Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Catalina Baylor is a powerful prime who has always preferred to stay in the background and rigidly control her unique magic. After her recent 21st birthday, she is head of her house and responsible for the well being of her family. But when her good friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina has to decide if she is willing to help her friend and how she will play in Houston’s dangerous magical world.

Complicating her choices is the appearance of Alessandro Sagredo, her teenage crush. What does his presence mean? And, is Catalina strong enough to guard her friends, her house and her heart?

As a long time Ilona Andrews fan, I looked forward to the continuation of the Hidden Legacy series and must admit I was a bit worried that Catalina would not be able to stand on her own but would be a shadow of Nevada. Not so. In this tense magical drama, Catalina emerges as a unique character in her own right --one with her own powers, strengths, personality and problems.

As with any novel by Ilona Andrews, there is marvelous world building, wonderful beasts, great fight scenes and just enough romantic tension to smolder the pages. The story starts a new arc with interesting characters and situations that made me invested in the story and anxious to see where the authors take the characters, the romance, the story and the magic users of Houston. A very engaging read. Highly recommended for fans of Ilona Andrews. 5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So good! I am sorry I am finished because now I begin the long wait for the next one. Thank you #netgalley for letting me read and uncorrected proof early. This book picks up with Nevada visiting her in-laws and Catalina heading House Baylor. Alessandro is more than he seems and things are warped in the land of magic. Can Catalina save the world and House Baylor? What will she have to give up to save the ones she loves? This story will hold you to the very end..

I'd be lying if I didn't say my hype level for this book wasn't through the roof. The first three books of the Hidden Legacy series are some of my favorites and Catalina's keeps the bar high for great reads. We're back in Texas where the House Baylor, now headed by Catalina, is facing some growing pains. It's been a few years since the events of Wildfire so all our favorite characters are a few years older. When asked to take on a case that no one else will touch with a ten foot pool and the unexpected reappearance of the guy she's been in lust with for years the mystery take shape.

I love the continuing saga of Nevada's family, as it follows her younger sister. The writing team of Ilona Andrews never fails to entertain, and this is a great new world they've built. I look forward to the mystery they uncover and solve, and the larger overarching story they reveal. Highly recommend.

Catalina is stepping into big shoes as her sister, Nevada is no longer the leader of House Baylor. Catalina is young, with few allies and a steel core of ethics. Ethics such as staying loyal to friends and defending them at all costs. This new arc of the Hidden Legacy series starts out with a shots fired. There are multiple plots going on at the same time which keeps a reader engaged. The seductive writing of Ilona Andrews will keep a reader up late into the night and into the early dawn flipping page after page. This book is a must read.

When it comes to character growth, development and journey, Ilona Andrews excels. Catalina is starting to grow into her powers and learning the political dance. Catalina is the mild quiet sister with a deadly ability. One that a lessor person would have taken advantage of to get everything she ever wanted. Watching Catalina experience set backs and trying to grow her abilities is a treat. Even more fun is the complicated mating dance she engages with Alessandro. Alessandro is not he playboy his instagram account portrays. There is a hidden agenda for him and his existence. In this first book featuring the new love interest couple - Catalina and Alessandro, there are several secrets hinted throughout the book.

This book does call into question the grand conspiracy and its real emperor. It makes a reader question if they were right after reading the end of Nevada's trilogy arc. Could there be a sting within the conspiracy? Could it be that Nevada's paternal grandmother is not all that she seems?

Conspiracies aside, the action in this book is captivating. The fight scenes both physical and metaphysical are vivid and heart pounding. Ilona Andrews paints a vivid picture including well described scents. It is truly a feast for a reader's senses.

This beautifully written novel is highly recommended to paranormal lovers who enjoy intrigue, complicated love and rooting for the underdog.

To be honest neither Catalina or Alessandro were characters that really intrigued me in the first three Nevada books and so reading about them as MCs wasn't something I was super excited about but it's Ilona Andrews and I usually end up loving their books and characters. Once again this was proven true and I loved both Catalina and Alessandro in this book.

Once I started this ARC I could not put it down! If you haven't read the first three books in the Hidden Legacy Series I do recommend you start with book one as these books build on each other and a lot of foundation to the characters/world is set up in those books.

This book takes place 3 years after the events of Hidden Legacy and Diamond Fire. Catalina is 21 and the head of House Baylor. She suddenly has a lot of responsibility on her young shoulders and with Nevada and Rogan out of town she needs every bit of her strength, confidence and the help of family and a unexpected ally. The three year "safety time" for new houses is up and Catalina and her house must now figure out how to survive with the large and powerful houses.

