Husband and wife authors Ilona Andrews are simply the crème de la crème of the blended Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres. And they are generous to a fault with their readers. The Innkeeper stories all stem from a long-running series of free stories posted chapter by chapter on their blog. (When these busy authors find time sleep is a mystery to me.) At the end of each of the serialized stories, the authors polish up the story, add a bit of a more adult twist, and release it in book format, for those who simply cannot stand the suspense of waiting for story installments. It's important to realize that the books do have some changes, along with smoothing that make them worth buying/rereading, even if you've read the serialized version on their blog. They've gifted us with the Innkeeper world for about four years now and, rumor has it, a fourth Innkeeper story will start making its way to the blog in late 2017 or early 2018.

This volume, which comprises the first three Innkeeper books along with some of the beautiful illustrations blog readers will remember, allows the reader to enjoy a host of new characters like Dina, Caldenia, Sean, Orro, Arland, Helen, and Maud, while renewing your acquaintance with some favorite characters from the authors' Edge series, George, Jack, Sophie, Gaston and Klaus, all of whom get into just as much trouble as they did in the Edge world.

With a deft touch, Ilona Andrews can make even a predictable outcome the most entertaining of adventures (it's about the journey, not just the destination!) and they do so with their trademark brio and humor in these three books. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a delightful series.

This is a collection of the first three books that the authors bravely serialised on their blog. Yes I do think it was brave because fans could comment, critique and generally say how they thought things should go. Now obviously this talented duo had a lot of fun writing these stories because why else would they continue to virtually give away their work for free? So the joy for me as a reader is seeing these books published but with a little tarting up as the stories are fleshed out and perhaps given a more grown up feel.
Expect to be amazed by Dina in Clean Sweep as she tackles unwanted visitors to her neighbourhood with just her trusty broom and a very sentient Inn. Plus as well as trying to remain unnoticed whilst repeatedly fighting off hungry aliens there's also the little matter of a werewolf and a vampire who both seem more than a little interested in Dina!
Sweep in Peace brings favourite characters back to the Inn but boy is Dina in a bind. Playing host to a peace summit that's anything but peaceful proves to be very problematic indeed. Vicious Vampires, the vengeful Horde and crafty Merchants all fighting over the paradox that is Nexus clash continually so it's going to take some nifty footwork from Dina if everyone is to survive .
One Fell Sweep is the culmination of these stories as Dina finally finds family. Missing parents, an absent brother and yet with a little help from a cheeky werewolf and a wily vampire Dina is finally reunited with her sister and niece ( expect cuteness overload! ). For most authors that might be enough drama but here's were this duo prove just how magical their writing is. A guest requests sanctuary from enemies determined to wipe out their entire race and their payment just might help Dina reunite with her parents. Unfortunately those in pursuit don't care who they hurt and an epic siege begins that just might be the end of the Inn.,
These stories are simply incredible and the imagination that combines the paranormal with sci fi simply leaves me in awe. The central characters grow with each book and there's fun as newer characters start to appear. Plus if you are already a fan then you will spot characters from a previous series but my lips are sealed ! Danger, action and romance and with the authors set to revisit this series at a later date then this book with its illustrations is the perfect way to get caught up.
This voluntary opinion is of a copy I'veread with no requirement for a review. These thoughts and comments are my honest and I believe fair opinion

Rated 4.5 Stars

The Innkeeper Chronicles was a funny, action packed, sprinkled with a bit of romance read. The world building and the premise were great. I loved how unique each of the books are and that the characters both main and secondary are badass. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all three books and I cannot wait to read more in this series especially with the way the last book ended.

I highly recommend this book whether you're an Urban Fantasy reader or not you won't be disappointed.

Ilona Andrews does it again! Another fun filled, action packed, wild ride with a side of romance.

Dina runs a Bed and Breakfast in Texas. But, this Bed and Breakfast only has room for the supernatural. Dina is an Innkeeper. She is connected to her inn The Gertrude Hunt. With many planets and different kinds of beings in the galaxy, they need to have places to stay when they visit Earth. Humans are not to find out that they exist. Dina's magic is the most powerful when she is at home, and she will need that and more with the guests she takes in. I loved these books! The idea of an Innkeeper is new to me, so it wasn't similar to other books, the characters are great too. There are also new creatures that I have never heard of, and some humor sprinkled in. I hope there will be many more.

