Sapphire Flames

July 22, 2019
Andrews’s breakneck fourth Hidden Legacy novel, which opens a trilogy, is set in a world ruled by dynastic families of mages. Prime mage and private investigator Catalina Baylor, who can compel people like a siren, just became the Head of House Baylor, and she’s agreed to help her friends Runa and Ragnar, both Prime poison mages, discover who killed their mother and sister. Soon she’s fending off reanimated corpses, murderous mages, and a ruthless team of assassins. Even worse, her not-so-secret crush, the insufferable and smoking-hot Italian playboy Alessandro Sagredo (another Prime mage with a few spectacular tricks up his sleeves), keeps popping up and telling her to drop the case. Catalina won’t back down, and Alessandro’s not going anywhere, so Catalina reluctantly agrees to work with him to find a mage who has found a way to create twisted new killing machines, all while keeping her family safe and juggling her new responsibilities. Andrews’s endlessly inventive action scenes are chock full of strange magic, and Catalina and Alessandro’s sexy sparring is a delight. Fans and new readers alike will enjoy the wit and worldbuilding and be thrilled to have this exciting new heroine to root for.

In the latest installment of the Hidden Legacy series, narrated by Emily Rankin, Catalina is both Head of her House and manager of her family's magical investigative agency. When a case brings her face-to- face with her teenage crush, Catalina must struggle with her feelings for Alessandro while fighting powerful foes. The choice of a different narrator from that of the previous series titles makes sense, as this story is told from a new character's perspective. Rankin's voice is pleasant to hear, and she expressively captures the story's emotions; however, she fails to place listeners in the Houston setting. Some enunciations sound jarring, most notably Grandma Frida's plucky, unconventional flair. Overall a disappointing listen. A.L.S.M. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine