. His latest assignment has him tracking down a stolen item, and Kaldar doesn't expect much of a challenge - until Audrey turns up to give him a run for his money.

But when the missing object falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realises that in order to finish the job and survive, he's going to need Audrey's help . . .

The Edge Series:
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Inkeeper Chronicles:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I know I've said it before but I think it's worth repeating - Ilona and Gordon Andrews can do no wrong! Seriously, this writing duo could put their shopping list in a book and I would buy it and devour every page. I still can't believe that this is my first time reading their Edge series but I can guarantee it won't be the last, I'm actually already contemplating when I can fit in my first reread and I've not even read the final book yet. These books just get better and better and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I loved Kaldar in the last book so I was excited to find out this was his story, he's just the kind of guy it would be a blast spending time with and I couldn't wait to get to know him better. I love his sense of humour, I love his cheeky side, I love the way he's always bending the rules but most of all I love his sense of loyalty towards his family. Kaldar is a cheat and a conman but if you've earned his friendship he would never betray you. A guy like Kaldar needs a special woman and that's just what he gets with Audrey. She matches him every step of the way, raised in a family of conmen Audrey knows all the tricks of the trade and she has Kaldar's card marked. She often knows what he's thinking before he does and she's quick witted enough to take any cue he throws her way on a job. The two of them spark off each other brilliantly, the sexual tension is intense and boy does it explode when they finally give into temptation. Audrey is a loner who has never had a family she could rely on, she's been betrayed by the people who should have protected her so she doesn't give her trust easily and I loved seeing Kaldar and the others worm their way through her defences.

I have to give a shout out to the side characters in this story too, not only do we have an awesome animal sidekick Ling the Merciless but we also get to catch up with the previous couples which was great. More importantly than that both Jack and George (who I missed desperately in the last book) have major roles to play in this story along with Kaldar's cousin Gaston. I just love those boys so much, they have me laughing out loud most of the time but they make my heart melt too. In fact, I would happily adopt them if I didn't think their big sister would kill me for trying to take them away. I would absolutely love to read full length novels about them both so I really hope Ilona and Gordon decide to revisit their characters in the future.

Fate's Edge is pretty much non stop action, there is a lot going on and danger around every corner and I didn't want to put the book down for a second. The romance is perfect, there is just the right mix of humour and edge of your seat drama and I love the fact that the women are just as kick arse as the men. None of the females in this series have needed a man to rescue them, in fact they're just as likely to be the ones doing the rescuing, which is something I absolutely adore. I can't wait to dive into Steel's Edge but at the same time I'm kind of sad to know that the series will be over soon. The books will definitely be living on my keeper shelf though and I'll be recommending them to everyone I know.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale - and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny . . .

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swath of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan's long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge - and Cerise's life. William, a changeling soldier who'd left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation's spymaster.

When William's and Cerise's missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly - but they'll have to work together if they want to succeed . . . and survive.

The Edge Series:
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Inkeeper Chronicles:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I'm a total Kate Daniels fan girl but for some reason it's taken me a long time to get around to reading Ilona & Gordon Andrews' Edge series. I have no excuses for why that is and the only reason I'm glad I waited is that the entire series is already in my hands just waiting for me to finish devouring it. I expect this review is going to turn into gushing fan girl praise of this couple and their writing, they always create such brilliant and interesting worlds and they populate them with the best characters too. They excel at writing strong female heroines who are capable of kicking arse and standing on their own two feet, and I don't think I've come across one of their heroes who hasn't made me swoon.

We were introduced to William in On the Edge so I was already half in love with his character, he's just such a sweet guy and learning about his upbringing was heartbreaking. He's never had a family of his own or much of a childhood even and it wasn't until he met Rose and her brothers that he realised what he had been missing. William dreams of having a family but he doesn't feel it is something he deserves or that he'll ever be able to have so he tries to put a brave face on things and lock that dream away. William meets Cerise when he is sent on a mission for the Mirror, he is on the hunt for an old enemy and determined to make him pay for the crimes he has committed but it looks like Cerise and her family may hold the key to finding him.