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Earth is neutral territory, the Inn is a way station for travelers from other planets and the innkeeper processes magic. With the scene set we meet Dina Demille and an entire cast of characters who pass through her Inn. I loved the setting and found the characters to be different and very interesting. The problem is introduced when another dog is killed in the neighborhood where Dina's Inn is located. Nothing on Earth did the deed and as the story unfolds we meet a variety of characters who will pepper the pages of the Innkeeper Chronicles. This is book one and as it ends one problem is solved but there are more on the horizon. This is a fun series that has great dialog and some really wonderful laugh out loud moments.
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dina needs people to stay in her inn so she agrees to host three rival groups. Why take the chance - the inn gets it strength from the people who visit and she is short of visitors. Nothing goes as planned and Dina becomes the focal point instead of just the innkeeper. The characters from the first story return and new and interesting characters arrive. The backstory and the world building are enlarged. The story is tension filled and surprises arrive on a regular basis. This story line keeps getting better and better. Start at the beginning for the best read.

One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #3)One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Family first or is it protect your guest first. For Dina both are at the top of her list. When she gets a message from her sister she springs into action. Then when she gets the chance to find out what happened to her parents she accepts a dangerous guest. This series just keeps getting better and better. The cast of characters help with the story line and the problems get worse and worse. There are some really funny scenes that had me laughing out loud. Some problems are solved and others are left up in the air. Here's hoping for more Dina and Innkeeper Chronicles.

This is an omnibus edition of three previously published volumes that were sold as novels but really seem too short to qualify.

While it is of no use to complain about something that has already happened. Here we have an excellent series that suffers from being a collaborative effort. Somehow, although the method used isn't quite clear from the text, these novellas were written using periodic feedback from online readers and others. This is probably the source of the unevenness in tone, and some strange notes that have been being thrown in. In particular, there are random paragraphs of second-rate sensuality (deep panting and sweaty brows) thrown in where they only break the flow of the narrative. There is too much unneeded backstory thrown in at the transitions. There are numerous grammar errors that should have been avoided. The artwork is awful. The stated price for the hardcover is crazy.

These negatives aside, the Inns and their Innkeepers are an excellent premise and the series, if handled correctly, should carry us onward for quite some time.

I received a review copy of "The Innkeeper Chronicles, Volume One" by Ilona Andrews (Subterranean) through NetGalley.com.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 contains three fantastic tales and some incredible artwork. It goes to show why I think that the Ilona Andrews team is among the best at world building, When reading an Ilona Andrews book I am swept into a fully functioning world and can see and feel things as they happen to our heroine the Innkeeper Dina Demille. Dina is totally relatable. Not perfect but she tries hard. I love the fact that these stories are female positive.
Clean Sweep – The first rule of Innkeeping is don’t let the normal know what is going on. An extraterrestrial visitor is determined to test Dina’s boundries. With the help of her new neighbor alpha-strain werewolf Sean Evans and Arland, a cosmic vampire soldier Dina is more than up to the challenge.
Sweep in Peace – Dina hosts intergalactic peace talks that are anything but peaceful. This tests her abilities as Innkeeper but she is more than up to the task and then end results will more than make up for the inconvenience. I loved revisiting with some of the characters from The Edge. George, Jack and Lark were exactly how I envisioned them.
One Fell Sweep – This story was the best of them all. It goes into what it really means to be an Innkeeper and has the added benefit of bring all our favorite characters back together and introducing us to a few more.

This is more than a book it is a work of art.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

The Innkeeper Chronicles is a great YA trilogy which features the awesome and caring Dina, whose parents disappeared without a trace, along with the home she had ever known, their inn. The story picks up years later, after she has taken control of her own inn, and tries to get more guests to come. And boy, do they come, specially in the second book. This leads to her making show of her powers, which seemed surprisingly interesting for just being a hotel manager. I don't think I'll ever look at them the same way ;).

