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EMERALD BLAZE: Spoiler Thread
ILONA ANDREWS
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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ILONA ANDREWS
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
This is a place to discuss the book. Don’t read the comments unless you’ve finished EMERALD BLAZE.
You have been warned.
Apologies if someone else thought of this already, but it’s late and I haven’t had any time today to read through the comments. What if Catalina’s black wings mark an as yet unmanifested aspect of her power, and THAT is why Linus was scared at the end of the book. (And hopefully whatever power it is will come into play later in the series.)
How does Alessandro’s magic allow him to jump off buildings? In EB, Xavier says Arkan figured out who Alessandro was after he “came back to life” — did he survive because of his magic?
Exactly! There are so many repeating comments on this thread so far but not much talk about Alessandro’s powers!
“Cannonfodder” mentioned a ways back that maybe when he jumps off things he can negate gravity to some degree. Maybe he hides the full extent of what he negates.
He can just negate/nullify magic. But what if he was creating a ‘null’ area of space around him or in the trajectory of his path then perhaps that would remove gravity in that nulled path.
For sure no one can survive falling 100 feet without shattering a 100 bones or splitting your skull. He would’ve had to slow his fall somehow. He does jump off things often so I also wondered if he was conjuring an object/something to slow his fall.
His powers really needs clarification in the next book!
Since he was ready to answer any and all questions, I was really hoping she would ask him ANYTHING about his abilities!
Misdirection at the end. Victoria is not stupid, my money is on the Rogan cousin and Trevor is a traitor.
Alessandro re the sword “It’s a gift from your…..supervisor”
He didn’t just say “It’s a gift from Linus”, he was about to say something else before he said “your supervisor”
Nice….I didn’t notice that earlier…u r right!
I did notice that! That goes back to my comment on what Alessandro figured out the first time he met Linus and why he’s invested in the Baylors besides being their house witness.
Dear God, the end is phenomenol! I am worried and excited abt Victoria! The book was fantastic, better then Sapphire Flames.
Its a curse and a blessing to read your books. Ha ha ha!
Thank you
I haven’t seen a comment yet on who we think the older distinguished gentlemen at the end waiting in the hospital for Victoria is. With Nevada we thought it might be Linus because he said the phrase about not being bored. This time I didn’t get the same vibe. Ok, also is SF before Catalina becomes the deputy warden Alessandro figures out something of why Linus is invested in the Baylors. We still didn’t find out what that other connection is. Ugh. I like Cornelius’ new style. Still the same guy, but more laid back? I don’t know how to explain it, but I liked it. Grandma Frieda! She let Alessandro help her because everyone was being mean to him! That was hilarious.
Did you get the bonus short story? Because there’s a big clue in there. But I’m not going to give it away if you haven’t read it yet!
No, I bought audible edition and it did not included it.
I feel quite cheated now that I know it is in printed edition. Probably audibles fault.
It’s not, but if you bought the printed edition from the three book stores on the ‘virtual tour’ you would’ve been emailed a link to it. The rest of us will have to wait a few more weeks before it’s publicly posted on the Blog for all to read.
I just finished EB and “The Cool Aunt”. I absolutely loved them. The ending is so compelling that I could not stop until I finished and I had to stay up late. My only complaint is that we still don’t know who Caesar is. If it is Linus Duncan then why did he allow Nevada and her sisters to almost die so many times if he is their grandfather? And if he wants the magic houses to take over then why is he still working so hard as the Warden to keep all of the houses under control of the Assembly?
But seriously. Where did the condom come from?! Is it Bern’s? Will he notice it’s missing right away?!
Most likely Alessandro is a considerate responsible man. He knows that in the case that someone is likely to be intimate you should use protection. He probably had his own condom in his wallet or something.
I thought whatever Alessandro manifests is a copy, and it disappears after he leaves the area. There’s something about that in the Sapphire book, when he and Catalina are at Linus’s house and Alessandro ends up wearing an exoskeleton.
I don’t think the epilogue is scary…I think it speaks to Victoria’s character. She’s been raised within Prime society and has endured some of the hardest knocks. It’s molded her character and her responses to the world, but I see a softer side that she can’t reveal to others.
Even though she’s using harsh tactics, step back and see what is really occurring…She wants her grand-daughters to survive; so they do desperately need to learn to navigate the world of the Primes, and she may not have much time left to ensure this result.
They’ve shown a clear break between her and Nevada, so she can’t visit the baby openly. Hence the clandestine visit at the hospital. I would like to point out that the distinguished older man is not necessarily identifiable as Caesar, so it might be Linus. If she visited like a regular great-grandmother, it would make the baby a target for her enemies as well as Rogan/Baylor’s enemies. Her comment about the baby not mattering to her to Catalina was made at the prison, where her enemies are undoubtedly monitoring her.
Catalina has grown and matured, and some of this growth is from weathering the worst Victoria throws at her. How much is simply Victoria’s nature or how much may be calculated effort, only Victoria can say.
Some theories.
I don’t think Arabella is a dual with Sagittarius. I think she is more likely to be like Bern and Grandma Frida. Reason, she’s in charge of the financial portfolio. Cheryl’s alibi is a financial genius with the prime version of Bern’s magic. And Arabella doesn’t need a second combat ability.
Catalina’s black wings. The suitor called her an Angel of Death. The blue wings song is something along the lines of “play a love game, play a love game.” The black wings song could be “he will die, he will die, he will die-diddly-die-die-die-die-die-die-die.” She could conceivably kill with the black wings. I personally wonder if Xavier triggered the black wings when he pissed her off during the pre-wedding. I recall that Catalina mad scared the crap out of Leon.
What do you think about epilogue? Our evil grandmother certainly seems to already have plans for newest grand-grandson.
I was wondering about the nature of Runa’s powers. I know that she tastes things mostly to identify poisons/toxins. At least in reference to the cake. I just wondered if she or her siblings could sense toxic/poisonous things. For instance a black widow spider or copper head snake? If she was in the room would she know. During the course of the books when Rogan explained passive field to Nevada. He described the water mage in a desert would tire more quickly than anyone else because of the passive field of his magic constantly searching for water. So would Runa’s passive field be searching her surroundings for toxins?
Speaking of water mages just reminded me of Katara in “Avatar the last Air bender”. I wonder if in the world of Hidden Legacy would the water mages be able to do anything similar. Stephen in “Emerald Blaze” did some cool martial art moves with water knives but could he do something like Katara and be a “blood bender” or use sweat to make his own water?
Loved it so much! AND so many fun details to love. Bug’s booby traps. The details of the Runa and Bern reveal. Actually, so many Runa details to love. Tatiana – a new favorite supporting character. Leon coming into his own. The whole concept and resolution of the Abyss. Cheryl – SUCH a good villain. The good Dr. A smiling over Alessandro knowing he’s pretty. Arabella’s bold/elegant sense of style to go along with her general panache and swashbuckling approach to life.
I have really liked the development of Catalina and Alessandro’s relationship, and where they ended up in this book. Believable. Fun. Deep.
IMO, this thing is beautifully crafted. Thank you HA! Delicious in all aspects. *Most* satisfying.
Also digging all the comments speculating re Victoria and Linus! I’m thinking both are playing *looong* games.
Mid household move, so elected not to add another dead tree book to *that* mix. Will keep in mind for future that I could donate one to a library. In meantime, will savor anticipation of being able to read the Cool Aunt story at the appointed time. All good. 🙂
As always i LOVED IT!
So, my observations and conclusions:
I am almost certain that the Ceasar must have the same powers as Catalina but has much more experience with it. I also found it interesting that Duncan is liked by almost everybody, same as Catalina (she is always a nice girl and he is always charming). Additonally, there have been several clues that Duncan is the Grandfather. In the last Chapter of Wildfire, Tremain talked to Ceasar and seemd to be a very good friend. If Duncan is the grandfather and Ceasar, he must have dual powers. However, I don’t know Duncans’ motives to be Ceasar… Looking foward to more clues! I am sending virtual huggs!
Taking a break from work and I have not caught up on anymore comments from Tuesday night, but I plan to reread the book this weekend. Also, the building of all the characters in this series so so much fun that we all have fun thinking of the future books! First I am so glad that Catalina is such a kick _ _ _ head of the house and think that a united front with Alessandro will make them formidable and fun to watch the next installment. With them at the helm, think of what fun escapades Arabella or even comedy of errors Arabella could get involved in. Maybe she can travel around the states or to China 🙂 as she grows up into the power she will be. Then think about Leon and Bern lots of potential stories for the guys too. Anyway thank you for taking care of the characters and your readers!
