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Innkeeper Chronicles #2
Sweep in Peace
Dina DeMille isn't your typical Bed and Breakfast owner. Her inn defies laws of physics, her dog is secretly a monster, and the only permanent guest of the inn is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. The inn needs guests to thrive and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance. Unfortunately, for Dina, bridging the gap between space vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. To make the summit a success, she must find a chef, remodel the inn, keep her guests from murdering each other, and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper.…
“Andrews is an auto-buy no matter what the genre!” —Romantic Times
“If there is one author that defines Urban Fantasy, it is Ilona Andrews.” —Annie Tegelan, Fresh Fiction
"One of the brightest voices in urban fantasy and one of my favorite authors. Ilona Andrews delivers only the best." —New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost
“Andrews is an auto-buy no matter what the genre!” —Romantic Times
“If there is one author that defines Urban Fantasy, it is Ilona Andrews.” —Annie Tegelan, Fresh Fiction
"One of the brightest voices in urban fantasy and one of my favorite authors. Ilona Andrews delivers only the best." —New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost
237 pages, ebook
First published November 13, 2015
About the author
Ilona Andrews
109 books29.7k followersIlona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,555 reviews
July 17, 2020
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
SO. First things first.
I had a minor issue with INNKEEPER CHRONICLES #2. Obviously, I still enjoyed the book—very much—but the problem can't go unaddressed, and I feel like I've painted a more negative picture than I intended to.
You have been duly disclaimed.
I recently had an opportunity to read the opening chapters for an Andrews' work-in-progress. I was told in advance that it was darker than what they usually write, and I mistakenly equated “darker” with violence. In hindsight, it was a naïve thing to do—the Andrews have never shied away from violence—and now I think SWEEP IN PEACE is similarly darker.
For years, myself and many others have been begging the Andrews to write something about the younger generation from their THE EDGE series: Jack, George, Gaston, and Lark/Sophie.
They finally have, and I almost wish they hadn't.
Now that the excitement of seeing them again has worn off, now that I'm rereading the installment in its entirety, I can see these adult versions of the children who stole my heart more clearly . . . and what I see . . . It’s darrrrrrk.
Jack and Gaston are mostly present for comic relief, but George . . . he's as intelligent as ever, but now he's also unscrupulous. Gone is the boy whose life was slowly draining away b/c he couldn't bear to let things die. Instead, he's a master manipulator. He treats those around him as pawns in his long game.
The fact that he's obviously pained by the necessity of his actions only makes it worse.
Lark . . . She's an adult version of the traumatized child who hung dead animals in her tree so she wouldn't starve when her family ostracized her for being the monster she still believes she is.
And it HURTS.
*backpedals* *does NOT want Julie and Derek spinoff* *dons sackcloth and rolls around in ashes*
But as painful as parts—it's NOT just one big kick in the teeth—of SiP are, it's still pure Andrews' brilliance.
At the end of CLEAN SWEEP, Sean left Earth to repay a favor and to experience the universe. Four months have passed, and the Gertrude Hunt is empty except for permanent guest Caldenia:
Oh, yeah. Caldenia is still creepily fantastic. And bored. Which strikes me as highly concerning.
Luckily, before she can get into trouble, the inn alerts Dina that a guest has arrived.
That guest is George.
He is now an arbiter, and he has been given the task of mediating a peace conference between three warring factions. He would like the conference to take place at Gertrude Hunt.
Hmm . . . On the one hand, such a large event would sustain the inn for months, maybe years. On the other hand, two of the warring parties:
Which is hilarious, but not at all conducive to successful negotiations for peace.
BUT (of course) Dina decides the benefits outweigh the potential for catastrophe, so she agrees to host the summit with only two days to prepare before the 36+mortal enemies guests arrive.
YES. That is a lot ofmortal enemies guests. Especially considering Dina has no staff. With only Caldenia in residence, she doesn't need staff. She cooks the meals, and the inn takes care of everything else.
But Dina’s primary role as Innkeeper is to preserve neutrality, so someone else will need to do the cooking.
Meet Orro:
YES. I did make that myself. Those black things are hedgehog spines. Obviously. Geez.
But as entertaining as Caldenia, Orro, Jack, Gaston, etc. are, they can't negate the aforementioned darkness.
Everything that happens in SiP is an extension of the peace negotiations. Peace negotiations that are taking place b/c all three factions have lost so much, watched helplessly as loved ones have died, they are willing to meet, face-to-face, across the table from the source of their grief.
These people are tired. Heartbreakingly so. They are filled with bitterness, and they are desperate for all of it to mean something.
Like I said. Dark.
SWEEP IN PEACE isn't a walk in the park. It's not a lone alien assassin with nasty lizard Rottweilers terrorizing neighborhood pets. You can't just kill the Bad Guy and get back to business as usual.
War has permanent consequences, especially for the survivors---once you're dead, you're dead. But those left alive when the treaty is brokered . . . They have to find a way to move past the horror of what they've seen and what they've done.
And as the reader, there's no escaping that knowledge.
That being said, Caldenia and co. do dull the sharp edges. And sometimes characters have to survive a purifying fire to become who they're meant to be . . . It's the untried youths who are excited about the glory they'll win in war. It's the veterans who know war is anything but glorious.
The INNKEEPER CHRONICLES by Ilona Andrews falls under the umbrella that I like to call MUST READ, and SWEEP IN PEACE is its most recent chapter. It is awesome, it is terrible, and you will cry. So arm yourself with some quality chocolate, and read it for yourself. Nothing worthwhile is completely painless, and if yer too chicken to walk this road with these beloved characters, you don't deserve to reap the benefits of what comes next. *drops mic and walks away*
My other reviews for this series:
Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #1)
Pre-review:
DUDE.
So the thing about serials is that the recovery time between installments can inhibit the overall effect. You're too, "YAASSS! George! Jack! LARK!" to pay close attention to what these beloved characters are actually doing.
For that reason alone, I recommend all you crazy Andrews stalkers (RE)read SWEEP IN PEACE in its entirety.
BUT.
Be forewarned . . . it HURTS. *whispers* So good.
SO. First things first.
I had a minor issue with INNKEEPER CHRONICLES #2. Obviously, I still enjoyed the book—very much—but the problem can't go unaddressed, and I feel like I've painted a more negative picture than I intended to.
You have been duly disclaimed.
I recently had an opportunity to read the opening chapters for an Andrews' work-in-progress. I was told in advance that it was darker than what they usually write, and I mistakenly equated “darker” with violence. In hindsight, it was a naïve thing to do—the Andrews have never shied away from violence—and now I think SWEEP IN PEACE is similarly darker.
For years, myself and many others have been begging the Andrews to write something about the younger generation from their THE EDGE series: Jack, George, Gaston, and Lark/Sophie.
They finally have, and I almost wish they hadn't.
Now that the excitement of seeing them again has worn off, now that I'm rereading the installment in its entirety, I can see these adult versions of the children who stole my heart more clearly . . . and what I see . . . It’s darrrrrrk.
Jack and Gaston are mostly present for comic relief, but George . . . he's as intelligent as ever, but now he's also unscrupulous. Gone is the boy whose life was slowly draining away b/c he couldn't bear to let things die. Instead, he's a master manipulator. He treats those around him as pawns in his long game.
The fact that he's obviously pained by the necessity of his actions only makes it worse.
Lark . . . She's an adult version of the traumatized child who hung dead animals in her tree so she wouldn't starve when her family ostracized her for being the monster she still believes she is.
And it HURTS.
*backpedals* *does NOT want Julie and Derek spinoff* *dons sackcloth and rolls around in ashes*
But as painful as parts—it's NOT just one big kick in the teeth—of SiP are, it's still pure Andrews' brilliance.
At the end of CLEAN SWEEP, Sean left Earth to repay a favor and to experience the universe. Four months have passed, and the Gertrude Hunt is empty except for permanent guest Caldenia:
"Dina, I’m bored,” Caldenia announced.
Too bad. I guaranteed her safety, not entertainment. “What about your game?”
Her Grace gave me a shrug. “I’ve beaten it five times on the Deity setting. I’ve reduced
Paris to ashes because Napoleon annoyed me. I’ve eradicated Gandhi. I’ve crushed George Washington. Empress Wu had potential, so I eliminated her before we even cleared Bronze Age. The Egyptians are my pawns. I dominate the planet. Oddly, I find myself mildly fascinated by Genghis Khan. A shrewd and savage warrior, possessing a certain magnetism. I left him with a single city, and I periodically make ridiculous demands that I know he can’t meet so I can watch him squirm."
Oh, yeah. Caldenia is still creepily fantastic. And bored. Which strikes me as highly concerning.
Luckily, before she can get into trouble, the inn alerts Dina that a guest has arrived.
That guest is George.
He is now an arbiter, and he has been given the task of mediating a peace conference between three warring factions. He would like the conference to take place at Gertrude Hunt.
Hmm . . . On the one hand, such a large event would sustain the inn for months, maybe years. On the other hand, two of the warring parties:
. . . hated each other so much their feud had become legendary. Half the jokes in the galaxy started with “a vampire and an otrokar walk into a bar....”
Which is hilarious, but not at all conducive to successful negotiations for peace.
BUT (of course) Dina decides the benefits outweigh the potential for catastrophe, so she agrees to host the summit with only two days to prepare before the 36+
YES. That is a lot of
But Dina’s primary role as Innkeeper is to preserve neutrality, so someone else will need to do the cooking.
Meet Orro:
My future chef was an oversized, hysterical hedgehog with a martyr complex.
YES. I did make that myself. Those black things are hedgehog spines. Obviously. Geez.
But as entertaining as Caldenia, Orro, Jack, Gaston, etc. are, they can't negate the aforementioned darkness.
Everything that happens in SiP is an extension of the peace negotiations. Peace negotiations that are taking place b/c all three factions have lost so much, watched helplessly as loved ones have died, they are willing to meet, face-to-face, across the table from the source of their grief.
These people are tired. Heartbreakingly so. They are filled with bitterness, and they are desperate for all of it to mean something.
Like I said. Dark.
SWEEP IN PEACE isn't a walk in the park. It's not a lone alien assassin with nasty lizard Rottweilers terrorizing neighborhood pets. You can't just kill the Bad Guy and get back to business as usual.
War has permanent consequences, especially for the survivors---once you're dead, you're dead. But those left alive when the treaty is brokered . . . They have to find a way to move past the horror of what they've seen and what they've done.
And as the reader, there's no escaping that knowledge.
That being said, Caldenia and co. do dull the sharp edges. And sometimes characters have to survive a purifying fire to become who they're meant to be . . . It's the untried youths who are excited about the glory they'll win in war. It's the veterans who know war is anything but glorious.
The INNKEEPER CHRONICLES by Ilona Andrews falls under the umbrella that I like to call MUST READ, and SWEEP IN PEACE is its most recent chapter. It is awesome, it is terrible, and you will cry. So arm yourself with some quality chocolate, and read it for yourself. Nothing worthwhile is completely painless, and if yer too chicken to walk this road with these beloved characters, you don't deserve to reap the benefits of what comes next. *drops mic and walks away*
My other reviews for this series:
Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #1)
Pre-review:
DUDE.
So the thing about serials is that the recovery time between installments can inhibit the overall effect. You're too, "YAASSS! George! Jack! LARK!" to pay close attention to what these beloved characters are actually doing.
For that reason alone, I recommend all you crazy Andrews stalkers (RE)read SWEEP IN PEACE in its entirety.
BUT.
Be forewarned . . . it HURTS. *whispers* So good.
April 9, 2023
➽ And the moral of this rerererereread is: a shame the ku-koo weren't involved in the peace summit, I'm pretty sure a quick philosophical lecture by the First Scholar would have put an end to the war on Nexus faster than it takes to say "Fleet Admiral DaShrimp, unleash the crustaceans!" Because space chickens are amazing like that.
· Book 1: Clean Sweep ★★★★★
· Book 3: One Fell Sweep ★★★★★
· Book 4: Sweep of the Blade ★★★★★
· Book 4.5: Sweep with Me ★★★★★
· Book 5: Sweep of the Heart ★★★★
👋👋 Until next time and stuff.
[February 2021]
🏰 My Name Is Gertrude Hunt Buddy Rerererereread (MNIGHBR™) with the IA Addicts 🏰
➽ And the moral of this rererererereread is: to think that most fans of this series fight over Sean and Arland 🙄🙄. When one of the fictional characters with Most Scrumptious Harem Potential Ever (MSHP™) is right there, under their silly little noses! I mean, she’s an Abomination! She boils people for fun! (And sometimes eats their sautéed livers, too.) She’s into world domination! She enjoys bondage early in the morning and one of her favorite book genres is smut! And last, but certainly not least, she thinks murder is absolutely marvelous! Now if that doesn’t make Caldenia ka ret Magren, aka Letere Olivione Super Extra HotFictional Girlfriend Material (SHEFGM™), I don't know what would. But hey, come to think of it, it might be better if the beautifully clueless Sean and Arland fans never realize the error of their most erroneous ways. Just so I can keep my Caldenia to my own little nefarious self for ever and ever and ever and ever and ever (give or take an or two). Because I might be, um, slightly, um, you know, in, um, you know, 💕lurves💕 with her and stuff. A little.
👋👋 Until next time and stuff.
[June 2020]
💊 IA is the Ultimate Cure to Covid-19 Buddy Rerererereread (IAitUCtCBR™) with the IA Addicts 💊
➽ And the moral of this rerererereread is: mass murder, Ennui predators, Gerard Butler, early morning bondage (or lack thereof), deadly smiles, wonderfully glorious chewing outs, war, overly melodramatic hedgehog chefs, fuel efficiency, people being slightly sliced in half, deceitful Shih Tzus, Call of Duty, terrible things, beautiful things, coffee as a lethal weapon, and bloody pieces of esophagus. That's the Wonderful World of Innkeeper (WWoI™) for you.
➽ And the other moral of this rerererereread is: thou shalt not piss off the Innkeeper. No, thou shalt not.
That's Dina on the left and George on the right, in case you were wondering.
P.S. After all these years, Caldenia's still got it. Ha!
[April 2019]
🧹 Fear My Mighty Stick Buddy Rerererereread (FMMSBR™) with the IA Addicts 🧹
· Previous rating: 4 stars.
· New rating: 4.89654896 stars. Now that's more like it.
➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: why it took me three bloody shrimping rereads to rate this book appropriately is and forever shall be one of the greatest mysteries of the universe (and beyond).
➽ And the other moral of this rerereread is: I think I found the perfectGrumpy Cat “silent, stealthy, vicious killer that prowls by night and mercilessly murders its victims for food and pleasure” for the Esteemed Grandmother.
Yep, I definitely think this friendly little guy here will do nicely and stuff.
[July 2018]
💥 Life Sucks but Worry Not for the Ever Marvelous Authorlords Will Save Our Souls Buddy Rerererereread (LSbWNftEMAWSOSBR™) with the IA Addicts 💥
➽ And the moral of this reread is: The Edge meets Innkeeper Chronicles + a melodramatic, oversized, hysterical hedgehog-like chef with a martyr complex + the Hope-Crushing Horde playing football + the Holy Anocracy knights playing Call of Duty + early morning bondage sessions + Cookie the revoltingly cute Lees + hot water or lack thereof +Grumpy Cat silent, stealthy, vicious predators + vamps and coffee and nakedness, oh my! + Gertrude Hunt, aka the mostest awesomest house in the history of mostest awesomest houses + Dina's Swiss army knife of a broom + Caldenia reading smut + Turan Adin, aka Mr. Yum + cut cut cut chop chop chop slice slice slice = watch out, celebratory dance session incoming!
I may be old and decrepit but I still have super smooth moves and stuff. Ha.
Also:
Best welcome mat ever, if you ask me.
[November 2015]
BR with theeye candy IA Addicts starting November 13, 2015.
☆☆☆ Innkeeper Productions proudly present ☆☆☆
Why I am an ungrateful IA slave and deserve to be severely punished
I don't think I can ever forgive myself. I am the most contemptible, dishonourable, shameful IA fangirl ever. Yes, I am. When I sold my soul to the IA Gods, I pledged total, complete, eternal allegiance to their greatness. And yet, halfway through this book I was thinking of giving it a 3-star rating. An IA book. 3 stars. I should be ashamed of myself. And I deserve to be severely punished.