I was surprised when this book sucked me right in with the wonderfully descriptive writing. Usually I don't go for it, because there are authors who drag on for ages, but in this case, it worked on the author's favour, just as the charming personality of the characters.

The characters were interesting, to the point where she has a cannibal aristocrat refugee with a lifetime stay, that unfortunately I didn't get to see in action. Her love interests aren't that far behind: a (hot) troubled werewolf, and a (hot also) kind of vampire. The rest of the characters, like the cook, her little murderous niece, the merchant and his nephew Cookie (what a cutie pie!) were pretty great too.

I found their adventures to be the right size, as they didn't have the usual "we have to save humanity" which gets to my nerves, and helped individuals. Also, I loved the familiarity of Dina, as she seemed the perfect hostess and I could clearly feel she cared a lot. This is a great example for kids, and so I would recommend it for most audiences.

The one thing I felt missing was closure. Does that mean she's going to release another one? I sure hope so!

Volume one of the <i>Innkeeper Chronicles</i>, comprised of books one through three in the series, starts out with a bang and ends with a whimper -- of pain. Because this story is far from over.

With an incredible cast of characters, creatures and creativity, Andrews drops us into a world with aliens, far away planets, sentient bed & breakfasts, vampires, and werewolves, oh my. Innkeepers man waystations on earth, neutral space for guests, visitors, and all and any manner of people needing sanctuary; at the discretion of the innkeeper.

Dina runs Gertrude Hunt and the lifestyle is in her blood for she's the daughter of innkeepers. Unfortunately her parents vanished without a trace, along with their inn, and it's been years with no word, no sign and no understanding as to why. Their absence haunts her and she's waiting for the day someone walks into her inn with news of them. Her brother still searches the galaxy for them, her sister married a vampire and moved to another world, and Dina's settled in a small quiet town called Red Deer, Texas. Life was pretty much the same every day, with her inn playing host to a well-known and very sought-after tyrannical aristocrat responsible for the deaths of millions -- but at least she's paid for a lifetime membership -- until a werewolf starts sniffing around her place, dogs start dying violently, and a vampire Lord Marshal shows up to investigate. And really.. it all goes downhill (except, actually uphill) from there.

Nothing will ever compare to the <i>Kate Daniels</i> series for me, it's definitely more layered and complex and with a far more appealing and engaging heroine, but nonetheless Andrews offers up clever plots, hilarious dialogue and some lovely crossover in their <i>Innkeeper Chronicles</i> series with a lot of nuance and meaning in their alien conflicts. The illustrations really brought the elements of these stories to life, even if I pictured certainly people (Sean!) differently. And I definitely wanted more of them.

Can't wait for what's next for Dina and Sean (and Arland and Maud and Helen and Caldenia and..)!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2003668759">CLEAN SWEEP</a> -- four stars
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2003980652">SWEEP IN PEACE</a> -- three and a half stars
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2004821032">ONE FELL SWEEP</a> -- four stars
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overall volume = four stars

On the surface, Dina Demille is the owner of a quaint Victorian bed and breakfast inn named Gertrude Hunt based in a small Texas town. Her only permanent companions are a Shih Tzu called Beast with unexpected skills and a retired, bloodthirsty Galactic aristocrat, who may not leave the grounds for fear of being killed on sight.

In reality, Dina is a magical Innkeeper armed with a powerful magical broom and a house with mysterious powers which responds intelligently to Dina and any threats to itself or to her. You see, the inn isn’t for human visitors, it’s really a way station for otherworldly visitors to Earth.

As an Innkeeper, Dina is supposed to keep a low profile and stay neutral and safe, but when something starts killing the local dog population and threatening humans, she can’t ignore it. Dina tries to convince the local werewolf, an annoyingly attractive ex-military guy named Sean Evans, that he should step in and take care of the dog-killing alien. He blows her off so she decides she has to take the matter into her own hands to protect her community.

To make matters worse, a severely injured cosmic vampire asks for sanctuary at the Inn. This marks the entrance of the devastatingly handsome vampire named Arland, who is the Lord Marshall of Krahr. He portals in to tend to the injured vampire and help with eradicating the alien predators attacking dogs and threatening humans in the local community.