Last comment-so I was going way down the rabbit hole about the identity of Ceasar and maybe that Ceasar is an illusion prime. Can’t be Augustine, so maybe a dark horse Prime to make themselves look like Linus?
I know that makes no sense, but with things not explained yet all the way its fun to think of the what ifs…. HA and back to work….
Oh my goodness. This was my most favorite read this summer! I laughed- many times, I cringed, I gasped, I rolled my eyes! Bravo bravo bravo!
The ending made me swallow my gum. Great action, world building, lovely HEA. Love the characters, the magical concepts, the monsters, everything. You will love it.
😱😱😱
In the 8/24 Blue Willow Books Facebook Video – Ilona said that the Arabella Trilogy has not been ordered by a publisher yet!
Here’s me sending it out to the universe- please let there be a contract for the Arabella Trilogy, soon! I love all the Baylor Sisters and love this family and story. I also can’t wait to see Leon grow up & find a lady (hopefully when he’s in his broody late 20s☺️)
EB was fantastic, I couldn’t sleep last night, couldn’t put it down. Thank you for the awesome books❤️
Part of me hopes Leon might meet up with Alessandro’s sister. Just think what his Sagittarius magic blended with that family’s talents would be like. They’d make Super Assassins
+1
+1,111,111
😜
That was to Avon: please go ahead and order the Arabella trilogy now on behalf of BDH. We would be happy to pre-order as necessary.
As much as I love the fight scene between Albert and Alessandro…
You know what I hate about Albert? Catalina tells him ‘no’, that she’s not romantically interested in him. He disregards her thoughts and feelings, acting like she doesn’t know her own mind, that he knows better. Is there someone else? (It shouldn’t matter! She said NO). I’ll “take care of this” — fight him for you, because obviously Albert knows what’s best, again discounting her and her thoughts and feelings. He thinks attacking Alessandro, first mentally then physically will impress her (?) when she’s already said no. Multiple times.
This is so typical of some men… dismissive of women’s thoughts, knowledge and feelings. Not quite what I want in a life partner or even a friend or work associate. Albert, you never had a chance, and not because you didn’t win the fight. I hope someday he gets it.
1. Both Navada and Catalina said no to Rogan and Alessandro through out the first two books of their individual trilogies. Both men ignored them and continued to pursue their chosen quarry. Navada even got mad at Rogan for making a declaration eluding to as much and then backing down.
2. Catalina from what i gleamed from the book continued to try and remain friendly towards Albert. This is a mistake many young people make, boys and girls . You cannot be friends with someone who wants more than that. To them it means you like them and there is still a chance. Give an inch and they will tak a mile.
3. there are guys mostly insecure guys who think if they can show how tough they are that they will seem more desirable. Every guy has had the fantasy of being the knight that slays the dragon and saves the damsel. Honestly from some of the things Alessandro said i’m not entirely sure he is any different. he doesn’t like Catalina’s dedication to her family.
4. Watching your boyfriend beat up annoying or scary men seems to be a common fantasy for woman. Honestly i took the fight as Fan Service for them.
5. Albert is a dipsh## who can’t take a hint.
Well, you know, we’ll have to disagree on some of this.
1. I respected Rogan for backing off when Nevada said no, despite her giving off mixed signals. Catalina was very clear, she even withdrew Albert’s welcome.
2. Why is it that the person who just wants to be friends has to stop being friendly? Why can’t the person with the infatuation back off? I know this seems to be the way it is, but it’s disrespectful to the person you say you love.
3. You’re right about the insecure guys, and you’re right about Alessandro not liking the depth of Catalina’s devotion to her family, but he understands and respects her choice, and in fact chooses to back her up.
4. Not a fantasy I understand, but okay. However, everyone does not actually want their fantasies played out. Catalina did not seem to enjoy it, though she did trust Alessandro to not kill Albert.
5. Hint? He was hit over the head with a brick and refused to listen. I agree with dipsh##.
I did find the scene very believable even as I hated how true to life it is. But also much funny about it. Just… sigh… wish women got more respect.
1. i think if you are into someone persistence can seem flattering, but if not it goes from annoying to scary. some guys don’t know where the line is. From context clues Catalina liked Albert she just didn’t want to marry him. I wish we got more insight into their relationship up to the part where he started asking her to marry him. Still a clear no should always be enough.
2. Because love is a drug that most people desperately want a hit of and will do anything if they think they might get to. if you keep giving them little sips of what they want they will never kick the habit. Frankly most people aren’t strong enough on their own.
3. your right and to be fair to Alessandro he doesn’t have the best opinion of family right now. and he keeps seeing Catalina almost kill herself time and time again for hers. probably doesn’t bring the best memories to bear for him.
4. I’m not sure, Catalina told Albert thatAlessandro would break him if he didn’t leave. She is a smart woman she had to know that would prick his prde/ego and guarantee Albert would want to fight to prove himself. He did kind of piss her off.
5. Lol agreed
6. again i agree. But the problem is Respect means different things to different people. Some woman might find having a door held open as respectful and others might find it condescending. Communication is key.
I know I am late to the party, just finished the book and I have been left with many questions, that hopefully means more Hidden Legacy.
I guess I thought Arabella might have something with Augustine. We don’t know how old he really is. His illusions and intellect can say he is older, but his maturity level says he is younger. If he had been 13 instead of 19 when his father was murdered he would have a gap in his maturity level, because he was forced to “jump” to pretend to be more mature. I thought Rogan hinted at this when he told Nevada about going to school with Augustine. Augustine needs order, what happened to his family (a direct assault successfully killing the head of his house) as a child would have shaken him to his core (they are not invulnerable). Arabella, is highly intellectual and more unpredictable (even her family holds their breath waiting to hear how she reacted to something). To this day, Augustine has not been able to solve the mystery of the attack on his house. Enter Catalina with that bit of info from evil Grandma.
I also thought Lina, his assistant, might be one or both of his siblings. A persona made that would explain her presence with Augustine. This would ensure they could learn and know all about the family business should something happen to Augustine.
I think family first with Augustine, House important only as it pertains to keeping his family safe. If this thought process is true, it is how he could have been raised. We know he has compassion and empathy, we witness him trying to help people and taking no overt credit for it. As an illusion prime, he could do many random acts of kindness and no one would know.
There was something in this story that said if so and so did this, then House Baylor, House Rogan, and House Montgomery would go to war with them, indicating to me that Augustine’s values align with theirs.
Or maybe he is just an arrogant jerk Prime who sometimes gets it right….either way- Yay more Hidden Legacy! 🤞
As always, thank you to the authors who never disappoint always surprise, and keep their fans imagination cooking. 😃👍👍
I’m not sure what you mean about Augustine”s maturity. He seems like a perfectly normal business and family oriented adult to me. Is he always nice? No of course not, but as he said to Catalina in the last book he is not running a charity. However i think he still tries his best to at least help those in trouble, which is why he keeps sending people to Navada and Catalina. As for going to war if another house killed Catalina, 1. Rogan and Augustine enjoy a somewhat friendly(for them) rivalry. they are in a weird way that only they understand besties. 2. Augustine has done a lot to make sure the public know that House Baylor and House Mountgumery are closely tied together. So he can get some of that sweet truthseeker prestige. If he did not retaliate when they were attacked like that it would make him look weak, cowardly and worse of all in their society disloyal.
I’m not disagreeing about your theory pertaining to Augustine, it’s a good one, but it does seem you are reaching a bit. Also there is still another book with Catalina to get through before we can even think about Arabella. if you are worried your ship is going to die because of Stephen Jiang… it might, or she and Stephen will date for a year figure out they are’t good for each other and go their separate ways in time for the beginning of Arabella’s trilogy. Heck they might not even see each other after this book, though i don’t see Arabella giving up so easily on something she wants. Just because she thinks a guy is hot doesn’t mean he is her soulmate. Most normal people go through a few relationships before they settle down. Navada and Catalina, With good reason, are the exception to the rule not the norm. So keep your chin up you might get your wish yet.
Unlikely Augustine would make his sister act as his personal assistant.
The only reason House Montgomery would go to war over Catalina’s death is she was acting as a Montgomery employee. He would be obligated to back that up with the full faith of his house. Beyond that, Augustine appears to have a good since of right and wrong, his loyalty to the house is stronger.
Augustine was Rogan’s best man at his wedding. If anything happened to Catalina, Rogan and Nevada would go to war and Augustine would support them as would house Harrison. This is House warfare and alliances matter.
