Book Review: Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) by Ilona Andrews
Media Type: Audio Book
Title: Sapphire Flames
* Series: Hidden Legacy #4
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Harper Audio
Pages/Length: 12 hours and 32 minutes
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Source: Purchased
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.
Ah, friends. It’s been so long since I’ve written my last review so please forgive me while I pretty much just gush over this book. If you’ve been here for any length of time, you’ll know that Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors. I’ve devoured their books one by one, cried a lot, laughed a ton, and basically just been impatient waiting for whatever comes next. When I found out that Sapphire Flames would be from Catalina’s point of view, I was ecstatic! While I loved Nevada so much, I wanted to see how the life that they built for themselves affected the other members of her family. To say that I was excited for this is probably an understatement.
Now, I will admit that it took a minute for me to get used to our new narrator. Andrews’ fans know that Renee Raudman brings quite a life to most of the characters in these stories. Emily Raskin was absolutely fantastic though and, after a chapter or two, I was right into the story. She brings Catalina’s character to life perfectly. A young woman who is in charge without really wanting to be. A sister who wants to protect her family. A person adrift in a sea of powerful people who want to see her fail. Catalina stole my heart, and I’m not even upset about it.
True to form, the plot of this story flew straight from setting things up into full on panic mode. The Baylor family isn’t known for getting any down time, and that’s very true in this story as well. I won’t lie, their family dynamic has always been one of my favorite parts of this series. There is so much love mixed in with all the insanity, occasional terror, and humor. My favorite addition this time around? Oh, it was Alessandro thrown into the mix. No spoilers, I promise. Just know that his banter with this family is wonderful, and I want more of it as soon as possible.
Oh, friends. I laughed, I teared up, I literally shouted “NO” at this audio book more than once. If you’ve been following along with the Hidden Legacy novels, you’ll absolutely want to pick this one up. The ending made me a little bit pouty, but it’s also quite perfect to continue this series. So, once again, I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next book to make it into my hands.
