Diamond Fire: A Hidden Legacy Novella

Diamond Fire is a transition story, it moves us away from Nevada as the main character to Catalina being the PoV for the series. This doesn’t have all of the things that I love in an IA book but please remember that this is a novella and so it isn’t supposed to come with all of the bells and whistles of a full length novel.╰⊰✿ What Diamond Fire Did Great ✿⊱╮① - I think the movement to Catalina as the PoV went well. Nevada has tossed the baton beautifully to her younger sister to take over from here.② - Everthing with the side characters is awesome as usually. We even get a new Grandma type to love in Rogan’s Mom. She is fan-freaking-tastic and I can’t wait to get to know her better in future books. There is the introduction of another House’s Prime mage who I hope we see in the future. But, Leon steals the show and is fantastic in his new role in the family. I really like this upgraded version of him now that he knows what his magic is and has become more comfortable in his skin.***Leon let out a long- suffering sigh. “Are you sure that I’ll be enough? These places can get pretty rough. You walk into a cake shop and then some gunslinger tells you, ‘You ain’t from around here, partner,’ and the next thing you know, you’re in the middle of the street, your horse is dead, the bad guy’s got your girl by her hair, and you’re down to one bullet.”“What is going on in your head?”“It’s a dark, lawless place, Catalina. So dark.”***③ - The actual story. It isn’t as complicated as a full length novel but it is a fun little side show. I figured out where the Crown went pretty early but that was only one part of the story. The other was all the family drama. No wonder Rogan lets people believe that he really doesn’t have any family. There were a few gems in the family but most of them were just awful.④ - Showing off Catalina’s magic and the potential of what it can do. This is one of those times where when you get to see something from the inside it doesn’t sound as great. I thought it would be fantastic to have Catalina’s power when reading the other series. But it has to be hard to know that you can never relax with a person you like or your power might take hold of them and give them false feelings.***But when I saw Alessandro, I wanted to snap my wings open as far as they could go and dazzle him with everything I had, so he would be mine forever. I liked him so much, I had to let him go.***It would be a struggle. I really enjoyed exploring the magic though and the potential it could hold. Plus I’m glad that we are holding off on the potential romance between Alessandro and Catalina until there is a full series to play with it.⑤ - Catalina’s relationship with Arabella is also in the big win column for me. I love how they fight as sisters and are there for each other in every way. They are so close and protective. I’m hoping that we get to see a lot of Arabella in the future books since she is a great counterpoint to Catalina’s serious side.╰⊰✿ What Might Not Work For You in Diamond Fire ✿⊱╮I read this in a group and there were a few grumblings. I understand a few of them but just so maybe you aren’t too surprised I’ll just address a few.① - Nevada and Rogan seem so different. Well, yes and no. To me they seemed a little different and a loof or uncaring in some instances but remember this is from a totally different PoV and so perception is everything. Catalina is going to see both of them differently and just because you don’t see them doing things in the background doesn’t mean they aren’t reacting to situation.② - Nevada went all Bridezilla on us - Again…did she? I mean there are certain things that she wants in her wedding and doesn’t want to budge on. Plus she and Rogan only wanted a small wedding but they are Primes and so it had to be a big tahdoo There are other things she just doesn’t really care about all that much and so I don’t think she put a lot of effort into the colors of them. I’d feel a little bad for Catalina and Arabella as her wedding planners, but they teased her so much pre-proposal that I feel like a little bit of it is payback.③ - The resolution of the Kelly Waller plot line wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I’m totally fine with how this particular plot line played out. I thought that it was the perfect wedding present to Nevada and Rogan. With a new series starting up focused on Catalina and some of the other kids a little more I liked that this wasn’t left lingering.④ - This didn’t feature a romance with Alessandro. GOOD. I need books with the slow burn and intensity of their love story or another love interest inbetween or something. I don’t want it in a novella I need way more pages for that particular story to be told.╰⊰✿Read This!!!✿⊱╮It’s Ilona Andrews so you know that this novella is going to be fun and you are going to have a good time with it. I liked most of this book and even though we are moving from Nevada I see a lot of potential with the other characters and can’t wait to see where they take this series next.

I'd pre-ordered this book in May 2018, eagerly awaiting the denouement of all the loose ends still left in Wildfire, the disappointing finale of the Hidden Legacy series. Well...if you're expecting any of this book to be from Nevada & Rogan's perspectives, if you're expecting "Caesar"/the conspiracy to be more directly revealed, and if you're expecting any romance or sensual scenes, you'll be quite disappointed.I'm glad I only paid $1.99 for this Kindle book. It was a good stand-alone mystery "who did it" book, one I'd easily give a teen/pre-teen to read w/o guilt - very rated PG, perhaps a teen saga that may keep you wondering if Catalina will ever take a chance on making friends outside the family, if she'll pursue her interest in Alessandro or just let that interest die, or if she'll change her mind about going to college.Catalina is an insightful & relatable 18-y/o young lady. Both she and her younger sister Arabella continue to grow/develop into interesting characters. My favorite character, actually, is Mrs. Arrosa Rogan! Just as Nevada referred to Connor as a "dragon", Catalina refers to Arrosa as a "powerful dragon" too...runs in the Rogan/Ramirez family!Personally, I don't know if I'll jump onto the Catalina series as easily as the Nevada-Mad Rogan series - those books frustratingly hooked me but frustrated me with the loose ends/cliffhangers located in the epilogues of each book.SPOILER ALERT!For those of you, the one glorifying, seriously worthwhile aspect of this novella is that Kelly Waller, Rogan's bitter and horrible cousin, is finally dealt with, albeit quietly rather than publicly. Additionally, it was interesting to get an in-depth view of Connor's family - evidently he has multiple family members that have some major issues.

It’s always a little jarring when your main character moves a age sideways and almost off-screen. And you meet this new person, who is not so different from the old MC, and the differences seem... jarring. But by the end of it, you get a feel of who Catalina could be, and what the future may look like, and all the secondary characters become more real. World recommend if you are going to go from Navada’s trilogy to Catalina’s trilogy (which is due to begin in 2019). If you skip Navada’s trilogy, you can skip this novels entirely. Though you would be Mad to miss it.

Diamond Fire is a novella in the Hidden Legacy series that bridges from the first trilogy told in Nevada's point of view and helps us transition into the upcoming trilogy that will have Catalina at the forefront. It ties up a few loose ends, raises a whole new set of questions and gives us just a tiny hint of the kind of main character that Catalina is going to be.I have to confess that I was kind of hoping this story would be told entirely from Nevada's point of view, I'm a teeny bit obsessed with Nevada and Rogan so I was hoping for one last story with them entirely front and centre (let's face it, I just wanted more tactile sexy times!) but I know to trust Ilona & Gordon Andrews and they didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the chance to see Nevada and Rogan take this next big step in their relationship and I'll be happy to see the occasional glimpse of them in the background as the series continues but I absolutely loved getting to know Catalina better.Catalina is a very different type of heroine to Nevada, she's less confident and more self conscious, especially when it comes to her magic, but she's just as protective of the people she cares about and equally capable of standing up to anyone who threatens her family. I really enjoyed seeing Nevada and the rest of the family through Catalina's eyes and I loved getting to know Rogan's mother a little better as she takes Catalina under her wing. I think what is going to be really nice about Catalina's story is that we're probably going to get to know the younger members of House Baylor a little better, Nevada was quite a bit older than her sisters and cousin Leon so Catalina has a different type of relationship with Arabella which will be fun to explore.While this story is very much about Catalina and Arabella helping to plan the wedding of the century it is also a mystery with a possible thief amongst Rogan's closest family members and a potential plot that could put the entire wedding party in danger. Catalina doesn't want to worry her sister so she's going to have to do the one thing she really hates doing and start using her magic to help her figure out what is going on. We've already seen a little of Catalina's powers in the past but we find out so much more of what she can do here and I can't wait to see her exploring her ability further as the series continues.Diamond Fire was a fantastic story that left me with a massive smile on my face about Nevada and Rogan's HEA and also left me ridiculously excited to get my hands on Catalina's spin off series. I've been a huge Ilona Andrews fan for a long time now but their stories honestly just get better and better every time.

