Member Reviews
My god what a finale!! I don’t think there could be any better way to finish this series, it was simply phenomenal!!
The sixth novel of the Hidden Legacy series, and the third and final book of Catalina’s trilogy, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I was a huge fan of the first trilogy (Nevada’s books) and took a little convincing to switch to the middle sister. Sapphire Flames was pretty good, especially towards the end. Emerald Blaze was fantastic. Ruby Fever was good, but not as good as Emerald Blaze, which had both a great plot and good character development.
In comparison, the plot of Ruby Fever was a little thin. The Baylor’s finally buy a house,- erhm, compound- and while Catalina tries to solve a high-profile murder, more threads of the Caesar conspiracy are revealed. But what made the book great was really the interaction between members of the Baylor Family. We learn a lot more family history in this novel, and some key players are all forced under one roof. which results in some great drama. Again, while it was fun to see Catalina develop her powers, and to get to the final encounter with Arkan, the side characters really shone in this book (Nevada, Arthur, Evil Grandmother). Those are the scenes I keep going back to re-read. Also, I really wanted sex in the pool- what a tease.
While some hints were dropped in previous books about who Arabella’s love interest might be, we get more hints in this book, and I am personally DYING to start her trilogy. One of the Michael’s, perhaps? Or a certain bear? (Insert big eyes emoji here). Ruby Fever was a solid installment by a great author, but I am mostly excited for what comes next. 3.5 stars.
Ilona Andrews never disappoints. This eminently readable addition to the Hidden Legacy series supplies battles, monsters, politics, and romance interleaved with thorough world building. My only complaint is that having read this in advance of publication, I will have to wait even longer for the next installment!
I adore Ilona Andrews. I buy for my personal collection as well as my library. Don't start here unless you want to read in reverse order.
Bravo!! Ilona Andrews never disappoints and Ruby Fever continues the streak. This is a finale of a three part series starring Catrina and Alessandro. However it is 6th in a larger story about the Baylor family. I think in order to get the full effect one needs to read them in order.
I was given an ARC of this story on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ruby Fever is an excellent addition to the Hidden Legacy series. It takes off running and doesn't quit until the race is over. As expected from Ilona Andrews the characters are engaging and the story is full of pieces connected by the end of the tale. If you like stories with fun and engaging characters packed with action, I would recommend this book to you.
My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.
Lots to recommend in this book: Continuing storylines, completion of some of the threads, a couple of new threads that could lead to more books (let us hope!), villains dispatched, and mysteries to be resolved. If you enjoyed the previous books in this series (or in previous series by this author), you're pretty sure to enjoy this one. I certainly did.
This was a wonderful read and I loved jumping back into Catalina’s world. The characters are wonderfully built and continue seamlessly. I can’t wait to see if another will come along.
Ruby Fever is a perfect climax for Catalina's adventures. As the third book in Catalina's trilogy or 6th book in the Hidden Legacies series, it is important to have read the other books in the series first. Catalina and Alessandro move the Baylor's extended family into a new home where they're off to a rocky start -- nothing says "Welcome home" like a bit of blood and excitement. They settle in, though, and encounter a new challenge: the Warden can't be reached and Catalina must step up.
This book really shines in Catalina's character development. As the readers, we've been rooting for her and seeing her become more powerful. Now we see her fully come into all aspects of her magic to terrifying and enthralling effect. Other characters are also given a moment to let their power shine. We learn more about illusion mages, although more time with some favorite illusion mage characters would have been fun -- especially with the new illusion mage; we also see more depth with Matilda's power.
Family is, as always, an important theme in this book. Some of the Baylor-family tangles that have been hinted at are ironed out. We also learn so much more about the Sagredo family, and even Connor Rogan is given a chance to redefine family in this novel. Because the family casts are large and wide-spread, some of them are given only a brief role in the book which comes across as somewhat rushed in the plot. Since the action is so fast-paced, this doesn't detract from the plot but it does make me wish for more from some favorites, like Leon and Runa, than we get in this particular novel.
If you've read this far, thanks for sticking with me! My final comments are that Ruby Fever was well worth the read and I hope the end is hinting at a future Arabella trilogy, something I cannot wait to get my hands on! If you haven't read the Hidden Legacy series, it is well worth picking up.
4 stars - It was really good
Catalina and Alessandro’s final book was nonstop action and danger. From the very first page, this book just sucked me in and didn’t let me go until it was done.