And somehow it all gets very complicated from there, but it involves a semi-sentient house, a Shih Tzu with unforeseen talents, and some sexy guys, wrapped up in an intermingling of science fiction and fantasy and liberally enlivened with Ilona Andrews’ typical sarcastic humour. Who knew that werewolves and vampires are actually space aliens?

I’m a huge fan of Ilona Andrew’s’ novels. Initially, I wasn’t sure that I liked this story but it grew on me and I got really invested in the characters. I was sorry to come to the end of the book and can’t wait to read more. I loved the characters and how they interacted with one another. There is plenty of action, adventure and magic. And you will be left with wanting more…

All in all, this is an enjoyable, fun read and it deserves a fantastic 4 stars.

"Dear Traveller! Welcome to the lovely Gertrude Hunt Inn B&B, in the town of Red Deer, Texas.
A perfect place to rest and relax where your every need will be catered to by your caring Innkeeper, Dina Demille. Walk around the lovely, shady orchard; sit on the porch; sip a glass of lemonade in company of the gentle, aristocratic lady, permanent resident of the Inn & most wanted, killer tyrant of the universe (addicted to FunYun and YelloMello) and taste the unparallelled gastronomic wonders created by the in-house chef: a giant, hedgehog-like creature with claws and fangs & and a penchant for high drama & temper tantrums that would make Gordon Ramsay hide in the furthest hole of our galaxy in shame.

Besides the Inn’s unique capability of self-defense, security level is heightened by the presence of an alpha-strain werewolf. Entertainment for ladies is provided by the occasional appearance of a heartthrob, chivalric vampire warrior who, when drunk on coffee, gets all his clothes off and runs around the garden in the nude. When sober, same vampire may offer physical exercise to gentlemen in the form of hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting."

Normally I don’t do gushing, not even in my 5-star ratings, but OMG, I LOVED EVERY SINGLE PAGE of this book and it catapulted Ilona Andrews right to the front row of my favourite authors.

From page one I fell hook, line and sinker for the story and the great characters, especially the Inn, Gertrude Hunt, itself. She is every woman’s dream: self-defending, self-cleaning, self-decorating with an underground storage for unwanted rooms and with doors opening to the most renown intergalatical market and other planets. From now on she is my best-loved literary character to whom noone can compare.

The other MC, Dina, the Innkeeper, as a caregiver and homemaker kind of person, is very relatable to me. At the same time she is smart, resourceful and compassionate.

As the story progresses, all characters are fleshed out and given depth. Nobody is perfect, just black or white. Everyone has a dark(er) side, yet none of them are purely evil. Reading the books in 1 go made their development even more pronounced.

The world-building is great: detailed, but not overwhelming. The romance is very appealing, but not heavy and it does not, at any point, hijack the narrative. The mix of political intrigue & action scenes is very well balanced and throughout there is the trademark wry humour with emotionally highly touching moments.

I was already a fan of the author team's Kate Daniels series and then discovered they had a whole lot more for me to love when I took up this series next. I had never encountered such a fun, exciting blend of Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi Romance that balanced a complex and layered group of elements so well. There is literally something for everyone.

What utterly fascinated me about this volume of stories is that it has its origins (and continues to do so) as a series of on-line installments on the authors' blog. I would have never guessed this was a plot on the fly serial piece. Unlike regular novel writing, there are no second chances when you write yourself into a corner. Talk about sheer talent, right?

The world of The Innkeeper Chronicles is probably one of the most captivating I've encountered. You don't get many sentient inter-dimensional inns or heroines who are innkeepers in the sci-fi and UF world, but it really is a perfect launch pad for a colorful, action-packed intense series. The inn is a way station at a cross roads for other worlds and other dimensions allowing for myriads of adventures and stories.

That said, there are foundation elements that drive the series arc. Dina is the center of everything. The reader is introduced to her as the main character in Clean Sweep. Several facts are learned about her namely that she is a second generation innkeeper (which is much more complex role than it seems at first glance) and as an adult she is still dealing with the tragic disappearance of her parents and the loss of her two siblings when they scattered into the galaxy pursuing their own goals. But, Dina is a mystery in and of herself. She is slowly revealed as the series progresses. Her personality, motives, and actions begin to make better sense as it goes along. Dina needs to be in control after all that came before which she could not control and this drives everything. Through her encounters with Sean and others, she is faced with her issues and must either learn to let other people into her heart and let them help her or go it alone and likely fail.