While it’s not declared, Augustine has worked more closely with Rogan since Nevada entered the picture, think back to both white hot and wildfire. They took on Olivia Charles and Alexander Sturm together. They went to university together and he’s the closest thing Rogan has to a friend. Nevada also spared his life when Victoria Tremaine was coming to visit. There’s layers of friendship and obligation there. That’s why he was Rogan’s best man.
I actually think that there are probably deeper alliances between Rogan/Montgomery now that they are more publicly friends with House Baylor in the middle. I think previously they were probably business rivals/allies (frenemies) that shared a Batman approach to Houston/nation plots, except that they can’t always be the hero, sometimes they have to triage. That’s why despite the rivalry Augustine still ultimately trusts Connor, still sends business to House Baylor, and why Connor was so interested in Michael Latimer as a “hidden hero.” Hidden alliances was practically a theme: one could act the carrot, one could act the stick, and between the two they could manipulate anyone’s choices.
I’ve been thinking about the Siren side of the bloodline. The hints in previous books that the one family in Greece terminated female children. How Catalina has to concentrate not to use her power while others have to try and use theirs. How Linus approached her after she used her new spell against the Abyss.
Maybe the gift is somehow linked to gender with the females being stronger. An actual basis for the legends like the story of the Piper in Cornelius’ family. Perhaps there is a danger the girls could “break” if pushed too hard. Linus was very clear she wasn’t to sing. He wanted her to show she could still speak normally, prove she was still in control.
If this is the case, the Molpes May terminate the daughters because they think they’re too dangerous, or there were too many catastrophes from them in the past.
Or they’re just misogynists and don’t want the women In charge of the family.
Lol if so then Alessandro is perfect for her, He is immune for the most part to her and if she goes to far he can shut her down. It will certainly help their possible children live more normal lives.
I like your theory. Maybe the males in House Molpe were not primes, only females were prime sirens. So Linus probably has siren talent but not prime level. Somewhere it was writen that antistasi magic was not uncommon but Antistasi primes were rare. So that maybe the case with sirens also. The females are primes but males are not. They might have other powers. Victoria said to Nevada that their gradfather was a prime excised from House Molpe but she never really said that he is a prime siren just that thae talent is inherited from the grandfather. So Linus is a hephaestus mage with maybe significant siren talent.
How can I get the short story “the cool aunt”? I bought the emerald blaze book from the kindle store!
Technically no one who didn’t get a exclusive link for it by buying from certain stores should be able to read it, until ilona Andrews posts it on the blog in a couple weeks. i didn’t know that at the time but there a few naughty people who have posted how to get to it buried in this thread.
Boy if I lived in this world I’d have died 5 minutes into a confrontation with Victoria…I completely missed the threat in chapter 13😲
Hmm.. Linus as the grandfather is really making headway as a theory. But somehow I think it’s more likely he’s a great uncle. That his brother was the Prime Siren that sold his genetic material to Victoria after being excised. We don’t see Linus with a partner/children/legacy of his own. (Though no way to be sure given lack of confirmation)
What if Linus was sterile? It’s entirely possible, through no fault of his own, that he was simply born sterile. Victoria had trouble with natural conception and pregnancy. There’s precedent for House members to be just as susceptible to medical issues as anyone else.
If we follow traditional House logic, Linus’ parents had “an heir and a spare” wrt children. His brother, who had been excised, would have been the only one left to carry on the family’s bloodline. And if he was the Prime Siren, then of course Linus would be invested in House Baylor’s success.
So with no family/legacy of his own, Linus sees House Baylor as the future of “his” family and bloodline. Because his brother donated the genetic material and they are technically direct descendants of his family. Making House Baylor the “Hidden Legacy” of both House Duncan (Molpe?) and House Tremaine.
Everyone talking about Linus also being a dual Prime Siren, or not being a Prime, or using the Osiris serum… Victoria wouldn’t have settled for anything less than a Prime. So her donor was a confirmed Prime. Although we might be able to mince words given her truthseeker status+deceptive way of speaking:
“He was a siren, a true Prime, terrified to use his talent because it brought him nothing other than misery.” Wildfire p 310 (paperback)
It’s followed by a paragraph explaining how Nevada thought only women were Primes, but that Victoria had been certain since she had too much to lose otherwise.
If we were to accept Linus as the Prime Siren (on top of Prime Hephaestus) he would have to have donated his genetic material while in her age range. Assuming she’s trying to get pregnant in her 20s-30s and her schemes took years, somehow Linus would have to be in the process of shaping himself into Prime Duncan at the same time? I’m not sure if House Duncan is explicitly described as an old house. But if he is the exile, how did he manage to build his House so quickly? In order to even be declared a House, he’d have to have at least 2 living Primes. Nothing points to his House having been created so soon, even if I can’t recall it being explicitly written that House Duncan is old. (Though I’m fairly certain it is, I just can’t pull a quote at the moment.)
Moreover, it was indicated in Sapphire Flames that the Osiris serum had only been stolen 18 months ago. How would have have acquired it? Used it and not killed/mutilated himself? (Given the lengths Benedict was going to refine it and still had issues, such progress to create “Linus Duncan, dual Prime” several decades ago seems unlikely)
No, I don’t think that Linus is the siren. But he does have experience with sirens. Because his brother was one. It only brought him pain and misery, and he was excised for currently unknown reasons. But he would have still been family to Linus. They would have grown up together. He’d understand more about the siren magic than others. He’d have a reason to be so personally invested in House Baylor’s success.
Lol of course you would write a much more coherent and well cited comment about Linus right before i drop mine. sigh
I don’t agree with the brother thing but you are right there is a lot of missing information that doesn’t quite fit together, when thinking of linus as the grandfather.
Did you Read Cool Aunt yet? spoiler if not sorry. Arabella almost immediately recognized who the man with Victoria was and called him Grand father. Which to me implies that he would have to be someone easily recognizable. Also Molpe doesn’t register it’s Male Prime Sirens which means in order to be the head of the Molpe House he would have to be a different type of Prime. Not sure what they pass there primes off as now. to how Linus could set up a house that everyone thinks is old…SIren.
Also the quote you were looking for is in White Hot, when Navada and Cornielius are going up to meet forestberg and Linus gets on the elevator with them.
I might be too married to my theory, yours is pretty good though.
No, I don’t have access to The Cool Aunt yet. So while that might alter my theory a bit, I’m still gonna keep it for now, since I don’t have access to the story yet.
Was Linus born into House Duncan? Was he married into it and something happened to his spouse/child(ren)? Have we just not met them yet? Are they estranged? There’s too many unknowns wrt Linus’ family status. All we know of his past is his position of former speaker, honorable military service, current status as Warden.
I’m just not totally sold on Linus as grandfather just yet. I do agree there’s enough missing pieces that it’s still possible. I admit that I’m lacking information due to not having read The Cool Aunt yet.
I tried to acknowledge that it was possible that Victoria was playing with words when she said that the donor was definitely a Prime. (“deceptive way of speaking”) It is possible that Linus is a dual with siren being less than Prime. The conversation with Victoria is ambiguous enough that it’s possible, simply due to her way of playing with words.
Since I don’t know about The Cool Aunt Arabella/Grandfather reference.. I can’t be certain on whether she just calls someone grandfather or if it’s a term of endearment/acknowledgment of relation. Just like Julie/Aurelia with Roland and Erra, it’s possible to view people in certain familial positions even if it’s proximal. (i.e. Julie/Aurelia calls Erra ‘grandmother’ even though ‘great aunt’ would be technically correct.)
But, I can’t really comment on the context since I will be waiting for The Cool Aunt. I had already pre-ordered elsewhere when the deal was announced and didn’t want to cancel. 🙁
About Molpe, Victoria does say that they renamed themselves. But even so, unless the excision was temporary/secret, he still wouldn’t be part of the new/renamed house (presumably “Duncan”). I don’t know if excision is ever “undone” or “reversed.” It’s been presented as “final” so far in the books.
I’m also not sure about sirens having the power to more or less rewrite history. It would be incredibly difficult given the levels of bureaucratic red tape that would have to get through to establish a “history” of being an old/multi-generational House. You’d have to be able to compromise the Keeper of the records somehow.. and there’s been a sort of indication that that is not an easy feat at all.
I’m not trying to rain on anyone theory parade, just think we don’t have enough information to be sure one way or another. Plus I’m personally lacking in information from The Cool Aunt which could sway me one way or the other as well.
(squinty eyes look right..then left) “maybe yous wants to go to the top of the page sees and count eight comments or sos down sees and follow the directions sees”
Xavier implied that Alessandro’s grandfather did a sealed excision in case Alessandro ever wise up and came back.
The only thing i can recall Linus saying about his family is that he once had to go through a similar thing like Rogan. Implying i think that he fell in love with a strong willed woman he wanted wrap in silk and protect only to have to stand back and watch her put herself in danger. Marrying into house duncan does seem simper than trying to influence a bunch of people into thinking it always existed. wish i would have thought of that lol.
one day we will know all. Sense it is ilona andrews it will probably be awesome.
Yeah, I have considered the Alessandro scenario (wrt excision). I’m not totally discounting the theory, just presenting a possible alternative. And again, lacking info from The Cool Aunt. It would fit with Victoria’s ability to play with words and deception.
And agreed, eventually the authorlords will clear it all up (will hopefully also clear up the Caesar conspiracy too). Until then it’s fun to speculate. 🙂
This conversation is interesting! I do have a take on this. Linus has been married and I think he married into House Duncan personally. If you remember the Emmens from Burn for Me. There was a man who married into the Emmens line and took their name because their name was more respected with recognition. If Alessandro marries Catalina, because he’s been excised I hope he takes the Baylor name.
An excised person would generally want to belong to house as that’s all they know. This has been their life since birth. There is nothing preventing them from taking the House name. Though it’s mentioned in White Hot and again in Wildfire that most houses won’t touch an excised person because their house cast them out so they’re not considered trustworthy. Where I can see this reason being discarded is for love or a specific genetic trait people are looking for. For Victoria it was the latter and she used money as the incentive.
For me the simple explanation is this; Victoria didn’t exactly lie, but she misled Nevada in Wildfire. She said that she found a Prime; her exact words were “He was a siren, a true Prime, terrified to use his talent because it brought him nothing but misery.” She didn’t say he was a Prime Siren. She said he was a siren and then added he was a prime. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but a person who understands lies could use language as a tool to deceive without technically lying.
I’m keeping my theory simple, while some things don’t exactly line up I think 80% of it does, the 20% is going to be explained in a very creative and satisfying way by the Andrews :). We’ve seen it before though the world is so much more complex in a way because technically unless the baddies are really bad, most fall on a spectrum eg. mostly good but the end justifies the means (Rogan), mostly good with principles but self-interested (Augustine), good but magic means they have to do things others would find damaging (Leon)… I could go on and on about the characters. That’s my favourite part of the series, the character development. Well, okay I love the whole thing.
i agree completely. However, to add to your scenario of Linus marrying into House Duncan. I postulate that yes it is unlikely that any House would want someone who had been excised. So perhaps Victoria approaches him with a deal. Give her what she needs and she will ensure he gets what he wants as well. bingo bango Linus Molpe becomes Linus Duncan, and Victoria becomes the Mother of a lovely bouncing baby boy. Though i wonder if Linus is his Original name?
Gah! Reading your comment, I just fantasized a scene in which Alessandro goes to Connor after the Deputy secret drops and asks for information on Linus hinting about the family connection which Connor did *not* see before. 😳
Also, just want to clarify that I’m not requesting The Cool Aunt spoilers! (I’d prefer to avoid them, personally)
I’m perfectly okay with waiting, and then talking about it. 🙂
Something i read while scrolling through this thread reminded me of something i had forgotten. I’m sorry i don’t remember the name of the person who brought it up so i can’t give them the credit they are do.
It has been bothering me for a while now, most of us agree that Linus is the grandfather. His knowledge of Catalina’s gift is undeniable. His seeming friendship knowledge and ability to influence the “Abomination” known as Victoria Tremaine. Also i listen to the audiobooks and the narrators always use Linus’ voice for the man with Victoria. However he is a Hephaestus Prime, not a Siren. However the Keeper of Records says that the Molpe claim that only females have that magic and they have taken steps to ensure that that is no longer an issue (i.e. they abort female babies.) However Molpe is still a house and the last Prime Siren died in the Forties. It requires two living Primes to make a house. ..so if the molpe no longer have Prime Sirens, what exactly is their magic status at this point? I have been thinking that Linus used the Osiris serum to some how change his magic or boost a lesser magic.I thought maybe that was what Victoria used to bribe him into giving her his sperm. But what if he was never a Prime siren at all. He could have always been a Prime Hephaestus mage with a bit of siren to go with it. Victoria Called him a Prime but she never said what kind of Prime he was. Anyone who has read any book that pertains to people who can’t lie or can detect lie’s, you know you have to be careful with how a person says something and what they don’t say. It is interesting that a bunch of self centered, egotistical, mass murderers talk about the leader like he is a Roman god reborn. Something that is unlikely to occur naturally. Catalina uses her power like a sledgehammer most of the time, but if you had less of it and knew how to work it like a precision instrument i think you could easily produce the effects that we see.
Wildfire, chapter 11, Victoria says “… He was a siren, a true Prime, terrified to use…”
You are very smart to notice that it is a possible lie, even if absolutely true (and talking to Nevada it would have to be true.) Their grandfather could easily be a true Prime without being a prime siren.
“stop, stop, i’m blushing” thank you, though again i am jumping off someone elses foundation. I just have a lot of free time to mull things around.
Lol, I just read this comment after I posted that original one! I think you and I interpret the book very similarly!
(grin) great minds think alike and all that…
*no spoilers*. Outstanding. Just finished Emerald Blaze. The plot was just unbelievable. Reviewed on GoodReads and Amazon. Fabulous read. I am probably going to reread again starting tonight. I loved it. Going to say it again, really really really good plot
I volunteer on the frontline and kept the book till the weekend to read so that I won’t have to stop. I love this. Thank you so much House Andrews. You have made my day.
My two cents about the grandparents issue, what if Caesar is the grandfather and a sibling/close relative of Linus? would explain the similar phrase being used and the look Alessandro gave them both.
I love your book! Thank you!
So I’ll add to the Linus speculation. A bit of Googling around yields the Greek “molpe” translating as “siren.” Then one translation of “Duncan” from the Gaelic is “dark warrior.” Duncan is a fitting name for a Hephaestus prime. And with that talent, Linus *is* a “true prime.” I’d have to go back to the passage in which Victoria is talking about her donor, but it would seem possible that a Hephaestus mage with a secondary siren talent might still have met her standards. I’d have to take another look at her wording.
Anyhoo, if the Molpe clan was in the horrific habit of killing any girls they conceived, they would have needed women to marry into the family (presumably ones who would not know of the expectations regarding viability of any potential daughters before going for such an alliance – to go into such a deal knowingly…). Might Duncan have been a mother’s maiden name later adopted as surname by an excised son? Were Linus the product of such a jacked up scenario, he might be just delighted to have 3 brilliant, powerful grand*daughters.* Ha! I like Linus as granddad, but figure all will be revealed in time.
Also, thinking about Linus’ potential incentive to “donate” in the potential context of being an excised Molpe scion: to what lengths were the Molpe’s willing to go to ensure no female progeny survived? If you’re a male of that line and have serious reservations about what it means for a statistical 50% of your own future offspring, might you take the shot at secretly donating to another powerful prime in a situation your that your family of origin is unlikely to be able to track? If Linus is the excised Molpe guy, that suggests he could have some fearsome family backstory. But now I might be way reaching. Ah, well, it was fun. Currently re-listening to Sapphire Flames and looking forward to future installments. Much gratitude to HA for providing us with so many stories that stand up well to lots of rereading and re-listening.
I am leaning towards the ‘Linus is the grandfather/great-uncle’ theory as well.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the rumor of gender selective terminations factored into things. Such as the excision Granny T-Rex (I love that nickname) mentioned being because he (Linus or his brother/half-brother) refused to get on board with the idea and wouldn’t agree to kill any daughters. Maybe even walking away from the family with his wife and daughter to later have said daughter die under “mysterious circumstances”.
It’s the kind of warped history the power hungry primes of this setting would have.
Loved the book. I got Lovecraft vibes in certain scenes, albeit my only exposure to that world is from the Whyborne and Griffin series.
I don’t think Victoria knew about Alessandro’s situation until he came to see her. So, she will take advantage of that and gladly endorse him now but she was sincere about the whole you must never marry him condition.
I don’t get romantic vibes from Linus and Victoria, but they do have a connection. Maybe they are siblings or step-siblings?
In Sapphire Flames, when A meets L, I took that as the relationship being tied into sponsoring the house. Have to go re-read…
I like Stephan Jiang and Tatyana. Their scenes were great.
Wasn’t the directive to kill Cheryl? Will Regina think passing her to the Assembly is good enough or will she still go to her cousin.
The whole “never marry him” thing was because he was part of House Sagredo. Since he has been excised, that no long applies. Grandma said she could marry someone who was willing to commit to House Baylor. But she would never be straight forward enough to say that.
