ILONA ANDREWS

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All the Ships

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Me: They haven’t even met.

BDH:

I don’t understand…

In fandom shipping refers to wanting and advocating for a romantic relationship between two characters. Their names are typically glued together into the name of the ship. So Kate and Curran’s ship would be Karran. Hehe. You will read things like “I ship these two!” and “I’m boarding that ship!” meaning the readers want to see the two characters get together. You will also see memes of ships. The ship above is Michael from Records Keeper’s Office and Arabella. And now you are in on the joke.

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Comments

  2. The BDH (and readers in general) don’t really care about such things as logic and reason.
    They just want what they desire.

    Yummi snippet yesterday, more short snips please, especially if they are from removed/rewritten parts of the book/s.
    They taste even better. Must be very clearly marked as such, or the BDH will get some strange ideas. 🙂

  3. I didn’t realize this was a ship. Hadn’t thought about it. But I kind of like it. I can see it. I would like an excuse to learn more about Michael. He’s intriguing. I could get on board this ship.

  4. At this point I think we are all so excited for arabella’s story that pretty much any guy within her age range that is mentioned with in the books is a potential love interest. (provided he isn’t an obvious D-bag) Remember when she interviewed Stephen Jiang and everyone lost their minds that perhaps he was her OTP? Lol it’s so much fun to speculate.
    I haven’t joined a Ship – too many options! I can’t wait to find out though!!

    • I’m still shipping them. It would be awesome, epic even. Arabella likes her man pretty as mentioned several times, and he seems to tired of his family’s very Chinese expectations and demands)))))

    • In “The Cool Aunt,” at the beginning, she was thinking about Stephen Jiang as she put on her makeup. I don’t think she’ll be forgetting him anytime soon.

      • I agree but I dont like the idea of the balor family loosing another prime to marriege one was enought. (Weird how I agree with Victoria on this)
        My hope is that after his parents somehow react badly to the results of the last monster in the lake thing and maybe some other problem Stephen cant take anymore and something happen and Arabella get involved and he sub with her and marry into the balors clan.
        I mean the family name might be balor but the clan right now has at least 2 family names.

        • # of Primes in House Baylor
          Minus Nevada –> House Rogan
          Plus Alessandro
          Plus Future potential Catalina-Alessandro kids (I vote for triplets so that Alessandro can swear in Italian and tear out his beautiful hair) who will no doubt be Primes

          Leon hasn’t been tested but is also a likely Prime

          So even if Arabella does decide to run off with the man of her dreams, there will be no sum loss in Prime talent within House Baylor!

          • Bern is a significant and might be a prime but he probable intentionaly undererformed in his trial and if he marry Runa we can count 2 more primes on the bailors clan. Ps no matter how uninportant they say Leon and Bern sperm source is Im still curious about it couse it means there is a chance of distante relatives that might be important someday lol.

          • I thought only blood related primes counted. So those marrying in don’t count towards the needed two. Since Leon doesn’t want to be tested he also doesn’t count. So if Arabella left wouldn’t they only have one official prime?

            • ““Every time a new Prime is registered, the Office of Records checks to see if the family has two Primes,” Catalina said. “If there are two living Primes, the family is recertified as a House. They don’t take away the family’s rank until the last Prime alive at the last certification dies.””

              Andrews, Ilona. Wildfire, Hidden Legacy 3. Avon Publishing, 2017. Kindle edition, 6%

              It takes 2 Primes to be born in a line within 3 generations for a House to qualify, but whether they marry or die (as in Victoria Tremaine’s case, who is alone in House Tremaine), the House stands until the last Prime stands :).

              I hope this helps 🙂

    • Remember in Cool Aunt how she was putting on her best makeup to see him? He’s pretty, he’s a finance guy like she is, and he can run around using a sword made of water.

      I’m just sayin.

  5. I just want more Arabella in general. Arabella flirting with a potential love interest would be great. Arabella just being Arabella is great too. I am very interested to see what all she does.

