Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel

Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (2017) Ilona Andrews

This is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. This was supposed to be a trilogy, but there are enough loose ends for at least another book. I could have done without the final bit with Victoria Tremaine, which felt more like a cliffhanger than this book deserved.

As with all Ilona Andrew books, there were lots of marvelous bits.

I stepped closer to the bear. The massive beast leaned over to me and smelled my hair.

“Can I pet him?”

The soldier looked at Sergeant Teddy. The bear made a low short noise. “He says you can.”

I reached over and carefully petted the big shaggy neck. “What’s his story?”

“Someone thought it would be a good idea to make very smart magic bears and use them in combat,” the ex-soldier said. “Problem is, once you make someone smart, they become self-aware and call you on your bullshit. Sergeant Teddy is a pacifist. The leash is just for show so people don’t freak out.”

Lovely!

And Grandma Frida may still be my favorite character.

“I told you twenty-six years ago that if you married him, you would pay the price. I told you to let him go. You didn’t listen. You raised them to fight. They’re not going to cut and run now.”

“They will do what I say,” Mom ground out. “I’m their mother.”

Grandma Frida squinted at her. “Aha. And how did that work out for me?” Mom opened her mouth and clicked it shut.

I’d like new tires for the Vault. It’s worth two hundred and fifty grand and we’re going to take it home to my grandma.

I think what I liked best is that Rogan and Nevada didn’t have any stupid misunderstandings in this book, even though there well could have been some. They talked about things and although he was trying to make sure she could make her own choices without undue influence, she knew that was why he was behaving as he did.

I also liked that Leon finally got to discover and use his magic. And I also like that despite the families being awful, there were genuinely good people.

“When Augustine took me to Baranovsky’s gala, Latimer saw the bruises on my neck and mistook me for a domestic abuse victim. His aunt distracted Augustine, while he offered to walk me out of the gala and take me to a doctor and give me a safe place to stay.”

Rogan leaned to the side to look after Latimer. “Michael Latimer?”

“Mhm. He wasn’t lying.”

“Interesting,” Rogan said.

I explained that (kid) and (kid) were his children and that as a father, he was supposed to love them unconditionally. He was supposed to protect them and take care of them. That they couldn’t be discarded or traded in for a new model like last year’s car. If he couldn’t bring himself to be proud of them, because they didn’t (redacted), he still couldn’t abandon his responsibilities.

Those are two lovely bits there.

So, as usually I loved the world and the characters, could have done without the boinking bits, and generally enjoyed the book.

And regarding the cover, at least he has his damned shirt on. That’s about the only positive I’ll give it.
Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Avon

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