Diamond Fire is a bridging novella between the first three books in the Hidden Legacy series, which focused on Nevada, and the next three books in the Hidden Legacy series which focus on Catalina - Nevada's sister.Novellas are often a hit or miss because it's pretty darn hard to fit in character building, world-building and an interesting story into 100 or so pages but Ilona Andrews are really kinda good at it and Diamond Fire was no exception!As per the blurb, the book focuses on Catalina having to use her particular brand of magic - which she has kept locked down and hidden as it's dangerous to her - in order to solve a crime and save Nevada's big day!The book was funny, fun and fabulous.Catalina is an interesting young woman with deep-rooted fears and genuine concerns when it comes to her magic but she is also determined, loyal and smart. I loved seeing her push her limits in this one and can't wait to see what she's like a few years down the line!I love the Hidden Legacy world where magical families essentially rule, fued with each other 'like medieval warlords' and are laws unto themselves.If you are new to the world then this is a great place to step in and pick it up!(Although, I'd 100% recommend starting at the beginning because Nevada and Seth Rogan are the shizzle!)

This is a novella, and it works really well as a crossover point in the Hidden Legacy Series. It’s the point where the narrative baton is passed between the eldest Baylor sister, Nevada, and passes to the middle daughter, Catalina.The story covers the preparations for Nevada and Rogan’s wedding. In the run up to the wedding, Catalina and Arabella end up organising the wedding. Both sisters are smart and capable, having worked in the family investigation firm for years to earn their allowance.In addition to planning the wedding Rogan’s mother asks Catalina to investigate the theft of a family heirloom, stolen from her home, where all her family are staying. Catalina is put into a situation where she is forced to really use her powers properly for the first time.This books is really interesting because though we know Catalina and about her powers, we don’t know much about her and her history, except in relation to how it affected Nevada. We finally see things from her perspective and it’s really interesting.Catalina is highly intelligent, but is understandably scared of her powers. She is trying to learn how to use them properly but that means practice, which is hard to do without damaging people.This book has settled my mind about the change in direction the series is taking as I loved Nevada and didn’t want the focus to change, but reading this book makes me think that reading about this plot-line from Catalina’s perspective might just be a good thing.

This is a wonderful view of the wedding preparations of Nevada and Rogan. What was meant to be a quiet, discreet affair has turned into a three ring circus with numerous relatives and the added complication of the bride's tiara going missing ! Fear not though because Catalina is on the case and if it means finally embracing her truly scary magic then when it comes to family nothing is too far .This quick read might be more YA than some of the books these authors have written but there's still mystery to wade through and characters to love.Catalina shone in this story as someone who is more than able to step into her big sisters shoes. Regular readers know that to know her is to 'love' her but for Catalina it's something she sees as a curse. However when called upon to save not just the wedding but lives too this quiet young woman can actually be pretty kick ass and determined. My only reason for not giving this a resounding five is that it was shorter than I wanted and with such a lot of Spanish relatives to wade through I occasionally had to go back and re-read who was related to who. Do not let that put you off though because I found this very entertaining and I'm already desperate for more.

Getting back onto this series is alike a hug from a best friend. To fall back into that sheer quality of writing and pages where every single word on the page counts. For a novella this sure packed a hell of a punch and despite the fact that nothing this writing magical duo ever feels long enough, I did not feel short changed with this and the story felt complete. I did not know how I would like the perspective of anyone but Nevada but Catalina makes for another truly wonderful character and the glimpse inside her head was amazing and a little emotional.The wedding of course needs to pass off without a hitch and it seems that most of that falls onto Catalina's shoulders. Battling the family from hell, deception, mystery, the odd murder attempt and of course theft, Catalina proves that not only is she up for the job, but a prime worthy of being at the top of magical society. Can't wait to read more!!

So, this was a fun read but not a wow read. It started off in Nevada's pov, then very quickly and not so gently it switched over to Catalina. I guess I wasn't ready to relinquish Nevada and Rogan but their tale is over apart from observing on the side lines. I think 10+ books in the Kate Daniels world spoilt me for that long story, deep and immersive; I wanted more of Nevada and Rogan.Anyway, back to this book, its about the wedding prep for Rogan and Nevada but it turns into investigation and Prime fighting. It was fun, I think I'm going to like Catalina as a character and I like this family, so I am hoping the next books will wow me a little more.