Sean the werewolf is a great catalyst for making things happen and also the source of several exciting fight and battle scenes. And, oh, by the way, he is one sexy male that Dina definitely find irresistible and believe me, she tries. He had no idea about his own race and his nature so he's learning as he goes. He has the job of finding himself and also getting through Dina's emotional barriers so she'll trust him and let him partner her in their adventures.

Beyond Sean, Dina is surrounded by a colorful and eclectic cast of characters. There is Caldenia the permanent guest at the inn because she is the galaxy's Public Enemy Number One for her bloody and numerous exploits. The way she views the world makes me laugh in that uneasy sort of way that apex predators can cause when they are perfectly series about their cannibalistic and homicidal tendencies. Then there is Dina's dog, Beast, who is a lot more than she seems. Officer Morace, the hardworking put upon human cop who just knows there is something odd going on at the Gertrude Hunt B&B and he will get to the bottom of it thank you very much. Arland the devilishly handsome vampire marshal of his clan who lives to fight like the berserker Vikings of old. A drama-llama alien chef who panics if he has to serve a meal late (and whatever you do, don't mention the 'P' word as in poison around him). And let's not forget the Inn itself needing guests vitally so it will flourish.

The three books, Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, and One Fell Sweep, in this first volume offer three exciting and action-packed adventures. Each is more furious and compelling than the last. The first book has the job of introducing the world, the characters, and the series arc though it also presents and exciting adventure, book two picks up a little while later after the dust settles and Dina is faced with quite the challenge hosting a peace summit between three combative groups with warring agendas and a negotiator who has his own end-game going. Book three finally showcases some of Dina's family, a new lethal challenge for Dina to protect her guests that forces Dina to confront some personal nightmares as well.

There is mystery, humor, camaraderie, and romance packed in around the excitement. I just love when things get so dire that I have no idea how Dina and the rest will pull out a win, but then it happens in a fantastic twist leaving me breathless after tearing through the pages like a mad-woman.

On a side note, I noticed that this volume is a 'hardcover limited edition', but I read an electronic ARC so I'm uncertain what features are added beyond a page of remarks from the author about the origin of the series, the three stories themselves, and each story separated by the fantastic cover art for each book.

All in all, this is an abso-fab creative, action-packed, humorous, mysterious, and entirely delightful Urban Fantasy- Sci-Fi blend that I whole-heartedly recommend to others who are looking for a new series to love.

I loved this one and the world that the author creates!I couldn't possibly find another story as unique as this one.

Perfection!
Everything Ilona Andrews writes is perfection. I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

If you have not stumbled upon this series before, this a book which contains the first three books of the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. The books center around Dina Demille who runs a quaint Victorian B&B in a small quiet down in Texas. But that's as normal as you get. Because Dina isn't your average human. She is an Innkeeper and within her domain her powers are supreme. Dina's purpose is to revitalize her Inn with guests and find her missing parents.

Of course nothing goes exactly to plan and Dina's empathy and need to help usually lands her in tricky situations. With an impressive assortment of sidekicks including a serial murderer guest, a werewolf and a vampire, Dina handles everything that comes her way with aplomb, steely determination and absolute confidence in herself.

If you are like me and you couldn't resist reading the Innkeeper Chronicles in it's serial form then you've already read all three books in this first volume. Reading them in serial format was the highlight of my week and I looked forward to each installment avidly. Re-reading all 3 stories in one long book was purely delightful for me. I re-read the first one in a day with almost the same greediness and thirst I had when reading it for the first time. I still got irrationally upset with George and wanted to smack him in the second one and I still cried buckets for the Hiru in the third one. Ilona Andrews have a gift of building new worlds in their books almost effortlessly and for me, without creating huge info dumps. I just absolutely adore their writing. It never fails to captivate me.