House Baylor finally has relocated to a new house that is big enough for everyone, and strong enough to hold out against an attack, which gets put to the test almost instantly. Catalina and Alessandro are still dealing with the events from the previous book with the theft of the Osiris Serum. They are actively being attacked from different fronts in this book and it was a lot. This book definitely was action packed and suspenseful.
Alessandro and Catalina’s relationship in this one is solid, but not a huge part of the story. The focus is mostly on the enemies who are attacking them and the Imperial Russian Prince. I didn’t mind that there weren't a lot of really romantic scenes because you can tell these two are solid in their love and it won’t waver anymore. Alessandro does need to learn to share with Catalina though because he frequently seems to cause issues from not sharing important facts with Catalina.
As always with this series, I love the Baylor family. With each book we see how much this family has grown and how strong each one is in their abilities. I loved seeing Bern and Runa being a cute couple and tech wizards. Also, I really love seeing how much Arabella has grown just from Nevada’s series. She is a very smart woman who is running the finances of House Baylor but she is also very deadly. I really can’t wait to get my hands on her books.
Overall, this was a great ending to Catalina and Alessandro’s trilogy. I am sad their stories are over but very excited to see the next chapter of this series. Also, I loved the small portions with Nevada and Rogan in this. I miss those two.
Wow. Just wow. What a thrilling ride! From the beginning we are thrown into the action and pretty much hold on until the end. I was thoroughly engaged the entire way. A lot of our favorite characters make an appearance, some with more book time than others. We see progression in Catalina and Alessandro's relationship, For this reader, the best part of the book was Catalina and her overall growth from beginning to end. As things get dicey she steps up and takes charge. She shows her ability to not only lead but to also show compassion and some pretty find strategizing as well. An added bonus is that a lot of questions are answered and we have some resolution such as Linus and his connection to the Baylors as well as Alessandro and his family drama. Overall, a wonderful addition to the series. This might be a reread for me in the future, and I rarely say that about books.
What a delight to be in the hands of such masterful storytellers! The pacing, the characters, and the intrigue were all top-notch. A satisfying conclusion to Catalina's storyline and wraps up some elements from deeper in the Hidden Legacy universe. If I had one criticism it is that we don't get to spend much time with Catalina and Alessandro together since there is so much going on. I did not re-read the previous books before starting this one and the authors made the transition back into the world seamless. There was one section of the book that I struggled to remember the significance of since it reached back into Nevada's storyline but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this novel. Would love it if they decided to do Arabella's story one day but otherwise another excellent installment by authors who are at the top of their game.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Meet Catalina Baylor: Prime siren, born with the ability to make others love her with her magic, and Head of a new and powerful House. She leads her family business, private investigation, and acts as part of a secret law enforcement branch. A pinnacle of urban fantasy, set in Houston, Ruby Fever is scorching hot and delivers on all the loose ends of the previous 5.5 books.
I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. I've been keeping up with the Ilona Andrews duo since the early 2010s, and the first foray into the world of Hidden Legacy blew me away. So when I received an early ARC, I pounced on it and devoured it same-day. But I was left a little unhappy.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Things I liked: resolves all loose ends, and neatly starts up some new intrigue with Arabella, Matilda (Cornelius' daughter), and begins/concludes an internal struggle within Catalina and the newly-found binary nature of her magic. As ever, I love the writing, world-building, character arcs (Alessandro's family), and Evil Grandmother. I'm a sucker for redemption arcs, so getting to see the resolution of Victoria and Linus was extremely satisfying (literally, shivers!).
Things I disliked: Well, all of the above things and more are packed into some 130k words. It doesn't feel like enough. Some of the best moments are the little breaks in between major events or action, and this book had barely any. I knew there had to be a little bit of romantic tension, hence the introduction of a new character and his family (and perhaps for Arabella), but I kind of wished some of that time went to Catalina and Alessandro. Or at least, one of the favorite side characters. Runa hardly talks to Catalina at all, but they're best friends. Augustine barely has a cameo, despite introducing some new information about him as well, and sadly, no cameo from Nevada and Connor's son (although a product of his work does show up). I was sad to see that the family intrigue with their head of security and her wife left out, but understandable given all the other threads going on.