I shall therefore confess my vile sins, in a foolish attempt to earn the Andrews' forgiveness. And in the desperate hope they will not put my soul up for sale. I would not survive a Freaking PNR Author buying it from them. Please pray for me, my friends.
✘ Sin #1: I thought the story was recap overkill ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that this should be expected as Sweep in Peace is only the second instalment in the series. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that this should be expected as this is a pretty complex world andsome info dumping is unavoidable, and sometimes even necessary.
✘ Sin #2: I thought the story felt partly disjointed ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to realize while I was reading the book is that this was to be expected as the story was originally an online serial. There sometimes was a one/two month hiatus in between chapters, because the Andrews where working on Magic Shifts *and* writing Sweep in Peace at the same time (they're amazing like that). It makes perfect sense that the story doesn't flow the way IA Awesoness usually does. Well it does to me, anyway. Ha.
✘ Sin #3: I thought the story desperately lacked Awesome IA Banter™ ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to realize is that I failed to realize is that I failed to realize is that I failed to realize…nothing ← sorry, couldn't make up any excuse for that one. It's a fact, this is the saddest IA story I've ever read. Some comic relief is provided by Caldenia (mass murdering cannibals FTW!) and Orro the chef (favourite hysterical oversized hedgehog ever) but that's about it. The Andrews should have thrown Bran in there. I'm pretty sure the most aggravating hero in the history of heroes would have lightened up the mood. Not sure his presence would have had a positive effect on the peace talks, though. I don't see anything good coming out of his calling one of the Otrokars "dove." OMG. Wait a minute. Did I just dare give writing advice to the Andrews? I am SO doomed.
✘ Sin #4: I thought Dina had lost her kickass mojo ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. I thought she was but a shadow of her former self *gasps* I wondered where Costco Dina had disappeared *gasps*. I thought she was bland *gasps* I thought she let herself be manipulated too easily *gasps* I thought she was too melancholy *gasps*. I thought – STOP!!!!!! STOP IT RIGHT THERE!!!!! What the hell is wrong with you, Sarah?! Have you gone mad??!! Do you want someone like Larissa Ione or Kresley Cole to purchase your soul from the Andrews?! Atone Sarah, atone!
Right. Sure. No problem. I can do this. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that Dina's behaviour makes perfect sense. And that's all I have to say. Because spoilers. Ha. If you want to know what I'm spoiling about, just ask Ilona. She's got great insight on the subject. Ha. Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha ← sorry. Nervous laughter. This too shall pass. Hopefully.
► All my ugly sins are thus dutifully confessed. I am now ready to take any punishment the IA Gods may see fit.
At this point you might find yourself wondering how the hell I ended up giving this book a 4-star rating. At this point you might be thinking that if this hadn't been written by IA, I would have really given it 3 stars *shudders* At this point I might tell you to shut up for a minute and let me finish this review before we all fall asleep
Why did I finally go for a 4-star rating? Because of the last 30% of the book. Yep. Because IA managed to pack so much punch and awesomeness in the last 70 pages that it made me forget about theweaknesses Lilliputian flaws I thought I'd detected barely even noticed as I was reading 70% a tiny part of the book. That's IA Magic™ for you. It. Works. Every. Bloody. Time. Now give me the next instalment before someone gets hurt.
► So. Does my soul still belong to the Andrews? Damn right it does.
▧ ▧ A free IA online serial? YES PLEASE! ▧ ▧
► This is it. The last chapter and epilogue were posted three days ago. It was my first time reading a work in progress and I'm not sure what to think about it. Some chapters were posted in quick succession but we mostly had to wait for weeks at a time to get our Sweep in Peace fix, as the Andrews were finishing up KD #8 and writing this at the same time.
► This actually felt a bit meh. There, I said it. But. And this is a BIG BUT here. In the Andrews I trust. The story will be polished and edited before the book is actually published and I'm pretty confident this will be yet another "Ilona-Gordon-I-revere-you-as-gods-5-star-review." If things come to worst I'll probably go with a "Ilona-Gordon-we-all-have-bad-days-I-understand-4-star-review." Because these two can do no wrong.
►► Rating and full review to be posted after the actual book is released.
▧ Updated April 3, 2015: OMG. OMG. OMG. We have a cover!! No abs from outer space in sight!! No freaky blue light!! It's pretty ugly and makes Dina look like a 16-year-old YA fantasy heroine but at least it's not White Hot. THANK YOU IA PUBLISHERS!
· Book 1: Clean Sweep ★★★★★
· Book 3: One Fell Sweep ★★★★★
· Book 4: Sweep of the Blade ★★★★★
· Book 4.5: Sweep with Me ★★★★★
· Book 5: Sweep of the Heart ★★★★
👋👋 Until next time and stuff.
[February 2021]
🏰 My Name Is Gertrude Hunt Buddy Rerererereread (MNIGHBR™) with the IA Addicts 🏰
➽ And the moral of this rererererereread is: to think that most fans of this series fight over Sean and Arland 🙄🙄. When one of the fictional characters with Most Scrumptious Harem Potential Ever (MSHP™) is right there, under their silly little noses! I mean, she’s an Abomination! She boils people for fun! (And sometimes eats their sautéed livers, too.) She’s into world domination! She enjoys bondage early in the morning and one of her favorite book genres is smut! And last, but certainly not least, she thinks murder is absolutely marvelous! Now if that doesn’t make Caldenia ka ret Magren, aka Letere Olivione Super Extra Hot
👋👋 Until next time and stuff.
[June 2020]
💊 IA is the Ultimate Cure to Covid-19 Buddy Rerererereread (IAitUCtCBR™) with the IA Addicts 💊
➽ And the moral of this rerererereread is: mass murder, Ennui predators, Gerard Butler, early morning bondage (or lack thereof), deadly smiles, wonderfully glorious chewing outs, war, overly melodramatic hedgehog chefs, fuel efficiency, people being slightly sliced in half, deceitful Shih Tzus, Call of Duty, terrible things, beautiful things, coffee as a lethal weapon, and bloody pieces of esophagus. That's the Wonderful World of Innkeeper (WWoI™) for you.
➽ And the other moral of this rerererereread is: thou shalt not piss off the Innkeeper. No, thou shalt not.
That's Dina on the left and George on the right, in case you were wondering.
P.S. After all these years, Caldenia's still got it. Ha!
[April 2019]
🧹 Fear My Mighty Stick Buddy Rerererereread (FMMSBR™) with the IA Addicts 🧹
· Previous rating: 4 stars.
· New rating: 4.89654896 stars. Now that's more like it.
➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: why it took me three bloody shrimping rereads to rate this book appropriately is and forever shall be one of the greatest mysteries of the universe (and beyond).
➽ And the other moral of this rerereread is: I think I found the perfect
Yep, I definitely think this friendly little guy here will do nicely and stuff.
[July 2018]
💥 Life Sucks but Worry Not for the Ever Marvelous Authorlords Will Save Our Souls Buddy Rerererereread (LSbWNftEMAWSOSBR™) with the IA Addicts 💥
➽ And the moral of this reread is: The Edge meets Innkeeper Chronicles + a melodramatic, oversized, hysterical hedgehog-like chef with a martyr complex + the Hope-Crushing Horde playing football + the Holy Anocracy knights playing Call of Duty + early morning bondage sessions + Cookie the revoltingly cute Lees + hot water or lack thereof +
I may be old and decrepit but I still have super smooth moves and stuff. Ha.
Also:
Best welcome mat ever, if you ask me.
[November 2015]
BR with the
☆☆☆ Innkeeper Productions proudly present ☆☆☆
Why I am an ungrateful IA slave and deserve to be severely punished
I don't think I can ever forgive myself. I am the most contemptible, dishonourable, shameful IA fangirl ever. Yes, I am. When I sold my soul to the IA Gods, I pledged total, complete, eternal allegiance to their greatness. And yet, halfway through this book I was thinking of giving it a 3-star rating. An IA book. 3 stars. I should be ashamed of myself. And I deserve to be severely punished.
I shall therefore confess my vile sins, in a foolish attempt to earn the Andrews' forgiveness. And in the desperate hope they will not put my soul up for sale. I would not survive a Freaking PNR Author buying it from them. Please pray for me, my friends.
✘ Sin #1: I thought the story was recap overkill ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that this should be expected as Sweep in Peace is only the second instalment in the series. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that this should be expected as this is a pretty complex world and
✘ Sin #2: I thought the story felt partly disjointed ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to realize while I was reading the book is that this was to be expected as the story was originally an online serial. There sometimes was a one/two month hiatus in between chapters, because the Andrews where working on Magic Shifts *and* writing Sweep in Peace at the same time (they're amazing like that). It makes perfect sense that the story doesn't flow the way IA Awesoness usually does. Well it does to me, anyway. Ha.
✘ Sin #3: I thought the story desperately lacked Awesome IA Banter™ ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. What I failed to realize is that I failed to realize is that I failed to realize is that I failed to realize…nothing ← sorry, couldn't make up any excuse for that one. It's a fact, this is the saddest IA story I've ever read. Some comic relief is provided by Caldenia (mass murdering cannibals FTW!) and Orro the chef (favourite hysterical oversized hedgehog ever) but that's about it. The Andrews should have thrown Bran in there. I'm pretty sure the most aggravating hero in the history of heroes would have lightened up the mood. Not sure his presence would have had a positive effect on the peace talks, though. I don't see anything good coming out of his calling one of the Otrokars "dove." OMG. Wait a minute. Did I just dare give writing advice to the Andrews? I am SO doomed.
✘ Sin #4: I thought Dina had lost her kickass mojo ✘
*chants: I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! *
Yes, it's true, I confess. I thought she was but a shadow of her former self *gasps* I wondered where Costco Dina had disappeared *gasps*. I thought she was bland *gasps* I thought she let herself be manipulated too easily *gasps* I thought she was too melancholy *gasps*. I thought – STOP!!!!!! STOP IT RIGHT THERE!!!!! What the hell is wrong with you, Sarah?! Have you gone mad??!! Do you want someone like Larissa Ione or Kresley Cole to purchase your soul from the Andrews?! Atone Sarah, atone!
Right. Sure. No problem. I can do this. What I failed to understand while I was reading the book is that Dina's behaviour makes perfect sense. And that's all I have to say. Because spoilers. Ha. If you want to know what I'm spoiling about, just ask Ilona. She's got great insight on the subject. Ha. Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha ← sorry. Nervous laughter. This too shall pass. Hopefully.
► All my ugly sins are thus dutifully confessed. I am now ready to take any punishment the IA Gods may see fit.
At this point you might find yourself wondering how the hell I ended up giving this book a 4-star rating. At this point you might be thinking that if this hadn't been written by IA, I would have really given it 3 stars *shudders* At this point I might tell you to shut up for a minute and let me finish this review before we all fall asleep
Why did I finally go for a 4-star rating? Because of the last 30% of the book. Yep. Because IA managed to pack so much punch and awesomeness in the last 70 pages that it made me forget about the
► So. Does my soul still belong to the Andrews? Damn right it does.
▧ ▧ A free IA online serial? YES PLEASE! ▧ ▧
► This is it. The last chapter and epilogue were posted three days ago. It was my first time reading a work in progress and I'm not sure what to think about it. Some chapters were posted in quick succession but we mostly had to wait for weeks at a time to get our Sweep in Peace fix, as the Andrews were finishing up KD #8 and writing this at the same time.
► This actually felt a bit meh. There, I said it. But. And this is a BIG BUT here. In the Andrews I trust. The story will be polished and edited before the book is actually published and I'm pretty confident this will be yet another "Ilona-Gordon-I-revere-you-as-gods-5-star-review." If things come to worst I'll probably go with a "Ilona-Gordon-we-all-have-bad-days-I-understand-4-star-review." Because these two can do no wrong.
►► Rating and full review to be posted after the actual book is released.
▧ Updated April 3, 2015: OMG. OMG. OMG. We have a cover!! No abs from outer space in sight!! No freaky blue light!! It's pretty ugly and makes Dina look like a 16-year-old YA fantasy heroine but at least it's not White Hot. THANK YOU IA PUBLISHERS!
January 9, 2020
Surprisingly, I liked this even better than the first novel in the Innkeeper series, Clean Sweep. I expected a paranormal romance direction and was pleasantly surprised to discover the plot surrounded the challenge of an interspecies summit at the inn.
Caldenia, ex-tyrant, and galactic exile, remains my favorite character. Characterization, of course, is where the Andrews shine, and her cut-throat political advice is the dose of strategy that balances innkeeper goodness and the violent tendencies of the species at the summit. Despite a host of delegates and a small group of Arbitrators to manage them, many of the characters feel well developed. Well done, Andrews.
“Let’s take down the gold leaf,” Caldenia said. “Elegance is never ostentatious, and there is nothing more bourgeois than covering everything in gold. It screams that one has too much money and too little taste, and it infuriates peasants."
World-building worked better for me than in the first book. Multi-world/verse fantasy felt more developed although I'm glad that they didn't stay with it long. Apparently there is also cross-over from The Edge series, but I can't speak to how that worked. It felt like mild fan service when I first read it, but improved the second time through.
"Judging by the small smile on her lips, Caldenia was reading something with a lot of smut or a lot of murder."
Writing was much smoother; not so much info-dumping, or at least it was integrated better than the first book. There's nice flashes of humor, but the last quarter of the book takes a particularly dark tone. I thought the ending particularly innovative, if a little uncomfortable emotionally. Overall, it turned into a solid read that should have appeal to Kate Daniels fans, or fans of urban fantasy who don't mind some sci-fi touches.
"Quillonians didn’t always want their problems resolved. They wanted a chance to shake their clawed fists at the sky, invoke their gods, and act as if the world was ending."
January 2020 update: I agree with 2015 carol. Weird.
Caldenia, ex-tyrant, and galactic exile, remains my favorite character. Characterization, of course, is where the Andrews shine, and her cut-throat political advice is the dose of strategy that balances innkeeper goodness and the violent tendencies of the species at the summit. Despite a host of delegates and a small group of Arbitrators to manage them, many of the characters feel well developed. Well done, Andrews.
“Let’s take down the gold leaf,” Caldenia said. “Elegance is never ostentatious, and there is nothing more bourgeois than covering everything in gold. It screams that one has too much money and too little taste, and it infuriates peasants."
World-building worked better for me than in the first book. Multi-world/verse fantasy felt more developed although I'm glad that they didn't stay with it long. Apparently there is also cross-over from The Edge series, but I can't speak to how that worked. It felt like mild fan service when I first read it, but improved the second time through.
"Judging by the small smile on her lips, Caldenia was reading something with a lot of smut or a lot of murder."
Writing was much smoother; not so much info-dumping, or at least it was integrated better than the first book. There's nice flashes of humor, but the last quarter of the book takes a particularly dark tone. I thought the ending particularly innovative, if a little uncomfortable emotionally. Overall, it turned into a solid read that should have appeal to Kate Daniels fans, or fans of urban fantasy who don't mind some sci-fi touches.
"Quillonians didn’t always want their problems resolved. They wanted a chance to shake their clawed fists at the sky, invoke their gods, and act as if the world was ending."
January 2020 update: I agree with 2015 carol. Weird.
August 28, 2017
George & Jack, who started out as children with special abilities under the guardianship of their sister, Rose, in the first book in The Edge series (On the Edge) plus a few other characters/friends from the series show up in this one!
Full disclosure: George, Jack, & Lark were my favorite characters in that entire series. In fact, they absolutely stole the show and out-shined both of the main characters in the final book, Steel's Edge. And for those of you who (like me) felt like the ending was missing something concerning Spider? Well, then the Prologue for Sweep in Peace is definitley for you.
I'm really hoping that George & Co. are going to get their own series somewhere down the road, but for now, I'm just glad to see them again. Oh, one more thing!
I loved the explanation for why Jack's shapshifting was magical and not alien.