  7. Nice ship. It’s always fun to consider options. Arabella is an interesting character. We love those characters.

  9. 🙂 It is not so much that I’d like Arabella having a fling or more with Michael, but I’d like to know more about him: so calm, so dangerous! what is he?
    I’ll just say you guys do what your characters want you to write about and we will enjoy it anyhow 🙂

  10. I’m ashamed to say those two getting together was my very first thought after the snippet. Significantly less ashamed to find out basically everyone else had the same thought 😀

  12. I’m neither for nor against Michella. I would love books about Arabella and Leon, whether the two arcs took place within the same stories or separately. Bern seems relatively settled at this point, professional and romantically.

    As far as I can remember, Arabella and the Keeper’s Michael met only once but not formally; he was there when all three sisters and Bern were tested to form their House.

  17. Yet, they havent met yet!

    In our defense everyone else is getting a love interest except Arabella and Leon.

    But for now Michael is viable or Stephen…or both until she decides?
    Yesterday I was boarding the Michael ship. But today I am thinking I might hop back to Stephen.

    • Or Henry Jiang, or Trevor (yes, there’s a BDH ship for that), or someone new and sparkly in RF ????.

      Sailing is our hobby hehe

      • Don’t forget Michael Latimer’s cousin. We don’t know his age yet, so let’s throw him into the mix too! ????

          • Oh! Did we know this and I forgot? Or did you give us a secret? I just remembered the scene from the snippet of him saying that he knew they had his cousin. I didn’t realize his cousin was Regina! The plot thickens. Dun dun DA! ????

        • Trevor is Victoria Tremaine’s bodyguard/assistant. In the Cool Aunt, Arabella refers to him as “scary guy in a suit”. Catalina speaks to him when she arranges to visit her grandmother.
          He’s somehow on the table :D.

          • Oh ya. Thank You – she comments on him in the cool aunt at the end when Victoria “arranges to see” the baby. I’m still firmly on the Michella ship. I will sail that one to the end maybe.

            • The SS Michella baby!! All the way!!
              I know absolutely nothing about ships; it just sounded right in my head…

    • I like the idea of Stephen a lot, but I don’t think he’d leave his house for Arabella. Too house proud. His brother Henry might though.

  18. When I think of Arabella and any stories with her I immediately think FUN!!! The other sisters had all the drama and I think Arabella causes more drama than feels it. I would love to see her get under Michael’s skin. Like maybe he’ll talk a mile a minute to her and she can’t get in a word. I sailed on that ship a looooong time ago. It’s nice here in the middle of the ocean.

  19. I would love Arabella being a question mark. I know we usually prefer knowing early on who to root for, but I rooted for Rogan and Alessandro was a slam dunk before Catalina’s books started. I think I’d prefer a shipwreck to a ship at this point. Regardless I’m preordering the book.

  21. A relationship between Michael the mysterious and dangerous guy and Arabella also dangerous but an open book and not mysterious would be exciting.

    All we know about Michael is he has some kind of dangerous magic, he doesn’t talk much, and he works for the good guys (House records).

    So it’s fun to speculate.

    Also the picture of a ship with Michella took me a few moments to get but it’s very clever of you. (Relationship between Arabella and Michael = Michella on a picture of a ship).

    Obviously I would buy Arabella’s book no matter who she ended up with.

  22. Haha! Thanks for the explanation. I was totally lost, but now I’m laughing.

    Weigh anchor, belay and something else naughty-cal. (K,I’m done)

  27. I don’t get the shipping of Arabella and Michael, though I do like the clipper! I definitely need to reread as Michael in my head is around 50, with distinguished grey temples. Praps I’m just showing my own age and preferences and inability to read with attention to detail.

