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.
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.
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Well, damn. Watch out world, Catalina Baylor is here! I love the Hidden Legacies series with Nevada at the helm, but in this story arc, Catalina, second-born daughter of the Baylor family, shines! We first meet Catalina in Nevada's story arc as a "shy" and timid wallflower. This could not be further from the truth. The nature of Catalina's power causes those around her to fall under compulsion and vulnerable to suggestion; but as the compulsion builds, their obsession with her grows to the point of madness. Then they would physically tear Catalina apart just to get a piece of her. *shudders* For those who read Diamond Fire, the novella, you can see the start of Catalina's transformation into the Head of House Baylor. Three years have passed since the events of Diamond Fire and "shy" Catalina is no more. As the Head of her House, Catalina has her polished Prime veneer, courtesy of Arrosa Rogan's training and mentor ship. Sapphire Flames starts with a dangerous case involving the fiery deaths of two Primes from House Etterson. With their three-year grace period ending in a few days, Catalina decides to take on the Etterson case. During the course of the investigation, nothing is as it seems. Of course, things become even more complicated when Alessandro Sagredo, an Antistati Prime and Catalina's teenage crush, gets involved in the investigation.
Working together, the duo discover that the case of dead Primes is more complicated than either of them can fathom. Secret murder plots and old foes make an appearance. Forced into a position where her family's well-being hangs in the balance, Catalina holds her own and does everything necessary to keep her family safe. I liked her character development. She was a teenager in the first three Hidden Legacies book, but now she's grown and seen as a Prime and Head of House Baylor. Catalina is more comfortable in her skin and she wears it well. House Baylor is a small and relatively new House, but with the new connections Catalina forges, things are looking up. I just love the banter and tension between Catalina and Alessandro. Their relationship is heavy with sexual tension and playful jabs. The ending left me frustrated, but in a "give me more" way. During the events of the book, both Catalina and Alessandro are in their early 20s so I understand that there needs to be more character development before anything changes in their relationship. The attraction is mutual, but there's this unnamed issue in their way. Hopefully, Emerald Blaze, gives us more Alessandro goodness.
4.5 STARS!
Check out my review of Diamond Fire, a Hidden Legacies novella, here, and check out my ARC review of Emerald Blaze, book 2, here.
ABOUT ILONA ANDREWS
ILONA ANDREWS is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.) They have co-authored two New York Times and USA Today bestselling series—the urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and the romantic urban fantasy of The Edge. They live in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.
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