*squee*
Ok. So as for the rest of the story? It was good. Maybe not as awesome as the first book, but still extremely readable.
Oh, and I love the addition of Orro! He was probably my favorite new character in this one. I loved his pitiful drama queen act - which just so over the top that it fit the bill perfectly for the kind of comic relief that was needed.
The gist is that Diana's Inn is playing host to peace talks between some of the most dangerous and volatile beings in the universe. And she's got to keep them from killing each other or her Inn's rating will go down. <--which means that no one will visit, and her Inn will shrivel up and go dormant!
There's a very Agatha Christie mystery that needs to be solved, and at the end, Dina does her best impression of Hercule Poirot - what with the gathering the suspects and the announcing of the perpetrator in a big dramatic way. It was kinda cool.
I'll admit, it might have been the lack of Sean in this that took the story down a notch for me. I get why he was absent for the majority of the story, but I'm just not sure I liked very much of that plotline. Eh. I'm still a bit up in the air about it...
Overall, this was still very good, though. And if it suffers a teeny bit from second books syndrome? Well, it's still better than most of the stuff in this genre. Can't wait for the next book!
Full disclosure: George, Jack, & Lark were my favorite characters in that entire series. In fact, they absolutely stole the show and out-shined both of the main characters in the final book, Steel's Edge. And for those of you who (like me) felt like the ending was missing something concerning Spider? Well, then the Prologue for Sweep in Peace is definitley for you.
I'm really hoping that George & Co. are going to get their own series somewhere down the road, but for now, I'm just glad to see them again. Oh, one more thing!
I loved the explanation for why Jack's shapshifting was magical and not alien.
*squee*
Ok. So as for the rest of the story? It was good. Maybe not as awesome as the first book, but still extremely readable.
Oh, and I love the addition of Orro! He was probably my favorite new character in this one. I loved his pitiful drama queen act - which just so over the top that it fit the bill perfectly for the kind of comic relief that was needed.
The gist is that Diana's Inn is playing host to peace talks between some of the most dangerous and volatile beings in the universe. And she's got to keep them from killing each other or her Inn's rating will go down. <--which means that no one will visit, and her Inn will shrivel up and go dormant!
There's a very Agatha Christie mystery that needs to be solved, and at the end, Dina does her best impression of Hercule Poirot - what with the gathering the suspects and the announcing of the perpetrator in a big dramatic way. It was kinda cool.
I'll admit, it might have been the lack of Sean in this that took the story down a notch for me. I get why he was absent for the majority of the story, but I'm just not sure I liked very much of that plotline. Eh. I'm still a bit up in the air about it...
Overall, this was still very good, though. And if it suffers a teeny bit from second books syndrome? Well, it's still better than most of the stuff in this genre. Can't wait for the next book!
June 12, 2020
*Just reread this with the IAA group and I liked it a lot more. I think I must have been visited by the Ghost of Bitchiness Past right before I read it the first time. Or, maybe I'm getting nicer in my old age. More tolerant. More loving and kind. Like a sweet grandma who makes gingerbread and cocoa...
Original review:
There was a series that Ilona Andrews wrote called The Edge series.On the Edge It had two young brothers, George and Jack, that were sweet, adorable, and each troubled in their own way. We watched them grow-up during this series, and we all wished there would be more books that showed us what became of them - especially since another child, Sophie, was added into the mix. She was also a work in progress. Well, those characters show up in this book. Yay! Right?.. uh, no. Not yay.
some stones shouldn't be turned over. Just leave it alone.
Why do I feel this way? Well, from what we see of them now, life hasn't treated them kindly, and they are pretty hardened and messed-up. The good thing about them from the Edge series was that they were on the road to healing. But, something must have went wrong because George is manipulative and cynical, Jack is just a lethal killer, and Sophie has been unhappy in a self-imposed prison for years. And, apparently they took off, simply leaving a note telling their sister and family that they would be gone for the next 20 years. What the hell happened?
We turn our backs for a few years and everything falls apart!
Now, let's talk about our main character, Dina. In my last review, I compared her personality to a rock. I also wondered why both a werewolf and a vampire were interested in this rock-girl. I guess it's called the Bella Swan Phenomenon. Or, maybe it should be classified as a sickness or disease. Well, anyway, Dina has sunken deeper into her role in the Bella Swan Phenomenon (maybe it's a virus? The Bella Virus. Yes! I like it!) and is displaying more Bellalike behavior. You see, in the last book, Sean decides he needs to go and see this world that he didn't know existed and travel in space. That was 6 months ago. And,Bella Dina is still thinking about him and pining over him. Really? After 6 months? They knew each other for less than a week 6 months ago. He should have been a blip on the radar at that point.
So, Dina gets the opportunity to host a summit of peace talks to help stop a war on a distant planet. There are three groups represented, along with George & Jack who are the mediators. Of course the vampire group includes the guy that was supposedly interested in Dina in the last book. But, seriously, for a guy who says he's interested, he doesn't show her any interest at all. I'm not sure what vampire courting looks like, but if he's any indication it involves not talking to her, not hanging around her, and leaving as soon as possible. If disinterest is their way of flirting, he's in love.
There are a lot of good things in this book as well. Mainly, the new chef that Dina hires to feed all of her new guests. He is described as a giant hedgehog, and he is glorious.
Squeeeee! How freaking cute is that? I want one!
Orro is a drama queen. He freaks out and throws things, he cries, and he wallows in depression. He's my new favorite character. Like I said, Ilona Andrews writes amazing side-characters. I will continue this series for the side characters alone.
Original review:
There was a series that Ilona Andrews wrote called The Edge series.On the Edge It had two young brothers, George and Jack, that were sweet, adorable, and each troubled in their own way. We watched them grow-up during this series, and we all wished there would be more books that showed us what became of them - especially since another child, Sophie, was added into the mix. She was also a work in progress. Well, those characters show up in this book. Yay! Right?.. uh, no. Not yay.
some stones shouldn't be turned over. Just leave it alone.
Why do I feel this way? Well, from what we see of them now, life hasn't treated them kindly, and they are pretty hardened and messed-up. The good thing about them from the Edge series was that they were on the road to healing. But, something must have went wrong because George is manipulative and cynical, Jack is just a lethal killer, and Sophie has been unhappy in a self-imposed prison for years. And, apparently they took off, simply leaving a note telling their sister and family that they would be gone for the next 20 years. What the hell happened?
We turn our backs for a few years and everything falls apart!
Now, let's talk about our main character, Dina. In my last review, I compared her personality to a rock. I also wondered why both a werewolf and a vampire were interested in this rock-girl. I guess it's called the Bella Swan Phenomenon. Or, maybe it should be classified as a sickness or disease. Well, anyway, Dina has sunken deeper into her role in the Bella Swan Phenomenon (maybe it's a virus? The Bella Virus. Yes! I like it!) and is displaying more Bellalike behavior. You see, in the last book, Sean decides he needs to go and see this world that he didn't know existed and travel in space. That was 6 months ago. And,
So, Dina gets the opportunity to host a summit of peace talks to help stop a war on a distant planet. There are three groups represented, along with George & Jack who are the mediators. Of course the vampire group includes the guy that was supposedly interested in Dina in the last book. But, seriously, for a guy who says he's interested, he doesn't show her any interest at all. I'm not sure what vampire courting looks like, but if he's any indication it involves not talking to her, not hanging around her, and leaving as soon as possible. If disinterest is their way of flirting, he's in love.
There are a lot of good things in this book as well. Mainly, the new chef that Dina hires to feed all of her new guests. He is described as a giant hedgehog, and he is glorious.
Squeeeee! How freaking cute is that? I want one!
Orro is a drama queen. He freaks out and throws things, he cries, and he wallows in depression. He's my new favorite character. Like I said, Ilona Andrews writes amazing side-characters. I will continue this series for the side characters alone.
July 8, 2018
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Dina DeMille runs a bed-and-breakfast inn that secretly caters to visitors from other parts of the galaxy. The magical, semi-sentient inn can create opulent new rooms and redecorate them at Dina’s wish, with a blithe disregard for the normal laws of physics (what I wouldn’t give to have a house like that!). But Dina is short on both guests and cash, so she’s open to the idea when George, an arbitrator of disputes between different alien races, asks her to host an arbitration aimed at ending a bitter twenty-year-long war between three species, fighting over control of the vast mineral wealth of a desolate planet.
The problem is that the three factions that have to agree to the peace accord are the militant Holy Cosmic Anocracy (i.e., space vampires), the equally aggressive Otrokars (aka the Hope-Crushing Horde), and the Merchants of Baha-char, who look like upright silver-blue foxes and have incredibly devious minds and an unswerving devotion to accumulating wealth. Normally the Merchants couldn’t stand up to either the vampires or the Otrokars, but they have an incredible warrior hero called the Turan Adin who can single-handedly keep the other races at bay. The bloody war among the three races has left thousands dead and the survivors brimming with bloodthirstiness and vengeance. Not a great recipe for settlement negotiations! But even though a successful peace agreement between the three is unlikely, George is offering Dina a payment of a million dollars if the arbitration succeeds and half that if it fails. So Dina, against her better judgment, agrees to host the summit. She stands to lose her reputation and incur a devastating cut in her inn’s star ranking if anyone is killed at her inn.
Sweep in Peace, the second novel in Ilona Andrews‘ INNKEEPER CHRONICLES, improves on the first book, Clean Sweep. Now that the main characters and their world have been introduced to readers, there’s more room for character development and intricate plotting, and it shows. Each of the factions has its own divisions and dissentions within it, and some of the participants have their own secret agendas. Almost everything that could go wrong with the peace summit does … but a few important things go right as well. The ending is heart-wrenching as well as exciting.
In a rather bemusing but fun cross-pollination from the Andrews’ THE EDGE series, George Caramine shows up as the galactic arbitrator, along with several of his friends from that series. George has grown up to be a fascinating and cunning man, a master manipulator who, just possibly, is not as heartless as he seems to be. Dina’s empathy as well as her determination ― including judicious use of her magical powers to quell disturbances ― continue to play a key role in her stories.
The subplots include Dina’s amusing adventures in hiring and keeping happy a new chef, Otro the Quilllonian, who lives for both gourmet food and drama. Caldenia, an occasionally deadly galactic aristocrat and the inn’s only lifetime guest, highly approves:
Dina DeMille runs a bed-and-breakfast inn that secretly caters to visitors from other parts of the galaxy. The magical, semi-sentient inn can create opulent new rooms and redecorate them at Dina’s wish, with a blithe disregard for the normal laws of physics (what I wouldn’t give to have a house like that!). But Dina is short on both guests and cash, so she’s open to the idea when George, an arbitrator of disputes between different alien races, asks her to host an arbitration aimed at ending a bitter twenty-year-long war between three species, fighting over control of the vast mineral wealth of a desolate planet.
The problem is that the three factions that have to agree to the peace accord are the militant Holy Cosmic Anocracy (i.e., space vampires), the equally aggressive Otrokars (aka the Hope-Crushing Horde), and the Merchants of Baha-char, who look like upright silver-blue foxes and have incredibly devious minds and an unswerving devotion to accumulating wealth. Normally the Merchants couldn’t stand up to either the vampires or the Otrokars, but they have an incredible warrior hero called the Turan Adin who can single-handedly keep the other races at bay. The bloody war among the three races has left thousands dead and the survivors brimming with bloodthirstiness and vengeance. Not a great recipe for settlement negotiations! But even though a successful peace agreement between the three is unlikely, George is offering Dina a payment of a million dollars if the arbitration succeeds and half that if it fails. So Dina, against her better judgment, agrees to host the summit. She stands to lose her reputation and incur a devastating cut in her inn’s star ranking if anyone is killed at her inn.
Sweep in Peace, the second novel in Ilona Andrews‘ INNKEEPER CHRONICLES, improves on the first book, Clean Sweep. Now that the main characters and their world have been introduced to readers, there’s more room for character development and intricate plotting, and it shows. Each of the factions has its own divisions and dissentions within it, and some of the participants have their own secret agendas. Almost everything that could go wrong with the peace summit does … but a few important things go right as well. The ending is heart-wrenching as well as exciting.
In a rather bemusing but fun cross-pollination from the Andrews’ THE EDGE series, George Caramine shows up as the galactic arbitrator, along with several of his friends from that series. George has grown up to be a fascinating and cunning man, a master manipulator who, just possibly, is not as heartless as he seems to be. Dina’s empathy as well as her determination ― including judicious use of her magical powers to quell disturbances ― continue to play a key role in her stories.
The subplots include Dina’s amusing adventures in hiring and keeping happy a new chef, Otro the Quilllonian, who lives for both gourmet food and drama. Caldenia, an occasionally deadly galactic aristocrat and the inn’s only lifetime guest, highly approves:
A Quillonian chef. My dear, you shouldn’t have. Well, you should have months ago, but one mustn’t be petty. Finally. I shall be dining in a style to which I am suited. Fantastic. Does he have moral scruples? I am reasonably sure that this summit will result in at least one murder, and I have never tasted an otrokar.Ilona Andrews’ INNKEEPER CHRONICLES series is a fantasy with a thin veneer of science fiction. As Dina commented in Clean Sweep, higher physics is indistinguishable from magic for those who don’t understand it, and this series takes that concept and runs with it. For practical purposes, Sweep in Peace is in the urban fantasy genre, with just a touch of romance in this installment. The engaging, imaginative plot and liberal doses of the Andrews’ trademark snarky humor made this a highly enjoyable read.
November 22, 2015
*4.5 stars*
I'm an idiot.
It's the only explanation that I can come up with to explain how it wasn't until 90% of the way through the book I had a lightbulb moment and realized that I knew 1/2 of the characters from before... from way before.
I'm blaming the fact that it has been years since I've read an Edge book, but, honestly, there is no excuse. These characters were grown up, more damaged versions of the children that I remembered and loved. I wish that Ilona Andrews gave these guys more of a happy story, but I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.
I adored mostly everything about this story. I say it every time I read a IA book, but Ilona Andrews can do no wrong. This series is becoming everything, and this author duo can't write fast enough for me.
**********************
*Prerelease review*
PREORDERED!
Yes, I paid full price.
ME.
I'm an idiot.
It's the only explanation that I can come up with to explain how it wasn't until 90% of the way through the book I had a lightbulb moment and realized that I knew 1/2 of the characters from before... from way before.
I'm blaming the fact that it has been years since I've read an Edge book, but, honestly, there is no excuse. These characters were grown up, more damaged versions of the children that I remembered and loved. I wish that Ilona Andrews gave these guys more of a happy story, but I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.
I adored mostly everything about this story. I say it every time I read a IA book, but Ilona Andrews can do no wrong. This series is becoming everything, and this author duo can't write fast enough for me.
**********************
*Prerelease review*
PREORDERED!
Yes, I paid full price.
ME.
February 28, 2021
This one didn’t get me like the first one. It has been a few years between reading the first one and this one or so I think. 🤔. I don’t know. I did love Orro and I’ll try again someday and continue on!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 27, 2019
3rd read. Better Every time.
Review of the finished ebook
The best thing about the ebook version of Sweep in Peace IS you can read it all in one sitting. The story feels a little different when you are able to immerse yourself in the world over a much shorter timeframe and live in Gertrude Hunt for a few days. The emotions hit harder, the pain is more palpable and the story definitely flows better.
Clean Sweep was just a good time going up against the bad guy and getting used to the world of an Innkeeper and the magical world that brings with it. Sweep in Peace is a little darker and much more of a political story as three different factions come to Gertrude Hunt for Peace Negotiations. Just in time too Caldenia was getting bored and I have a feeling that is dangerous.
Who is heading up these negotiations? None other than George Camarine from the Edge series who brings with him some of my other favorites Jack, Sophie and Gaston. So the question is do you need to read The Edge Series before this? Well no, it isn’t necessary, the story will totally make sense even if you have never read The Edge Series. Although it is Ilona Andrews so why haven’t you read it yet? But for those of us who have read The Edge Series it is a special bonus to see all the kids from that series all grown up AND I LOVED IT!!!