Cerise and her family are just trying to survive, we've already seen how difficult life is in the Edge but for the Mars it is worse than normal. They come from an old Edge family and have a large amount of land but they have a lot of mouths to feed and very little in the way of income. Cerise has taken on the burden of trying to look after her family since her parents disappeared but it isn't easy and things are made even harder by an ongoing feud they have with another local family. Cerise is struggling to keep their heads above water but she's determined and there is no way she's going to give up without a fight so her enemies better watch out.

I loved the romance between Cerise and William, this series is far more focused on the action and the world building than the romance which is something I love about it but I still enjoyed the slow burn between them and the way they gradually come to trust in each other. Both have reasons to be wary but their temporary alliance soon becomes something much more important. I can't believe I haven't even mentioned Cerise's family yet! Another thing the Andrews' excel at is creating eccentric family members and really strong family dynamics. We are introduced to some great secondary characters here and I wanted to spend more time with all of them which just shows how much fun they are.

Bayou Moon is full of action, we get to learn a lot more about the world than we did in the first book and we find out more about the Weird politics and how that effects the Edgers. I was hoping that Rose and Declan would make more of an appearance in this story but we do get to catch up with them towards the end and it was nice to see how they, along with Jack and George, are getting on. This series is fast becoming another favourite of mine and I can't wait to see what happens in Kaldar's story.

Source: Purchased

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Review: On the Edge - Ilona Andrews

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between two worlds: on one side lies the Broken, a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale; on the other is the Weird, a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny. Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel between the worlds - but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought that if she practised her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn't turn out the way she'd planned, and now she works an off-the-books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life determined to have Rose (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge - a flood of creatures hungry for magic - Declan and Rose must overcome their differences and work together to destroy them, or the beasts will devour the Edge and everyone in it . . .

The Edge Series:
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Inkeeper Chronicles:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Ilona & Gordon Andrews, their Kate Daniels series is one of my all time favourites and I loved Burn for Me too so I decided it was high time for me to start working my way through their back list. I'd heard a lot of great things about the Edge books so I had high expectations but once again these authors have managed to blow me away with On the Edge.

I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book - I loved the world, I loved the characters, I enjoyed the heck out of the plot and I swooned more than a little over the romance. Rose lives in the Edge, a world between two worlds - the Broken which is basically the same as our world and a place where magic no longer exists and the Weird which is a magical place full of dangerous creatures and ruled by the blueblood nobility. The Edgers are stuck between the two very different cultures but never quite able to fit into either of them and Rose has it harder than most. After her mother's death and her father's abandonment Rose has been left raising her two younger brothers, Jack and George, and she struggles to make ends meet. She is grateful to have her grandmother there to help with babysitting but she refuses to be a burden and takes responsibility for earning the money they need to survive.

Rose is such a fantastic character, she is the kind of girl you can easily picture yourself being friends with - smart, witty, independent, caring and loyal. She is also more than capable of protecting herself and her family and you do not want to get on her bad side. I loved the relationship Rose has with her family, in fact family dynamics is something that Ilona Andrews always excels at, their grandmother is hilarious and wise and the two boys are just so adorably cute that I wanted to pull them out of the book and adopt them. I could write pages about why Jack and George are so fantastic but I'd rather let you have the fun of meeting them all for yourselves so you're going to have to read the book if you're curious.

Declan is an arrogant ass, there are no two ways about it, in fact there were times I could happily have punched him in the face but you know what? He's a loveable ass and I couldn't resist him! He's my favourite kind of brooding, secretive hero who you just know has a secret agenda and you're never quite sure what he's really up to but you can still tell his heart is in the right place. The relationship between him and Rose is combustible, they are able to wind each other up in seconds but at the same time you can feel the chemistry between them and you're left just screaming at the book begging for them to give into it. Rose makes assumptions about Declan and to be honest I can't blame her for that so I did find myself a little irritated at Declan for the way he played up to her expectations but when we learn the reasons for the secrets he keeps I found it fairly easy to forgive him. I think one of the things that really convinced me he was a great guy was the way he interacted with Jack and George, he went out of his way to reassure them and I loved seeing them all together as a kind of adopted family unit.

