Happy Book Birthday!
New Novella From Hidden Legacy
Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.
Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan’s extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.
To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her sister’s happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.
RSVP at the following retailers: Amazon | BN | Kobo | Apple Books
This is a thread for you to discuss Diamond Fire and speculate about the future. I’m sorry, guys, we are still feeling badly, so we will be around but it may take us longer to get to all of your comments.
Was pleasantly surprised to wake up yesterday morning with this book in my Kindle. Like someone else in the comments I often preorder and then forget when the due date is. Read the book in one sitting while I ate breakfast going back to re read later this week. Love all your books and am hoping for a speedy recovery for your family. I know it feels like forever.
Is anyone else wondering what happened with Leon and Bern’s mother (Gisele I think) that angered Catalina? She mentions in the novella that it wrecked their lives. Or did I just miss something?
It’s here: https://hiddenlegacy.ilona-andrews.com/
The page hasn’t been updated in a while, but there’s really no need, with the publication stuff on the main Hidden Legacy page. If you go halfway down or so, there’s a whole bunch of extras.
thank you so much for taking the time. I’ve been seriously unwell and haven’t had the chance to check for updates etc regularly.
It seems to me the AL’s have the kindest fans!
+1
There’s a Frequently Asked Questions page at https://hiddenlegacy.ilona-andrews.com/faq/ that provides some additional backstory.
Thank you for this!!!
Really enjoyed this book, just love this family. Hope there are many more books featuring this family.
This is my favorite series, I love this family
Congrats on an outstanding story. I am anxiously awaiting the first full-length novel on Catalina’s journey
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Fantasy
#1 in Books > Romance > Fantasy
#1 in Books > Romance > Paranormal
Woo-hoo! Go BDH! 😀
Seconded!
? ? ? Well-deserved indeed!
I loved it. If I understand Catalina’s magic correctly, then as Alessandro falls more in love with her genuinely, he becomes increasingly immune to her magic and a stronger ally for her causes. That’s going to be the sweetest love story.
I really hope it’s Alessandro. The fact that the first book in Catalina’s trilogy is entitled Sapphire Flames and Alessandro’s car is a Sapphire-blue Maserati GranCabrio made me go Hmm…
By the way, am I the only one who doesn’t quite understand yet what the title “Diamond Fire” refers to?
I assumed diamond fire bc it’s about a wedding…. lol and Nevada must have gotten a diamond ring from Rogan…I could be wrong!
I think it is because the tiara had diamonds in it?
I assumed it was Saphire Flames because her wings are blue and they are continuing with the Burn/Hot/Fire/Flames theme…
Wait – her wings are blue? I thought no one could see her wings . . . which I interpreted to mean they’re colorless . . . ?
She can see them. They are beautiful and have mesmerising patterns. The image used by the Authorlords for the deleted snippet from the next book was a sapphire blue wing.
Catalina also says at some point “I let them have a glimpse of my feathers” so probably the people who are the victims of her direct magic can see the wings (unsure on this).
I bet that Alessandro will be able to see them. He may be able to see what others can’t because of the nature of his power.
Sealight is surrounded by diamonds?
Ramirez/Rogan has a connection to the aquamarine colour, which might metaphorically refer to the flame of their power?
And well, Catalina books will have a jewel theme while Nevada’s had a heat theme?
That’s all I got.
Put a piece of coal under pressure and it becomes a diamond (after alot of years) but still
Catalina has always hidden, herself and her power, but she was put under pressure and she has come out of it better
that’s my take
Also Catalina’s books are ‘fire,’ instead of burn.
When did we find out Catalina’s book name? I can’t believe missed this!
The title of the first book for Catalina’s trilogy is mentioned in the Hidden Legacy page under “Books”
See https://ilona-andrews.com/hidden-legacy-2/ which has this line:
Even with my preoder canceled by amazon because the price was raised by 100% and that appearently meant they couldnt sell it to me, they couldnt deter me from it very long. It was very entertaining and i am really looking forward to a Catalina book. Great job guys. thank you for more good reading times.
also i wish you well. hoping you all feel better soon.