    I’m currently bogged down in the last stage of a book draft, and an academic chapter, with a seminar paper to finish and a conference paper to start. So obviously I’m here instead on glorious work avoidance- thank you AL for such amazing distractions 🙂

      • This picture just upped his possibilities for me. Alot. I think I was also channeling old for his age imagery that had put him as a non-contender for Arabella but now. . . Hmmmm

        • With a note that Nevada is overestimating his age because of his style and vibes. He’s only 19 here 🙂

          “A man emerged from a shadowy alcove in the side wall, moving silently across the floor. In his mid-twenties, he wore expensive shoes and a sharp black suit, with a white shirt that looked even whiter against his light bronze skin, and a black tie. Black and grey tattoos covered his hands and neck. His dark brown hair, cut short on the sides, but longer on top of his head and slicked back, defined a long handsome face, with intelligent eyes the color of whiskey. He looked dangerous and slightly mournful, like a Prohibition-era gangster at a funeral.

          “It’s not every day one gets to register an emerging House,” the Records Keeper continued. He leaned closer and smiled at me, as if sharing a secret. “Especially one with a truthseeker in it. I’m so very excited to meet you. Michael is also very excited, aren’t you, Michael?””

          Andrews, Ilona. Wildfire, Hidden Legacy 3. Avon Publishing, 2017. Kindle Edition, page 39.

    • Possibly you were thinking of Michael Latimer – not the Record Keeper’s assistant. M. L. is at the gala in “White Hot”- where he offers Nevada help in case she has been abused – and in the snippet about Regina.

      At first, I needed reassurance that they were different characters, too, so I understand the confusion.

  28. The wonderful thing about Arabella, is that she’s young, and the possibilities are limitless! And Michael is just one of the delicious options. ????

  31. I can see it but my ship is the water prime and her so Im not realy interested in Michael as the possible romance partner.

  32. You: I don’t understand

    Please refer to the graphic in the comments of yesterday’s post about the interaction between authors and fans. I think that explains everything

    • The “I don’t understand” serves as an explanation for the colleagues who don’t know the shipping lingo 😀

      • Oops, responded in the wrong spot.

        Yeah, I though Ilona’s “I don’t understand” was in relation to us trying to pair up Arabella, not that people didn’t know what shipping characters meant.

  35. Always interesting to see your characters mature and I enjoy Arabella, but IMO she is not yet mature enough for a serious relationship and until we know who she is when she grows up, it is impossible to tell who would be right for her.

  37. I think that we are really just wanting more of Michael. He seems like a good person in a dark place. And we want him to be happy.

    Also, he seems like The Big Bad, and Arabella also seems like a pretty heavy hitter. The odds of her settling down with a nice guy accountant are pretty slim.

    And her chatty confidence against his silence is going to be so much fun.

    Don’t get me wrong, I ship her with the water mage too. But I think that they both have good odds of ending up happy, no matter what and I want that for Michael, who seems like he has longer odds.

  38. Since when was the BDH logical and reasonable? ???? In any case, Michella sounds like a fantastic ship name, so they must now become a couple for the sake of the ship name. Or not, as House Andrews decides, I guess.

  39. I love you guys so much and I’ve read this blog for years I have never commented before. But this momentous issue was too important for me to ignore!

    And I qualify my comment by saying that of course HA should have final say in these types of decisions.

    All of that said, I’m in favor of Curate for the name of the Kate and Curran ship. As in that relationship Curates my perspective of what a strong, fascinating, and enjoyable urban fantasy relationship should be!

    Though I do like Cute as well.

  40. So what if they haven’t met yet! Maybe it’s destiny! 😉

    I don’t even know why I’d like that ship to sail, but somehow in my head Arabella and Stephen did not really fit. Trevor is a extension of Granny Evil and Michael is full of possibility and could offer a counter balance to Arabella’s temper as he seems seems to be very powerful but contained.

    Fingers crossed for Michella 😀

    • Opposites attract. It would be funny watching them develop their relationship. He would be powerful addition for team Baylor. Could you just imagine all the crazy if she got pregnant? The delivery room scene would be epic.

