Wildfire by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I’d like to start by saying that I like Ilona Andrews, and gave the other two books in this series four stars (despite my feelings about the covers), but, honestly, this installment was a disappointment. It picks up shortly after book two ends, and the good-versus-evil plot continues, complete with rip-roaring action scenes and intriguing uses of magic (the control of animals bit is particularly good). Nevada finally comes to a decision to do the inevitable and registers as a House, and then proceeds, obviously with the help of her rich, powerful boyfriend, Rogan, to once again save Houston. She has to do this while also evading capture at the hands of her evil grandmother, just to add some spice to the mix.

As with the other two books, I liked the premise and the simplicity of the approach – private detective trying to solve a case, to which there is more than it first seemed, with a good helping of romance. However, this book is a poor relation to the other two. It was predictable, felt rushed, and the romantic scenes left much to be desired.

The relationships became two dimensional, with a large cast of characters, which got totally out of control. There was little intrigue and the interactions between characters were stale. I liked the way Nevada’s family came more center stage, but, for a book this length, there just wasn’t enough time to deal with them all properly. This meant everything felt out of control and choppy (and for me, this is saying something, as I’m usually one wholly in favour of moving at breakneck speed!).

All in all, a disappointment, and I was so annoyed, given the contrast with the preceding two books, that I only gave it two stars. Let me know if you agree (or think I’m out of my mind) in the comments!



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