Same thing happened to me, please write an Email directly to Ilona, she’s checking with her publisher why this happened. Which Amazon were you using? It happened with Amazon.de for me.
Yes i had the same problem with Amazon.de. I had to go and purchcase it a second time, it didnt come down automatically. Anyway it was soo good :))
+1
+1
Amazon.de cancelled the order due to legal reasons ( Buchpreisbindung für eBooks /book price fixing ). And – in my case – nearly tripled the price. First time I had this happen, and I do preorder quite often. So I’m not really sure if these legal reasons are legal after all; the change they refer to has been in effect since May 2016.
Thea Harrison is not selling her books directly from her website so she gets all the profits.
I had trouble getting my audio book so just bought it. Some hours later they tried to send again.
Here too. It was also amazon.de
I dont remember what the old price was, but the reason given for the cancellation was the now higher price coupled with the fixed price for books.
oh wow i ordered the evening before release so will go back and check the price now – also amazon.de – nope paid 3,59€ i think that is fair.
Gah, one thing I forgot! I laughed out loud the second time I read it and saw the echo in the first line of the first line of Anna Karenina — “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” “All families have odd moments. Our family just has them more often…”
Kudos to literature jokes!
+1
+ 1
I smiled too 🙂
So excited to read this. I love these characters ! My speculation is with Victoria and Linus. Could he be Ceasar…..
Yeah, reading that small part where Victoria and Linus are seen talking together has me apprehensive.
I thought the al had obliquely admitted it was Linus? He never says anything that Nevada would catch as a lie
“We both do so hate to be bored.”
Also both Caesar and Linus are refered to as “beyond reproach”.
Coincidentally, there is another character who hates to be bored and is beyond reproach- Sergeant Teddy for Caesar!?
Does Kate Waller know the identity of Cesar?
This is such an impressive story on so many levels.
It introduced us to ‘the real’ Catalina as she steps into adulthood. Her competence as an investigator, working with and directing a team of investigators and experienced security staff, shone. Her interactions with her clients and hard learned discretion was a wonderful lesson in business ethics. Her interaction with the caterers was both professional and compassionate, without histrionics. And she was masterful at her grand unveiling of the schemes although public presentations were antithetical to all her upbringing.
I am so glad she was able to trust Mrs Rogan, and thereby earned a mentor.
I look forward to learning whether her wings will eventually allow her to fly.
I thought it introduced us to the “real” Leon, too. He wasn’t just gun backup, he actively contributed in the investigation. I love how he’s sooooooo much happier and more comfortable in his skin now that he knows his magic. And that he’s still an incredibly loving brother, despite his mind being “such a dark place.” LOL.
Also, if she can truly fly? So awesome.
It seems like its metaphorical representation of her power but holy hell I want it to happen.
Can real sirens fly?
I’m reading the Nook version in a web browser and notice that it drops words every so often. Is anyone else having this issue?
Love Catalina’s POV and can’t wait to finish the story 😀
Iron and Magic made the semi finals, everyone go and vote!
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2018?ref_=pe_2701710_370546120&rto=x_gr_e_nf_gca_2018&utm_campaign=round2&utm_content=choice-header&utm_medium=email&utm_source=choice_awards
Done!
Also done!
Done!
Me too!
Which to vote for? IaM or MT? Decisions…
Listened to Diamond Fire on Audible yesterday and LOVED it!!
I was almost right about where *spoiler* was hidden. For the wrong reason, but I’ll give myself a partial credit anyhow.
Also that little kid is going to one impressive mage in another 15 or 20 years. “Hidden Legacy: the Next Generation”? *grin*
I hope so, I kinda hope some of the non horrible members of his family ask Rogan to work for him to get away from the craziness. Maybe some of the girls that were defending Catalina. They are not primes so I imagine they wont have their own books but would make good additions to Rogan family.
Thank you for “monachopsis”. My daughter will love that word.
Great story. Looking forward to more in this line. How you folks are all on the mend, and I wish you many hours of uninterrupted sleep.
I loved this book! It gave a chance for the other Baylor family members to shine and we see how the rest of the family interacts. I did notice a small inconsistency on my 2nd or 3rd read of the book, but didn’t Gavin break a deal to join the military instead of prison? Anyway, looking forward to your next work!