Okay so I have seen where a few people are sad about how cunning and manipulative George grew up to be or that Sophie hasn’t completely overcome the tragedy from her childhood. But that made their stories even better to me. You didn’t expect George to grow up completely normal did you? He was already brilliant, manipulative and powerful as a teen. He went to work for The Mirror before he was really an adult and he was fantastic at it. After years of that and heading up the Mirror he has honed him into the sharpest, deadliest and best planner/manipulator possible. Sophie on the other hand would love to not be the killer she became as a child. But her past shaped her and she still can’t escape it no matter how much she tries. She hasn’t accepted herself completely yet but I love the is on that journey and we come to her in the middle of coming to terms with the woman she has become and can’t hide from.
♥♥♥I SHIP IT!!!! George and Sophie Forever.♥♥♥
Okay back to the story. This might seem to move a little slower due to the format of the story and it being more of strategic plotting type book than kill the bad guy sort of situation. It also has a darker tone to it. Dina is lonely, she has lost her parents and she is really taking the fact that Sean left to discover the universe and they didn’t have a chance to explore what might have been a little hard. Plus it seems like at least the Vampires and the Otrokar have no serious interest in making peace as each has lost too much in battle. The deaths of their family and friends looms large. But don’t get me wrong there are plenty of shenanigans along the way to sort of lighten the mood of the story and give a chuckle or two including another streaking scene due to coffee consumption.
I missed Sean along with Dina…yeah I know they didn’t have much time together but I also loved the possibility of a them. But I also understood why he needed to travel a bit to discover a universe he didn’t know existed until he met Dina.
I wasn’t initially sure if I liked Sean’s character development in Sweep In Peace but after some reflection I totally LOVE IT. For one he has been to the universe and seen some things, some really hard things. They have left him a little broken, and that is my favorite kind of hero. I think that before he wouldn’t have been able to have a settled life with Dina at the Inn. But after the events in Sweep in Peace it is set up that they could build something together, there is a great amount of possibility there now. YAY!!!
Dina’s connection with the Inn is explored more and a few new characters are added to the cast. A yet to be named Cat (that I’m not entire sure is just a cat) and Orro a prickly hedgehog-ish chef. Orro was simply fantastic and I enjoyed him and his high maintenance masterchef ways. The inn it seems is becoming a hodgepodge of interesting characters and each one brings something new to the party. There are a few new hints made about Dina’s parents and their disappearance but no discoveries as of yet. I’m super interested in figuring out what happened to them although we do get a glimpse of her brother Klaus *wink, wink*.
This went better for me in ebook format and so I’m upping my star rating to 4 stars. I’m really excited to see what is in store next for Dina, Sean and Gertrude Hunt.
Review of the Free Chapter Installment version On-Line
This is almost like a review of a first draft since I read this in the free chapter installments online. The cool part is that it is like being in on a beta read of the first draft of an Ilona Andrews book. I walked along with them as they developed the main body of a story but it definitely doesn’t have their finished polish to it yet. I am really excited to read the final version of the story that will flesh out some of the things and make the overall story flow better. I have complete confidence in IA’s ability to do that.
The hardest thing about reading a book in chapter installments is the waiting. Between the chapters there was a lot of waiting and a few times it had to be put on their back burner as other commitments and real life trumped it. So I sometime forgot what I’d read awhile back. Some of the installments I loved and others I just found myself waiting for something to happen. I don’t think I would have noticed as much in final book format though.
Having read The Edge series I was beyond excited to see George, Jack, Gaston and Sophie all grown up. It was an extra bonus to know their background but not really needed. Dina’s inn needs some guests for its magic to grow, George needs a place to host a dangerous arbitration between three factions. Win-Win right? If only the arbitration was going smoothly, but there are issues and problems around every turn it seems right from the beginning.
I enjoyed getting a look into some of the other beings in this world and the conflicts that arose between them. I spent a long time in the book waiting for Sean to show up and it might have been a bit distracting to me but I did like how that eventually played out. Still Roland is there with the Vampire faction and the vampires are as deadly and entertaining as always.
Dina and her inn are fascinating characters to me (yes the Inn is a character it is totally like a living breathing entity in its own right) the magic and switch up to the usual vampire, werewolf and other lore are fascinating. I enjoy most of the ideas of this world.
This book had a lot of minor flaws in pacing and sometimes forgetting a character was there for a while. I’m not disparaging it as I love IA and I’m sure that the final draft will be an improved version of this story. For now this is a 3 star book, subject to change on the final edition
Suggestions:
If you are a huge IA fan like me and want to feel like maybe you are in on the ground floor of one of their books…then read this and then read the final published book and bask in your IA nerdism as you compare how the final book is to the chapter installments and if you notice all the changes. This is totally my plan #sorrynotsorry #idontcareifyouarejudgingme
If you just sorta like them or have never read another IA book…well don’t start here. Wait until the final book is published and then read it. Clean Sweep is a pretty short book ~230 pages or so and a fun read give it a go first or else Sweep in Peace won’t make nearly as much sense.
Review of the finished ebook
The best thing about the ebook version of Sweep in Peace IS you can read it all in one sitting. The story feels a little different when you are able to immerse yourself in the world over a much shorter timeframe and live in Gertrude Hunt for a few days. The emotions hit harder, the pain is more palpable and the story definitely flows better.
Clean Sweep was just a good time going up against the bad guy and getting used to the world of an Innkeeper and the magical world that brings with it. Sweep in Peace is a little darker and much more of a political story as three different factions come to Gertrude Hunt for Peace Negotiations. Just in time too Caldenia was getting bored and I have a feeling that is dangerous.
” Caldenia blinked. “Who are the attending parties?”
“The Holy Anocracy, represented by House Krahr; the Hope-Crushing Horde; and the Merchants of Baha-char. They are coming here for the arbitration, and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door.”
Caldenia’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!”
Who is heading up these negotiations? None other than George Camarine from the Edge series who brings with him some of my other favorites Jack, Sophie and Gaston. So the question is do you need to read The Edge Series before this? Well no, it isn’t necessary, the story will totally make sense even if you have never read The Edge Series. Although it is Ilona Andrews so why haven’t you read it yet? But for those of us who have read The Edge Series it is a special bonus to see all the kids from that series all grown up AND I LOVED IT!!!
Okay so I have seen where a few people are sad about how cunning and manipulative George grew up to be or that Sophie hasn’t completely overcome the tragedy from her childhood. But that made their stories even better to me. You didn’t expect George to grow up completely normal did you? He was already brilliant, manipulative and powerful as a teen. He went to work for The Mirror before he was really an adult and he was fantastic at it. After years of that and heading up the Mirror he has honed him into the sharpest, deadliest and best planner/manipulator possible. Sophie on the other hand would love to not be the killer she became as a child. But her past shaped her and she still can’t escape it no matter how much she tries. She hasn’t accepted herself completely yet but I love the is on that journey and we come to her in the middle of coming to terms with the woman she has become and can’t hide from.
You are not a gentle flower who spends its whole life in a greenhouse. You are a wildfire, Lark. A wildfire.” A sun burst on the images, its violent fury drowning the cosmos. “Dare to take that step and I will show you wonders beyond your imagination. I will give you a chance to make a difference. Come with me.” George offered his hand to her. “Live. Join me or not, but live, gods damn you, because I cannot stand the thought of you slowly aging here like some dusty fossil under glass.
♥♥♥I SHIP IT!!!! George and Sophie Forever.♥♥♥
Okay back to the story. This might seem to move a little slower due to the format of the story and it being more of strategic plotting type book than kill the bad guy sort of situation. It also has a darker tone to it. Dina is lonely, she has lost her parents and she is really taking the fact that Sean left to discover the universe and they didn’t have a chance to explore what might have been a little hard. Plus it seems like at least the Vampires and the Otrokar have no serious interest in making peace as each has lost too much in battle. The deaths of their family and friends looms large. But don’t get me wrong there are plenty of shenanigans along the way to sort of lighten the mood of the story and give a chuckle or two including another streaking scene due to coffee consumption.
I missed Sean along with Dina…yeah I know they didn’t have much time together but I also loved the possibility of a them. But I also understood why he needed to travel a bit to discover a universe he didn’t know existed until he met Dina.
“I asked him if he was leaving anyone behind. He said he’d met a girl with stardust on her robe, and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the universe looking back.”
“He said that?”
“He did. The blood of Auul flows through him. We were warriors and poets, often both. I asked him if he thought this girl would wait for him, and he said he wasn’t sure.”
I wasn’t initially sure if I liked Sean’s character development in Sweep In Peace but after some reflection I totally LOVE IT. For one he has been to the universe and seen some things, some really hard things. They have left him a little broken, and that is my favorite kind of hero. I think that before he wouldn’t have been able to have a settled life with Dina at the Inn. But after the events in Sweep in Peace it is set up that they could build something together, there is a great amount of possibility there now. YAY!!!
Dina’s connection with the Inn is explored more and a few new characters are added to the cast. A yet to be named Cat (that I’m not entire sure is just a cat) and Orro a prickly hedgehog-ish chef. Orro was simply fantastic and I enjoyed him and his high maintenance masterchef ways. The inn it seems is becoming a hodgepodge of interesting characters and each one brings something new to the party. There are a few new hints made about Dina’s parents and their disappearance but no discoveries as of yet. I’m super interested in figuring out what happened to them although we do get a glimpse of her brother Klaus *wink, wink*.
This went better for me in ebook format and so I’m upping my star rating to 4 stars. I’m really excited to see what is in store next for Dina, Sean and Gertrude Hunt.
Review of the Free Chapter Installment version On-Line
This is almost like a review of a first draft since I read this in the free chapter installments online. The cool part is that it is like being in on a beta read of the first draft of an Ilona Andrews book. I walked along with them as they developed the main body of a story but it definitely doesn’t have their finished polish to it yet. I am really excited to read the final version of the story that will flesh out some of the things and make the overall story flow better. I have complete confidence in IA’s ability to do that.
The hardest thing about reading a book in chapter installments is the waiting. Between the chapters there was a lot of waiting and a few times it had to be put on their back burner as other commitments and real life trumped it. So I sometime forgot what I’d read awhile back. Some of the installments I loved and others I just found myself waiting for something to happen. I don’t think I would have noticed as much in final book format though.
Having read The Edge series I was beyond excited to see George, Jack, Gaston and Sophie all grown up. It was an extra bonus to know their background but not really needed. Dina’s inn needs some guests for its magic to grow, George needs a place to host a dangerous arbitration between three factions. Win-Win right? If only the arbitration was going smoothly, but there are issues and problems around every turn it seems right from the beginning.
I enjoyed getting a look into some of the other beings in this world and the conflicts that arose between them. I spent a long time in the book waiting for Sean to show up and it might have been a bit distracting to me but I did like how that eventually played out. Still Roland is there with the Vampire faction and the vampires are as deadly and entertaining as always.
Dina and her inn are fascinating characters to me (yes the Inn is a character it is totally like a living breathing entity in its own right) the magic and switch up to the usual vampire, werewolf and other lore are fascinating. I enjoy most of the ideas of this world.
This book had a lot of minor flaws in pacing and sometimes forgetting a character was there for a while. I’m not disparaging it as I love IA and I’m sure that the final draft will be an improved version of this story. For now this is a 3 star book, subject to change on the final edition
Suggestions:
If you are a huge IA fan like me and want to feel like maybe you are in on the ground floor of one of their books…then read this and then read the final published book and bask in your IA nerdism as you compare how the final book is to the chapter installments and if you notice all the changes. This is totally my plan #sorrynotsorry #idontcareifyouarejudgingme
If you just sorta like them or have never read another IA book…well don’t start here. Wait until the final book is published and then read it. Clean Sweep is a pretty short book ~230 pages or so and a fun read give it a go first or else Sweep in Peace won’t make nearly as much sense.
October 6, 2022
This sequel to “Clean Sweep” sees innkeeper Dina alone at her inn trying to figure out what she can do to get more guests and sustain her future as an innkeeper, as well as her beloved, living inn. When a man appears and asks her to host a dangerous conference, but for a large sum of money that would help make ends meet, as well as perhaps bring peace to a corner of the galaxy, Dina says yes even though many others have turned him down.
This had a TON of world building and lots of palace intrigue as the different factions at the peace conference tried to get all sneaky. I was eagerly anticipating the return of werewolf Sean, who was my favorite from the previous book, and I look forward to book three in the series!
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
This had a TON of world building and lots of palace intrigue as the different factions at the peace conference tried to get all sneaky. I was eagerly anticipating the return of werewolf Sean, who was my favorite from the previous book, and I look forward to book three in the series!
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
September 24, 2022
Our main character Dina DeMille is back and now she hosting a political summit between space vampires, the Horde and merchants of Baha-char….
Literally how do the Andrews come up with this brilliant shit
For a sequel, the book continued to be as unique and inventive as the first. I have no idea how they made werewolves into sci-fi but well-fucking-done
The plot and world have a futuristic meets paranormal world vibe where everything that's typically monster and magical is rewritten and explained as aliens, technology, and planets.
I loved the insights into the different alien species groups. They each had their own cultures, rituals, and unique sayings !!
However, I am starting to get a little claustrophobic with always being in the Inn *shrug*
As for our characters…
I still love Dina but she wasn’t quite as *fiery* as the first book.
She just seemed too controlled, and unemotional.
I wanted her to get angry
I wanted her to get exasperated with people’s nonsense, upset over the lack of info about her parents, and exact revenge on the stupidity that is her love interest, FEEL sOmEtHiNg
Where usually the love interest, you have to beat away with a stick ….Sean doesn’t even make an appearance here. Its like they trying to prevent an insta love by ignoring the love interesting this whole book as if its a slow burn … so yah thats a choice
I wanted Dina’s emotions to be more reflective in the power of her inn. And while the inn seems constantly adapting and changing (for its guests) Dina has not had any real growth or change since we’ve met her.
Now some of our secondary characters
My favorite by farrr was the intro of the Quillonian chef Oro who poisoned someone at his last job… so lets fucking hire him !
He is basically an anxiety filled hedgehog of an alien, who just wants to cook. And once he finally finds his home in our special inn— he refuses to fucking leave
And he fits right in with the rest of our misfit crew
I loved seeing the returning characters like Caldenia and Arland again ,who brought some much needed secondary character banter and excitement.
With some classic Andrews technique, we got another great concoction of humor and description in this strange book world
My main complaint was … the lack of progression in our series.
Theres seems to be lotta mystery build up… But we aren’t actually making headway. Instead its just surviving one guest at a time
We still don't know *shit* about Dina’s parents disappearance… and she doesn’t actually seem to be putting in that much effort to figure it out. Instead, we just randomly bumping into people who have tiny snippets to share
The prologue describes Dina’s brother recruiting the Arbitrator George, so where the fuck is the brother in all of this??
We constantly hear about Caldenia’s general badassness… but we’ve yet to learn a *single* detail about her backstory or really have those skills come into play!
Overall, this was just a genuinely fun book to read and enjoy. It had the classic Andrew’s feels and humor… but it definitely wasn’t the typical action packed roller coaster that we tend to look forward to from their heroines.
Now here’s a fun little Easter Egg for the Andrews mega fans !! We have a special appearance from George & Jack from The Edge series … but not gonna lie, it kinda depressed me seeing them all grown up and lowkey just fucked up by the hardships of their life but ey they popped up and that was cool series mix
Literally how do the Andrews come up with this brilliant shit
“They coming here for Arbitration and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door.”
Caldenia’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!”
She would think so, wouldn’t she?”
For a sequel, the book continued to be as unique and inventive as the first. I have no idea how they made werewolves into sci-fi but well-fucking-done
The plot and world have a futuristic meets paranormal world vibe where everything that's typically monster and magical is rewritten and explained as aliens, technology, and planets.
I loved the insights into the different alien species groups. They each had their own cultures, rituals, and unique sayings !!
“Winter sun to you and your warriors. My water is your water. My fire is your fire. My beds are soft and my knives are sharp. Spit on my hospitality and I’ll slit your throat.”
However, I am starting to get a little claustrophobic with always being in the Inn *shrug*
As for our characters…
I still love Dina but she wasn’t quite as *fiery* as the first book.
She just seemed too controlled, and unemotional.
