Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

 

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I enjoyed this book. This was a re-read for me and I had a lot of fun re-visiting this book since I know what will happen to these wonderful characters as the series moves forward. I do remember being slightly disappointed when this book was first published simply because I wanted another book featuring Kate and Curran and I got Andrea instead. I ended up loving the book though. 

Andrea and Kate are best friends so their lives overlap in a lot of areas but Andrea does have her own story to tell and I am glad that Ilona Andrews made the decision to let her do just that in this book. Andrea is not in a great place as this book opens. Her relationship with Raphael is over and she has lost her job with the Order. Both of these things meant the world to her and helped shaped her identity. 

Andrea is working with Kate at their new agency, Cutting Edge, when she gets a call about a new case. This new case just happens to be tied to Raphael which only proves to make things more interesting. Throw in some strange snake people and a complex mystery and you have plenty of excitement. All the action is nicely balanced with a bit of humor and romance.

I really enjoyed seeing Kate, Curran, and all of the other characters from a different perspective. I think that Andrea is in a unique position to give that perspective because she is close to a lot of the key characters but she still feels and acts like an outsider. Andrea grows a lot as a character over the course of this book and the insight into her background really helps with understanding some of the ways that she looks at the world.

Renee Raudman does a fabulous job with this series. It is funny that I didn't really care for her narration for the first couple of books in the series but now I couldn't imagine anyone else. She really is able to perform a wide range of characters very well and with a lot of emotion. She has a very pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I highly recommend this series to others. This is a series that you do need to read in order since each book builds on the last. This is a very important book in the overall story arc and should not be missed. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this wonderful series.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed watching Andrea figure out her place in the world. There were some really exciting moments. All of the characters that I know and love played an important role but Andrea still isn't Kate. 

Source: Audible purchase

Note: This series does need to be read in order!

~ 5 Magic Slays Stars ~
(Possible Spoilers Of Previous Books Ahead) - tried to keep it minimal

Another winner in the Kate Daniels series. WOW just WOW!

Magic Slays brings us a new threat that threatens the very fabric of magic, alliances will be made, people will die, lives will be change forever, and no one will be left without scares.

Lordy, so much is going on in Magic Slays. I just love this series to death and once I pick up any book in it I can’t put it down until the very end. Re-reading this book over still had the same affect as it did when I first read it. Mind Blowing!


Kate is now mated and living with The Best Lord (Curran), but many of the shifters manly the Wolf Clan still don’t like her. This is partly because she is human (little do they know what she truly is), but also because some bad shit happened in Magic Bleeds that affected the Wolf Alpha pair. Kate now has her own PI business that will benefit her and the Pack. Andrea returns from being MIA and we learn where she has been, what happened to her, and that she no longer has a job with the Order. These two have a good friendship and they work well together. Julie also makes more of an appearance in Magic Slays and we see the relationship she has with Kate. Something very bad happens to Julie and Kate must make a very big and hard decision that could kill Julie or both of them.

Our heroine learns some disturbing news about her step-father Vorn. The past is not as rosy as she thought and what she learns affects her deeply. Her world view tumbles downhill and what she thought she new was not true. With this new information about her step-dad and mom, she will question herself about why Curran is with her? I absolutely love that Curran lays it all out for Kate and chooses her over the Pack. He will stick by her through think or thin, run with her if that is what she wants, and will do anything for her.


Magic Slays is another fabulous read in the Kate Daniels series and fans will enjoy the new twists, turns, and action-packed adventure.

***Updated Nov. 2017: Listen to the Audiobook. LOVED IT! Narrator Renée Raudman did a wonderful job. The voices are distinct and clear. The audio grabs you at the start. I felt like I was reading the book for the first time. I had such a fabulous time listening to Magic Slays. I highly recommend this series, either or both reading and/or listening. 

Nevada’s grandmother is in town, desperate to save her house from extinction, she is determined to “recruit” Nevada and her sisters

 

To remain free there seems to be one choice - to become a House. But is Nevada really ready to throw her family into the brutal world of house politics? And what about Rogan? While she loves him, what politically, will it mean to be with him - and where a House’s power is all about the magical legacy they maintain, will she be weakening both houses by choosing a non-ideal genetic match?

 

But even if she tries to avoid House politics, she is still being dragged into it: the conspiracy continues, a powerful, shadowy organisation is determined to cause chaos and remove what few restrictions the Magical Houses labour under and Nevada is definitely a target

I love this series. I love this book. I love these characters. I love this world. And, of course, as everyone already knows, I love love love love love Ilona Andrews. They are always one of my favourite authors and every new book in every series always ensures I will retreat from the world, clutch my tablet and promise horrible torturous death on anyone who presumes to interrupt me.