6 months of detention followed by 10 years in the military. We are still in the detention period.
I wonder if there could be a Magister Arcobaleno with all abilities of the magical spectrum like the colours of a rainbow? In my mind this person would be like a mystical beast, rare and forgotten in the histories of time.
At the time they would have been hunted to extinction (or were they?) because some ancestor, corrupted by all that power, had nearly destroyed the world and all other ancient magic users came together in an epic war to restore the balance of power.
But there had been a girl with undeclared magic ability who had kept her head down. Like Catalina she was afraid of what she would become once she really started to use her powers.
So I know the plan is for Catalina’s story next, but if Avon wants more in the Hidden Legacy world after that, I would be ALL IN for Runa Etterson’s story. Seriously. I would read that to freaking pieces. A Poison Mage? Freaking Awesome. I hope like Roman’s story, it becomes a possibility!
She was a cool character
I loved her sense of humor
I about died laughing when she riffed off Mulan. Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…
I about died laughing when she started riffing off Mulan. Dishonor on your whole family! Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!
Maybe Runa & Augustine can get their own novella(s). Give Augustine someone so people will stop Baylor-shipping them (I haven’t heard Augustine/Bern yet. Shame).
Agewise it’s terrible. But dispositionally it would have to be Augustine/Leon, don’t you think?
Augustine would hire both Bern & Leon in half a second. But given that Leon plans to be a dark horse, and Augustine has had terrible experiences with dark horses, it would be funny, if totally gross (because of the age thing).
I see both Augustine and Bern as too constrained. Leon would drive him crazy – for good or for ill. I mean, shipping aside, any situation where they were force to work together in close confines would be bound to be hilarious.
sounded like she and Catalina had a bonding moment, so i hope she is part of the new set.
Yes! I hope we see her again, if nothing else. The authorlords have the uniquely awesome ability to make even their minor characters so intriguing you want to know more about them.
I loved the book and the new narrator for the audio edition was very excellent. But, why Xavier?! (I know the BDH learned its lesson with Hugh.) But, Xavier is the worst for pronunciations. Because EVERYONE, everywhere says it differently. Where I live along the Arizona/Mexican border, this name gets pronounced like Javier…with an h for the x sound. I have friends that are from Europe and they pronounce it more like z sound. Plus, depending on where you are from you may (or may not) stress the end sound (zah-vee-air vs. zah-vee-yay) . Then there are a bunch of Americans who put the X sound in there, like EX-ZAY-vee-yer. Crazy!
Ximena. Just saying.
You did it again. I’m only a third of the way through but I was sucked in right away. I love when a book can distract me from everything and all I want to do is keep reading.
What I’m trying to figure out is why Nevada is so attune to Rogan that she can see his dream (projections) but they think that their powers aren’t genetically compatible was it mentioned and I over looked it or they still don’t know
It’s down to him being partial empath/telepath from his mother. When he is out of it, he projects. Not just to Nevada, I think, his people knew what to look out for (the elements of his nightmare) when him and Neva were trapped in the cisterns.
I know I was thinking about the nightmare he had in white hot when he was in the jungle and eating rats , so their powers are compatible hmmm
He said that she was sensitive to projections.
The whole family didnt get the projection. I remember him saying that Nevada was sensitive to his projections.
He was right underneath her bedroom and had fallen into deep sleep from exhaustion. Again, projecting. I do think their magics will be compatible though, or Nevada might have that Wild Card gene that produces magic mutations.
oh that is a good theory I wish the overlord writers would have given more hints on this
I still think Grandma Victoria did more to her son than just pick a prime to father him and put him in another prime to gestate him. I think she turned him into a living serum and whatever she did affected his children and Bern and Leon.
All three daughters are Prime’s and each seems to have a distinct and different kind of magic where the genetic compatibility is not present. Arabella at least has a really, really, different kind of magic. Bern and Leon are quite magically powerful and have apparently stronger magic than their lineage should account for.
So I think the overall result would be that Nevada’s children were also magically powerful, and whatever grandma Victoria did would negate the problems of genetic compatibility.