I wanted her to get angry
I wanted her to get exasperated with people’s nonsense, upset over the lack of info about her parents, and exact revenge on the stupidity that is her love interest, FEEL sOmEtHiNg
Where usually the love interest, you have to beat away with a stick ….Sean doesn’t even make an appearance here. Its like they trying to prevent an insta love by ignoring the love interesting this whole book as if its a slow burn … so yah thats a choice
I wanted Dina’s emotions to be more reflective in the power of her inn. And while the inn seems constantly adapting and changing (for its guests) Dina has not had any real growth or change since we’ve met her.
Now some of our secondary characters
My favorite by farrr was the intro of the Quillonian chef Oro who poisoned someone at his last job… so lets fucking hire him !
He is basically an anxiety filled hedgehog of an alien, who just wants to cook. And once he finally finds his home in our special inn— he refuses to fucking leave
“Do not speak of money to me. If I leave, you would ruin this kitchen. You would wallow in your prehistoric barbarism, producing inedible food and desecrating the ingredients.” He raised his chin. “I have spoken.”
And he fits right in with the rest of our misfit crew
“Oh thank the stars.” Caldenia exhaled. “No offense to your cooking, but the thought of going back to it was causing me actual anxiety.”
I loved seeing the returning characters like Caldenia and Arland again ,who brought some much needed secondary character banter and excitement.
With some classic Andrews technique, we got another great concoction of humor and description in this strange book world
“Just a small demonstration for the public good,” he said. “I am so sorry.”
“You’re apologizing in advance.”
“Yes.”
Never a good sign”
My main complaint was … the lack of progression in our series.
Theres seems to be lotta mystery build up… But we aren’t actually making headway. Instead its just surviving one guest at a time
We still don't know *shit* about Dina’s parents disappearance… and she doesn’t actually seem to be putting in that much effort to figure it out. Instead, we just randomly bumping into people who have tiny snippets to share
The prologue describes Dina’s brother recruiting the Arbitrator George, so where the fuck is the brother in all of this??
We constantly hear about Caldenia’s general badassness… but we’ve yet to learn a *single* detail about her backstory or really have those skills come into play!
Overall, this was just a genuinely fun book to read and enjoy. It had the classic Andrew’s feels and humor… but it definitely wasn’t the typical action packed roller coaster that we tend to look forward to from their heroines.
Now here’s a fun little Easter Egg for the Andrews mega fans !! We have a special appearance from George & Jack from The Edge series … but not gonna lie, it kinda depressed me seeing them all grown up and lowkey just fucked up by the hardships of their life but ey they popped up and that was cool series mix
January 31, 2022
Re-read 11/12/17
5 stars
Chapter 16 part 2 and Epilogue
I've realised I've been reading this for a year now! It has finally come to an end and it was magnificent! Huge thanks to Ilona Andrews for sharing this with us. I loved it!
Chapter 16 part 1
Chapter 15 part 4
I don't care about his reasons he's still a manipulative ass. The ends do not justify the means.
Chapter 15 part 3
Chapter 14 part 1
Chapter 13 part 2-3
Chapter 12 part 3-4
George you make me wanna punch you.. Hard..
Chapter 12 part 2
Two chapter parts at once! Yay!
Dina is awesome!
Chapter 12 part 1
Chapter 11 part 1-2
Chapter 10 part 1 is released
No new Chapters since November 28th. The suspense is killing me!
Joke sulk aside, Ilona Andrews are doing an incredible job and can only imagine the demands on their time. I deeply appreciate them sharing this book like this with us.
Chapter 9 Part 2
Caldenia is so bloodthirsty. I love it!!
Chapter 6 Part 3
Loved the explanation regarding the Inn!!! And George, I just love grown-up George!!!
Chapter 6 Part 1
Up to Chapter 5 Part 1 so far!
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
1st chapter:
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/2014/03...
George makes his entrance! Yay!!
5 stars
Chapter 16 part 2 and Epilogue
I've realised I've been reading this for a year now! It has finally come to an end and it was magnificent! Huge thanks to Ilona Andrews for sharing this with us. I loved it!
Chapter 16 part 1
Chapter 15 part 4
I don't care about his reasons he's still a manipulative ass. The ends do not justify the means.
Chapter 15 part 3
Chapter 14 part 1
Chapter 13 part 2-3
Chapter 12 part 3-4
George you make me wanna punch you.. Hard..
Chapter 12 part 2
Two chapter parts at once! Yay!
Dina is awesome!
Chapter 12 part 1
Chapter 11 part 1-2
Chapter 10 part 1 is released
No new Chapters since November 28th. The suspense is killing me!
Joke sulk aside, Ilona Andrews are doing an incredible job and can only imagine the demands on their time. I deeply appreciate them sharing this book like this with us.
Chapter 9 Part 2
Caldenia is so bloodthirsty. I love it!!
Chapter 6 Part 3
Loved the explanation regarding the Inn!!! And George, I just love grown-up George!!!
Chapter 6 Part 1
Up to Chapter 5 Part 1 so far!
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
1st chapter:
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/2014/03...
George makes his entrance! Yay!!
Currently reading
May 7, 2015OMG the cover iz sooh pretty :D
UPDATE 03 Feb: Chapter 14 part 2 is up! (all links below)
I will be periodically updating this review to let you guys know when a new part is posted, or the mood strikes me. ;)
Me and this cat have a few things in common...
We really want what we can't have.
GIVE IT TO ME. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
~*~edit#1~*~
Anyone who has ever read a book by Ilona Andrews won't need me to tell them how awesome those talented writers are.
They even post rough drafts of their work for us to read! For free! If you're just half as addicted to this series as I am, you should check it out.
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
Or links to each individual chapter/part:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
~*~edit#2~*~
And yes, I am gonna be that bitch: TEAM ARLAND! (despite my dislike for vampires :P)
Or maybe I should ship Dina-Sean so I can have the godlike Arland-hotness to myself... Whatever your taste, drool ahead guys & girls!
UPDATE 03 Feb: Chapter 14 part 2 is up! (all links below)
I will be periodically updating this review to let you guys know when a new part is posted, or the mood strikes me. ;)
Me and this cat have a few things in common...
We really want what we can't have.
GIVE IT TO ME. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
~*~edit#1~*~
Anyone who has ever read a book by Ilona Andrews won't need me to tell them how awesome those talented writers are.
They even post rough drafts of their work for us to read! For free! If you're just half as addicted to this series as I am, you should check it out.
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
Or links to each individual chapter/part:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
~*~edit#2~*~
And yes, I am gonna be that bitch: TEAM ARLAND! (despite my dislike for vampires :P)
Or maybe I should ship Dina-Sean so I can have the godlike Arland-hotness to myself... Whatever your taste, drool ahead guys & girls!
December 5, 2020
1st read - June 2015
2nd read - November 2015
3rd read - December 2016
4th read - October 2017
5th read - May 2019
6th read - December 2020
Full Review
It's no secret that I'm a total fangirl when it comes to Ilona and Gordon Andrews, in fact I've probably said that at the beginning of nearly all my reviews of their books, and I'm completely addicted to their Inkeeper Chronicles. I love the way these stories are initially posted in free instalments for fans to read online, we get to comment on the story as it's written and I think the feedback received possibly helps take the stories in slightly different directions to where they could have gone if they were written in the traditional way. As much as I love following that process it's a unique kind of torture having these amazing stories dolled out in tiny pieces over such a long time period so I was desperate to get my hands on a final, finished copy so I could read it from start to end in one sitting.
So, I've read Sweep in Peace twice now and I absolutely devoured it this time around. The series is just getting better and better and I adore Dina and the other characters. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review will already have read Clean Sweep so I'm not going to give you background information on Gertrude Hunt or Innkeepers in general - I'd rather focus on this story and what's so fantastic about it. I'm loving learning more about Dina's family (I still have high hopes that we'll meet her siblings one day and I desperately want to see her solve the mystery surrounding her missing parents!) and also about Innkeeper abilities. Dina is basically master of the universe when she's inside Gertrude Hunt, what she says goes and I love seeing her lay down the law when she needs to. Most of the time Dina bends over backwards to make sure her guests have everything they could possibly need but anyone who pushes her too far should be very, very careful because payback will be a bitch!
Long term inn resident Caldenia is fantastic, she's like a sweet old lady one minute but then she'll be creepy as hell the next and I love how unpredictable she is. Beast is her usual cute and charming self but she's also very quick to defend Dina and her territory when needed. Then we have a new (hopefully permenant) cast member Orro, a fabulous but disgraced chef who looks set to keep Dina on her toes but I'm sure his wonderful food will make it worth the effort. I'm going to admit I was disappointed that we didn't see more of Sean in this instalment, I have such high hopes for him and Dina so I was hoping for a little more romance BUT I actually think the development of his character was spot on and although he wasn't around as much as I'd have liked I'm very hopeful that's going to change in the next book.
Now let's talk about Dina's latest guests. Anyone who has already read the Edge series are going to be thrilled to spot some familiar faces and I have to admit to some very excited happy dancing when George first makes an appearance! I loved the younger generation of characters in the Edge books and it was so much fun to see the fully grown up and now out in the world living their own lives. I really hope that we'll see more of them in the future, either as guests in the Innkeeper Chronicles or perhaps in a spin off series of their own - I think George's new job gives plenty of scope for at least a couple of books but I'm not sure Dina will be so keen on having him as a guest again any time in the near future!
Dina finds herself facing the challenge of a lifetime when George approaches her asking if she'll host a peace summit at Gertrude Hunt. George is working as an Arbitrator and it is up to him to bring peace to a war torn planet. Unfortunately that means meeting the demands of all three interested parties, each of whom has their own unique customs and requirements. War has been waging on Nexus for twenty years with much bloodshed and loss on all sides but most people are more keen on avenging their dead than they are on bringing about an end to the fighting. It's George's job to find a solution but it'll be up to Dina to keep all three groups separate and prevent anyone killing each other during the talks.
As great as it was to see George (and a few other character's who I'm not going to name drop because it'll be more fun for readers to get a surprise) I have to admit I was surprised at how ruthless and calculating he has become. He was always intelligent but he proves here that he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals even if it does mean he ends up making himself a few enemies along the way. I actually kind of admired him for doing what had to be done but there were more than a few times I wanted to punch him in the face, particularly for the way he used Dina and put her at risk by withholding information from her. He's definitely turned into a very complex character and I have to believe we've not seen the last of him or his allies.
Sweep In Peace is wonderful, it has everything you could hope for from a book by Team Andrews - great humour, quirky but realistic characters and a well thought out world full of unique and unusual creatures, customs and history. Now Ilona and Gordon please, please bring on the torturous release of book three, in tiny bite sized portions that will have me desperately begging for more and stalking your website on a daily basis! I can't wait :o)
__________________________
Mini Review after 1st read:
I managed to hold out until the whole story was available before I started reading it & it was definitely worth the wait! It's not going to be on the website forever though so if you want to read it while it's free you'd best do that ASAP. Of course I'll be buying the finished version once it's gone through the editing process so I'm going to hold off until I've read the final story before I post a full review but I'm loving this series.
Here are a few highlights:
- Love Dina's character, everyone always underestimates her but she is more than capable of holding her own & proves it time and time again.
- Beast is adorable & I like the new edition to the Inn's pets.
- Shaun, we didn't see enough of him in this book but he's still my favourite!
- I love that the series links to the Edge books and that we got the chance to catch up with some familiar faces (even if one of them did piss me off by being a manipulative bastard LOL).
- We get to meet some interesting new characters and I'm already looking forward to the next book :o)
Thoughts before I read it:
It has a NAME!!!!!!!! Sweep in Peace I LOVE IT!
Also, Ilona and Gordon have posted the first chapter on their blog!! I think they're aiming to post a chapter each week like they did for Clean Sweep but chapter one is already live!
Check here if you want to read it:
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
I'm going to try and hold off, at least until a few more chapters are available but it's soooooo tempting to start it now!
______________________
3rd Read
I love this series more every time I reread it. Ilona & Gordon Andrews write some of the best series out there, their world building is second to none, their characters are kickass and amazing but flawed enough to feel real and the stories hook you from the first page.
I'm a fully pledged member of the Andrews' fan club!
2nd read - November 2015
3rd read - December 2016
4th read - October 2017
5th read - May 2019
6th read - December 2020
Full Review
It's no secret that I'm a total fangirl when it comes to Ilona and Gordon Andrews, in fact I've probably said that at the beginning of nearly all my reviews of their books, and I'm completely addicted to their Inkeeper Chronicles. I love the way these stories are initially posted in free instalments for fans to read online, we get to comment on the story as it's written and I think the feedback received possibly helps take the stories in slightly different directions to where they could have gone if they were written in the traditional way. As much as I love following that process it's a unique kind of torture having these amazing stories dolled out in tiny pieces over such a long time period so I was desperate to get my hands on a final, finished copy so I could read it from start to end in one sitting.
So, I've read Sweep in Peace twice now and I absolutely devoured it this time around. The series is just getting better and better and I adore Dina and the other characters. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review will already have read Clean Sweep so I'm not going to give you background information on Gertrude Hunt or Innkeepers in general - I'd rather focus on this story and what's so fantastic about it. I'm loving learning more about Dina's family (I still have high hopes that we'll meet her siblings one day and I desperately want to see her solve the mystery surrounding her missing parents!) and also about Innkeeper abilities. Dina is basically master of the universe when she's inside Gertrude Hunt, what she says goes and I love seeing her lay down the law when she needs to. Most of the time Dina bends over backwards to make sure her guests have everything they could possibly need but anyone who pushes her too far should be very, very careful because payback will be a bitch!
Long term inn resident Caldenia is fantastic, she's like a sweet old lady one minute but then she'll be creepy as hell the next and I love how unpredictable she is. Beast is her usual cute and charming self but she's also very quick to defend Dina and her territory when needed. Then we have a new (hopefully permenant) cast member Orro, a fabulous but disgraced chef who looks set to keep Dina on her toes but I'm sure his wonderful food will make it worth the effort. I'm going to admit I was disappointed that we didn't see more of Sean in this instalment, I have such high hopes for him and Dina so I was hoping for a little more romance BUT I actually think the development of his character was spot on and although he wasn't around as much as I'd have liked I'm very hopeful that's going to change in the next book.
Now let's talk about Dina's latest guests. Anyone who has already read the Edge series are going to be thrilled to spot some familiar faces and I have to admit to some very excited happy dancing when George first makes an appearance! I loved the younger generation of characters in the Edge books and it was so much fun to see the fully grown up and now out in the world living their own lives. I really hope that we'll see more of them in the future, either as guests in the Innkeeper Chronicles or perhaps in a spin off series of their own - I think George's new job gives plenty of scope for at least a couple of books but I'm not sure Dina will be so keen on having him as a guest again any time in the near future!
Dina finds herself facing the challenge of a lifetime when George approaches her asking if she'll host a peace summit at Gertrude Hunt. George is working as an Arbitrator and it is up to him to bring peace to a war torn planet. Unfortunately that means meeting the demands of all three interested parties, each of whom has their own unique customs and requirements. War has been waging on Nexus for twenty years with much bloodshed and loss on all sides but most people are more keen on avenging their dead than they are on bringing about an end to the fighting. It's George's job to find a solution but it'll be up to Dina to keep all three groups separate and prevent anyone killing each other during the talks.
As great as it was to see George (and a few other character's who I'm not going to name drop because it'll be more fun for readers to get a surprise) I have to admit I was surprised at how ruthless and calculating he has become. He was always intelligent but he proves here that he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals even if it does mean he ends up making himself a few enemies along the way. I actually kind of admired him for doing what had to be done but there were more than a few times I wanted to punch him in the face, particularly for the way he used Dina and put her at risk by withholding information from her. He's definitely turned into a very complex character and I have to believe we've not seen the last of him or his allies.