Catalina unexpectedly gets drawn into a murder investigation involving the family of Runa Etterson, who is a poison mage and who made an appearance in book 3.5 Diamond Fire. She's warned to stay out of it and that her house isn't ready to play in the league needed for this investigation. But Runa helped out her family and Catalina won't turn her back on her and she's determined to get to the bottom of it and help Runa as much as she can.

Catalina really grows a lot in this book and I loved it. She goes from a shy girl who tries not to stand out to a strong woman leading her house. It doesn't happen over night and she still has some fears and confidence issues but she pushes through to do what she believes is right. I lover her growth in this book and it felt realistic. You can't help but hope that as the underdog in this fight she comes out on top. Alessandro is also a main player in this book and VERY different from what I expected from what we had seen of him previously. He is intriguing and still a bit mysterious but someone I really loved by the end of this book.

Of course we get to spend time with some beloved secondary characters including Catalina's family, Bug and even a bit of Hart and his soldiers. There is plenty of action, some twists and turns and the beginning of what I can only hope turns out to be a solid romance. But by far my favorite thing about this book was the character growth/development of Catalina and the surprising complexity of Alessandro.

I can't wait to read the next one to see what happens with all these characters.

I didn't think this series could get any better, boy was I wrong. The Baylor family are unique and the action is non-stop. This is the first in the series featuring Catalina and I am eagerly awaiting the next one. Urban fantasy at it's best. I received an Uncorrected e-proof from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

There is absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t like. As one of my coveted “me time” vacation reads, I dived in before we even crossed into the state lines of our destination, and as done before vacation really even started. I couldn’t stop. Not even to hit the bathroom at rest stop. This book was ready to be devoured from page one.

This book is fantastic. Reminiscent of the first three novels in the Hidden Legacy series following Nevada, Sapphire Flames brings us a new leading lady and an entirely new big bad knocking on her door. The story inside is heart-poundingly hot and steamy. Catalina is about to give her big sister a run for her money as my favorite Baylor family member. The story itself is off the charts exciting, and will leave readers begging and pleading for more. Speaking of which… Please Ilona… can I have some more? Like now? Today. Within an hour. The next five minutes. For the love of god, I need more.

That being said, since this was an ARC, I cannot really dive much further in the plot, the characters, the steamy intrigue, the peeks in on Nevada, and all the deviously fun that makes up Sapphire Flames. What I can say is that … YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

**Will be posted on July 31,2019 on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog**

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eArc.

If this book was good already without me even knowing what the series is about, I can only imagine how amazing the previous books are. Yes I requested this book not knowing it was part of a series and read it anyway.

Without knowing the backstory, I jumped right into the magical urban fantasy world of Primes, and the head of her House, Catalina Baylor. She is smart, funny, compassionate, and so brave. Her surrounding friends and family are memorable characters too and that alone wants me to read the other books in the series.

Also there is a seriously hot guy character named Alessandro and he’s an assassin/Italian count, what? 🔥😍 There is an attraction between Catalina and Alessandro but I’m not sure what their history is. Their relationship doesn’t overtake the story, which is nice, Catalina means business when it comes to her job and I admire that about her.

I can see why Ilona Andrews books are so popular. It has everything I enjoy in an urban fantasy novel. Smart kickass women, an intricate magic system, assassins, hot guys, friendships and tight family bonds. This book is fast paced, fun and engaging!

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews is the first book in the new arc trilogy of their fantastic Hidden Legacy series. First off, I love everything ever written by the Ilona Andrews duo (Ilona & Gordon). I have read a few early snippets of Sapphire Flames, and could not wait to read Catalina taking control of House Baylor. I loved Nevada and Rogan in the earlier books, and now after reading Sapphire Flames, I love Catalina and yes Alessandro, too; I love this family. Give me more Please.

Refresher: The Hidden Legacy series is fantasy romance, with families that have magical powers and control society, with each family having their own Prime members (high magical ability). The entire Baylor family returns, and they are all such wonderful characters; besides Catalina, there is Arabella, Mom, Grandmother, Leon, Berg, just to name a few; and we get a brief snippet of Nevada, away with Rogan on a trip.

Three years have passed after Nevada and family became a house, now called House Baylor. With Nevada married to Rogan (our heroes in the earlier books), Catalina, the middle sister has become the head of House Baylor, and she is a powerful prime, being a ‘siren’ with persuasive magic. Catalina is woken up in the middle of the night to help another house that needs her to use her magic to stop a boy from jumping to his death. The Etterson family has just lost their mother and a sister to a tragic fire, and Runa, who is a poison mage that we met in a previously, is now the head of her house. Catalina, who does save the brother, will bring them both to stay with her family, as they both are grieving, with no remaining family members left. Catalina will take their case, as there are suspicions about the death, and in a short time, the supposed deceased sister is alive, but missing. Other Prime houses have approached Catalina to not take this case, but she refuses to abandon Runa. One of those is Alessandro Sagredo, a powerful Prime, whom Catalina always had a crush on him when she was a teenager.