I don’t think Bern and Leon would be affected by this since they are related on their mother’s side.
Exactly. Bern & Leon have no James Baylor blood in them. Personally, I think the Aframs have an uptick gene, since Bern & Leon are more powerful than Grandma Frida & Grandpa Leon (we don’t know enough about Aunt Gisele to judge). And Nevada is more powerful than Victoria and Arabella more powerful than Misha Marcotte.
I think that GV did something to him that would allow James to affect anyone in his vicinity, not just genetics (brainwaves, magical energy, something)
Oh catastrophe! Could you see them having a child shaped like the Beast of Cologne with Rogan’s telekenetic level?
I hope Gordon is ok.
I REALLY enjoyed the book, and can’t wait to continue Catalina’s story !!
I am always amazed at all the fantastic characters (and worlds) you are able to create – not only Kate, Dina, Maude and Nevada, but with such great supporting characters like Catalina (or Julie, or ….) that we hunger for THEIR story, too !!!
Thank you !!!!
Oops … “Maud”.
Also forgot to add that I hope you are on the mend !
I read it twice and am still trying to figure out who is Lance. He was mentioned in the epilogue “Of the west wing, only Zorion and Teresa and Ane and Lance remained.”
He is Ane’s paid escort – everyone else knows him as “Paul”, but he told Catalina his real name.
Thanks
I think it’s hilarious that Paul is his escort name and Lance is his real name. Just seems like itv should be the other way round.
Where is autocorrect when you need it?
So mine is probably silly, in the excerpt they posted (that was tossed out), Catalina had just turned 21. Does her first story really take place so long after Diamond Fire or was it a typo?
Yes, several years have passed.
Yes, several years have passed.
She will spend a few years with Rogan’s mother, who trains her.
I’ve been looking forward to the release for ages. I had a rough week and this was exactly what I needed to help me get to Friday
I need a family tree. I bought the audiobook and I can’t keep up with who is who?
I do miss Ms. Raudman’s voice but Emily does a great job. The pacing is slow but then again Catalina is a cautious and careful person so it matches her personality
I’m still halfway through the audiobook, trying to find pockets of time throughout the day to listen
I just had to go back and draw my own so I could keep up. But yes a beautifully done family tree posted to this website would be a real treat
There’s a partial family tree in the front of the ebook. I needed it!
Loved this book, and its quickly becoming my new favorite series.
I keep seeing comments about another Catalina book, but the series page says the series is complete?
Is there a link for more info on Catalina’s book?
If you go to the HL page here (Menu —> Books —> Hidden Legacy), you will see the announcement for Sapphire Flames, book one of the NEXT trilogy, which at least starts with Catalina. I don’t believe the AL’s have said whether the next trilogy is all Catalina or more like The Edge, with a different romance per book.
Cool, thanks
DF says Kelly and Gavin are his only relatives on his dad’s side but I could swear Gavin had two younger siblings?
Ilona answers that in the comments here somewhere, something about how much contact their father wants/doesn’t want them to have with Rogan.
Thanks!
Happy book birthday!! Loved how it all resolved – especially the bedazzler ?
I love how Catalina is coming into her own. Isn’t it scrumptious how the offshoots of her gifts are developing in ways not known or recognised by the Prime world. They (and we) are going to be dazzled by her!
This is a great reflection of the authorlords’ minds and creativity – to dream up all these different worlds & people them with characters that draw us into their lives and loves.
Thank you, Ilona and Gordon.
And may you have good healthy sleep to recover fully.
I think the sword fighting is from the maternal line. Nevada got the ability for headshots in life and death situations. Catalina got sword fighting? Or perhaps the ability to be super good at upclose battles?
i was thinking it sounds like Leon’s gift, of knowing where to hit the next second.Cooler with a sword so..
I thought it might be this too
Really enjoyed this one. Loved the narrator-her voice brought Catalina out for me.
Probably going to be picked apart for this ? but…
a few times I thought the personality was more Nevada than Catalina, which threw me. I hope the identity of Catalina really comes out in the upcoming books. I also wished that Mrs Rohan’s magic wasn’t identified as being like a dragon. Dragon to me is so Connor – so much a part of who he is. His mum’s magic being likened to a dragon diminished both for me.
