REVIEW: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

In Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) by Ilona Andrews, Saying that families are complicated is oversimplifying things when it comes to the Baylors and the Rogans. Both families have their own magical abilities, some relatives being stronger at it than others, which causes its own issues. Both families have some controversy in their past. But who doesn’t, right? It’s when they all must be in the same place, at the same time, and cooperate so they can celebrate the wedding of Nevada and Rogan that things truly go south in a hurry. From the bride changing her mind a thousand times a day on wedding details to the infighting between members of the Rogan clan, it promises to be quite the struggle for Nevada’s sister Catalina to keep it all under control.

“This will be a formal affair. Your bride will be wearing a breathtaking gown, you will be wearing a tuxedo, and I will watch you two exchange vows in front of our entire family and all of our friends, and I will glow with pride at this moment… Am I making myself clear?”
The Scourge of Mexico and the most terrifying Prime in Houston unhinged his manly jaws and said the only thing he could, “Yes, Mother.”

Catalina is bound and determined to make sure her sister Nevada isn’t aware of what’s going on behind the scenes of the “wedding of the year”, as the press is calling it. And as this is the first time Catalina has been put in charge of things, she’s going to give it her all. Even if it means going way out of her comfort zone. Which she certainly is. Using her abilities as a Prime is brand new to Catalina–and something she’s been terrified of doing. But with a family heirloom having been stolen, the wedding food potentially being compromised, and who knows which Rogan family member will next cause a ruckus, Catalina will move heaven and earth to solve every last issue so Nevada and Rogan can have their happily ever after.

‘Happiness lit my sister’s face and it made everything worth it. She took care of us for so long. She deserved to have all the happiness in the world.’

Laughter and drama ensued in Diamond Fire, Ilona Andrews’ new novella in the Hidden Legacy series. True to Nevada and Rogan’s relationship thus far, nothing went exactly as planned. But boy was it entertaining!

“We just have to get through the wedding.”
“No, Nevada has to get through the wedding. We have to catch a thief and prevent mass murder at the wedding ceremony.”

Diamond Fire truly was a wild ride from start to finish. Where it’s part of the ongoing story arc that mainly has been focusing on Nevada and Rogan, it would probably be best to read this as part of the series, not as a standalone. Because not only did we get Nevada’s POV on being a bride who is unused to having to be super girly *and* having to finally meet her man’s family, the majority of this novella was actually from Nevada’s sister Catalina’s POV. Which I loved. And which was quite interesting, to see Catalina’s thoughts on her sister and on recently becoming a Prime herself.

As with the rest of the Hidden Legacy series, it wasn’t clear who could be trusted and who had ulterior motives, which is always fun to sort out. With the addition of Rogan’s family–who put soap operas to shame with their antics!–we saw his lovely relationship with his mother (who I adored) and the not-so-great bond they had with the rest of the fam. Catalina and Nevada’s family and friends really stepped up here to be the bigger people and made sure Rogan and Nevada got the wedding of their dreams. But not before we saw the carefully constructed personas in Rogan’s relatives start to crack. All at the same time as Catalina herself was trying to find her new way as a Prime, along with having to use her magical abilities in public for the first time.

You can always count on Ilona Andrews for a story that will not only thrill and excite, but also wrap you up in the complex personal relationships of their characters. Diamond Fire was a terrific addition to the series and sets the stage nicely for Catalina to lead the way in upcoming books.
 

Book Info:

Publication: Published November 6th 2018 | by Avon Impulse | Hidden Legacy #3.5

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan’s extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her sister’s happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.