    • I had similar way of thinking. I really liked the scene were Arabella questioned Stephen: he dismissed her, and she totally used it to her advantage and he spilled his secrets! I think she is too sneaky for him. Yes, she likes pretty man and he is definitely pretty, but I think she will end up with someone who is more dangerous, because she is dangerous too. Either that will be Micheal or Stephen gets more danger layers to him, or someone totally new and unexpected (but definetly not the assistant of the evil grandmother), I don’t know, but I will pre-order and read all the Arabella books as soon as they come.

      • I’m going with dangerous layers. Stephen totally secretly knows all the martial arts and can run on water and make a sword nearly anywhere. That guy has secrets to unpack and isn’t his real self with anybody.

        I want this ship so much.

  41. I’ve been schooled: thanks for the info! And when Arabella truly matures, romance is going to be awesome to explore. Meanwhile, she’s a fun character.

  42. On another, completely off-topic note, does anyone remember where the in the blog posts the pitivier recipe is located?

  43. Basically anyone her age range Arabella talks to this last book is going to be shipped. Considering how HAs have hooked up previous characters the love interests should meet this book. That would be what most of us will be looking for. Arabella is my favorite sister so any snippet with her makes me happy.

  45. I got the ship but did not pick up on the name, so happy someone explained that! RF is much anticipated by everyone.

  46. How do author’s feel about this shipping phenomenon? I have read some very demanding comments by fans.

    I personally can love the idea of a pairing but I feel pushing the writers to plot my idea is both insulting to authors and ridiculous since if my ideas are that magical I can write my own darn book.

    • IKR? I don’t get it. Although it takes a lot more than magical ideas to write. The point stands, though.

  47. Ships are weird but can be exciting when they sail. Unless they aren’t your ships. People can get really nasty if the “wrong” ship sails especially if someone they didn’t think was LGBT is “suddenly” changed.
    I don’t think I’ve seen Arabella interact enough with any age appropriate person who wasn’t family to pair her off with anyone else. I’ve seen interesting characters in the series I’d like to see as lead dude, but they all seem way older than her. A new person makes more sense.
    Michael’s got so little on the page that he’s practically a blank slate other than being random badass. Blank slates can be easy to ship because there isn’t a lot of characterization to compete with.

    • @Rose,

      I totally agree with your statement “Ships are weird but can be exciting when they sail. Unless they aren’t your ships. People can get really nasty if the “wrong” ship sails especially if someone they didn’t think was LGBT is “suddenly” changed.”

      It reminded me of the tantrum thrown by some of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter’s readers (specifically Archangel’s Light).

      On the same note, characters are the author’s creations and work of art. Ultimately, the ship is their decision and we must respect that. In addition, an element of faith is needed when dealing with author-driven ships. ONE TRUST HIS/HER AUTHORS!

      PS: I can’t wait for RF!!!! IT’S GONNA BE EPIC!

  49. Has the strong desire to announce “All ashore who’s going ashore!” I’m also enjoying the comments.

  51. I don’t understand… I didn’t really read Michael as available (“…putting out the vibe.”)

    I guess Arabella kicking his butt of darkness and then true love could be fun lol

  53. LOL. Is this about the snippet yesterday? I don’t even remember who Michael is… clearly need to re-read Hidden Legacy. Anytime Arabella is even mentioned in the same sentence as any male character, the BDH acts like it’s her one true love. She could also end up with a woman! Now the BDH is going to analyze any character she is not related to. Why did I open that can of worms…

    • Arabella is a heterosexual character. We are not changing her sexuality. She will not end up with a woman.

      There are gay characters in the novel. Patricia and Regina are married. We are not changing their sexual preferences either. Please stick to canon. 🙂

  54. Ohhhh. I get it now. Hah! I’m pretty bemused by the ship thing and need to pair characters together, but the speculation does make for interesting reading.

  55. I have seen people ship characters in entirely different stories, not having met yet is a minor obstacle in comparison! (Tbf I have read books where I could guess two characters would be a couple before they met. Not that that applies to the snippet.)