Let me just say, as someone who is currently 11 weeks pregnant, I appreciate the snippet. I won’t give too many spoilers despite this being a spoiler thread b/c some didn’t get the snippet yet, but just know I appreciate it
How far in the future do you think the end tag is? Do you think it’s Nevada’s child or is it farther and it’s Catalina’s.? I wonder because of the comment that none of the others were duds… what do other readers think? Oh book is crazy good. Best battle end scene yet. Love the explanation for the real reason Nevada stopped being head of the family and so much else. I was hoping for a future with Arabella and Cornelius because I love him but now I think there is a Water prime who might be more to her taste. Think I will go off and re read the series
Holy shit you may have something there
And another Question will what Catalina accomplished give her House future support from the 4 houses she helped Or will it garner resentment. I actually liked Tatiana, Stephen and even Maret despite his faults
I really how Leon has evolved. He isn’t the out of control kid anymore. I could totally see the scene in my head with him spinning in a quick circle, 9 dead 1 crawler. But if it was shot in a movie, they would slow motion check all the angles for shots and then speed up with the camera going the opposite direction of Leon. It would be magnificent. The action. Not the dead people. That moment of possibilities with all the shooters.
My current theory is that Linus is Caesar and the reason he is interested in Catalina and knowledgeable about Sirens is due to working with Victoria Tremaine and Micheal. Michael is a male siren. His ability that we see him using is black wings, (though he never visually shows them). Which we saw that Catalina had only just scratched the surface of using.
I loved EB despite the cliffhanger regarding Nevada’s baby.
I can’t wait to read the next book.
However, I am not quite sure that my kindle had all the pages because :
– the epilogue finishes page 390 out of 392, the last phrase being “for the first time the young an in the suit spoke “yes,ma’am. He is”,
– I don’t have the pages 391 & 392,
– the following pages are the acknoledgments : pages vii & viii.
Am I missing the end of the book ?
Thank you all for any answer.
I know I am losing my mind, but at the end… who the heck is Trevor? I know I know that name but can’t place it for some reason. Help!
Happiness is having a brand new Ilona Andrews book to read.
I had to wait until the weekend so I wouldn’t have to put the book down for work.
Thank you for clearing up what happened with Nevada and Alessandro. This made so much more sense. And yay, Nevada and Connor are back!
That cliffhanger though. I don’t know if I’ll survive the wait until the next release.
This book was amazing. THANK YOU!
Whoops, my response sent my original message.
Trevor is Victoria Tremaine’s assistant
“Who was that?” Alessandro asked.
“My grandmother.”
Technically, it was Trevor, one of her assistants, a pit bull in human skin with a Harvard education and special forces training.
Happiness is having a brand new Ilona Andrews book to read.
I had to wait until the weekend so I wouldn’t have to put the book down for work.
Thank you for clearing up what happened with Nevada and Alessandro. This made so much more sense. And yay, Nevada and Connor are back!
That cliffhanger though. I don’t know if I’ll survive the wait until the next release.
This book was amazing. THANK YOU!
I’m struggling with Victoria Tremaine. Long story short my mom was severely neglected as a child by her immediate family and her grandparents. We didn’t know the extent of it till we got older. Mom has gotten sick so recently we had to clean out her house including her bedroom desk filled with letters, and I finally pick up this old old leather suitcase that sat in her bedroom untouched for years. It was so heavy because it was packed with hundreds of letters. I’ve only had the heart to read a handful of the letters (some were very bad) but knowing more on what happened to my mom as a child explains so much of her adult choices. I just mention the above to explain why I so relate to James and enjoy disliking Victoria. I think Victoria is an evil character well sculpted! No matter why Victoria Tremaine did what she did she was a TERRIBLE mother to James. Did terrible things to him that impacted James choices as an adult. He and Penelope lived in constant fear of discovery and it impacted their whole life. Victoria in prison is still being evil in my opinion. She is the best example of a Prime abusing their power to abuse others. No offense to anyone here ,but I think she deserves to get what’s coming to her and get it good. 🤪
Don’t forget everything that happened to Victoria as well. Her parents were both dead by the time she was twelve. Being a powerful Truthseeker probably meant she had a LOT of people gunning for her the entire time. Then when she actually found someone to love his brains get blasted all over her face. You are right that she is a terrible mom and a lot of james adult choices are due to his up bringing…but so are hers.
I think a lot of her choices are due to her desperately wanting a family powerful and cunning enough not to die on her. A family she can actually dare to love.
Don’t get me wrong, she is an EEEEeevil woman. cruel beyond all measure. But people are very rarely born that way. People like to pretend that they could never be like an evil person. I on the other hand believe that given the right circumstances people can be monsters or saints, and it is not always clear which set of scenario’s will produce which set of outcomes.
Just to add a little more confusion to who and what Victoria is, i ask you to take a step back and look at her latest bit of cruelty.
She orchestrated a human child sex trafficking scheme supposedly to test Navada’s loyalty to her House. However if you remember the end of Sapphire Flames, she said that Navada would promise Victoria nothing and go out and try to solve the problem herself. Yet Victoria orchestrated a problem that would be impossible to solve single handedly. Now Navada has major contacts in the Prime elite and the national government that would prevent a scenario like that from happening again. further more Navada is no longer trying to solely care for two houses. Catalina who is far more receptive to using whatever tools she can find is now head of the house. She also went from trying to distance herself from her strongest possible ally to now practically making them synonymous. Putting Baylor in a much stronger position. When it comes to Victoria there are layers upon layers, and she very rarely does something for just one reason. Navada and Catalina are emotionally vulnerable to her because of their love for their father. It’s easy to paint Victoria as the bad guy and do whatever they can to stave her off or defeat her. But i am pretty sure that their hatred of her allows Victoria to guide them to the conclusions she wants from them. She is quite tricky.
I agree with you. Victoria is manipulative and underhanded but I think the purpose is to make Catalina more aware and ruthless when dealing with other houses.
Brilliant addition to the series, love the cast of family characters that weave throughout.
So based on Linus being Tremaine’s epilogue companion, I just wondered if the scene where she arrives just too late to prevent Nevada from signing the registry was a setup meant to start a good-cop/bad-cop dynamic. Normally, Nevada would catch that, but if you don’t know the cops are a team…
(I knew Linus was her companion from the last epilogue, but I thought they were simply part of the recent conspiracy, but this latest epilogue convinced me that his involvement goes back to their father and involves the Baylor family as a whole.)
I wondered too if the man in the epilogue was linus!!! I was hoping so as he is a good guy in my head and wouldnt let victoria harm the babe. BUT house andrews may be messing with us and this whole time linus is bad…..
Dear House Andrews,
Two things my strung out brain and heart could not take:
1: something bad happening to nevadas baby like kidnapping switching etc.
2: linus actually being an evil man and has underlying nasty plans for the baylor family
I am just a lowly serf whose opinion probably means jackshit but i just had to express that.
P.S. once catalinas story is done any chance arabella will have a few😊😇.
Thanks for your time!!!!
Sorry if this has been asked earlier but I haven’t seen it- when Alessandro used his House spell & took away everyone’s magic, how permanent was that? Like did it just drain them totally dry temporarily or are they permanently magic-less now?
Highly unlikely to be permanent. I believe his house spell just boosts the range of his natural gift, going from about fifteen feet to half a mile. From the last book we know his power is temporary. Also Cheryl didn’t act like a Prime who had lost her powers in the Assembly Chambers. Also also if he had done that, it would mean he took out several important, and for the most part completely innocent Primes. i don’t see the Houses letting something like that just slide. Though now i am wondering if there IS a House Spell that could take away magic for good. (shudder)
Presumably it’s not permanent or House Sagredo would have been exterminated as soon as one of them had performed that spell the first time. A Prime who could completely remove another Prime’s magic would not be allowed to live in that world.
I wonder just how badly it affected Catalina in the long term to witness the miracle of the Abyss at the end and then have to destroy it. Storytelling-wise, I understand that House Andrews couldn’t spend a lot of time lingering over her mental state at the time, but that kind of experience seems like it would be a lifechanging event for anyone, much less a mental mage of her caliber. I hope we hear one day some more of Catalina’s thoughts about it.
Also, there was one small part in the book that really confused the hell out of me and completely threw me out of the story for a few minutes. Catalina mentions the Saito construct to Alessandro and he says, “What is that?” And then she explains it to him. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but given the reaction from Stephen Jiang, I didn’t expect complete ignorance from Alessandro. Wouldn’t he at least have heard of the concept? He seems more upset over Catalina’s knowing Italian than he does about the potential world-ending monstrosity in the Pit. Maybe it’s a language barrier thing? Although he’s totally fluent in English…? I don’t know. It was just confusing.