Enough of that though, looking forward to the rest.
Nevada and Catalina are sisters and there will be a definite similarity in their worldview and voice. And Rogan is Mrs. Rogan’s child. This entire series is all about families: how they shape us, how they saddle us with issues and responsibilities, and how they make us happy. In other words, it’s not a bug, it’s a feature. 😀
But if that sort of thing bothers you, it might be a good idea to skip the sequel trilogies, because you will definitely hear the same notes in the voice. 🙂
“This entire series is all about families: how they shape us, how they saddle us with issues and responsibilities, and how they make us happy.”
Which is why it hits so hard.
Maybe I should try to get my sister to read these. (Literary tastes and exchanging books is a delicate matter, especially since she grew up reading so much from my collection…)
Family is a huge influence on our thinking processes.
Years ago, my sister, her friends, and I attended Evita on Broadway. Scene one had cast enter stage hung with many flags with their torches lit with real flames. I immediately looked for exits. At intermission I told this quirky tale to the group. My younger sister gave me ‘the look’ and said didn’t you check that out when you came in? Everyone else’s jaws dropped.
Parents were nurse and mechanic – safety first.
I couldn’t stop laughing when the dragon put her wings away and rolled her wheel chair out of the room. That was AWESOME!
That is what I loved, especially about White Hot. Everyone who was telling Nevada “it’s all about family” was telling her to sacrifice herself. Her actual FAMILY was telling her over again “do what you need to be happy. DON’T sacrifice for us.” Love vs. Manipulation. Don’t get me wrong, my own blood family is really good at both. But in fiction you can draw nice lines.
By the way, does anyone remember where and when was the first mention of Catalina’s wings? I dont remember…
In the deleted scene posted here
but the deleted scene must be from the next book because she is just turned 21 that night in the scene. But i also don’t think we had heard in the books about them before. We just learning how her magic works now.
In both White Hot and Wildfire when Catalina used her magic to overcome the enemy soldiers, the soldiers afterwords were talking about an “ angel” who disappeared so they definitely saw her wings. At the time I assumed their reference to an “ angel” was metaphorical and they just thought of her as a beautiful young lady who appeared, bewitched them then disappeared. Now, thanks to Diamond Fire, I realise her wings ‘appear’ to whoever she is using her magic on.
I love the way the AL reveal more facets of the Baylor family magic as the stories unfold. I look forward to finding more about Catalina’s uncanny sword fighting ability in the next book.
Augustus and Cornelius were under her spell and didn’t talk about angels wings. I do like your theory though.
So is Catalina ?.
I really loved the book and a great addition to the series. I would love to read what Augustine best man speech was.
Oh my god yes please. I don’t think I can even imagine his best man speech!!
+1000
Yes!
Also, I am absolutely dying to know what Grandmas Frida & Victoria talked about at the reception.
I loved it, just hands down. I could go into analysis, etc, but I won’t. I simply loved it, was up til midnight (thanks for that, but so worth it), and now feel the need to reread the entire series again 🙂 I hope you guys feel better soon, take it nice and easy.
I have never posted before, but I had to express my love for the AL. I have read everything they have written/posted/published. I read alot, many series, but the Andrews books are my favorites. Their characters are fun, real and just a little nutty. The dialog sparkles and makes me laugh like a loon.”Taste the undead rainbow…” as I personally was eating skittles, and spit some across the room. Love the Hidden Legacy series, love the characters, surprises, love stories and emotional angst driven maturation. Can’t wait for the next one!
P.S. Ilona, have you seen sad cat diary? I know y’all seem like dog people but watch it if you haven’t already!
There is a Sad Dog Diary as well 🙂
I tnought the cat one was funnier, plus I am a cat person. Something in MT made me wonder if she had seen it, too. Pets always keep me entertained no matter what species. I’m trying for a laugh for them while they are recovering from the plague.
Ze Frank, who is the voice for the sad cat and dog diaries, also does a series of YouTube Purina ads all starting with Dear Kitten (that’s the best way to search). Then you can move on to his own stuff, “True Facts about [X]”. Spoiler: facts are not true.