  58. ????????????

    Since yesterday’s snippet I’ve been waiting for IA’s response to the creation of this ship.

    IA did not disappoint. ????????

  59. ???????????? *nods with manic glee* One of the things I love best about your books is how often you surprise me. Including the “rocks fall, everyone dies”. By now we of the BDH recognise your joint professional ethics will deliver a kickass version of
    1)Where the rocks came from
    2)How the rockfall was initiated
    3)Who is involved in this dastardly fall of rocks
    4)What manner of filleting our heroine/hero will do to the culprit.
    5)When this will be accomplished since everyone is currently dead and what a neat trick.

  61. Thank you!! They haven’t met!!! We know almost nothing about Michael except that he’s scary powerful. Stop shipping and let it unfold, people!

    • Yeh everyone, remember when Michael singlehandedly took out Grandma Tremaine without breaking a sweat. One dangerous guy

        • Wasn’t it also a joking play on Twilight?

          I vaguely recall a snippet where a teenager named Maud confronts a vampire in a human high school…

          And it all came together when Maud and Arland joke over ‘a popular teen romance novel’ on his bookshelf.

  67. Michaella for the win! Though I’m also curious about Trevor and how that would be named. Trebella? Or if it’s my last choice- Stephen- Stebella? Or an as yet unnamed choice- Strangerella?

  68. How fun would that be!!!! I am so looking forward to another book in this series. Who am I kidding, I look forward to any book from you two. Thanks for being such great writers!

    • +1

      I didn’t even wonder about Curran for quite a while. I just liked the plots. Should I be embarrassed?

    • I didn’t know what shipping was until a few years ago when someone brought it up in the comments here. So we’re just keeping the crazy alive. Wouldn’t want to disappoint House Andrews.

  71. Lol, at the moment I’m on Arabella ship, has several life boats, pictures of lifeboat Michael assistant book keeper and Henry the water mage younger brother boats are bit lowered…while Trevor hadn’t even been uncovered. Regardless love this thanks

  75. I groaned into my afternoon cuppa. Hubby asked me if I stubbed my toe or tripped.

    “No, I fell over a ship and it hurt.”

    “Do I want to know what that means?”

    “Just reading Ilona’s blogpost for today.”

    “Oh! Never mind. I’ll read it later.”

    Five minutes later: “Aaaagh!”

    Hee, hee, hee.

  76. Michael talks – it’s just he only talks when he feels he has something important to say, like the time when he told Nevada she made a mistake trading a favor to the Record Keeper for allowing Victoria Tremaine to live.

    But I agree his backstory would be interesting, since you have to wonder what he’s seen in his position or if that had happened to him.

    • Oh man, I forgot about this song! My friend and I would do that too.???? This brings back so many memories hahaha!

  78. It’s just he seems like one person not related to her in the right age bracket who won’t be intimidated by the fact she can literally turn into a giant beast. Michella all the way

  79. There is lots of logic behind Michella vs Arabella & Stephen Jiang. ????

    Yes ST is young, handsome, athletic and a powerful water mage, but Arabella was able to fool him into betraying his house at their first meeting. He is no match for her. (And yes I know that it was Catalina who did the interview but Arabella wrote the questions and planned the approach).

    Mysterious Michael… we don’t know much about him but we do know that he is so powerful that even Granny Victoria is afraid of him, and Granny isn’t afraid of anyone.

    Also, while we all love Arabella, I am guessing that there wouldn’t be a lot of Houses pushing their scions her way. Magic and non-magic People are terrified of the Beast of Cologne and Families would likely be afraid of what her kids could be. Michael likely has the same issues… I am definitely on the good ship Michella.

    But for the rest? No logic whatsoever… we haven’t met all the new characters yet, and we don’t even know what is (are?) Arabella’s powers beyond shifting into the Beast (remember all the passive / active power relationships). Plus she is young so let her play around a bit! Lol just my 2 cents ????

    • Can’t think of a good shipper name for Arabella and Stephen. That should be enough to disqualify him. ????