The book was absolutely amazing. This was one of my favorites out of all the HA novels, the worldbuilding continues to blow my mind. Now to reread it and bite my fingernails until the short is released to the general public.
I want one set of Catalina’s wings to let her fly so she and Alessandro can leap off buildings together.
I’m a native Houstonian and my fiance and I are planning our engagement pics for next weekend at Buffalo Bayou Park. He plays frisbee every week at Eleanor Tinsly. After the Razorscales thing, I don’t know if I can hang out there any more! I’m going to be constantly staring at the bayou waiting for terrifying creatures to attack. Also, yet another reason to avoid Jersey Village!
😅 i love this! Good luck on reclaiming your beautiful city! Or maybe the beauty is enhanced with the little chill running across your shoulder blades anticipating Things From The Abyss….
I love love loved it.
What happened to the scene where we got to see Rogan’s reaction to Navada telling him she was pregnant???? I thought that was a snippet from this book?
What happened was a bunch of readers decided to criticize fictional character for not being pregnant in the right way. They didn’t like how much weight she gained, they didn’t care for the food cravings she had, they complained that she was too emotional and not kick ass enough at nine months pregnant, and so on. It was so bad, that I took the story down, because if someone was actually pregnant and read those comments, it would make them feel awful.
And that’s why there will never be a pregnant Kate story or a pregnant Nevada story.
I thought pregnant Nevada in this book was exactly as I would have expected, true to her character! These naysayers and jerkwad commenters can stuff their unwelcome and unkind opinions.
This was a delightful book and as I didn’t purchase a deceased tree version, I eagerly await The Cool Aunt to be blogworthy and will keep watching the spoiler thread here too!
People are weird sometimes, I thought the snippets were hilarious. Besides, playing into the stereotype is most of the fun of writing or reading a pregnant character. Pregnancy, from what i ‘m told, is one of the most difficult things to do. It messes with your body, your bodies chemistry, and your mind. So yeah lots of women act out of character during it. Thats WHY the stereo type exists. What? Did they expect a nine month pregnant chick to leap buildings in the middle of a shoot out, while only sweating the perfect amount to give her an angelic glow? Then again when celebs or anyone really, posts anything to do with pregnancy online the public become a pack of rabid sharks. It’s really really freakin weird.
I respect your decision. I missed that post :(.
Seriously? That’s just silly. With a control freak like Nevada, I’d expect her to either a) lose her marbles because her body is being pushed around by a little life inside of her that’s out of her control or b) relish in being able to put her feet up and enjoy the new life inside her with a dopey smile on her face.
It’s Connor that would be the fun part to watch. I’d see Nevada being more mellow to try to balance his overprotectiveness. Until such time as she throws something at his head because he’s getting on her nerves.
Sorry, that may have come across as harsh on the writer. I mean it seems silly people fussed about how Nevada handled pregnancy.
Everyone handles it differently. Some women adore being pregnant and others are sick with it every day. A control freak could find it taxing. Someone who holds herself to a strict diet may enjoy being able to relax her standards and indulge. And cravings are often your body’s way of telling you what you’re needing more of, not just your taste buds going on strike.
I loved the book, I was very happy to discover that Nevada had a reason for abdicating as head of the house. I thought there must me more to it while reading Sapphire Flames. And as expected it was a very good reason.
The Epilogue, though, almost gave me a heart attack. I really, really, relly hope that this was a moment of genuine human, loving grandmotherly feelings. I really hope she does not kidnap the baby or harm him in any way.
Alessandro’s development was done excellent as well, he was sometimes not very likable in Sapphire Flames. But now he is great!
I wonder why Runa wanted to keep her relationship with Bern a secret, though? He is such a great guy, what is there to hide? Perhaps she was afraid, that it would not work out and then there would be a fight with Catalina?
I do have a couple of questions regarding the color of Catalina’s power and her wings:
1) Her wings are in shades of blue, green and gold but is her power still white (as Nevada described it in White Hot) or do Catalina and Alessandro see it in the same color as her wings?
2) Do Catalina’s wings actually manifest physically? How visible are they to a non-magical person (or people with who are low on the power scale)? She says she occasionally gives people a “glimpse of her feathers” and I’m guessing she spread them wide in Wildfire (when she used too much magic and needed to be extracted right away) but Nevada never mentioned her wings before so I always assumed they were only visible to her as the way she pictured her power. Despite this it sounds like anyone can see her black wings.
3) Catalina always says she has to work to keep her power in, but she still gets exhausted when she lets it out. Shouldn’t she get tired when she spreads her wings in front of Alessandro even though he’s immune?
4) Would the black wings give Catalina a chance to relax her hold on her wings? Like a sheath, she could let them out but they don’t release any of her power – of course that seems to also be linked to very negative emotions so it might not be a good solution to relax.
1. What does the color of her wings have to do with how Nevada mentally perceives her magic? These are two different things.
2. Catalina controls the visibility of the wings. Mental mages can see them exceptionally well, but non-mental mages and normal people don’t necessarily see the wings unless Catalina makes them very obvious. In the books, when Catalina shows a non-mental mage her feathers, it intensifies her magic effect but they do not remember the wings later.
3. Again, there is a great deal of difference between spreading your feathers and actively burning through the magic with Linus’ sword or using magic in a very controlled deliberate manner. These are two different things.
4. You will have to read to find out.
I have finally read the book…….LOVED IT🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Took forever to download due to slight issue and 3 – 30 min holds to B&N to fix.
Note to self: Do not preorder a book with a card expiration date that expires before the issue of book. Found out that even though I updated it in my info, it did not update on my preorder. sigh……
Thank you so much for this book, it was amazing. So many delicious dialogues and small things that just add to the depth of your stories. Maybe it is because you write so close together – it adds to the dialogue and the duality of the characters and the story.
I loved reading those snippets in a context, like the camera flip of the phone.
And all those small tidbits – I laughed and laughed at that remark “So you elected a clown?” OMG it was so hilarious.
And ooh, i like Leon. I hope he will show up in some future snippets.
I really like how you are able to tell the story without having to Explain Everything to Every Last Detail – that a single sentence or a sense of the mood or how the characters interact can come forth by themselves. One scene have the possibility of an entire plot but you still manage to keep the storyline so clear.
Really look forward to see how the story will develop.
Thank you so much.
Something i have yet to talk about, but is very important to me, is the Audible Narrator Emily Rankin. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I’m legally blind and reading for too long gives me severe migraines, when i was a teen and in my twenties i could power through most of the time. but it nearly killed me a few times. Not exaggerating i would get violently sick or pass out if i pushed for too long. I LOVE books, but they were making me miserable. Then audible came along, for awhile i resisted, Stubborn idiot that i am, but eventually it changed my life. Now i only get bad headaches once or twice a month and never to the extent that i used to. I am exclusively an audible reader now.
Emily is a Great Catalina, when she did the puppy dog pout it was absolutely hilarious. She is great at projecting the emotions in her voice, so much so that sometimes when she reads the description of the emotion she is portraying it can feel redundant LOL. I also love that she has managed to copy Renee Rodmans, also a fantastic narrator, portrayal of Navada. It is an awesome little ode that i would not have expected normally. Sometimes narrators get some silly complaints, i think one of Emily’s was that she pronounced words to sharply….? umm she pronounces words too clearly?….okay fam you do you… i guess. Anyway know that i appreciate you a great deal and look forward to hearing your next performance.
Oh, just for a completely unasked for suggestion, (if) there is ever an Arabella book and (if) you choose to change narrators for her..might i suggest Elizabeth Evans, she does the Throne of Glass series for Sarah j. Maas. Elizabeth has a certain amount of aggression in her voice that i think would mix well with Arabella’s personality.
I’m blind also, and I totally relate to this!!! You are bang on target with everything you just said. I used to literally pass out while reading books on my CCTV. The migraines were incomparable to almost anything I’ve ever gone through in my life thus far. Audible for the win!!!
At first, I was sad to see Renee go as I’d gotten used to her. However, Emily did a great job. I also really liked the changing of the guard in Diamond Fire. It’s sort of set up the transition to be more smooth.
I agree, AUDIBLE FOR THE WIN!!! Now if i could just get them to start doing Manga we would be golden. sad to be missing out.
Your right, i think the Diamond fire short should be the model for narrator transitions. I know that isn’t exactly realistic for a number of reasons. but it does prepare you better for what to expect from the narrator before going into the main story. While also allowing them to get a feel for what the authors and audience wants.