I loved this!
I have a question which is not meant to pressure you in any way. I’m just trying to get book release schedules on my calendar because I like to keep the dates as free as possible. Could you remind us of the release dates you know?
Thank you.
I have this page bookmarked until they give us an update: https://ilona-andrews.com/whats-next/
My takeaway after this illness is that very likely promised release dates will be missed for a while. Honestly, given how many wonderful books the author lords have gifted us in the past few years, I’d be more comfortable if they built in a slower pace so that they could enjoy their current suffering without feeling. And then if they beat their promised deadlines, there could be even more rejoicing… 😉
+1000. Crazy with anticipation, still, but they give us 2-3 books + X novellas/per year. To the point of Ilona injuring herself. The more they take care of themselves, the longer they can keep putting out, say, 1-2 books per year + X-1-2 novellas.
Those release dates all come with a huge disclaimer at the top that they are in no way “promised”. I imagine the Gordons’ illness will affect their self-published stuff, but probably not their contractual stuff (including Catalina’s next/first book, Sapphire Flames).
NO 1 in English books on Amazon.de 🙂
This was a tasty little hors d’oeuvre before the main course of Catalina’s trilogy.
Hope your feeling better.
Just read this love it and I think Catalina has her own voice . Loved Rogan’s Mom,she is fierce and smart and savvy. And the themes of poisons, family dynamics , and choices you make in going your own way, Catalina may not choose college . I remember how Nevada missed college so much.
And Catalina should be friends with Runa( poison detector.) She is confident and funny even though her talent is literally deadly serious. And whenever Thallium is mentioned I remember the great Agatha Christi who used poisons in many of her books .
So many great things, in such a small book .Also, thanks for letting us learn more of Leon’s story .
But I did get kind of confused with all of Rogan’s relatives . Who is related to who?
And I voted for you in goodreads !!
P.S. can’t wait for another wedding on a certain battle station.
PPS hope everyone is feeling better. Please take care of your family first. Family always comes first.
Hmmm… I wonder of Ceasar is a Siren too. It would help to build up followers and ensure their loyalty. What a twist of he would be the unknown grandfather.
Oh yes, I keep thinking it is Linus Duncan who is the grandfather, the siren and Caesar too given the widespread adoration for him. Esp since he is also able to comfort Nevada into complacency.
However this would mean the formerly evil grand mother is able to shield atleast a few lies from Nevada.
+1. But I’ve reread, and Victoria never says anything related to “Caesar is your grandfather.” Just that she found someone who had been excised from the siren house to supply sperm. She never lies, because she never makes that connection.
The grandfather is a Molpe, not Linus. That is not even a reasonable twisty guess.
Tina, not even the Molpes are Molpes anymore, they’ve changed the family name since it was too on the nose. The sperm donor was excised from the family, so he could have any name he wanted. And if he was indeed a Siren Prime who just received a ton of money from Victoria, there would be nothing to stop him from charming the daughter of the powerful Duncan family and take their name, eventually the position of Head of House and Speaker in the Assembly. I’m not saying that I believe the theory, but getting people to look up to him and accept him would literally be his power.
Didn’t she also say he was terrified to use his power?
At the time she got him to donate, he was. That’s a good 40-50 years before Nevada meets Linus Duncan.
We’ve seen Nevada use her magic on other strong primes without them knowing what happened (ex baronvsky )
Theoretically it may be possible that the much stronger Victoria was able to excise any thought of a Caesar = Linus connection from Nevada’s brain. Also, it’s possible Linus may be casting his “siren” magic each time he meets Nevada.
I get my Andrew’s fixes from BN. Of course there were no reader comments at the release. Going through the BN reader comments last night, one complained the November 7 comments were too early and that constituted a fraud. They wanted BN to delete Diamond Fire because of that.
There were only 108 numbered pages in the e-book. Reading very slow it would take me two to two and a half hours to finish the book. I liked the book so well, I commented on the Andrew’s Blog early AM. This Diamond Fire comment site wouldn’t be open for a few more hours. I haven’t looked at the BN ratings yet, but they generally match the other rating sites.