The scene may be the run-up period and nuptials of Nevada and Rogan, but the spotlight falls firmly on Nevada’s younger sister Catalina; who is hired by Rogan’s wonderful mother to locate a stolen item that was intended for the bride to wear. Keeping Nevada in the dark gives Catalina the scope to showcase her own Prime abilities and her relationships with other members of her family, and she proves to be as formidable and powerful as her sister. It looks like Catalina’s leading lady status is set to continue in a new trilogy entitled “Sapphire Flames”; with a release date of sometime in 2019. No specific date yet, but I hope it’s towards the start of the year rather than at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not as much as Nevada’s trilogy, but I will definitely be looking forward to seeing Catalina’s story unfold.This reminded me more of a Kelley Armstrong YA book initially, but as I have a large (loving if not sensible!) family it did hit home in regards to the expectations, friction & love shared by all the Baylor clan.Catalina’s ‘gift’ is one that makes you think deeply about those that matter to you, and whether (without it) you would really matter to them.....I will be waiting patiently, (or trying to!) for the next instalment.

Ilona Andrews (a wife and husband writing team) write with humour and excellent world-building in urban fantasy and related genres. In addition to writing the Kate Daniels books, the Edge books, and, the Innkeeper series (novellas/novels in the latter series have, to date, initially made available for free as a fan-service on their, rightly, well-read blog...subsequently then made available as e-books, and, latterly, in hard copy), this novella, “Diamond Fire”, forms part of their Hidden Legacy series.The authors initially indicated on their blog that part of the motivation for writing the Hidden Legacy series lay in wanting to represent a less-stereotyped account of the challenges that military veterans face. To date, the Hidden Legacy series had focused on Nevada Baylor, her family (including her ex-military vet mother, and, Nevada’s ex-military love interest, Rogan) and the difficulties that they face in a world of hereditary magic (and the hierarchies and wealth based on this magic). After a 3-book story arc, Nevada and Rogan got their HEA, and this novella sees the emphasis shift to Nevada’s younger sisters in a story around Nevada and Rogan’s wedding.All this could sound most serious/soppy, but this novella is anything but. Jealousy, revenge and dread wedding preparations (Nevada is no Bridezilla) are combined with family loyalties with a healthy dollop of laughs in what is something of a coming-of-age story for Catalina, Nevada’s sister (Arabella, the youngest sister, and Nevada’s male cousins feature too). Catalina is to be the protagonist in the next full novel of the series, so this novella can be seen as somewhat as a bridge between the three Nevada-led novels and what is to come. I would strongly recommend reading the three full Hidden Legacy novels before reading this novella, but, this novella was a delight.

Once again these two have drawn me into the world of Nevada and Rogan but this time round it’s the kids turn. Though they are no longer kids but powerful characters who I have watched grow and develop, and annoy the adults. They are still fun, but with a more mature approach to life and slightly mad...it seems that Nevada has rubbed off onto them after all. Catalina getting mad was my favourite part of the book - Ilona Andrews then teased me with a sword fight and the hint that we have not seen all of Catalina’s powers. Ahhhh...I cannot wait for the next book to see how their stories develop, and we finally get to meet Alessandro. I’m not sure that I can wait. I now need to re-read the Hidden Legacy series or Kate Daniels or The Edge books...again, in order to get my Ilona Andrews fix.

Catalina was always shy and reticent about her abilities but in this novella she has had to stand up and use them. We see that there s more to what she can do apart from make people love her, and a hint of what she can do when she uses her magic with a sword in her hand!! I want to read the next stage in the family development and the maturing of Catalina as she now takes on a more pivitol role in the family business, but I want to read it tomorrow! Don't keep us waiting too long

Although I enjoyed it it's too YA got me to really get into it. It's has the the Andrews flair and is a fun read read but unlike the Kate and Nevada books I didn't relate to the characters in the same way and didn't enjoy it as much but It's a good diversion. I think I will pass and wait for Hugh to reappear which is more my speed. That said if you don't mind the youthful element then it's one to read.Enjoy

I honestly thought this would just be an extended epilogue in which Nevada and Connor got married. I was very wrong. This story mainly focuses on Catalina doing equal parts wedding planning for her sister and solving a crime, with rather amusing consequences.I honestly can't wait to read Catalina's story.

A very nice transition story which neatly tied up Nevada and Rogan's story whilst handing on the baton to the next generation. You really need to have read the previous series to get the full context so not a stand alone. However for fans it's a very welcome addition.

This is a short story about the events surrounding the Wedding day of Nevada and Connor. Connor mother wants all the family to attend the wedding. However there is a theft and she asks Nevada sister to investigation. Catalina.finds there here is.more than the theft there is attempted murder, fraud, adultery, blackmail and bedazzling to solve before the wedding. Cant.wait until Catalina story