In all, some of the plot resolutions felt fast-- Nevada and Connor knowing about Caesar and not disclosing? Victoria just spilling the beans on Linus, and the entire Caesar "plot"? Alessandro's family, and his mother not actually being useless, just held hostage by her father-in-law. Arkan's ability to freeze time and another secret ability revealed and also countered. Victoria and her deal with Linus, and maneuvering Alessandro into her path during her trials. Cornelius knowing about Linus also, and forgiving him off-screen for the death of his wife (when he was literally the one to swarm Olivia Charles with mice to eat her alive for her part in the murder..). An all-villains finale, featuring Adam Pierce, Alessandro's grandfather, and Arkan together, summarily defeated in about 2 pages. I loved it, I just needed more. Some of most memorable scenes are the ones in between all the action, but this book is pretty much all action.
Ilona Andrew's work comes to a breath taking conclusion in this fast-paced, nail-biting end to Catalina's chapter of Hidden Legacy. Arkan makes further deadly plots against the Baylor Family, leaving our heros lurching from one catastrophe to the next. Catalina's magic is at the forefront, helping her and hindering her in turns. The stakes are higher, the intreague is deeper, and Ceaser steps out of a shadow no one expected. Be sure to clear your schedule before picking up this book: sleep will come second place to One More Chapter syndrome, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the sweet crescendo of a happily ever after. Of a kind. Ilona Andrew's are a writing marvel, writing books that have nuance and depth, leaving you surprised and delighted at each new thing discovered after a reread, or two or three. I know I can't wait to start the Hidden Legacy tale over again, watching all the threads weave into a emotional tapestry.
Ruby Fever is the end of Catalina and Alessandro’s arc. This is an action-packed installment filled with danger and answers to questions we’ve needed for a while. Catalina and Alessandro grow closer while battling common enemies and dealing with family manipulation on both sides. You’ll want to set aside some time for this as you won’t want to put it down.
This was an edge of your seat thrill ride from beginning to end. So much was revealed! Lots of twists and turns in this one. Such an epic conclusion to Catalina's story arc. We even got a sneak peak into a possible love interest for Arabella. I am assuming Arabella is going to get her own trilogy, I HOPE Arabella is going to get her HEA. Really loved this series and am sad to see it end...but am looking forward, hopefully, to more of the gang in the not too distant future!
Ruby Fever is an exciting end to Catalina's arc in the Hidden Legacy universe. It possess several of the characteristics I've come to expect from the Ilona Andrews team. If you like humor, romance, and action nobody does it better.
I also must praise the introduction of some new and fascinating characters from the Russian Imperium. Its a part of the this universe that's been mentioned, but Ruby Fever left me with a ravenous appetite for more.
One aspect of the book did leave me a bit disappointed. This was the conclusion of the Caesar plot and various family dramas. Suffice to say it seemed as though certain things had been retconned in order to deliver a conflict lite ending. Still, I re-read the arc three times in as many days so this failing didn't lessen my enjoyment to any great degree.
Perhaps Ruby Fever isn't the best of the Hidden Legacy series, however Ilona Andrew's worst is better than 90% of everyone else's best. I very sincerely hope this isn't the last I will see of the universe.
I don't know what it is about the Hidden Legacy series, but I absolutely adore every book. Ruby Fever is the sixth installment, and it does not disappoint! Sometimes longer series can lose steam as they continue on, but man oh man this is NOT the case here! Ruby Fever serves as the epic conclusion of Catalina Baylor's story, and WOW do we get some serious closure. Plot twists are revealed, family drama ensues, romance abounds, action is packed!!! The world-building is exceptional, the character development is realistic and the characters themselves are original and authentic. Ruby Fever is hands-down a perfect ending for Catalina and Alessandro (though I selfishly hope the authors are not quite done with the Baylor family).
One of the hallmarks for an Ilona Andrews book is the clever dialogue between main characters, their friends, and/or family. The authors take witty banter to an art form, and I found myself laughing so many times at certain lines in Ruby Fever. It perfectly balances humor, action, and romance without sacrificing the plot or character growth. Catalina is smart, capable, and finally able to let loose in this one! She's come such a long way since Sapphire Flames, and is finally getting the Happily Ever After she deserves. My only regret after reading this book is that I didn't want it all to end...good thing I love a series re-read ;)
Thanks to Avon Books for providing me an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review!
A fabulous end to a fabulous trilogy! All of the best Andrews' touches are here: fast moving plot, great characters, cool world-building and some great familial banter. Most of the plot threads from the previous five books are tied up here, with some interesting notes for the future, should they decide to write more. Recommended!
Excellent continuation of Catalina's story. Resolution of several story lines but set up the basis for Arabella's story arc nicely. Fantastic addition to the series - if you've read the previous books (and you really should before reading this one) you'll love this one too!