Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

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Copied from Kate Daniels thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This is a binge read for everything Ilona Andrews, running from April to December 2024.

(I was going to wait until Iron Druid Chronicles thread was closer to ending, before making the thread, but everyone around here is so overbooked right now, they'd rather make things official and get it on their trackers, so I'm making it now...)

With this Auther / Collection of Series, I think I might make new threads for different series, as we go along, since there are plans for some people to join for specific series, and not everything, but I'm just going to make this first thread for now, and put the schedule here at the top:

April 2024 = Kate Daniels 1-4
(view spoiler)[#0.5) A Questionable Client -- (included in Small Magics)
#1) Magic Bites -- April 1st
#2) Magic Burns -- April 8th
#3) Magic Strikes -- April 15th
#3.5) Magic Mourns
#4) Magic Bleeds -- April 22nd
#4.5) Magic Dreams -- (Dali's 1st story)
#X) Curran POV -- mostly takes place during all 4 books -- (included in Small Magics)
(hide spoiler)]
May 2024 = Kate Daniels 5-7
(view spoiler)[#5) Magic Slays -- May 6th
#5.4) Gunmetal Magic -- May 13th -- (Andrea's story)
#5.5) Magic Gifts -- overlaps Gunmetal Magic (I think it's bundled, even on audio... I know it is in the ebook)
#5.6) Magic Tests -- (included in Small Magics)
#5.7) Retribution Clause -- (included in Small Magics)
#6) Magic Rises -- May 20th
#6.5) Magic Steals -- (Dali's 2nd story)
#7) Magic Breaks -- May 27th
#7.5) Curran POV -- last 2 parts, including Jim's POV -- (included in Small Magics)
(hide spoiler)]
June 2024 = Kate Daniels 8-10
(view spoiler)[#8) Magic Shifts -- June 3rd
#8.5) Magic Stars -- (Juli's story)
#9) Magic Binds -- June 10th
#9.5) Iron and Magic -- June 17th -- (Hugh's story)
#10) Magic Triumphs -- June 24th
#10.5) Small Magics -- Of Swine & Rose, and Grace of Small Magics are standalones set in KD World... only 2 short stories not read, by this point...
(hide spoiler)]

July 2024 = Edge 1-4: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(view spoiler)[#1) On the Edge -- July 1st
#1.1) George and Jack in School -- https://ilona-andrews.com/george-and-...
#2) Bayou Moon -- July 8th
#3) Fate's Edge -- July 15th
#4) Steel's Edge -- July 22nd (hide spoiler)]

August 2024 = Hidden Legacy 1-3
#1) Burn for Me -- August 5th
#2) White Hot -- August 15th
#3) Wildfire -- August 25th
(There's some flash fiction floating around, like some Rogan POVs, but nothing officially released, the way it was in the KD series)

September 2024 = Innkeeper Chronicles 1-4
#0.1) Gerard Demille and Helen Meet
#1) Clean Sweep -- September 2nd
#2) Sweep in Peace -- September 9th
#3) One Fell Sweep -- September 16th
#4) Sweep of the Blade -- September 23rd -- (Maud's story)

October 2024 = Innkeeper Chronicles 4.5-5 + Kinsmen
Innkeeper Chronicles
#4.5) Sweep with Me -- October 7th
#5) Sweep of the Heart -- October 14th
Kinsmen -- novella series
#1) Silent Blade -- October 21st (included in The Kinsmen Universe)
#2) Silver Shark -- October 21st (included in The Kinsmen Universe)
#3) Fated Blades -- October 28th

November 2024 = Hidden Legacy 4-6 -- Catalina Trilogy
#3.5) Diamond Fire
#4) Sapphire Flames -- November 4th
#5) Emerald Blaze -- November 11th
#6) Ruby Fever -- November 18th
(Again there's some flash fiction floating around. Snippets, deleted scenes, Arabella POVs)

December 2024 = The Rest
Aurelia Ryder / Julie Lennart-Olson / etc
#1) Blood Heir -- December 2nd
Wilmington Years
#1) Magic Tides -- December 9th
#2) Magic Claims -- December 16th
#2.1) Purpose -- https://ilona-andrews.com/purpose/
#2.2) No Heroes -- https://ilona-andrews.com/no-heroes/
#X) Sanctuary -- Roman Serial -- releasing Summer 2024 -- https://ilona-andrews.com/category/bl...

Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors, and can't wait to share it with some new readers and old re-readers like myself...

EDIT: Updated plan for clarity/straggler discussions... we'll use this thread primarily for the Kate Daniels content in April/May/June/December...

I'll make new threads as the BR Club progresses in July (Edge thread), August (Hidden Legacy thread), and September (Innkeeper Chronicles + Kinsman Universe thread)... sometimes we'll be alternating between threads each month (especially Hidden Legacy in November and Kate Daniels revisit in December)...

Started reading this one last night. IA really love the enemies to lovers trope, which is ok for me since it's my favorite trope lol.

Thanks Iain!

I think this is IA's strongest series... tightly plotted trilogies, alot of IA's favorite plot elements (magic system, enemies to lovers trope, quirky found family, strong granny, pets and friendly monsters)...

Kate Daniels has it's issues early on, and other things some of you didn't like...

Edge isn't well planned, and all the things we said in the previous thread (even if most of Diana's old complaints are ignorable if you're having fun)...

Innkeeper Chronicles is a web serial that kinda just does it's own thing sometimes, so the overarching plotline meanders a bit...

Started Burn For Me (#1)... and that prologue is exactly what I'm talking about, when I say I like alt-history / UF / Magical explanations to mundane real world things or historical mysteries...

Mrs. O'Leary's Cow here in Hidden Legacy...

That time traveling train in Time Police #5 this year...

etc etc etc...

I finished Burn for Me yesterday and I enjoyed it once I was sure who the love interest was going to be lol Regarding Tarot Sequence (view spoiler)[is if the larger conspiracy at play? The snarky banter? The interesting group of side characters? I can see it lol (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished Burn for Me yesterday and I enjoyed it once I was sure who the love interest was going to be lol Regarding Tarot Sequence [spoilers removed]"

It's a bit of all that... and the (view spoiler)[Ninja Ferrets (hide spoiler)] in book 2... compared to the animals in Tarot Sequence...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished Burn for Me yesterday and I enjoyed it once I was sure who the love interest was going to be lol Regarding Tarot Sequence [spoilers removed]"

It's a bit of all that......"

Looking forward to that in the next book, this one only had a tease of them :)

Looked at another way, Hidden Legacy is like Kate Daniels 2.0 (if Kate had a loving family to surround her, instead of having to build one)

(view spoiler)[crazy OP male lead that comes off as a bit of an asshole, but has hidden depths that he plays off as more hard-assery (caring about his team, avoiding debt manipulation, etc etc etc)...

Jersey City/Pit = Unicorn Lane, where anything can happen...

Power Bubbles and magic explosions remind me of KD #4, #5, #6

Replace sword skills with gun skills...

That similar sexual competition angle from KD #1 with the upir latching onto Kate & Adam latching onto Nevada here...

(hide spoiler)]

I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton of comparisons/similarities already, and I just finished my re-read a bit ago...

Could also make some comparisons to The Edge and Innkeeper Chronicles...

IA really likes MCs with powerful parents that can do unexpected things with their magic/etc... lots of plot potential there...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Looked at another way, Hidden Legacy is like Kate Daniels 2.0 (if Kate had a loving family to surround her, instead of having to build one)

crazy OP male lead that comes off as a bit of an asshole..."

I finished Burn for Me today and couldn’t help comparing it to The Edge and Kate Daniels. After Kate Daniels the first time I had a book hangover and these 2 series hit the spot cuz they’re all very similar. Including the large aggressive male love interest and the enemies to lovers in every book lol.

Just finished White Hot (I’m a little ahead on this one). Very enjoyable. I now get the ferret thing lol. Def don’t remember it from my first read.

Read #1 Burn for Me last week and enjoyed it. I see what everyone is saying-- and it did feel tighter writing-wise, and I see all those comparisons not only to Kate Daniels, but to the other series as well... And I was especially enjoying the big loving family aspects.