I got to review this in it's ebook format obviously but I am really curious about the hardback version. I imagine it would make a very lovely gift to any loved one that is a serious fan of Ilona Andrews. I am extremely disappointed though as the beautiful images that accompanied some of the chapters when it was shared online, are black and white in this ebook version. I don't know if that is an error on my copy from NetGalley (it has happened before) or if its on purpose. If it's on purpose then it's a crying shame as the originals are so beautiful and vivid in colour. Much more striking in my opinion than in black and white. If you are planning on purchasing the hardcover version make sure it's in colour, I would. The black and white illustrations do have their own charm but in my opinion they do the artist a great disservice as her play with colours and shades is quite beautiful in the originals I saw. I reviewed each book separately when they came out in their serial format. My second and third reviews are mostly visual, I used images for each chapter as it was released. In the third book review I used one of the illustrated images direct from the website , it's in colour so you can check it out and see what I mean if you want : Chapter 11 Part 2 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1538764791?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

To sum up, I love this new world and it's stars to bits. Something about them speaks to me and I cannot wait to see what comes next. And I know if they do a fourth one as an online serial, I would still read it weekly instead of waiting for it to be finished. I cannot resist!

I used to read a lot of urban fantasy – for a few years, I read it almost exclusively. Needless to say, I got pretty burned out on the UF tropes. I continued to read my favorites (The Hollows by Kim Harrison, Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs), but I didn’t actively seek out new authors in the genre.

All this to say – I can’t believe I missed Ilona Andrews! I am so excited to have found this writing duo through this book (and SO excited that they have so many other books out for me to read!)

This book is an omnibus of three books: Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, and One Fell Sweep (as an Innkeeper, Dina has a magic broom, hence the punny titles). Each of the books was released serially and for free on the authors’ website; once each was complete, it was edited and repackaged as an ebook for sale (they currently run $4.99 each). I am desperate for news of when the next book will start being released!

These stories have a lot of humor and a lot of heart. I would often read funny passages aloud to my husband, and he giggled along with me. There is also a bit of romance, but it is not the focus of any book (there is no over-the-top hand-wringing angst, which I tired of in a lot of other UF series. I never wanted to smack Dina upside the head, bonus). But the real stars of the series are the characters. The cranky and overly-dramatic porcupine-like chef, the bloodthirsty, calculating yet charming Caldenia, requisite vampires and werewolves that somehow don’t fall into the usual pitfalls of those beings, the adorable Shih-tzu that guards the Inn, and the Inn itself – Gertrude Hunt is a mysteriously sentient being in her own right. Bottom line: if you enjoyed the Scooby gang vibe in Buffy or the found-family feels in Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy, you will dig these books. Heartfelt and delightful are the words that most often spring to my mind.

And really, the whole series is worth reading for the alien chef’s take on Christmas alone.

Ah Ilona Andrews... Je vais leur vouer un culte à ce petit couple ! Ilona Andrews nous pond, encore une fois, un récit extrêmement original. Avant de lire mon avis, il faut savoir que The Inkeeper Chronicles n'était pas destiné à être publié, ils ont écrit pour le fun et ont publié sur leur site internet le premier en trois parties bien distinctes puisque ce sont différentes aventures (toujours avec le même personnages mais en soit ça devait être trop court pour en faire des tomes séparés). Bon après, je pense que les gens ont tellement aimé que c'est parti pour être publié par une ME.

Bref, trève de blabla ! On suit cette fois-ci Dina Demille, une jeune femme qui tient une auberge comme ses parents qui ont disparus. Mais ce n'est pas du tout une auberge comme les autres puisqu'elle obéit aux moindres souhaits de Dina (ouais, c'est super cool). Dina est ce qu'on appelle une aubergiste (Inkeeper en VO, ça fait bien mieux), elle doit accueillir des clients dans son auberge et se plier en quatre pour faire tout ce qu'ils souhaitent/veulent durant leur séjour. Petit soucis, Dina n'a qu'une cliente pour l'instant. Tout change quand elle rencontre Sean Evans, un loup-garou et Lord Arland, un vampire puisqu'ils demandent de rester dans l'auberge pour régler un soucis de voisinage...