Sweep In Peace is wonderful, it has everything you could hope for from a book by Team Andrews - great humour, quirky but realistic characters and a well thought out world full of unique and unusual creatures, customs and history. Now Ilona and Gordon please, please bring on the torturous release of book three, in tiny bite sized portions that will have me desperately begging for more and stalking your website on a daily basis! I can't wait :o)
__________________________
Mini Review after 1st read:
I managed to hold out until the whole story was available before I started reading it & it was definitely worth the wait! It's not going to be on the website forever though so if you want to read it while it's free you'd best do that ASAP. Of course I'll be buying the finished version once it's gone through the editing process so I'm going to hold off until I've read the final story before I post a full review but I'm loving this series.
Here are a few highlights:
- Love Dina's character, everyone always underestimates her but she is more than capable of holding her own & proves it time and time again.
- Beast is adorable & I like the new edition to the Inn's pets.
- Shaun, we didn't see enough of him in this book but he's still my favourite!
- I love that the series links to the Edge books and that we got the chance to catch up with some familiar faces (even if one of them did piss me off by being a manipulative bastard LOL).
- We get to meet some interesting new characters and I'm already looking forward to the next book :o)
Thoughts before I read it:
It has a NAME!!!!!!!! Sweep in Peace I LOVE IT!
Also, Ilona and Gordon have posted the first chapter on their blog!! I think they're aiming to post a chapter each week like they did for Clean Sweep but chapter one is already live!
Check here if you want to read it:
http://demo.ilona-andrews.com/categor...
I'm going to try and hold off, at least until a few more chapters are available but it's soooooo tempting to start it now!
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3rd Read
I love this series more every time I reread it. Ilona & Gordon Andrews write some of the best series out there, their world building is second to none, their characters are kickass and amazing but flawed enough to feel real and the stories hook you from the first page.
I'm a fully pledged member of the Andrews' fan club!
July 5, 2022
I think it's a fairly well-known fact that I'm a HUGE Ilona Andrews fan-girl. I try not to let this influence my reviews of their books, and in fact I think it makes me judge them a little more harshly in some lights, but the fact of the matter is that I just flat-out enjoy their stories. It's hard for me to find serious faults with them. And when I'm having fun, when I'm invested, and when an author can bring out the sort of emotions that Ilona Andrews manages - well, that results in an excellent review from me.
Dina's stuck in the middle of some serious peace negotiations - where neither side is really sure if they can even begin to compromise on their terms to reach peace. Each faction wants peace, I think that much is clear, but I think I've never had a fiction novel show me so clearly how hard it is to get to that when you've got years of war and devastation behind you. This novel struck at my heart for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that war is devastating. I think that's clear from our current events, and peace is something we need now, more than ever. I find myself wishing that we could protect all of Earth's inhabitants with a peace summit - even one as difficult as the one here.
I wish I'd written this review yesterday, before I heard about the devastation that's happened in Paris, before I was reminded about how much we hurt each other on this planet. I'm finding it hard to think of anything else, now.
This is an excellent book. A great addition into the series, and I really, honestly, can't wait to see where they take us next. The world keeps getting bigger - when you have a full universe to work with, it should - and I find there are more and more characters that I care about and want to see a LOT more of.
The stakes are high in this novel, not just for the races seeking peace, but for Dina herself. If you've read The Edge series, you're familiar with George and Jack - we get quite a bit more of them here. And all I can say is that it's not enough. I need so much more with them, because it's more than obvious that none of their stories are finished yet either.
Ilona Andrews is my favorite author. With good reason.
I'm starting! And here's Ilona Andrews' letter to my boss:
I'll save the actual review for when I read the final version that's released (and I have the hard-copy in my greedy hands), but this was an awesome story.
Can I just live my life in Ilona Andrews heads, with their characters and in their worlds?
Dina's stuck in the middle of some serious peace negotiations - where neither side is really sure if they can even begin to compromise on their terms to reach peace. Each faction wants peace, I think that much is clear, but I think I've never had a fiction novel show me so clearly how hard it is to get to that when you've got years of war and devastation behind you. This novel struck at my heart for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that war is devastating. I think that's clear from our current events, and peace is something we need now, more than ever. I find myself wishing that we could protect all of Earth's inhabitants with a peace summit - even one as difficult as the one here.
I wish I'd written this review yesterday, before I heard about the devastation that's happened in Paris, before I was reminded about how much we hurt each other on this planet. I'm finding it hard to think of anything else, now.
This is an excellent book. A great addition into the series, and I really, honestly, can't wait to see where they take us next. The world keeps getting bigger - when you have a full universe to work with, it should - and I find there are more and more characters that I care about and want to see a LOT more of.
The stakes are high in this novel, not just for the races seeking peace, but for Dina herself. If you've read The Edge series, you're familiar with George and Jack - we get quite a bit more of them here. And all I can say is that it's not enough. I need so much more with them, because it's more than obvious that none of their stories are finished yet either.
Ilona Andrews is my favorite author. With good reason.
I'm starting! And here's Ilona Andrews' letter to my boss:
Dear [Angela]’s Boss,
It has been conclusively proven that the wellbeing of employees is the main contributing factor to the superior performance at work. Please see the attached link to Harvard Business Review. It is imperative to [Angela]’s wellbeing that she be permitted to have a day off in an effort to review Sweep in Peace, a volume on importance of employee ethics, team building, and personal responsibility. We hope that you will recognize the value of the material and allow [Angela] the opportunity to continue her development as a skilled and exemplary employee of your company.
Sincerely, Ilona Andrews.
I'll save the actual review for when I read the final version that's released (and I have the hard-copy in my greedy hands), but this was an awesome story.
Can I just live my life in Ilona Andrews heads, with their characters and in their worlds?
May 30, 2021
4/5 ⭐
That was good. Very good, actually.
But I have to say, two things that represent the most important thoughts I had about this book.
1) Orro was the greatest character of them all in this book because of the cooking skills
2) Those random images throughout the whole book - ah, I loved them. They looked exactly like every single essay I had to write in Word for school, absolutely brilliant
That was good. Very good, actually.
But I have to say, two things that represent the most important thoughts I had about this book.
1) Orro was the greatest character of them all in this book because of the cooking skills
2) Those random images throughout the whole book - ah, I loved them. They looked exactly like every single essay I had to write in Word for school, absolutely brilliant
November 25, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
I absolutely love Ilona Andrews. I have pre-ordered exactly three books this year and guess who wrote two of them? Ilona Andrews. When I know that a new Ilona Andrews book is coming out, I actually plan my reading time so that I will be able to finish whatever it is that I am reading the day before the book comes out. I only get two weeks of vacation time each year and I have seriously debated using a day just to stay home and read their books on the release day. So you can imagine how sad it makes me to only give three stars to this book. Three stars is a good rating and I think that this is a good book. It just wasn't knock my socks off good that I have come to expect from this writing pair.
I decided to wait for the complete book instead of reading the pieces as they were released on their website. Which by the way...how awesome is it that they do that? At least I think it is pretty awesome. The fact that they are giving their work away to their readers just cements my love for this writing pair. They are just an incredible pair of authors.
I loved Clean Sweep and consumed that book in less than a day. I even listened to the audiobook recently as a refresher so that I would be fully prepared for Sweep in Peace (not to mention that I just like the story - a lot). As soon as I had a chance to sit down and read on the release day, I dug right in to the story and noticed a few things that were different. I missed Sean. I missed Sean a lot. The dialog and interaction between Dina and Sean was really the best part of Clean Sweep. Sean's absence in this book really left a hole for me. The fact that no other character in this book was as strong of a character really made a huge difference. I really missed the dialog with Dina. I remember laughing at the things that Sean, Dina, and Arland said to each other in the first book. I didn't find the humor that I was looking for in this one. It actually took me several days to finish this book because I was able to put it down which is a new experience for me in regards to an Ilona Andrews book.
This book felt really dark to me. Dina was much more serious in this one and it seemed that she was holding everything on her shoulders. I have only read the first book in the Edge series so I am not as familiar with George and Jack as other readers may be. This future for them still makes me a little sad. I didn't like them. All of the sides that are meeting at the peace treaty really seem to have lost a lot and still are finding peace difficult. In so many way, many of the characters were at their limit and many were at their breaking point.
I did really enjoy seeing more of what Gertrude Hunt can do. The sky is the limit when it comes to this old inn. I was just amazed at how imaginative some of the features this house displays in this book. I really think that we have only seen the beginning of Gertrude Hunts abilities. As more guests stay at the inn over time, it will be exciting to see what develops as the series continues. I also really liked the new chef, Orro. Orro did add a touch of humor to the story but I think that this is a character that I will like more and more as the series progresses. Caldenia was awesome as always.
I would recommend this series to others. Everyone should read Ilona Andrews. I seriously believe that. The writing is solid and the story is unique and interesting. I can't wait to see what is going to happen to Dina next.
Initial Thoughts
I didn't like this book nearly as much as Clean Sweep...or really anything else written by Ilona Andrews. The story was good but it wasn't Ilona Andrews good.
I absolutely love Ilona Andrews. I have pre-ordered exactly three books this year and guess who wrote two of them? Ilona Andrews. When I know that a new Ilona Andrews book is coming out, I actually plan my reading time so that I will be able to finish whatever it is that I am reading the day before the book comes out. I only get two weeks of vacation time each year and I have seriously debated using a day just to stay home and read their books on the release day. So you can imagine how sad it makes me to only give three stars to this book. Three stars is a good rating and I think that this is a good book. It just wasn't knock my socks off good that I have come to expect from this writing pair.
I decided to wait for the complete book instead of reading the pieces as they were released on their website. Which by the way...how awesome is it that they do that? At least I think it is pretty awesome. The fact that they are giving their work away to their readers just cements my love for this writing pair. They are just an incredible pair of authors.
I loved Clean Sweep and consumed that book in less than a day. I even listened to the audiobook recently as a refresher so that I would be fully prepared for Sweep in Peace (not to mention that I just like the story - a lot). As soon as I had a chance to sit down and read on the release day, I dug right in to the story and noticed a few things that were different. I missed Sean. I missed Sean a lot. The dialog and interaction between Dina and Sean was really the best part of Clean Sweep. Sean's absence in this book really left a hole for me. The fact that no other character in this book was as strong of a character really made a huge difference. I really missed the dialog with Dina. I remember laughing at the things that Sean, Dina, and Arland said to each other in the first book. I didn't find the humor that I was looking for in this one. It actually took me several days to finish this book because I was able to put it down which is a new experience for me in regards to an Ilona Andrews book.
This book felt really dark to me. Dina was much more serious in this one and it seemed that she was holding everything on her shoulders. I have only read the first book in the Edge series so I am not as familiar with George and Jack as other readers may be. This future for them still makes me a little sad. I didn't like them. All of the sides that are meeting at the peace treaty really seem to have lost a lot and still are finding peace difficult. In so many way, many of the characters were at their limit and many were at their breaking point.
I did really enjoy seeing more of what Gertrude Hunt can do. The sky is the limit when it comes to this old inn. I was just amazed at how imaginative some of the features this house displays in this book. I really think that we have only seen the beginning of Gertrude Hunts abilities. As more guests stay at the inn over time, it will be exciting to see what develops as the series continues. I also really liked the new chef, Orro. Orro did add a touch of humor to the story but I think that this is a character that I will like more and more as the series progresses. Caldenia was awesome as always.
I would recommend this series to others. Everyone should read Ilona Andrews. I seriously believe that. The writing is solid and the story is unique and interesting. I can't wait to see what is going to happen to Dina next.
Initial Thoughts
I didn't like this book nearly as much as Clean Sweep...or really anything else written by Ilona Andrews. The story was good but it wasn't Ilona Andrews good.
November 18, 2015
2.5 stars - Spoilers
Not as fun as the first book, the story wasn't as interesting and Dina wasn't as likeable, also George's presence irritated the heck out of me.
Good points:
-Loved Orro, he was so hilariously melodramatic and was by far the best thing in the story.
-Loved the setting of the inn and the whole magic system, not to mention all the various species and planets that were shown, the world was just a lot of fun to immerse into.
-Jack, Gaston and Sophia's presence, they didn't play big roles but they were great when they were in it.
Bad points:
-Dina was a massive doormat, she let George fuck her and the inn over and over again. I expected her to ban George and give him a piece of her mind at the end but the silly cow actually let him get away with everything after he told her some lame sob story. She needed to make him suffer for all the crap he pulled, her writing him up as a problem guest was nowhere near enough comeuppance. I hope she actually gets her spine back in the next book.
-I loathed George, everything about him grated on me. His smug-insufferable-manipulative-thinks-he-knows-it-all ways made him utterly unlikeable and not in an interesting way. I actually found George far more endearing and three dimensional when he was a kind and straightforward child. This new older George was rubbish, he was meant to be ruthless yet at the same time we were meant to feel sorry for him because he was suffering and of course he was only being a douche for the greater good. Ugh, he can't be a tragic hero whilst being a grade A manipulative, using, lying bastard at the same time. Characters like that can exist but they need to be written in a convincing way and George's characterization wasn't written in a convincing way. Spending 90% of the story being a dick only to give a bunch of sorry excuses at the end wasn't good enough, it didn't make me like him or root for him or feel sorry for him. On top of that, I was meant to believe he was so intelligent that he could pull anyone's strings to dance to his tune (no matter how clever, experienced or jaded they were). Yea, no-one's that good at manipulation. Also, him admitting he was a ruthless, selfish bastard didn't magically absolve him of all his wrongdoings. I've noticed recently this nonsensical trend where the hero/love interest does awful things yet somehow they get away with their sins by simply admitting that they're selfish, ruthless, bad etc as if admitting it somehow makes all the crap they've done okay. It's such a dumb, ridiculous way of excusing 'tortured' male characters of all the bad they've done. Ugh.
-Couldn't bring myself to care about the politics/conflict on Nexus, it was mostly boring.
-The ending with the memory sharing stuff felt far too easy, I didn't buy that a decades long, bloody war could be settled in such a cheesy and convenient way. It was far too unrealistic.
-Sean turning out to be Turin Adin came across as nothing but contrived. Also, him becoming all weary and experienced about various worlds/species annoyed me, it felt like it was done just so he could be more wiser and knowledgeable about things than Dina. Whereas in book one she was the one who was in the know, which was a welcome role reversal from the usual wide eyed heroine and know it all hero.
I hope there's no George in the next book, Dina's character was bought down all so he could be portrayed as some kind of master manipulator. She needs to get back to her old not to be messed with self instead of the mess she was in this one.
Not as fun as the first book, the story wasn't as interesting and Dina wasn't as likeable, also George's presence irritated the heck out of me.
Good points:
-Loved Orro, he was so hilariously melodramatic and was by far the best thing in the story.
-Loved the setting of the inn and the whole magic system, not to mention all the various species and planets that were shown, the world was just a lot of fun to immerse into.
-Jack, Gaston and Sophia's presence, they didn't play big roles but they were great when they were in it.
Bad points:
-Dina was a massive doormat, she let George fuck her and the inn over and over again. I expected her to ban George and give him a piece of her mind at the end but the silly cow actually let him get away with everything after he told her some lame sob story. She needed to make him suffer for all the crap he pulled, her writing him up as a problem guest was nowhere near enough comeuppance. I hope she actually gets her spine back in the next book.
-I loathed George, everything about him grated on me. His smug-insufferable-manipulative-thinks-he-knows-it-all ways made him utterly unlikeable and not in an interesting way. I actually found George far more endearing and three dimensional when he was a kind and straightforward child. This new older George was rubbish, he was meant to be ruthless yet at the same time we were meant to feel sorry for him because he was suffering and of course he was only being a douche for the greater good. Ugh, he can't be a tragic hero whilst being a grade A manipulative, using, lying bastard at the same time. Characters like that can exist but they need to be written in a convincing way and George's characterization wasn't written in a convincing way. Spending 90% of the story being a dick only to give a bunch of sorry excuses at the end wasn't good enough, it didn't make me like him or root for him or feel sorry for him. On top of that, I was meant to believe he was so intelligent that he could pull anyone's strings to dance to his tune (no matter how clever, experienced or jaded they were). Yea, no-one's that good at manipulation. Also, him admitting he was a ruthless, selfish bastard didn't magically absolve him of all his wrongdoings. I've noticed recently this nonsensical trend where the hero/love interest does awful things yet somehow they get away with their sins by simply admitting that they're selfish, ruthless, bad etc as if admitting it somehow makes all the crap they've done okay. It's such a dumb, ridiculous way of excusing 'tortured' male characters of all the bad they've done. Ugh.