What follows is an exciting, nonstop action with Alessandro pushing himself to help Catalina, and together they find themselves in many life-threatening situations. The truth begins to unravel with extremely powerful enemies that seem unbeatable, despite Catalina and Alessandro own powers, and even with the help of another powerful Prime, things look bleak. This was an amazing edge of your seat story line that kept us glued to each page.

As I have said before, I love the Baylor family. Nevada was one of my favorites and now Catalina rises up to take over as family head, and she too is awesome. Her fantastic, somewhat crazy family steps up to help Catalina, and it’s just fun being around them. As for Alessandro, ‘whew’, he was not only hot, but oh so good with Catalina. Though you can see how each felt about each other, there was no real romance… yet. We will see this in future books. Can’t wait.

Sapphire Flames was an awesome start to this new arc featuring Catalina, who was fantastic. She is learning more about her powers, and at the same time, coming out of her vulnerability and gaining confidence. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin it for you. If you have read the Hidden Legacy series, you need to read Sapphire Flames to enjoy every moment. If you have not started this series, please go back and start at Burn for Me and meet our illustrious heroes that started it all, Nevada and Rogan.

4.5 Stars!!

“Sometimes when you search the night, you’ll find monsters in the dark.”

Having read only one author book by this author, Ilona Andrews is still a pretty new author to me. But, if Sapphire Flames is any indication of this author’s writing style, then they have made a fan out of me for life!

While Sapphire Flames is technically the fourth book in The Hidden Legacy Series, it kicks off the start of a brand new trilogy featuring Catalina & Alessandro. As far as whether or not I think you need the other books in this series to understand this one, I’m going to go with no. I think you would be ok with starting with this one. I didn’t feel lost at all, but then again, that might just be me.

Let’s get to Sapphire Flames! Well, I absolutely loved it! This story hit the ground running and there was never a dull moment. I was sucked into Catalina and Alessandro’s story instantly. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and never wanted to put it down. This book had it all. It had a strong lead heroine and a hero that held an air of mystery about him, yet his actions left you swooning. The banter between these two was top notch. Now, let me just say, this story is not heavy on the romance at all. Yes, there is some tension and definitely some swoon-worthy moments, but this story was not centered around the romance. Instead, it was centered around the mystery that needed to be solved and family.

Sapphire Flames was action packed and totally thrilling. I loved getting to know the main and side characters. I thought the plot was fantastic and totally original. I thought the world building was creative and imaginative. I loved the fantasy and magical elements. The pacing of the story kept my eyes glued to the pages right until the heart-pounding ending. Speaking of endings, this one will totally leave you dying for more!! All in all, a terrific start to this new trilogy. I had a fantastic time diving into this novel and absolutely loved the characters. I’m thrilled to have discovered this author and look forward to seeing where Catalina and Alessandro’s story will take us next!

Short but fun and sweet to read! I enjoyed this one. Plot had a few holes but nevertheless a win. A favrite author of mine indeed!

I've been a BIG fan of Ilona Andrews for years. They started solidly in Urban Fantasy, and the Hidden Legacy series is still mostly in that genre, with strong romantic elements. The original trilogy featuring Nevada Baylor ended with Wildfire, with the novella Diamond Fire acting as a bridge between that trilogy and this book. If you haven't read any of the previous books, I think you could enjoy this one, but there is a distinct chronology, and you'll definitely get more out of it if you've read the other books.

Unlike the previous trilogy, this one is told from Catalina's POV, which is a bit jarring at first if you're used to Nevada. Quite a lot has happened in the three years since Wildfire. Nevada is no longer Head of House Baylor. Catalina has taken over that role, which is a bit of a struggle for her. Rogan's mother has taken her under her wing, and helped train her...which is a good thing for someone whose magic is not combat oriented. She's also primarily responsible for running Baylor Investigations, and it's that role that once again gets her, and her family, into trouble when an old acquaintance asks her for help.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because while we hear from Catalina in other books, it's usually only in contrast to the rest of her family. Her magic is used twice, both with big groups, but we get to see her fully embrace a wider range of uses for those powers here. And she's not the peacemaker she seems like when she was younger: she knows how to fight.

Without spoiling anything, I did enjoy the twists that involve Alessandro and Linus Duncan. They leveled up the complexity of the world, and I think it fits with both Catalina's personality as well as what would naturally occur as the Baylor family explores what it really means to be a House in truth.

The ending is not tied up in the neat way we like in the romance genre, so in that way it is very similar to how Burn for Me ended. The immediate problem is solved, but there are threads to explore in future books.

I really loved this one, and now must wait FOREVER for book 2. I highly recommend this, but urge readers to pick up the previous series, or at least the novella, before reading this one.