I haven't said much about the plot but since this review is already quite long I'm not going to go into much depth now either. What I will say is that the story is fast paced and completely grips you from the very beginning and it's the kind of story you never want to end. I was kind of sad when I found out each book in the series is about a different couple until I realised that the second book, Bayou Moon, is William's story and now I'm just desperate to start reading it. I'm so relieved that I already own the entire series because I'm definitely feeling a binge read coming on.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Clean Sweep - Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is . . . different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night . . . Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Innkeeper Chronicles:
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

The Edge Series:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
Clean Sweep was originally published as a free serialised novel on the Ilona Andrews website, I hated the idea of having to wait between instalments so I decided to hold off until the story was complete before reading it. When the authors were looking for beta readers to help edit the story before it was published I jumped at the chance of helping and I feel it's only fair to point that out even though I've tried very hard not to let that effect the way my review has been written. If you look closely you'll spot my name in the acknowledgements but even though I received a free ebook from the author I loved it so much that I also purchased a print copy to sit on my bookshelves.

Part of the Clean Sweep Acknowledgements

Anyway, to get back to my review I have to tell you that I'm a huge fan of Ilona Andrews and their Kate Daniels series, they have become an auto buy author for me and Clean Sweep just helped to confirm the reason for that. They really do create such fantastic and unique worlds and I adore all of their characters, the fact that they treat us to strong heroines and alpha heroes who respect women and never step over the line into a-hole territory just seals the deal.

This story may have vampires and werewolves but it's far from your normal paranormal affair and you will also be treated to alien worlds and unusual races - the scope for future adventures in this world is just astounding! Dina is an Innkeeper, part of a magical race who offers safe haven to intergalactic travellers who are visiting foreign realms. She has an almost symbiotic relationship with the Inn she runs, the house protects her and she is able to draw from it's strength but without her keeping the Inn would wither away and die. Innkeepers have a duty of care to their guests and will do anything in their power to keep them safe but they are supposed to remain neutral when it comes to anything outside of their territory. Dina finds herself unable to sit back and do nothing when something starts attacking people in her neighbourhood though and she soon finds herself in a whole heap of trouble.

I don't want to say too much about Dina's relationship with the Inn so I'm just going to say I loved it, the Inn is almost like an additional character in the story and I really enjoyed getting to see how they were able to work together against their enemies. Dina has certain abilities on her own but she is stronger by far when she is in her own territory and has the Inn's power to back her up. She really is a great main character, someone who is honourable and determined to do the right thing even if it puts her life at risk, in fact Dina is the kind of person you'd want at your back if you were in trouble. There has been tragedy in her past but that has just made her all the more determined to make a success of her Inn and to build a legacy that she can be proud of.

The romance takes a back seat in this story which is a good thing because the authors spend more time focusing on their world building and introducing the characters but we are treated to a couple of alpha hotties who I'm looking forward to getting to know better. Normally even a hint of a love triangle would have me running in the opposite direction but I'm glad to say that isn't the case here and I'm actually really intrigued by both of the potential love interests. First you have Sean, an alpha werewolf who knows very little about the supernatural world and where he came from, he has his eyes opened in a big way but although it comes as quite a shock he takes most things in his stride. The scenes between him and Dina had me laughing out loud on several occasions and I loved seeing her put him in his place rather than going stupid around him just because he's a sexy man. They have great chemistry and I want to see them spending more time together as the series continues.

Alpha werewolf Sean

The other guy Arland is a vampire from a powerful family, he is noble and proud but very respectful when it comes to Dina. He understands her abilities so knows just what she is capable of but he still wants to help keep her safe. Both guys are protective and they can be quite growly towards each other but Dina won't accept any of their crap and she is more than capable of standing up to them. We don't get to know Arland quite as well but there are some great scenes with him and I found myself really liking him too. I'm not going to say who I think Dina will end up with because although I have picked a team I don't think it would take a lot to make me switch sides!

Vampire Arland

I could go on and on about the things I loved about this book but I really think you should just read it for yourself rather than have me spoil it for you. The special edition print version contains beautiful images of the main characters (these could only be improved if they were in colour) and I believe these illustrations are included in the ebook too. I'm excited that this is the first book in a new series and any new books will automatically go to the top of my to buy list the second they are released! If you're looking for a new urban fantasy series that is unique and memorable then Clean Sweep is a must read, as is anything else Ilona Andrews has ever written!

Source: I received an ebook of this from the author in exchange for an honest review but I have also purchased my own print copy

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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