 

They were warned. They had it coming.

 

While I love every book Ilona Andrews have ever passed briefly, what I don’t like doing is reviewing their books. Because they’re awesome

 

And awesome is really really hard to write an intriguing review about. Because then all you do is just splurt praise. And it’s accurate because this book is worth all the praise - and more - but a review which is one long worship-fest both lacks fascinating elements and sort of makes it look like I’m on the payroll or possibly joined a cult who predicts the end of the world will come when the Kate Daniels series ends.

 

And even worse is writing a review about the awesome third book in an awesome series. Because not only do you have to write a review full of slightly disturbing gushing praise but you have to write three disturbingly similar reviews of increasingly disturbing gushing praise which gets steadily more uncomfortable and ends up with you being unable to say “Ilona Andrews” without adding “praise their holy name” afterwards

 

Which can be embarrassing

 

It doesn’t help that each book in this series is awesome for the same reasons the past one was. That isn’t a criticism - that’s because the first book sets the bar high and the subsequent books just keep hitting that bar.

As you’d expect, the world building of the primes and their magic continues to be fascinating but it’s not just how their various powers work (which is imaginative and fascinating and contains lots of interesting details like the detachment of the animal mages or the financial benefit of a fungus-mage) -  but the politics as well; the houses struggling against each other, the ploys, the rules, the importance of family all portrayed with a really well written theme of dehumanisation as we see how really horrifying this endless conflict is to the actual people involved

 

And I love that - I love that among the epic world building and complicated politics we have some excellent characters with some really powerful relationships - and how Nevada’s family matter and even her friendships and her role models (and many of all of these are female as well)

 

I even like the romance. I like that Nevada maintains clear boundaries with herself and Rogan. I like that even though he pulls many classic alpha male rawr moments (jealousy, over-protectiveness, highhandedness) she is always there to say “nope this isn’t happening” and he usually accepts these boundaries she draws. There’s even a clearly conniving ex and I thought this was going to be a super hot mess as Nevada protected her “territory” but, again, it was handled surprisingly well. I was even impressed by the nuanced in Nevada’s evil grandmother turning up and having some actual complexity and levels beyond just being a terrible threat

 

All of this comes with a thrilling, exciting, fascinating story that nearly made me late for work several times because I could not put this book down.

 

 

Read More

 

 

Listening to Wildfire is my “re-read” of one of my favorite books of 2017. To recap: the book opens immediately after the conclusion of the previous one, with fears that Nevada’s paternal grandmother, Victoria Tremaine, has located the Baylors and wants to take the girls away to become part of her own House. Additionally, we discover that, Rynda Charles, Rogan’s ex-fiancee and daughter of Olivia Charles (antagonist from book 2), wants to hire Nevada because her husband is missing. Add to it the budding romance between Rogan and Nevada, a huge conspiracy to overthrow the existing government, and some crazy family issues, and you’ve got an amazing story!  

 

As with my audiobook review of White Hot (book 2), there isn’t much more I can add about Wildfire that I didn’t say in my original review. From that review: 

 

“The relationship of Rogan and Nevada continues to evolve, intensify, and mature. I adore their journey. Individually, each is learning how to adjust their own behaviors to better fit as a couple, while simultaneously working to accept the other’s idiosyncrasies and persona.”

 

“Wildfire is a wonderful story in an amazing series. The authors have taken incredible care to create a whole set of characters beyond just the hero and heroine. I have become attached to each member of Baylor clan, and I adore that every character has purpose, each with their own story. While the action is intense, the emotional depth takes this story and series from great to amazing. I highly recommend reading the entire three-book Hidden Legacy series from the beginning.”

 

As I have stated numerous times, the addition of Renee Raudman’s narration takes any book up a notch. By now, her unique and separate voices for each character have become so familiar to me, and listening to her read the story is a comfort, like hearing my mom’s voice on the phone after not talking for a while. But more than the voices, it’s the emotion she puts behind every performance that blows me away. From anger to fear, from joy to sorrow, I feel the power of her performance deep inside my heart. She takes the already amazing characters and makes them real. 

 

Wildfire is simply amazing and one of my favorite books; however, I caution that it cannot be read as a standalone. The storytelling is thoughtful and complex, each thought and action having its place and purpose. And it is its characters that give this book and the entire Hidden Legacy series heart. 

 

My Rating: A+

Narration: A+