*Scheduled to post on buriedbybooks.com on publication date

Gah!! I absolutely loveeee the Hidden Legacy series and could not get enough of the first three books with Nevada and Rogan's story. Now it is Catalina's turn and I was so here for her story with Allesandro!! They were sexy and delicious and so great together! What a wonderful start to a new series!

Allesandro and Catalina were on fire! I have become a fan of this fantasy/magic series since the beginning and knew that Catalina as a Prime would be formidable as heck! I loved the added mystery element and her sizzling connection with Alessandro. I seriously cannot wait for more!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review! 4 stars! ~Ratula  

Full Review: http://bit.ly/2M7QBGc

This book could easily be the next epic fantasy movie. This book will appeal to readers of a Song of Fire and Ice, the Dragon Lance Chronicles and the Dragon Riders of Pern.
This book has female lead characters, who show a full range of both vulnerability and strength in situations where the stereo-typical female is written to fall upon the direction and follow the lead of males.
Ilona has a great literary voice and her characters speak like "real people".

When an author writes a spin-off series, there's always this fine balance of keeping the original tone and voice, while at the same time, bringing something new and fresh to the table. Ilona Andrews does an excellent job with walking that line.

In the novella that sort of bridged the gap and connected the first Hidden Legacy trilogy to this new one, I wasn't sure how Catalina would be as a narrator. Would she be too young? Well, never fear! It's been 3 years since that novella, and Catalina is 21 years old, and now the head Prime of House Baylor.

Augustine has arrived in the middle of the night and is asking a favor. Catalina knows she can't say no to this, and realizes almost instantly that she's in over her head.

While she's handling what should be a simple interview, things go sideways and fast. Rushing after someone, her teenage crush Alessandro Sagredo shows up out of the blue and sends her spinning. If you have read the previous books, you'll know all about Alessandro. If you're new, you just need to know that he's famous for being a handsome, rich, powerful Prime. His Instagram says he's in Hawaii, so Catalina is shocked he's here, telling her to keep her nose out of everything.

Maybe there's more to Alessandro than his Instagram posts show? (spoiler: there is)

In order to keep this book from being Nevada 2.0, some things had to find a new direction, right? Well, there's a specific scene, a certain twist, that will send this series somewhere new. I can't wait to see how this is handled, and where it takes us.

There is more to this case she's signed them up for, and there's a lot going on behind the scenes too. No detail is missed, even down to how their own private security team is handling everything. This book is dynamite! I don't know how they were able to include so many seemingly small details, or events, and still make them all work so fluidly.

The voice and style have stayed the same, but what they did was nail the feelings of a 21 one year old narrator, they have the same vibe, but it never once feels like Nevada with a new name slapped onto it, or like Kate Daniels but in a different world. This writing team is amazing!

With a freshness and new direction, this book takes the reader somewhere different than the first trilogy, and I can't wait to see where the authors take us next.

**ARC courtesy of the publisher Avon Books via Netgalley

Don't look for a HEA here but do look for an exciting story. One of the lead characters has a mystery in his past and we do not find out what it is in this book. A bit more world building and more back story to add to this exciting series.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While this novel is well written and the author well known for her fantasy/romance novels, I was not impressed by this story. Lots of world building and action but I felt no connection to the heroine who has the power to seduce. I felt like I was jumping into the middle of a series rather than the beginning. the plot was fast paced and little interaction between the main characters. Could just be me but I drive on the depth of character building and genuine relationships even in paranormal romances.

I have this pre-ordered, but when I saw it on NetGalley I jumped on the e-ARC because I didn't want to wait, but my feelings are a little more mixed than I expected.

I love this universe. I think there are too many powers and some are dumb and don't make sense, but it's a cool conceit. I even liked the narrator change - Catalina is interesting and different from a lot of typical heroines because she is uncomfortable and insecure, but she knows she has to step up so she does. But I struggled with the romance. Andrews tells us over and over how attractive Alessandro is, but there are lots of attractive people in the world and the connection between him and Catalina didn't feel strong or real to me, especially since it becomes clear that she knows nothing about him. I also struggled with the time jump. The reasons for exiling Nevada from the business didn't strike me as particularly believable or in-character - it seemed like she had a stronger survival instinct than that - and maybe I would've understood better if there hadn't been a time jump.

Still, I liked the plot and the family is fun and I definitely want to know what happens!

For many years I have heard of Llona Andrews books have tried one or two other series but were not for me. Was speaking to friend of mine who recommend this series. I decided to give it a try after reading the blur I am so glad i did. I loved this book and this family for the first chapter i was sucked in and the world building was so well done that I was not lost coming in late to the series. I did go back and read all the other books in the series. I loved the main couple and also the other family member that joined the story.