You are also right that there is nothing quite like an eye strain migraine, it’s really hard to explain, i think i would rather have a broken bone rather than endure one. Though that said i obviously would rather suffer torture than not be able to read. Lol got have your priorities.
Loved the book. Its interesting seeing Nevada from a different POV (Catlina’s) rather than her own. Changes the character in interesting ways.
After my second read, I came away with a question: Did Alessandro really die and is resurrection as some part of his magic? Or did he just luck out and his survival is somehow related to the fact he seems to be able to jump out of tall buildings with no impact. This question is linked to what Xavier said at the end of the book– that Arkan knew who Alessandro was (the son of the man he killed at the wedding) when Alessandro came back to life. All of which raises interesting question about the next book.
And the possibilities raised by Grandmother Tremaine are endless.
Wow. So good. I reread all of Nevada’s books and SF before this came out, read EB, then re-read all of SF and parts of Nevada… So many hints dropped over time. Grandmother Victoria may play a long game, but so do the author lords!
I was skeptical about Linus being grandfather until I went back and reread the scene between Linus, Alessandro, and Catalina as Linus is making her the Deputy Warden. Alessandro is spilling the beans and Linus is telling him to shut up. Ah. I missed the significance the first (through 6th, lol) times around… But if you think about how old Linus must have been when James was conceived, and how he has reinvented himself over time from a scared Greek kid to a revered Texas politician… what a journey he has had. AND I bet influenced in part by Victoria. What an amazing mind that woman has.
Catalina mentions at some point that she is setting up a long game of her own against whatever schemes Grandmother may launch next… How long until the next book?? At least a year if Ryder is in January and the next Hugh book is under contract before this one. Good thing the ALs are young (relatively speaking) – they have a lot of writing ahead of them!
Thank you for these books! My very favorite author and probably my very favorite series from said favorite author.
Anyone else reading Silver Shark right after finishing Emerald Blaze? As a huge Kinsmen fan I have to say the beginning Augustine’s office scene has to be paying homage to Silver Shark’s digital world! Island, icebergs, fish, sea, sharks, etc. 😀
There was something else too but I can’t remember because I got too engrossed in refinishing the rest! Loved it!!
I can’t decide about Linus. I was sure he couldn’t be Caesar, but I’ve been rereading Wildfire. That scene in the hospital cafeteria between him and Nevada- “Something about Linus made me feel at ease. You knew that he was sincere and whatever he told you wouldn’t be a lie.” No indication that Nevada had truth checked him. So he used Siren magic on her to convince Nevada to trust him? Why? I so want Linus to be a good guy. Yikes! Feeling disillusioned.
I hated the Catalina & Alessandro from Sapphire Flames. I found them utterly annoying. This booked redeemed and changed them completely for me. In fact, EB has made me decide that I will now support Team Alessandro and the sensitive wannabe evil Grandma.
Can’t wait for the next book. The wait has “emotionally compromised” me. lol.
On a very serious note, to House Andrews, my favourite authors of all time, thank you, thank you so very much for your labour of love and this amazing gift you have given to us in these bleak times.
Who else thinks that evil grandma used one of the doses of the Osiris serum on Catalina and Nevada’s dad?
Not impossible, but the serum went missing long after all three of them were already born. She did something though, because she said in Wildfire that it was never about James but about his children.
That ending! Can someone remind me who the person mentioned was? I just reread the series but I don’t remember off the top of my head who it is.
Loved Emerald Blaze! Was very impressed with the layers of intrigue building and resolution. The character development is great. It was great to check in with the Roman’s and Bug as well. I was NOT disappointed 🥰.
oops, stupid auto correct. “The Rogans!” Check in with the Rogans.
Ok, this morning I thought that maybe Linus was in love with the woman that carried James!!! The woman in a coma. What if that is their connection? The woman he loved and wanted a family with magic was passed down in the Baylors. And he didn’t know until Aribella was tested for the same magic. It’s driving me crazy trying to figure out the reason Linus is connected to the Baylors.
So I’m wondering about the grandfather Victoria brought to the hospital with her to see the new baby. He was mentioned before and she said he was a male Siren. And then nothing more. Will more be revealed about him?
Belatedly showing up to say how much I love this series and this latest addition. I only wish the escapism and family love (including increasingly found family with their friends) would have latest longer.
I just finished it and it was amazing, I have so many questions.
Were the fates of Marat, Jiang, and Tatyana given in the book? I don’t know if I missed what happened to them, or if they are still living in Schrodinger’s box. It would be nice to know if Catalina and Alessandro were able to save the board members from the Abyss, the murderer, and Marat’s need to save the “damn bulldozers”.
I went crazy with the book. My usual book friend was busy with her new born baby, so I squealed with a friend who hasn’t read the books yet. I pitched KD to her and she bad started it. But when I spend nearly three hours talking her head off about Catalina, Alessandro, Arabella, Nevada and Rogan,- mostly Rogan- she was impressed, to put it mildly. She dreamt of him, and a city breaking, even before she read the books. And i’m happy to say she read the first two books in three days.
Emerald Blaze is so perfect . I have no words. Catalina being her anxious, panicky self and yet finding the will to lead the family is everything. And Alessandro being who he is… Waaah….
I love Bug.
Also, the abyss scared the heck out ta me. And I haven’t been scared by books ina long time. So, thank you.
Im so happy for catalina that alessandro is excised!!! Lol!!! It works in her favour😋 also!!! Is nevadas baby put back?!!! Does victoria run off with him or switch him or something!!!! DOES ANYONE KNOW I CANT TAKE THE PRESSURE!!!!
I honestly dont know what to do with myself now. Its a bittersweet enjoyment of being a fast reader but you get a new book in the am and your done by supper that night. Than your empty!!! Sometimes i try to talk strategy to myself and be like OK! Just one hour in the morning and one at night. Or only 4 chapters a day. WHATEVER! Anything to
Slow it down and prolong the enjoyment! Does it work? No!!! Fudge.
Linus is definitely the grandfather/ sperm donor. LINUS is the romanization of Linos, a demigod known for singing.
I don’t think so I think it’s the keeper because when the keeper uses his power it becomes all dark and black just like Catalina’s wings are dark or black I think when she comes into her full power she’ll be able to do what the keeper does the other reason I don’t think it’s Linus is that he is the head of house Ducan and I don’t think an excised Prime from Grease could become the most powerful man in Texas in that short of a Time
If Linus is the male Siren who became their grandfather (I think he is), the timeline from excised Greek to power-player in Texas isn’t that short: after he does the sperm-donor thing, you’ve got ~20 years before James breaks away and meets Penelope; then Nevada is conceived, and isn’t she about 25 when we come into the story in Burn for Me? So that’s ~40-50 years, making Linus ~60-70 years old — seems like enough time to create a new identity (marry into a new house?) and work your way into a position of power in Texas. (Especially if you have Victoria Tremaine giving you a boost as part of the sperm-donor deal…)
Are there any more Nevada/Rogan books coming out. I miss them.
Was re-reading 😇 one thing struck me. Tatyana says Augustine is too old for you. It got me wondering🤔 is Augustine Cesar?
Uhhhh, okay, i have to know. Lol How do you go from a character telling Catalina that Augustine, who is supposedly around ten years older than her, is too old for her, To he is the leader of the evil army? Especially sense he has both helped to take down members of the organization. As well as helped gather the information that took out the conspiracy in the first place. I honestly don’t see how he could be. Unless you think he is some kind of joker that just does things to watch it all burn. It just doesn’t add up.
I would love to know the long story regarding Catalina’s black wings? Mentioned by Connor to Alessandro.
Okay, here goes. (deep Breath) Catalina was having a bad day, Leon wouldn’t stop bugging her, she got angry, they appeared, and everyone spent a week making fun of her. (phew)
Dear authors,
I have discovered your books 3 weeks ago and look what happened: I am addicted now and I can not stop reading.
The world around me including my family and my responsibilities dissolve and the stop to exist until the Hidden Legacy AND the Inkeepers Series are read through.
Well, what can I say, but: More, More, More!
☺️😊
Большое спасибо для незабываемого удовольствия!
Thank you for the only holiday I had this year! You are both incredible!
Have you seen, the Edge series, (my personal second favorite Ilona Andrews series) or the Kate Danials Series (also my second favorite Ilona Andrews series) yet?
I have. I am afraid to beginn to beginn with reading. I might not be able to stop again. I am trying to restrain myself. Reading those books is an addiction.