      I just realized Arabella and Catalina missed an opportunity to ship Nevada and Connor. Could have put their name on the picture frame.

      • “A page from Bridal magazine was taped to my office glass door. It showed a woman in a spectacular gown made with long white feathers. Someone- probably Arabella- had cut out my head from some selfie and pasted it over the bride’s. A big heart, drawn in a pink marker and sprinkled with glitter, decorated the bride’s dress. Inside the heart someone had written N+R= LURVE. Little pink hearts floated around my face.”

        Andrews, Ilona. White Hot. Avon Publishing, 2017. Kindle edition, page 11

        It goes on to describe Catalina’s crafty work too ????. They didn’t miss the opportunity, theirs was the first salvo hehe.

        • I thought they put that in a picture frame.

          But yeah, that’s what I meant. They had the N+R but not a shipper name.

          And now I’m picturing people buying towels engraved with their shipper name as a wedding present. Do people do that, or is that only with celebrities? Although Connor was a celebrity at that point.

  80. ???????????? I’m having a stressful week. Things like that usually go over my head like a jet, but I actually got this one!!

  81. There’s nothing to understand ???? That’s where the fun comes from. Nonsense to speculate randomly. Do I care if I’m “wrong” or “right”? No. The best part is the reading journey, and so far I’m loving it ❣️

  82. I like Michella waaay better that Aragustine, FWIW 😀

    Even if it’s just bonding over a quest – there should be plenty of drama and excitement for her!

  83. I’m kind of confused, I just thought it was a cool snippet with Arabella. Love that girl.

    Aaaaanyway. Liked the snippet! As soon as you link a preorder to an Arabella book—IF you do, no pressure!!!—I’m buying.

  86. Just because the BDH launches a ship does not mean that is the correct ship or even the ship that Arabella might permanently wind up on. I have thse Assasins’ Creed blag flag images now of Arabella swinging off one ship via a mast rope on to another in the middle of an ocean.

    You are the ones that control the story (any you do a mighty fine job of that by the way.) Let the hoard scheme. You do you. [And now I have images in my head of the hoard bemoaning their fate as they boarded a sinking or nonexistant ship.] the

      • I mean, that’s half the joy! It doesn’t really matter if the ship sails, it’s really about just speculating and imagining how different relationships would work out. 🙂 Or at least it is for me, but I don’t really settle on ships too much, I want to see any or all of them.

  87. OK, so this is all IA’s fault. They make each character so real to the BDH that they take on their own lives in all our brains. Then we take off on ships or dirigibles or meat-eating unicorney-type horsies with these weird results.

    (Nice to have a place for all of us to present our goofy comments, tho. Thx to IA and Mod R for letting us go ????s)

  88. Hmmm, with Arabella why not both. I know the romance genre trope is to meet The One and not to have more than one guy that you fall for or are drawn to, but I totally see Arabella breaking that mold and falling for more than one guy. But perhaps I’m alone in this.

    Regardless, I’m really looking forward to her story unfolding and learning more about Michael since he’s so mysterious.

    BTW I really appreciate that IA emphasized in an earlier post that any love interests would be age appropriate and not someone who was in an earlier story as an adult when she was 15. That’s the creepiest so thank you for eliminating that!

  89. Having been told categorically that Augustine is too old for Arabella and not to go there, the BDH looked around for anyone who was both powerful and young. I don’t think we know enough about Michael yet.
    Personally, I really like the idea of Arabella playing the field. Let her experiment and find out what she likes. It will take a complex personality to stand up to her when she needs it, but let her soar and have her back the other times. He has to do all that while accepting all that she is. Not an easy task.

  90. I adore Arabella and I would hope she could find someone.

    However, her magic isn’t something I see staying secret for long. Sealed records or not. You just don’t hide the massive rage beast when it’s out and stomping. Eventually people are going to put two and two together.

    I fear Arabella’s problem will be finding someone with the balls to date her. I see most men being scared off by what she can do. ????????????

