ARC Review: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Sapphire Flames
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Hidden Legacy (Book 4)
Publication: Avon (August 27, 2019)

Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

My Thoughts: Catalina Baylor is doing a good job as the head of House Baylor. She's a Prime with a unique and very strong talent. But House Baylor is small and just coming out of their three years of protected status. She really shouldn't get involved with Runa Etterson and the case she brings. She is first brought in when Runa's fifteen-year-old brother Ragnar is threatening to jump off a hospital roof. Catalina uses her power of beguilement to coax him off the edge and then has to bring him home with her to remove the magic she used.

Runa has a major problem. Her mother and sister died in a fire and she is sure they were murdered. She wants to hire Catalina's investigation agency to find out the truth. She's already been turned down by the Head of House Montgomery who runs a much larger investigative agency. Catalina feels that she owes Runa a debt because Runa prevented the whole wedding party at Catalina's sister Nevada's wedding from being poisoned. She also sympathizes with someone who has lost her family is such a tragic way.

But the investigation gets complicated fast as Catalina learns about Runa's mother's past and someone would very much like the Baylors dead before they uncover more secrets. Fortunately, Catalina has a dubious sort of guardian angel in the person of Alessandro Sagredo who happens to be Catalina's long-time crush. He's a Prime; he's beautiful; he's a playboy; and he's way out of her league. At least that is what she thinks. But Alessandro is a man with a bunch of secrets of his own and he isn't at all what Catalina expected.

I loved the banter between Catalina and Alessandro. I loved that way they are very tentatively building a romance. The story was filled with all sorts of magic and magical creatures. It was filled with the politics that governs the Houses. The story was fast-paced and filled with action. My only complaint is that it is apparently the first book in a trilogy and leaves the romance and Alessandro's secrets as threads that are left dangling.

Favorite Quote:

My brain did that thing again, the one where I lost all ability to reason and form complete sentences. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.