(warm smile with a inviting hand held out.) awww come on Marina, just a little peak. Maybe just a sentience or two? What could it hurt? No one gets addicted from just a couple sentences… Join us, all the cool kids do. Don’t you want cool friends. Just look at the book synopsis, thats it, just look at the back of the book. Isn’t that nice, doesn’t that look like fun? Join us. You can stop when ever you like, trust us. We’re your friends Marina we would never steer you wrong. Join us, we have cookies.
😅
I still think Linus is the distinguished man in the hospital. The one who was speaking to Victoria after she got arrested in the garden at the spa.
But!! Is he playing a deep game. Is he helping Victoria to get to the Osirus serum or is he 2 faced and betraying warder oath…. on tenterhooks people.
Also do we want Victoria smashed, just disempowered or dead??
Thoughts to have while awaiting episode 6.
I’m starting to have a strange feeling about Victoria. I think, at the core of it, she’s not as evil as we were led to believe. Maybe that’s just my optimism showing, but I am sensing that she really does, at the very least, want the best for her grandchildren. She can’t show it though, because it’s not in keeping with her personality. If she didn’t, why would she want to go see Rogan and Nevada’s baby? Sure, she could be setting up a long game because that’s what she does, but something else lead me to this conclusion.
I’m in the midst of a re-read of Sapphire Flames, but I think she (Victoria) knew about Alessandro even then. Catalina was clear when she said she loved him, and that was the first time she’d admitted that to anyone. Again, I might be a bit off base here, but Victoria’s stipulations were that Catalina couldn’t marry into another house, her partner had to be a prime and he had to join her house. Alessandro, with his issues regarding his family situation, fit the bill on all that. At the time, Catalina didn’t know any of that. I think Victoria knew the whole time. of course, I could be dead wrong and she could truly just be an evil bitch, considering what she did to Nevada.
As for the rest? I also think Linus is the man at the end of Wildfire and in the hospital at the end of Emerald Blaze. I’m not sure what game he’s playing, but it is a long and deep one. Also, Alessandro figured out who Linus was to the Baylors in Sapphire Flames. I am starting to wonder if he’s there grandfather or something. He’s something to them, that much I am sure of.
Hmmmm… what did Victoria do to Nevada? On the one hand, you could say that Victoria nearly drove Nevada to insanity with fear and stress, just to test her. After all isn’t that what she did to James? Easy to slap an Evil Bitch sticker on her and walk away. However, we know that Victoria knew from the beginning that James would not have magic, and her tests weren’t a punishment for his lack. But her preparing him to take over as a head of house with no magic.
So, if Victoria isn’t just cruel for cruelties sake, what did her test do for Nevada and the Baylor family?
1. Identified a major weakness. Rogan is far to trusting of his Sixteen.
2. As Alessandro says, you can’t have loyalty to two houses. Nevada was stretching herself too thin.
3. Provided Catalina with an example of why delegation was an important quality in a leader.
4. Provided Baylor house with a leader rather than a lone white knight.
5. Forced Nevada to make high level connections to elite prime and government agencies.
6. Forced catalina to form much stronger ties to their strongest allies.
I could probably come up with a few other things given time, but these are just some of the major points. I think that Victoria prefers that people think she is a monster, cause it makes them easier to manipulate, while also forcing them to grow stronger to overcome her.
I hear what you’re saying, and I agree. What I mean is, she set Nevada up to where she really only had two options. When Nevada chose to stand by Rogan, Victoria knew she wasn’t the Baylor for the job. However, all your points are quite pertinent. Long game…
Just because Victoria is interested in the welfare of house Baylor and helping her descendants doesn’t make her less evil. Victoria murders people, frames people for crimes, turns people’s minds into vegetables, and uses extortion, blackmail, and fouler means to achieve her goals. You can debate whether Victoria means evil towards the Baylors, but it is very clear she is incredibly evil as a person.
C.S. Lewis famously said (my paraphrase) that nobody thinks of themselves as evil. Evil always believes itself to be doing good. Victoria’s motivations may be a perfect example of that. She is very much an “ends justifies the means” person, and she does great evil in the pursuit of her “good” goal.
Agreed and well said.
I know our focus is supposed to be on Catalina and Alessandro by extension, but does anyone besides me want to read a short story of what happened to Alessandro after he left Houston? I’ve only read the audiobook, so I don’t want to write the Russian guy’s name simply because I’m not entirely sure how it’s spelled, but I’d like to see that fight. It would be brutal, because of how Alessandro explained it, but I still want to see it.
Also, I’m fighting going into a post book depression because of this book. I’ve already reread it once and have started over with Sapphire Flames to prolong a second reread.
I have so much more to add, but I don’t really have the time right now to do so. I am loving reading this thread though.
Arkan,, Spelled A. R. K. A. N. his actual name…i have no idea.
While, what happened to Alessandro could be interesting, i think we got most of the high points of what happened. I’m more interested in what happened in Catalina’s first six months as Deputy Warden. We only got the barest hints and they looked pretty interesting to me.
Okay, is it just my misunderstanding or is there a very teeny continuity error? Catalina has two interviews on Day 1. Marat at 9 and Cheryl at 4. She draws her charging circle at Dr. Daniela’s at two (and also says Chery is expecting her in two hours). But then one hour passes by, then another (and Catalina doesn’t notice). Did I mess up somewhere? (Second re-read since the book released, so paying more attention to details.)
I noticed the same thing on both read throughs. (shrug)
That was sooooo awesome! Thank u!! I really enjoyed reading this book!!
Regarding Linus as grandfather, he would not have had to sneak in- he is already a very good friend to House Baylor and would have access to see the baby…..🧐
Omg the book was AWESOME!!! I haven’t even written my Goodreads review yet lol.
1. Catalina and Alessandro are 🙁 but she has redeemable manners… though questionable.
5. Also… I can’t wait for the next book!!!! *screams mentally for the third time because third time’s the charm and prays for the book to fall from air magically*
Thanks for the great book 🙂
Omg the book was AWESOME!!! I haven’t even written my Goodreads review yet lol.
1. Catalina and Alessandro are 🙁 but she has redeemable manners… though questionable.
5. Also… I can’t wait for the next book!!!! *screams mentally for the third time because third time’s the charm and prays for the book to fall from air magically*
Thanks for the great book 🙂
Hello! I know I am late to the party, but I just finished the kindle version, reread some chapters and I’ve got FEELINGS!!!
Seriously, this was such an amazing read. Thank you so much, House Andrews, for writing it, it’s always such a treat to read your books. Sending you all love from the Czech Republic!
Some thoughts that I just need to vent:
1) Loved all the C-drama references! Also, Cheryl was like Madam Gu from The Story of Minglan and Catalina is a lot like Minglan herself. It’s my favorite C-drama and I loved the parallels!
2) I think Linus and Victoria are playing the good cop-bad cop routine with the Baylor family, especially with Catalina. If they were truly evil and had some mysterious nefarious intentions, they could have destroy our heroes several times over.
Yes, Linus was likely Ceasar, maybe they used the “New Rome” plan to rat out the bad Primes? And how does Linus’s position as Warden play into that? I guess we’ll find out in the Book 3….
There are hints that he might be Baylor girls’ grandfather….if that is the case and there is some resemblance between him and Catalina (that Alessandro maybe noticed in SF), why didn’t anyone from the big family of investigators noticed it? I am really unsure about this one.
3) Victoria was totally testing Catalina with the forced promise regarding Alessandro in SF. She essentially tells her “you will never go live in Italy with him, you will never be a countess”. In a way she also tested if Catalina’s love for Alessandro is real or she just loves the romantic idea of him.
Nevertheless, Victoria must have known that he is poor and even if she is only interested in “good breeding” as she claims, he is essentially a perfect addition to House Baylor. Powerful Prime, mental powers, distinguished, respectful, but his own (ex)house is not in the position to “devour” House Baylor. *slow clap*
That being said, even though I believe that Victoria is ultimately on the House Baylor’s side (and she might have more love for her granddaughters than she claims), she is still a very cruel person, who killed and destroyed many men, women and children in her lifetime and very likely abused her own son.
Which brings me to her dialogue with Nevada in Wildfire regarding Victoria’s youth and genealogy: did Victoria speak the whole truth or she managed to partialy lie to Nevada? Or maybe she did say the factual truth but deliberately omitted many crucial facts? Why did she tell Nevada about her revenge against the family of the man who killed her love? Was she speaking the truth? – if she did, was it deliberate to make Nevada think the worst of her?
(and to draw Nevada’s attention from the identity of the girls’ grandfather and the fate of the carrier woman….). So many questions!
Thank you so much for this book again, you definitely gave me more food for thought! So many theories and such a long wait before the next installment comes! All love! <3