Haters gonna hate. 🙂
So Catalina’s ability with fencing I’m guessing something she got from Grandma Frida. It looks like it might be the pattern recognition since she sort of predicts where the next hit will be. So is a) Is Magister Examplaria an additional magic that Grandma Frida has or part of her Mech Mage talent? and b) Where does Grandma Frida rate for magic. I’m thinking significant since so many of her grand childrern rate pretty high with her talent.
My thoughts (almost) exactly… I’m gleefully trying to figure out how magister exemplaria can come from tech-magic too… ?
I think Mech-magic means Grandma Frieda is in tune with the inner workings of the engines and their interconnections as a whole system. Bern sees similar patterns in computer stuff. Rynda’s little boy has them with paintings. I believe it’s all about integrated systems.
Hi Rosssanna ☺
That’s an interesting thought ?
Higher up in the thread it was suggested Bern’s magister exemplaria magic could be an aspect of the skills an engineer would need, which I think sounds really logical, and close to your idea about interconnectivity with mechanical systems ☺
I can really see how certain traits needed by engineers, like spatial intelligence, could translate into Berns patterning.?
Ah yes, the different types of engineer comparison makes a lot of sense and exactly how I meant it too. More of a special ability of the brain to process things in a certain way than the exact same talent.
“Exemplaria” literally means “patterns” in Latin. Magister Exemplaria is “master of patterns”.
Hi,
nice story and nice entry into Catalina’s stories.
But was a bit surprised about Rogans mom being a prime telekinetic. Wasn’t she described as primarily empath and only weak telekinetic in the first book?
And if she is an empath, shouldn’t she have known a bit more about her relatives and that there wasn’t really a thief?
And is it really realistic even in this fictional reality that only 1 in the bakery works with the fondant and nobody even accidentally eats from it?
Sorry, really like your stories but don’t like the gaps (as I perceive them; maybe I’m wrong and then sorry again)
As a baker, I can say that I’ve never known anyone tempted to snack on straight fondant. It makes lovely, smooth decorations – which is why it’s all but obligatory for wedding cakes – but it tastes like sugared clay.
I deliberately skipped a super-decorated cake at my first wedding, because I’d so much rather have ANY other frosting — including whipped cream from a can or sprinkled powdered sugar — than fondant. Blech.
Upstream in comments here, Ilona addresses that.
I feel somewhat robbed, I was expecting another novel centered on Nevada and Rogan but was instead introduced to the new Head of House B. I did like the teen angst pov, it was very well done. I look forward to seeing this universe of yours mature with your multiple human heroes.
It’s been mentioned in a previous post by the Authorlords that this was an intro to Catalina and Nevada+Rogan were in it but not the focus. Maybe you missed the post.
I understand about missing Nevada and Rogan. I would have liked to have their perspective at the wedding. However, I think they are smart to change the focus. So many authors hang on to tried and true characters to the point of ruining it. I thought the way they did it was smart. They did it in a novella. I thought the book was very smart. I am looking forward to Catalina’s adventures. I am sad that Nevada and Connor are done as the focus. They did announce this so I was prepared. If I had missed the announcement, it I would have been very sad.
On the one hand, I love those characters. On the other hand, I have seen way too many authors stick with characters long after they run out of interesting things to do with them. I love the way the ALs can go off in any direction with any of these supporting characters (even *Hugh*) and make us care about them as main characters. It reminds me of something I told my kids when they were teenagers – that everyone is the star of their own life, but your friends and relatives are not just supporting characters in your life. They’re the stars of their own lives. All the characters in these books are worthy of starring roles. How lucky are we?
Who taught Mia Rosa to float the shelves without the books falling? Coz definitely the child couldn’t do it alone without the guidance of an adult Prime?
She followed Arrosa EVERYWHERE and I’m assuming Arrosa showed her the sparkly. If Mia has the power, than imitating Mrs. Rogan would be exactly something a 5-yo would be able to do. Especially since this bookcase wasn’t SO heavy. Certainly not for a Prime.