-Couldn't bring myself to care about the politics/conflict on Nexus, it was mostly boring.
-The ending with the memory sharing stuff felt far too easy, I didn't buy that a decades long, bloody war could be settled in such a cheesy and convenient way. It was far too unrealistic.
-Sean turning out to be Turin Adin came across as nothing but contrived. Also, him becoming all weary and experienced about various worlds/species annoyed me, it felt like it was done just so he could be more wiser and knowledgeable about things than Dina. Whereas in book one she was the one who was in the know, which was a welcome role reversal from the usual wide eyed heroine and know it all hero.
I hope there's no George in the next book, Dina's character was bought down all so he could be portrayed as some kind of master manipulator. She needs to get back to her old not to be messed with self instead of the mess she was in this one.
January 10, 2016
5 IA Never Fail Stars
It's been months since the events from Clean Sweep and Gertrude Hunt is still in dire need of guests. When Dina gets an offer to host a peace summit between three waring factions she has a decision to make. Accept and risk losing everything if she is unable to control her hostile guests or deny and lose a great chance to boost both, the magic of the inn and her, admittedly, hurting bank account.
I enjoyed SiP very much. I liked the slightly darker vibe it had than CS. I enjoyed the politics. I loved the action. I LOVED seeing the characters from The Edge. And I absolutely adored the Turin Adin thingy!!!
SiP is full of feels. This book isn't just about the action and the fun. Watching how the war has affected all three, the Vampires, the Sun Horde and the Merchants, seeing the pain they've been through, what they've lost and what they hope to gain from this war is enough to make your heart ache for days. All of them need the peace but not all members of their endurances realise that.
And then there was the Arbitrator, George. Little George who used to drain himself just to keep animals from dying has grown to become a master manipulator. A man who doesn't hesitate to play people as pawns and sacrifice a few just so he can save more.
I know many readers weren't happy with the direction George's character has taken but to me he was just awesome. I honestly believe that there has to always be someone to take the hard decisions. George did it, he may beat himself up about it later but he didn't hesitate when he had to. I smell a tortured hero in the future.
And Lark... That badass, half-broken girl from the Edge has grown to be a badass, half-broken woman, fighting to prove that she isn't the monster people, herself included, see her as.
Of course with the whole doom and gloom vibe of the book, there had to be some characters there for comic relief. These come in the form of...
Orro the hedgehog Chef...
Jack and Gaston...
And of course Caldenia, the inn's resident psycho...
It's been months since the events from Clean Sweep and Gertrude Hunt is still in dire need of guests. When Dina gets an offer to host a peace summit between three waring factions she has a decision to make. Accept and risk losing everything if she is unable to control her hostile guests or deny and lose a great chance to boost both, the magic of the inn and her, admittedly, hurting bank account.
I enjoyed SiP very much. I liked the slightly darker vibe it had than CS. I enjoyed the politics. I loved the action. I LOVED seeing the characters from The Edge. And I absolutely adored the Turin Adin thingy!!!
SiP is full of feels. This book isn't just about the action and the fun. Watching how the war has affected all three, the Vampires, the Sun Horde and the Merchants, seeing the pain they've been through, what they've lost and what they hope to gain from this war is enough to make your heart ache for days. All of them need the peace but not all members of their endurances realise that.
And then there was the Arbitrator, George. Little George who used to drain himself just to keep animals from dying has grown to become a master manipulator. A man who doesn't hesitate to play people as pawns and sacrifice a few just so he can save more.
“They say the dead have no memories and know no pain.” George’s voice was barely above a whisper, but somehow it was louder than the pleas of the corpses. “It’s not that way for me.”
I know many readers weren't happy with the direction George's character has taken but to me he was just awesome. I honestly believe that there has to always be someone to take the hard decisions. George did it, he may beat himself up about it later but he didn't hesitate when he had to. I smell a tortured hero in the future.
“What can I do for you, Arbitrator?” I asked.
“George, please. There is no hot water in my bathroom.”
“Oh really?” You don’t say.
“Yes. In fact, it’s ice-cold.” He raised a half-filled glass. Thin slivers of ice floated on its surface. “I drew this from the tap in my sink.”
“How unfortunate. When did this happen?”
“About two minutes ago.”
“While you were in the shower?”
“Yes.”
“My apologies. I’ll get right on that.”
George squinted at me, his face thoughtful, and waved the call off.
Sophie leaned back and laughed. “You really love those trees.”
And Lark... That badass, half-broken girl from the Edge has grown to be a badass, half-broken woman, fighting to prove that she isn't the monster people, herself included, see her as.
Of course with the whole doom and gloom vibe of the book, there had to be some characters there for comic relief. These come in the form of...
Orro the hedgehog Chef...
“This is blasphemy!” Odalon declared in the same way Gerard Butler had once roared “This is Sparta.” Sadly, Odalon had nobody to kick into a bottomless hole for emphasis, so he settled for looking extremely put out.”
“Like a primitive savage, who sets out to tame the wilderness armed with nothing but a knife and his indomitable will, I will persevere. I will wrestle victory from the greedy jaws of defeat. I shall rise like a bird of prey upon the current of the wind, my talons raised for the kill, and I shall strike true.”
Oh wow. I hope the inn filmed that.
Jack and Gaston...
“Are you also a professional soldier?
He grinned. “I’m more of a gentleman of adventure.”
George laughed under his breath.
“I save these two from themselves,” Gaston continued. “Occasionally I do a bit of skullduggery.”
What? “Skullduggery?”
“Scale a ten-foot wall, jump out of the shadows, break a diplomat’s neck, plant false documents on his body, and prevent an international incident type of thing to keep the war from breaking out,” Gaston said helpfully. “Dreadful stuff, but quite necessary.”
“Attosecond?” Gaston asked.
“I’m guessing it’s a very, very small fraction of a second,” I said.
“One quintillionth of a second,” George said, without raising his head from his reader.
Jack pondered him. “Have you started memorizing random crap again to amuse yourself?”
“No, I’m connected to the wireless,” George said. “I googled it.”
And of course Caldenia, the inn's resident psycho...
Caldenia blinked. “Who are the attending parties?”
“The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr, the Hope-crushing Horde, and the Merchants of Baha-char. They coming here for Arbitration and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door.”
Caldenia’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!”
She would think so, wouldn’t she
December 28, 2016
1.) Clean Sweep ★★★★
Apparently, Jack, George, Gaston, and Lark/Sophie are all from IA's other series The Edge. I haven't read this series yet, but going off my friend's reviews this is either going to make you very happy or completely turn you off of this book! I am kind of scared to read it, but I loved Sweep in Peace so maybe I'll dive in one day when my stacks of "to reads" isn't touching my bedroom ceiling.
Oh, and I also think you will be able to read this for free on IA's website, but I don't think all the chapters are up yet. Or maybe they took it down for the actual book release? Either way, I think you will eventually be able to read it for free, which is pretty neat.
Ilona Andrews has a gift that most authors do not have; every book they write makes me want to be a part of that world. I remember being so young while reading Harry Potter, and I felt the same magic after I finished every book. That crazy longing to want to live in that world, and be a part of that story. Maybe I'm just crazy, but that's what Ilona does for me that most other authors will never be able to achieve, and for that they will get my never ending applause. Hell, Kate Daniels is post-apocalyptic and I still want to live in that world! Seriously, my fan-girling has made me sick, but I'm too far gone for any cure.
Sweep in Peace starts right up from where Clean Sweep left off. Honestly, you could probably just jump in and read this one; you just might not appreciate it (or Sean) as much, but this book does a wonderful job filling in the blanks without making the reader feel overwhelmed with information. Dina and Gertrude Hunt are still the same, while Caldenia is still the Inn's only guest. Well, that soon changes when Dina accepts to host The Summit for three factions who are at war over a planet. The planet, Nexus, contains large subterranean reserves of Kuyo, which is a liquid used in production of "pharmaceutical asset of significant strategic value". So it's very valuable and everyone is fighting over it.
The Three Factions:
1.) The merchants of Baha-char represented by Nuan Cee's clan (cute little fox people).
2.) The hope-crushing Horde represented by Otrokar (aliens that form their bodies for their jobs).
3.) The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr (vampires).
So needless to say, Dina's Inn is very full in this book. So she has to hire a chef to cook for all these people while she is constantly making sure Gertrude Hunt stay neutral and safe for all the new guests. The chef she hires ends up being my favorite character. Basically, he's an exiled giant porcupine, who's a former Red Cleaver chef, who is obsessed with mangoes and named Orro. I'm not really sure I have to say much more than that, but I can promise you if you read this book you, too, will fall in love with him!
This book is filled with Dina trying to keep the peace in her inn, while also trying to get all three factions to sign a peace treaty with one another. Obviously, it's no small task and has Dina constantly working with these very different clans. Some major twists and turns happen, which leaves the reader on the edge of their seat while trying to figure out all the mysteries.
Overall, I loved this installment and cannot wait for the third. Please, oh please give us Klaus in the next one. Dina needs him, and I sure as hell need to know more about him. The epilogue will probably leave you wanting more Sean, even though all I want is more Arland.
“I asked him if he was leaving anyone behind. He said he met a girl with stardust on her robe, and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the Universe looking back.”
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Apparently, Jack, George, Gaston, and Lark/Sophie are all from IA's other series The Edge. I haven't read this series yet, but going off my friend's reviews this is either going to make you very happy or completely turn you off of this book! I am kind of scared to read it, but I loved Sweep in Peace so maybe I'll dive in one day when my stacks of "to reads" isn't touching my bedroom ceiling.
Oh, and I also think you will be able to read this for free on IA's website, but I don't think all the chapters are up yet. Or maybe they took it down for the actual book release? Either way, I think you will eventually be able to read it for free, which is pretty neat.
Ilona Andrews has a gift that most authors do not have; every book they write makes me want to be a part of that world. I remember being so young while reading Harry Potter, and I felt the same magic after I finished every book. That crazy longing to want to live in that world, and be a part of that story. Maybe I'm just crazy, but that's what Ilona does for me that most other authors will never be able to achieve, and for that they will get my never ending applause. Hell, Kate Daniels is post-apocalyptic and I still want to live in that world! Seriously, my fan-girling has made me sick, but I'm too far gone for any cure.
Sweep in Peace starts right up from where Clean Sweep left off. Honestly, you could probably just jump in and read this one; you just might not appreciate it (or Sean) as much, but this book does a wonderful job filling in the blanks without making the reader feel overwhelmed with information. Dina and Gertrude Hunt are still the same, while Caldenia is still the Inn's only guest. Well, that soon changes when Dina accepts to host The Summit for three factions who are at war over a planet. The planet, Nexus, contains large subterranean reserves of Kuyo, which is a liquid used in production of "pharmaceutical asset of significant strategic value". So it's very valuable and everyone is fighting over it.
The Three Factions:
1.) The merchants of Baha-char represented by Nuan Cee's clan (cute little fox people).
2.) The hope-crushing Horde represented by Otrokar (aliens that form their bodies for their jobs).
3.) The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr (vampires).
So needless to say, Dina's Inn is very full in this book. So she has to hire a chef to cook for all these people while she is constantly making sure Gertrude Hunt stay neutral and safe for all the new guests. The chef she hires ends up being my favorite character. Basically, he's an exiled giant porcupine, who's a former Red Cleaver chef, who is obsessed with mangoes and named Orro. I'm not really sure I have to say much more than that, but I can promise you if you read this book you, too, will fall in love with him!
This book is filled with Dina trying to keep the peace in her inn, while also trying to get all three factions to sign a peace treaty with one another. Obviously, it's no small task and has Dina constantly working with these very different clans. Some major twists and turns happen, which leaves the reader on the edge of their seat while trying to figure out all the mysteries.
Overall, I loved this installment and cannot wait for the third. Please, oh please give us Klaus in the next one. Dina needs him, and I sure as hell need to know more about him. The epilogue will probably leave you wanting more Sean, even though all I want is more Arland.
“I asked him if he was leaving anyone behind. He said he met a girl with stardust on her robe, and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the Universe looking back.”
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November 21, 2015
Guys, if you haven't read an Ilona Andrews book, please, for the love of all things sane and holy, GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT AND READ HER NOW! Specifically the Innkeeper Chronicles series! Clean Sweep! Sweep in Peace! ALL OF HER BOOOKS!
This is, by far, the BEST urban fantasy I've ever read. EVER EVER EVER READ. You're probably thinking, "But, Faye, didn't you say a few months ago that it was Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series that was the best you've ever read?" That tidbit was very much true... until I've stumbled upon her more recent work, to which I would gleefully and willingly pay a limb to read the succeeding books. As soon as fucking possible.
Okay, fine, I'd also sacrifice a limb to read Anne Bishop's Marked in Flesh (The Others #4), too, but that's a post for another day.
I'd like to talk about why this book was the bomb, but seeing that this is the second part of a (hopefully long) series, I'd just go and talk about why it's AWESOME-SAUCE in general.
1.) AMAZING PREMISE. This is a series that is not boxed in by a single idea alone. You can see so many urban fantasies out there that are chained by their own premises - a world rife with vampires is only full of vampires. A world rife with werewolves is only full of werewolves. After these creatures, most of the time, there is no more room to grow and expand. Not unless you build the book up exceptionally, you can't just introduce a whole new creature to get to know and explore in a setting that has already been boxed in. But that's not the case with this series at all; in fact, you could even say that the possibilities here are just so endless. Welcome to Gertrude Inn, one of those neutral grounds on Earth where space creatures can take refuse in and rest as they travel the cosmos.
Which means, that's right - from vampires to sentients, from space foxes to space giants and other fantastic creatures - you have them all here. The space is literally the limit. There's so much potential here for different dynamics and extensive world-building, that even I feel so excited at the possibilities. In the second book, there is a summit to be held at the Gertrude Inn among warring space races, to finalize what needs to be done about a war that has been ongoing for decades and decades. Can you just imagine it? The powerful Vampires, the powerful Hope-Crushing Horde, and the mischevous Merchants of Baha-Char in one place?
It's gonna be a riot, let me tell you.
2.) AWESOME WORLD-BUILDING. And because of this, the world already feels so grand and big and FANTASTIC, and I really commend Ilona Andrews on how she's building it up. We don't have all the information immediately, but the things the first two books have already shown us definitely laid the foundation and successfully made me covet even more. You know that feeling where the book already has enough world-building set up and yet YOU JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE?! I am on the throes of suspense here as I wait for the future books to provide us even more introduction to other series, worlds, and situations happening in the universe.
Maybe it's because I do believe in aliens and that I see the universe and the cosmos as one big romantic thing waiting to be explored and deciphered.
Or maybe this series is just too great for words.
3.) AWESOME HEROINE. As an innkeeper, Dina has her oaths. She has to be neutral when it comes to space-political issues. She has to ensure that the human population must not know of these space creatures' existence. And she has to have visitors from outer space in order for her inn to survive, as it sustains itself with the magic and presence of these otherworldly visitors. And for me, she is super kick-ass. She may not be as reckless and impulsive as Kate Daniels in Andrews' other series, but she is undeniably charming and endearing in her own right. I mean, seriously, how can anyone not be amazed by someone who can keep up with all these powerful space beings?
Seriously, though, read this author if you haven't yet. READ THIS SERIES IF YOU HAVEN'T YET. She is basically my Brandon Sanderson in Urban Fantasy.
FOLLOW ME ALL OVER THE INTERWEBZ!
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This is, by far, the BEST urban fantasy I've ever read. EVER EVER EVER READ. You're probably thinking, "But, Faye, didn't you say a few months ago that it was Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series that was the best you've ever read?" That tidbit was very much true... until I've stumbled upon her more recent work, to which I would gleefully and willingly pay a limb to read the succeeding books. As soon as fucking possible.
Okay, fine, I'd also sacrifice a limb to read Anne Bishop's Marked in Flesh (The Others #4), too, but that's a post for another day.