I'm still not a fan of these types of romances... I'm rather sick of men telling women they want them and they will enjoy sex with them. Would like to see a man say he understands the woman's feelings when she says she needs love before sex, and to say he is willing to work to earn her love and trust.

I enjoyed the case--not quite a mystery, actually had me drawing Stephanie Plum parallels--and the comeuppance at the end was satisfying.

The power dynamics play a big part in these… and outside drama mucking up the investigation…

All aspects I enjoy in a story...

Just finished White Hot and I enjoyed it so much!!!! Very happy to finally see the ninja ferrets in action lol Good action, built on the story from book 1 and set-up book 3 quite well with (view spoiler)[the evil grandmother and all that! (hide spoiler)]

Finished Wildfire and I loved it! I was satisfied with how the arc wrapped up (view spoiler)[epilogue aside with the grandmother.... (hide spoiler)] I loved the humor and action, I can see this being a series I re-read, my favorite so far of what I have read by the authors.

Also waiting until November to read Diamond Fire?????

Hidden Legacy trilogy #1 is my favorite Hidden Legacy trilogy and maybe my favorite Ilona Andrews period... I've read it a bunch... and it's an easy quick read with only 3 books... I read all 3 in 24hrs last year, remember?

I read White Hot last week, and started Wildfire a few days ago (only reading at home, and didn't get much reading done yesterday)... probably gonna finish today...

I think part of the reason I like trilogy #1 the most, is because it's fresh and has so many reveals... trilogy 2 has the resolution of the Caesar plotline and some other stuff, but not quite the same...

Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished Wildfire and I loved it! I was satisfied with how the arc wrapped up [spoilers removed] I loved the humor and action, I can see this being a series I re-read, my favorite so far of what I ..."

Diamond Fire is Nevada's wedding, but it's middle sister POV, so better left for November... there's also a bit of a time jump I think?...

PS, didn't you notice anything in the word choices in the epilogue you mentioned in your spoiler?... it's definitely rife with theorizing potential... if you think back...

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished Wildfire and I loved it! I was satisfied with how the arc wrapped up [spoilers removed] I loved the humor and action, I can see this being a series I re-read, my favorite..."

You mean (view spoiler)[where she basically says she is out? Which is the least she can do at this point..... (hide spoiler)] These were just fun reads, lots of snark, lots of action, very fun!

Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished Wildfire and I loved it! I was satisfied with how the arc wrapped up [spoilers removed] I loved the humor and action, I can see this being a series ..."

(view spoiler)[No... where Caesar said he doesn't like to be bored... just like Linus Duncan did to Nevada, earlier in the book... (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished Wildfire and I loved it! I was satisfied with how the arc wrapped up [spoilers removed] I loved the humor and action, I can see th..."

Dammit (view spoiler)[when he was first introduced I thought he was too good to be true then he lulled me into a false sense of security when he was a decent guy in this last book. (hide spoiler)]

I think Leon was in the Olympics this year... did you see that shooter that didn't use high tech gear?

Normal Olympic Shooters on left, that Turkish guy on right that just walked up and shot:



I think he won the Silver Medal...

He did win silver this Olympics and I think he won a medal the last Olympics as well. I saw a photo pf him with his cat and someone was like he'll turn into John Wick if anything happens to the cat lol

Ann-Marie wrote: "He did win silver this Olympics and I think he won a medal the last Olympics as well. I saw a photo pf him with his cat and someone was like he'll turn into John Wick if anything happens to the cat..."

LOL

Read #2 White Hot yesterday and I'm really enjoying this series. I like the mystery solving and the level of romance--(view spoiler)[the MC has externally alphahole tendencies but communicates more and explains his POV well enough that I feel bad for them both instead of just wanting to get out the scissors. I like that they work together and find compromises. And I love the family aspect. All the sibs and little cousins. And Grandma building tanks is pretty awesome. I like how she claimed all the ATVs.

The corporate aspect makes for good grr and comeuppance. (hide spoiler)]

I read Burn for Me and I do agree that the first book started strong.
There was a bit too much of "omg he so hot" for my liking...

I can't really compare anything to Kate Daniels before I re-read it one or two times...

The new aspect of magic in bloodlines reminds me of some of their shorts/novellas that I always wanted to get more of so here it is.