Un loup-garou, un vampire, une fille, un triangle, Twilight ? Je vous vois venir avec vos insinuations. Mais, ça ne marche pas ici parce que Dina a déjà jeté son dévolu sur l'un des gars (et pas celui auquel vous pensez!) et n'hésite pas une seule seconde avec l'autre ! Et puis vous allez me dire que des loups-garous et des vampires, c'est pas du tout original, c'est vu, c'est revu et c'est saoulant. Bah oui, mais non, parce que figurez-vous que les créatures surnaturelles viennent toutes de planètes différentes ! Oui, oui, vous avez bien lu, ils viennent carrément de différentes planètes ! En plus, les loups et les vampires peuvent et doivent combattre en armure super stylée pour être encore plus forts ! Et c'est avec ça qu'Ilona Andrews m'a encore une fois éblouie. Et attention, il n'y a pas que des vampires et des loups-garous, il y a une multitude d'espèces différentes et toutes ont des soucis plus ou moins graves.

Dans la première partie, Dina doit affronter avec ses amis une espèce qui utilise une sorte de chien de chasse (qui n'est pas vraiment un gentil toutou) pour attaquer l'oncle de Arland. Forcément, ça ne le rend pas super heureux le Arland et pour protéger son oncle, il s'enregistre dans l'auberge de Dina ! Bref, sans vous spoiler, hein, une nouvelle amitié naît !

Dans la seconde partie, Dina doit accueillir un sommet entre trois espèces qui convoitent une même planète et Dina doit rivaliser d'astuces et de diplomatie pour obtenir la paix sur cette même planète.

Enfin, dans la troisième partie, Dina doit sauver sa soeur et accueillir une espèce qu'aucun aubergiste ne veut accueillir...

Comme avec la plupart des personnages d'Ilona Andrews, Dina est une débrouillarde, elle se débrouille comme elle peut et avec ce qu'elle a, et ça ne l'empêche pas du tout d'user de la ruse pour parvenir à ses fins (Un peu comme Kate, hein!). Par contre, comparé à d'autres romans de l'auteure, on est plus concentrés sur l'histoire de ces créatures et de leur planète que vraiment sur le personnage principal. On a bien entendu, l'histoire de Dina, sa vie "amoureuse" et son auberge mais comme à chaque tome on reste plutôt cloîtré dans l'auberge et qu'on découvre de nouvelles créature, j'ai eu vraiment l'impression que c'est l'univers qui était plus accentué. Ce qui donne au final, un super résultat !

En conclusion, encore une petite pépite pondu par Ilona Andrews. Heureusement qu'elle revient petit à petit en force en France, parce que c'est vraiment une auteure qui vaut le coup ! J'espère que celui-ci sera traduit aussi !

Ilona Andrews' e-serial comes to print in this special collection that includes the first three books in the Innkeeper Chronicles. Dina runs a magical inn for intergalactic travelers. It's her duty to make her guests comfortable, see to their needs and clean up their messes. Like all of Andrew's books, Innkeeper features strongly written characters full of humor and grace. I can't even pick a favorite character since they are all so engaging. Dina's magic, Arland's reaction to coffee, Sean's humor, all create a magical world that you want to visit. [If anyone actually finds Gertrude Hunt, please send coordinates] If you've read the Edge series, you will also find some familiar faces. Although the collection doesn't have any new content, it would make a great gift for an Andrews fan.

First off I should admit that I did read this online first as a serial and I'm a fan of their other series. That said, this feels like a vastly different story than their other offerings. Similarities are their excellent world building skills and witty dialogue with believable and engaging characters. However, it had a lighter feel than their other series; more playful., at least until the final book. This versiin did not sugnicantly duffer from the online ci tent, but I did like the combined 3 book format. It was a satisfying conclusion, yet did leave the reader open to more books. Most readers are put off by cliff-hanger endings, aka blatant extortions to purchase more books. I admire that they rarely indulge in this behavior, or at least give enough concluding storylines, while leaving some threads to entice you back. It's a fine line and these authors walk it well. I'd highly recommend this series to a wide audience since I think even fans of some other genres would get a kick out of it.