  91. Guilty as charged, I will go down with this ship while dramatically singing Dido’s “White Flag.” #Team Michella. But I would love to see Arabella date around first and test the waters with multiple guys (along the lines of what you have pitched in other blog posts, Ilona). Kate and Curran didn’t immediately get together, and that slow burn is part of what made their story so delicious.

  92. From personal experience, I dated a lot of nice guys (and a few bad choices) when I was nineteen. None were long term relationships.

    I’ll probably get voted down, but a friend who understands her power and abilities (and that her family worries a lot about that power and those abilities) might be what she needs in her life. Maybe Michael, maybe someone we haven’t met yet.

  93. To be honest, I wanna ship Arabella and someone totally brand new to us, the BDH. So that it hits us in the face with the unexpectedness of it. And we get hold of a new character with new past mysteries attached to them. Doesn’t have to be a male either. Just someone we haven’t yet met and thus have no preconceptions of.

  94. I don’t get why there’s talk about Arabella having a temper. I am of the mind that she embellished her fights with Catalina (over things like hairbrushes) just to show her family she was under control. Her beast is a creature of rage (I believe that’s the Canon word), and she has it under complete control. She calmly breaks safes and rips off monster heads after all.
    Really, if HA does decide to do an Arabella story, I am looking forward to all the dealing really well with people stuff since she’s definitely people smart. I’ll wave at the ships from the shore – I think those interactions will be less interesting than her just owning a room.

  95. I on that ship too. Somehow, I think Michael might make a good partner for Arabella. Arabella’s partner however, depends our wonderful authors.

  97. I like Michael for Arabella because he seems a good psychological fit for her, erm, volcanic nature.
    Also it ties House Baylor into another part of the Texas Houses power structure. Not to mention a legitimate threat to use against Victoria.

  98. Am I the only one shipping Michael and Leon? Would really buy Leon as bi with all his early Rogan worship.

      • I shiped Leon and runa hard… still a little sad it didnt happen… That said Leon like man I would ship him and this Michael hard. Leon needs someone special couse he isnt realy sane/normal… Love Leon. Ps. Not shipping any girl with him now couse there isnt any in the story at the moment that would work.

        • Lol was kind of shipping Leon and Alessandro’s sister…but that so far has been the only I could think of….but doesn’t Agustine have a sister?

        • I could see Leon and this Michael. I don’t ship, period, because that’s for the authors to determine, but I could see the story going there.

  99. I am definitely on that ship! Though I also briefly thought Augustine’s younger brother until I found out how young he is in another post.

    Honestly… I can see her having a lot of maybes with someone steady slowly eroding away at her walls
    Of flirtation by not flirting but being a real match for her mind

    But then like others, I am also very intrigued by him in general and I do think that just like Rohan needed a Nevada to tell him no when he had a temper, Arabella will need someone powerful enough to occasionally keep
    Her in check.

  100. It is the what ifs jumping straight into the oh wow, oh wow, oh wows. Oh Wow. OH WOW!!!!!! Just a BDH group blown up Oh WOW.

  101. Yea, but Michael and Arabella have already thrown out bad guy / girl gang signs…. And they both dress really well. I could imagine them striking a pose with their dark sides. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine. Bring it.”

  102. Yep. The ship sailed as soon as you put both characters in the same paragraph, one of them being the last single lady. All hands on deck!
    >o<

  104. I am being a good little BDH member and waiting however long it takes – 1 year, 6 years, 12 years, whatever – for Derek and Julie resolution.

    In the meantime, imma board any interesting looking ship that floats by

  105. Yes yes fine. But the real question is what ship grandma Frida sales on. I think Linus and Victoria have a bit too much going on for Frida to board that ship.

    Or is Frida the stand in for the audience who always advocates relationships without any serious consequences?

