I am in a rare form this morning. I used common instead of come on in a professional email. And then, after Pam Jaffee, our Harper Collins publicist, emailed this review, I accidentally replied Dear Pam to a reader instead of using her full name and had to apologize. It will be this kind of day.
But I have a great review to share.
From Kirkus
EMERALD BLAZE [STARRED REVIEW!]
Author: Ilona Andrews
Review Issue Date: July 15, 2020
Online Publish Date: July 1, 2020
Publisher:Avon/HarperCollins
Pages: 336
Price ( Hardcover ): $27.99
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-06-303547-8
Section: Fiction
Two powerful magic users forge an uneasy alliance while investigating a murder.
Catalina Baylor is no stranger to duty and responsibility, as we learned in Andrews’ first book about her, Sapphire Flames (2019). Even though she’s in her early 20s, she’s the capable manager of her family’s investigation business, the powerful head of her family’s emerging magical house, and the covert Deputy Warden for the state of Texas. After Catalina is attacked by a series of magically fueled monsters that crawled out of a nearby swamp, her boss, Linus Duncan, the Deputy of Texas, assigns her to investigate the murder of Felix Morton. The dangerous monsters she encountered are connected to the work Felix and a consortium of powerful houses were doing to reclaim a dangerous magic-rich swamp on prime Houston real estate. Catalina has no doubt she’s up to the task of investigating the murder; however, she’s furious when Linus insists she accept the protection of Alessandro Sagredo, a powerful assassin and the only man Catalina has ever loved. They worked together on a previous case, but she was humiliated and depressed when he left her just as she was about to reveal her feelings for him. This time, she’s determined to find the murderer without damaging her heart. Catalina and Alessandro’s discovery of an unsettling, sentient magical presence living in the swamp is frightening not only as an individual enemy, but also for what it reveals about how recklessly humans pursue power. The romance between Catalina and Alessandro is a thrilling match between equals, and both must share their past hurts and reveal their vulnerabilities on the path to love. Andrews has a gift for placing likable characters within complex and interesting mysteries in which small, seemingly inconsequential, clues weave together into a spectacular finish.
A winning romance that will thrill and satisfy fans while leaving them clamoring for the final book in the trilogy.
I am really stressed out for various reasons, and this is so nice. 🙂 I have a happy. Happy has been in short supply lately. I’m going to try to hold on to this feeling for a bit.
Looking forward to this ,the review was really good , congrats. ????????????????
It is in hard cover? Were others in the series hardcover? I bought them all as mass market paperbacks. (Now, I want hardcovers for all in the series.)
Hooray hooray! Well deserved on so many levels. My heart goes out to you in identical Moody ooky-i-ness. Taking to friend at animal rescue and she mentioned her friends that have goat ranch planning to RENT OUT THEIR GOATS to “make zoom meetings more interesting.” Umm. Well–ok then–wait–how??–err–what–I mean? Sheesh!
yay!! You guys deserve all the happy just for all the happy your books and this blogs bring to many of us! xx
Congratulations !! This is great ! ????????
Take care ~~
Great review – can’t wait to read the book
You deserve a ‘happy’
Life batters you and beats you. Twists your thoughts and misdirects your mind
You got it girl, you got a happy, so its going to be one of those days …. thank you for reaching out and reminding us that chest patting, back rubbing, soul hugging unexpected happy is real and happens.
She got it … the joy, the life, the adventure… even the eeks , yikes, fears, emotional & adventure, that you deliver in your story telling.
I just KNEWI wasn’t ???? cra-cra thinking y’all is all that. You da bomb ????. It’s 6/25 August is only …. ????????????????????????☹️????????????????????????
I can’t wait!
Not that I needed a good review to anticipate. I pre-ordered it as soon as it went up.
Ooh, lovely review, so exciting! Hope today gets better!
Kirkus is the toughest book review journal of them all. To get a star from them is nearly impossible. Congratulations!!
Yes hang onto that happy feeling and put music on to keep it going too. I just listened to Michael Buble’s Crazy Life song. Which got the legs a tapping. ????. Wonderful praise for your book and I’m excited for y’all. Take care!
GREAT review. But the last sentence hit me in the face. Final book?!? NO!!!!!!
This world you have created is so open to so many more plots and plans and things to resolve! I do hope that this “final book” is only the finale to the “Blaze” trilogy. I need more Nevada, Arabella, Penelope, and the entire cast of characters. I need to find out who wants to be Caesar! Every time you write a book on a new subject, I want more and more of them!
Hang onto that happy. There is altogether too little of it in the world this year.
Congrats! I can’t wait to read this. The hidden legacy books have been my comfort reads during the past few months. I’ve been listening to the audiobooks while working and quilting.
Waiting so hard for August! Congrats, this is a great review.
Wow, what a great review. I was already looking forward to the next installment but now I’m super stoked!
Wow, this is so well deserved – a Kirkus started review is a BIG DEAL. You both deserve it .
It makes Emerald Blaze a must buy for every public library with a budget!!!
Congrats!!!
Now I am stressed out waiting for the book to come out. In tv series I like for the whole series to be out so I can binge watch. In books it’s an inner struggle between binge reading the whole series or reading each book as soon as it comes out.
Congrats, thats a terrific review n no less than you deserve ????. I hope your supply of happy is now overflowing, cos you give us so much of it, n more with every book and snippet. Lovelovelove your work, u cld probably write a bestselling phonebook ????
See, I keep telling you, your stories are amazing. Some of ur books are not my cup of tea, but they are still amazing.
I’m always jealous of people smart enough to be able to “see” in multiple dimensions, as best as I can describe it, and yes, I am jealous of you, Ilona Andrews.
Congratulations! Job well done!
Although I’m loath to hv the summer fly by, I can’t wait for August 25th. Time for another IA party!!
Groovy!
Congrats! I’m looking forward to reading EB and I have to admit that the wait was considerably easier with Ryder.
I thought I was anxious to read the book before the review! I’m ready to go sit on the publishers desk and beg for it NOW!!
I always anticipate the release of anything you write. Keep it coming and you will keep enjoying these great reviews.
Congratulations!
These two actors are really beautiful, really like
Cannot wait to read this one !!!!! Love , love, love this series and all the wonderful characters! ! So glad this will not be the last book ! Hope Arabella gets a trilogy too !