The girl can immitate but needs alot of practice to move the cabinet full of books.
I was assuming it was something much simpler. The children played it the office during the day. She wouldn’t have to float the bookcases.
She was described as precision guiding the tiara back to her aunt at the rehearsal dinner, so it seems she already has some finesse along with a prime’s strength.
My brain may have hit a glitch, but I do not remember Catalina using her powers. I’ll just have to read it again.
She used her power twice, outside of the House trials, in the Hidden Legacy Books. The first was in White Hot, at the end, when Catalina occupied all the soldier’s attention at the complex that was hiding Olivia Charles. The second time was in WIldfire when they were seizing Alexander Strum’s compound.
During todays re-read it struck me as odd that ALL those Ramirez could fit into Connor’s mum’s house… ?
Here’s my thought process: Connor sais his mum has 10 bedrooms and 12 baths (and two swimmingpools…). But there are LOTS of snooty Ramirez family members around! Even if you count just the West Wing, that is at least six rooms, and that is if you stuff all nuclear families (parents with not grown children) together in one room each, and all married adults together (and Ana with her boytoy). And that means familes like Mia Rosa would be two adults and two children in one bedroom. My extended family often slept like that when we were all at my grandma’s big country house, but that usually means extra beds on floors and stuff (and super fun all-cousins-together-sleep overs, that were great training for sleeping over at other families, because your own parents were in an other room somewere, so if you got scared it was close to go “home”. Those were the days! And probably why I LOVED the description of the mobs of kids running around! Misty eyed childhood memories ?? )
Anyway, I have a hard enough time seeing snooty Xavier sleeping on his parents floor, so I don’t think any of those rich entitled adults would do it, which is why I count six rooms needed just for the West Wing side of the family. And by the sounds of it the East Wing has at least as many nuclear families. We know three of Connor’s mum’s full siblings are there with their partners, and coucin Gracia is there with her wife and kids, so four just there. And someone has to be that boy Raul’s parents, though I suppose he could be a young first cousin of Connor’s, even though most of his mothers siblings seems to have grown up kids and grandkids, apart from the youngest brother.
Maybe someone could ask Ilona about the logistics? Maybe it’s a simple answer, like:
1. There are loads of guest houses on the grounds, still located so they’re collectively called the East and West “Wing”. But not being part of the main house made Connor not count them?
2. There are lots and lots of non-bedroom rooms that can be USED as bedrooms. There are 12 bathrooms after all…
3. Connor is simply mistaken about the amount of bedrooms for some reason, or he mis-spoke, or something…
I’m leaning towards number two. Since there would be 9 empty bedrooms, and 10 needed rooms just from the family constalations we know of, depending on how many more nuclear familes Connor’s unnamed first cousins in the East wing make up, Arrosa would just need to turn 1 to X other rooms into temporary bedrooms…
What do you guys think?
And how many cousins do you think Mattin and Ingo has managed to produce? Since there were a lot of kids running around (which must by series of elemenation be either Mattin and Ingo’s very young children or their grandchildren) there must be a few more young families…
I’m rereading and when Catalina is bugging the bedrooms, Xavier and his parents are together in a ‘room’ that is actually a suite. I think it’s just that in ultra-rich-people-ese, ‘bedroom’ doesn’t mean what it does to the rest of us.
LOVED the novella!!! Currently in my last semester of college but HAD to find the time to read it immediately!
Can someone help me with a question I have? I can’t find where and in which Hidden Legacy book it tells us when, where, or how Rogan’s father died. I know he had many assassination attempts, but I was under the impression he was still alive… someone help…
In white hot he was alive when Rogan was a teenager.
Hope you’re both feeling better, being ill while the clock is ticking away is always terrible and horribly stressful.
Loved the novella! Practically inhaled it. Runa is such a fascinating character! Hope there’s more of her in the next book. Speak of the next book… i’m left bereft waiting for it?.
I thought Alessandro was brought over from Italy to participate in the trial proving Catalina was a Prime.
He had his photo with his car on the facebook type page that Arabella saw.
If he lived in Italy, and was visiting USA, why bring over his fancy car ? To impress Catalina?
*Instagram not facebook.