So, I apparently never commented on #3 Wildfire but I loved it--I just read #3.5 Diamond Fire and this series is totally cemented as my favorite IA series now... In Wildfire, I loved how much more we got (view spoiler)[of the siblings/cousins and the magic system together, with Catalina & Arabella and the cousin with the death magic all getting more opportunities to shine. And with the proprietary grandmother getting put in her place. The Prime trials were great too. (hide spoiler)] That's most of what I remember at this point... when I looked through y'all's spoiler tags, I totally don't remember the epilogue and hints at all... so I guess I'm prime for a reread already!

As for the novella, it was really like icing on the cake. A great shorter story, really nice to get Catalina's POV and more on her magic, and bonus--we actually get to see the wedding and the build-up! Made me think we might get something similar in the Innkeeper world for Maud...

I positively loved (view spoiler)[the Poirot-esque scene at the end, where Catalina aired EVERYONE's dirty laundry... it was amazing and had me laughing. Such good comeuppance! And it was really cool in the lead-up, seeing Catalina use her detective skills, and seeing how she learned from her sister and family too... (hide spoiler)]

I kinda burned through the whole Catalina trilogy, between Halloween and a few days ago... I love Hidden Legacy and Ilona Andrews, and with the competition done for the year, I didn't feel the need to limit myself to the rules for BR points and just binged my heart away...

I've re-read entire trilogies in a 24hr period in the past, like last year after we re-read the Tarot Sequence:

The Last Sun
The Hanged Man
The Hourglass Throne

Very similar series, M/M romance...

This 2nd Hidden Legacy trilogy ties off all the relevant plotlines... I'm sad the authors are wary of doing an Arabella trilogy, given the current situation in Ukraine/Russia... and the fact the MMC of the Arabella trilogy is a the "Bear of Kamchatka"... even if it's a very different Russia that never gave up it's Empire status in the 1800s, thanks to the Osiris Serum alt-history elements...

I am in middle of Emerald Blaze and I must say I am vibing way more with Catalina. Nevada's trilogy wasn't bad but it didn't stand out to me. This one feels more like the IA writing I enjoy.

I definitely think they hit their stride with this 2nd trilogy... also firing on all cylinders when they decide to resolve the overarching plot in 2 trilogies instead of 3...

I totally forgot we were still going with this and haven't read any of the November books. Will add them to my Dec to reads.

November was Catalina trilogy... I read all 3 at the beginning of the month, since the competition was over and I wanted to and wasn't worried about bonus points... then I didn't say anything because others weren't, so the thread stayed quiet...

Guess it's actually my bad for never editing the thread title to say 4-6 November...

I also totally burned through the Catalina trilogy--for a second I did a double take on the name and was like "isn't that the lady from the Innkeeper series?" but that's Caldenia, isn't it.

I definitely enjoyed Catalina's trilogy--though I think I liked the Nevada series a smidge more. At least, I think I liked the mysteries more? (view spoiler)[Nevada's seemed like each book was a different case or two, and by the end we saw how everything was connected, but with Catalina's the connections were more up-front. Which normally I'd enjoy more--and totally did enjoy--but maybe I liked the individual cases of Nevada's a bit more?

I loved the part--was it book 2?--when the spurned boy non-relative of Nevada's beau tried to ruin Catalina's love interest with some well-timed truth-bombs... but instead it was information that she a) didn't care about and knew wasn't true and b) information that actually made their potential romance much easier.

I really liked Catalina fencing with their grandmother in jail. In general, seeing Catalina step up to the head of family was great--I just wish we got to see more of the in-between growth in the time-skip.

I also really liked the way the world expanded here. Lots more information on the inner-house politicking that we didn't get to see in the first trilogy because they weren't a House yet.

And Catalina & whatsisname were cute.

I definitely want more in this world.... I felt like I could see a little of what Iain mentioned, about the authors deciding to put this series on hold due to the Invasion of Ukraine... and the introduction of the alphahole that is to be the romance of sister #3 (Arabella?). I hope they find a way to work with that or work around it though... or even better, that the real-life situation gets resolved. (hide spoiler)]

It's so hard to pick a favorite IA book...