  106. I actually think that Michael seems a little sinister, although that could be just because we don’t really know very much about him yet. Plus I really want to read the last book in Catalina’s story arc before thinking about Arabella’s book(s). Although I admit eventually I’d love to read a scene between Arabella and Stephen Jiang where they each see the other’s powers revealed. Talk about mind-blowing! I don’t know who would be the most stunned. Anyway, I have faith that however Catalina’s story ends and Arabella’s starts, it will be wonderful. IA never disappoints.

    • No embarrassment! The BDH is the Ilona Andrews fandom, it stands for Book Devouring Horde ????.
      It’s a nickname based on the Hope Crushing Horde from the Innkeeper Chronicles series and the fact that we’re insatiable for books ????

  108. Yes let our ship sail please. Lol. It’s okay if it later sinks because we know yall will do our girl justice in giving her a good partner but in the meantime we like to dream. ☺

    • I’m picturing them writing a scene in the future and laughing in glee as they hit our ship broadside and sink her to the bottom of Davy Jones’ locker. Or is it Davey Jones? Whichever one wasn’t a Monkee.

  114. Once House Andrews has written it, I’ll be shipping hard for their choice. Til then its fun to speculate cos the Baylors are fully rounded characters.

  115. I thought they met at the trials. I mean they weren’t introduced but wasn’t Michael there?

  116. I wasn’t really shipping Arabella with Michael or anybody else. I would love to see more of Michael in the future, since it is not often that a character who has appeared only in a couple of scenes and has said less than three words piques my interest that much.
    But now I can’t stop imagining Michael and Arabella walking around the city, he in his silent and mysterious way, while Arabella torments him with over-the-top cutesy and embarrassing pet names to get a reaction out of him.

    Well, seems like this ship has one more passanger, logic be damned!

  117. I have never totally understood why some fans want to steer authors in a particular direction. I want to read the story, not write it myself. Books where I can predict too much of the outcome end up boring me.

    Fantasy, in particular, requires a lot of willing suspension of disbelief upfront. If a relationship seems “fated”, it’s harder for me to sustain that suspension. Plus, I enjoy watching characters figure out tough stuff. That character growth is more likely to be useful food for thought than a fairy-tale HEA.

  118. I do not believe we have yet to meet someone who could handle Arabella.

    She would need someone who found her magic attractive, and who could keep up with her debate team skills.

  119. I’m not ashamed to say that the thought conjured up a full scene of them meeting complete with cheesy background music and mysteriously blooming flowers… ^_^

  122. Aha! There are two Michaels. Michael whose last name we don’t know, of the “slightly mournful expression) and Michael Latimer. Which one are people shipping? I’d say they are both too old for her, but the no-last-name Michael is closer.

    • Michael whose last name we don’t know is the one being shipped :). He’s in his mid-20s, he’s fine for 19/20 year old Arabella 🙂

  125. That could be a fun ship. Michael seems like he could have an interesting story even without the Arabella ship.

  129. #teamMichaelLattimore!
    I don’t care the age diff, he seems scary and gallant and and an uber hottie!

  130. I was riding in the car with my husby when I read this blog post. He knows my devotion as a member of the BDH and I’ve shared blogs with him before.

    I thought this one might interest him because it discusses Fandom and the relationship to the authors. He’s into those kind of insights in all media – books, movies, comics, tv shows.

    He’s not really into romance and he’d never heard the term shipping before (he thought it was cute that it was an abbreviation for relationship) and I explained the mash up of names.

    He says, “So our ship name is AnD (our initials combined).” He’s the sweetest ???? It made me ridiculously happy.

  131. Oh i am on the Stephen ship and will probably go down with it. Its so rare to see a handsome Chinese man mentioned as a crush! and not IT support or comedic relief. But it would be hilarious if Trevor and Arabella get together and she ends up leaving House Baylor…for House Tremaine! Muhahahaha

    • Hey Alicia,

      BDH stands for Book Devouring Horde, it’s the nickname of the Ilona Andrews fandom, inspired by the Hope Crushing Horde in the Innkeeper Chronicles ????

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