I'd like to talk about why this book was the bomb, but seeing that this is the second part of a (hopefully long) series, I'd just go and talk about why it's AWESOME-SAUCE in general.
1.) AMAZING PREMISE. This is a series that is not boxed in by a single idea alone. You can see so many urban fantasies out there that are chained by their own premises - a world rife with vampires is only full of vampires. A world rife with werewolves is only full of werewolves. After these creatures, most of the time, there is no more room to grow and expand. Not unless you build the book up exceptionally, you can't just introduce a whole new creature to get to know and explore in a setting that has already been boxed in. But that's not the case with this series at all; in fact, you could even say that the possibilities here are just so endless. Welcome to Gertrude Inn, one of those neutral grounds on Earth where space creatures can take refuse in and rest as they travel the cosmos.
Which means, that's right - from vampires to sentients, from space foxes to space giants and other fantastic creatures - you have them all here. The space is literally the limit. There's so much potential here for different dynamics and extensive world-building, that even I feel so excited at the possibilities. In the second book, there is a summit to be held at the Gertrude Inn among warring space races, to finalize what needs to be done about a war that has been ongoing for decades and decades. Can you just imagine it? The powerful Vampires, the powerful Hope-Crushing Horde, and the mischevous Merchants of Baha-Char in one place?
It's gonna be a riot, let me tell you.
2.) AWESOME WORLD-BUILDING. And because of this, the world already feels so grand and big and FANTASTIC, and I really commend Ilona Andrews on how she's building it up. We don't have all the information immediately, but the things the first two books have already shown us definitely laid the foundation and successfully made me covet even more. You know that feeling where the book already has enough world-building set up and yet YOU JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE?! I am on the throes of suspense here as I wait for the future books to provide us even more introduction to other series, worlds, and situations happening in the universe.
Maybe it's because I do believe in aliens and that I see the universe and the cosmos as one big romantic thing waiting to be explored and deciphered.
Or maybe this series is just too great for words.
3.) AWESOME HEROINE. As an innkeeper, Dina has her oaths. She has to be neutral when it comes to space-political issues. She has to ensure that the human population must not know of these space creatures' existence. And she has to have visitors from outer space in order for her inn to survive, as it sustains itself with the magic and presence of these otherworldly visitors. And for me, she is super kick-ass. She may not be as reckless and impulsive as Kate Daniels in Andrews' other series, but she is undeniably charming and endearing in her own right. I mean, seriously, how can anyone not be amazed by someone who can keep up with all these powerful space beings?
Seriously, though, read this author if you haven't yet. READ THIS SERIES IF YOU HAVEN'T YET. She is basically my Brandon Sanderson in Urban Fantasy.
FOLLOW ME ALL OVER THE INTERWEBZ!
The Social Potato | Xpresso Reads | Not So Literary | Youtube | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Ask.fm
June 19, 2016
“I had one chance to impress the Arbiter and I had to improvise.”
Caldenia arched one eyebrow.
“I saw it in a movie once,” I explained. “It was easy to visualize.”
“Was it a movie for adults?”
“It had a talking candelabra who was friends with a grumpy clock.”
“I see.”
Great sequel. So much girl power and action. I definitely had so much fun reading this book and my love for Dina is just getting bigger and bigger. Also, Caldenia is da boss. Love her creepiness. Looking forward to reading the third installment!
August 19, 2020
Such a misleading title. If you are a Ilona Andrews fan, you must know by now that no one is at peace in their stories. There is always someone or the world to save and this was no exception.
April 29, 2023
Now we are getting somewhere... I loved the second instalment of the Innkeeper Chronicle series. Apparently this series ties in with a series that The Andrews' wrote called "The Edge" where some of the characters who were children in that series are now adults. However, if you are like me and are a Ilona Andrews novice, never fear! You wont lose anything by not knowing the characters... Although it will be interesting to read the other series to understand their story better.
Dina is back in the second instalment of the Innkeeper Chronicles. Her inn is sitting there idle, her sorta boyfriend/love interest Sean Evans is nowhere to be found, and her life has been totally dull and uneventful. Until an arbitrator named George comes to visit. He wants her to host a peace summit in her Inn, between three races who are killing each other over one mineral rich planet. It could be the opportunity that she is looking for to up her inns standing, however she also knows its most likely going to end in disaster! And how the hell is she going to feed so many people, vampires and other strange creatures!??
YAY!!! NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!! Oh how I loved this book so much more because of the LACK OF A LOVE TRIANGLE! Sure, the vampire still has the hots for her, but Dina's heart belongs to a sexy alpha werewolf... However... WHERE THE HELL WAS THE WEREWOLF!! 2 minutes of the book had Sean in it! Seriously! So obviously the romance was almost NADA - Sorry folks!!
But what it lacked in romance it made up for with wit, action and mystery. Killer story! Literally! I loved this one! Loved the magic, loved the plot and loved the action! There was only one more tiny little thing that turned me off it and that was it was a little slow in places. Listening to it was actually a challenge because I would keep losing interest and literally have to rewind it 10 minutes or so to figure out what on earth was happening! Might stick with paper/kindle versions of the next one. Don't get me wrong the narration is excellent, but it didn't quite hold me all the time. But of course it did have parts where I refused to take the headphones out of my ear because it was so good... I think it needed more Sean!
I enjoy Dina's character, even though at times she can be a bit high and mighty for my liking. A bit too goody goody. But that's just her, and I still love her. I can't wait for more books to come out and I can't wait to get into finding out what happened to her parents.
Would I recommend it?
Yeah for sure! So much fun! Even though you don't need to have read the first one it would probably help you get a grasp of what's happening and to get to know the characters more. Especially Sean and Dina because they are only together for like a paragraph in this one... BOO! Way to make me want to read the third one Mr and Mrs Andrews!!
Oh and GORGEOUS COVER!!!
For more reviews:
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Dina is back in the second instalment of the Innkeeper Chronicles. Her inn is sitting there idle, her sorta boyfriend/love interest Sean Evans is nowhere to be found, and her life has been totally dull and uneventful. Until an arbitrator named George comes to visit. He wants her to host a peace summit in her Inn, between three races who are killing each other over one mineral rich planet. It could be the opportunity that she is looking for to up her inns standing, however she also knows its most likely going to end in disaster! And how the hell is she going to feed so many people, vampires and other strange creatures!??
YAY!!! NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!! Oh how I loved this book so much more because of the LACK OF A LOVE TRIANGLE! Sure, the vampire still has the hots for her, but Dina's heart belongs to a sexy alpha werewolf... However... WHERE THE HELL WAS THE WEREWOLF!! 2 minutes of the book had Sean in it! Seriously! So obviously the romance was almost NADA - Sorry folks!!
But what it lacked in romance it made up for with wit, action and mystery. Killer story! Literally! I loved this one! Loved the magic, loved the plot and loved the action! There was only one more tiny little thing that turned me off it and that was it was a little slow in places. Listening to it was actually a challenge because I would keep losing interest and literally have to rewind it 10 minutes or so to figure out what on earth was happening! Might stick with paper/kindle versions of the next one. Don't get me wrong the narration is excellent, but it didn't quite hold me all the time. But of course it did have parts where I refused to take the headphones out of my ear because it was so good... I think it needed more Sean!
I enjoy Dina's character, even though at times she can be a bit high and mighty for my liking. A bit too goody goody. But that's just her, and I still love her. I can't wait for more books to come out and I can't wait to get into finding out what happened to her parents.
Would I recommend it?
Yeah for sure! So much fun! Even though you don't need to have read the first one it would probably help you get a grasp of what's happening and to get to know the characters more. Especially Sean and Dina because they are only together for like a paragraph in this one... BOO! Way to make me want to read the third one Mr and Mrs Andrews!!
Oh and GORGEOUS COVER!!!
For more reviews:
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/booksbabiesbeing
April 30, 2022
*** 4.44 ***
This was such a pleasure to read! It is hard for readers who are completely in love with Kate Daniels to truly appreciate how special Dina's character is. It is also not easy to give up the awesome worlds Ilona Andrews have gifted us with before and to embrace a whole new world. It is hard to replace Julie and the young wolf, but I have to ask you to not compare the characters of the Innkeeper books with the other beloved characters, but take them for who they are and do yourself a favor - this is still a creation of IA, and there is just no foreseeable way that they would give you anything less than touching, entertaining, and very, very imaginative! And yes, they deliver.
Dina is feeling lonely and somewhat lost, missing her parents, trying not to miss the urinating on every tree wolf, and wondering what to do to boost business and thus keep her Inn alive. Here comes George, all kinds of gorgeous and all types of trouble, but officially working as a Galactic Arbitrator. A war between three groups over one planet has been running for far too long and it is in the interest of peace and political balance that a deal has to be reached. The only problem - they need to find a neutral venue, which would be able to keep the very hostile parties from killing each other and all those around them. Would Dina and the Inn be stupid, or rather, brave enough to undertake such a risky proposition? Maybe they are just desperate enough for them to try...
I am in love with this world and I love the way the authors have found yet another group of characters for us to fall in love with! No, Dina is not Kate, but she is Dina and her story is just as enchanting, only in her own, a bit less flashy way. I would recommend it to anyone who loves stories that touch the tender places in your soul
This was such a pleasure to read! It is hard for readers who are completely in love with Kate Daniels to truly appreciate how special Dina's character is. It is also not easy to give up the awesome worlds Ilona Andrews have gifted us with before and to embrace a whole new world. It is hard to replace Julie and the young wolf, but I have to ask you to not compare the characters of the Innkeeper books with the other beloved characters, but take them for who they are and do yourself a favor - this is still a creation of IA, and there is just no foreseeable way that they would give you anything less than touching, entertaining, and very, very imaginative! And yes, they deliver.
Dina is feeling lonely and somewhat lost, missing her parents, trying not to miss the urinating on every tree wolf, and wondering what to do to boost business and thus keep her Inn alive. Here comes George, all kinds of gorgeous and all types of trouble, but officially working as a Galactic Arbitrator. A war between three groups over one planet has been running for far too long and it is in the interest of peace and political balance that a deal has to be reached. The only problem - they need to find a neutral venue, which would be able to keep the very hostile parties from killing each other and all those around them. Would Dina and the Inn be stupid, or rather, brave enough to undertake such a risky proposition? Maybe they are just desperate enough for them to try...
I am in love with this world and I love the way the authors have found yet another group of characters for us to fall in love with! No, Dina is not Kate, but she is Dina and her story is just as enchanting, only in her own, a bit less flashy way. I would recommend it to anyone who loves stories that touch the tender places in your soul
February 1, 2022
Re-read # 4; December 17th
Reread with IAA.
When I was rereading Clean Sweep I was mortified by how little details I remembered because I usually remember stuff like that. Things were much better with SiP. So I'm relieved :)
When I first read this book I was still a newbie of the IA world. And now that I've read all of their books and especially The Edge series I can appreciate Sweep in Peace even better. There's a bit of a crossover between the two series but you don't have to have read The Edge to enjoy this one. I certainly did the first time. But it was a hell of a lot more fun now when I knew so much more about George, Jack, Gaston and Sophie. I also understand why some readers had problems with them when the book was originally published. The characters are both so different and yet if you bother to look closely at them in the latter books of the Edge series you can see how they were already on the path that turned them into the characters of this book. And while I had some trouble reconciling the images of child George and his adult versionI loved seeing him again. The prologue gave me immense pleasure as I wanted for so long. Reading those words was almost orgasmic.
A little spoiler for the book but inevitable one as I'm going to talk a bit about one of the new characters. He is the new cook than Dina hires (this is the spoiler). I adored him. Which is one hell of a surprise because I generally hate drama and he is the very definition of drama queen. The scene when he is first introduced to the inn's kitchen made me laugh so hard that there were tears running down my face. Apart from it being a hilarious episode it also made me feel better for Sean, who felt like an idiot when he first set foot into the Inn's weird world. Poor Sean had no clue about aliens and alien technology as he was born and raised on Earth but apparently the inns are a mystery even to beings who are aware of them.
During my first read (and now for that matter) I was team Sean but rereading this I couldn't not stop to appreciate Arland. Even my subconscious got engaged and it resulted in some really nice dirty dreams. Which kind of makes me want to abandon my self-imposed restraint about reading Sweep of the Blade. I'm avoiding that because as you're well aware the chapters are published in an irregular fashion and I will go nuts between each new post. But damn knowing he is a main character there makes it so tempting!
There were a few other noteworthy moments, like when the vampire engineer was horrified by the fossil fuel car engine, or when the inn was feeling particularly grumpy towards George. And in the end these moments left me brimming with much needed positive energy. And now I'm off to try and convince all my friends to read this.
Original review:
I delayed reading this for quite some time because I wanted to keep it in reserve for a moment when I'll need some serious cheering up. I knew it will be perfect and guess what? It was! I love Dina and Gertrude Hunt! I want to live there. Even with all the danger and murderous inhabitants. Well one murderous inhabitant :) Dina is not your usual UF heroine. She's not a violent person, she doesn't actively seek trouble and most of all she lacks the typical suicidal streak of most MCs in UF. Still I love her. Or maybe it's the fact that she's so different that endears her to me. That doesn't mean she's not a badass. She's just not the typical badass.
The secondary characters are great. Well fleshed out and easy to like. Even the ones that are annoying are still likeable. Like Officer Maraias. Dina's interactions with him are simply hilarious. He's gonna cause problems in the future but damn he's funny. I can't wait to see how she'll handle him it the future. I'm glad that there are some recurring characters that are not permanent guests of the inn. And that little cameo from Dina's brother. Things are definitely heating up.
Reread with IAA.
When I was rereading Clean Sweep I was mortified by how little details I remembered because I usually remember stuff like that. Things were much better with SiP. So I'm relieved :)
When I first read this book I was still a newbie of the IA world. And now that I've read all of their books and especially The Edge series I can appreciate Sweep in Peace even better. There's a bit of a crossover between the two series but you don't have to have read The Edge to enjoy this one. I certainly did the first time. But it was a hell of a lot more fun now when I knew so much more about George, Jack, Gaston and Sophie. I also understand why some readers had problems with them when the book was originally published. The characters are both so different and yet if you bother to look closely at them in the latter books of the Edge series you can see how they were already on the path that turned them into the characters of this book. And while I had some trouble reconciling the images of child George and his adult versionI loved seeing him again. The prologue gave me immense pleasure as I wanted for so long. Reading those words was almost orgasmic.
A little spoiler for the book but inevitable one as I'm going to talk a bit about one of the new characters. He is the new cook than Dina hires (this is the spoiler). I adored him. Which is one hell of a surprise because I generally hate drama and he is the very definition of drama queen. The scene when he is first introduced to the inn's kitchen made me laugh so hard that there were tears running down my face. Apart from it being a hilarious episode it also made me feel better for Sean, who felt like an idiot when he first set foot into the Inn's weird world. Poor Sean had no clue about aliens and alien technology as he was born and raised on Earth but apparently the inns are a mystery even to beings who are aware of them.
During my first read (and now for that matter) I was team Sean but rereading this I couldn't not stop to appreciate Arland. Even my subconscious got engaged and it resulted in some really nice dirty dreams. Which kind of makes me want to abandon my self-imposed restraint about reading Sweep of the Blade. I'm avoiding that because as you're well aware the chapters are published in an irregular fashion and I will go nuts between each new post. But damn knowing he is a main character there makes it so tempting!
There were a few other noteworthy moments, like when the vampire engineer was horrified by the fossil fuel car engine, or when the inn was feeling particularly grumpy towards George. And in the end these moments left me brimming with much needed positive energy. And now I'm off to try and convince all my friends to read this.
Original review:
I delayed reading this for quite some time because I wanted to keep it in reserve for a moment when I'll need some serious cheering up. I knew it will be perfect and guess what? It was! I love Dina and Gertrude Hunt! I want to live there. Even with all the danger and murderous inhabitants. Well one murderous inhabitant :) Dina is not your usual UF heroine. She's not a violent person, she doesn't actively seek trouble and most of all she lacks the typical suicidal streak of most MCs in UF. Still I love her. Or maybe it's the fact that she's so different that endears her to me. That doesn't mean she's not a badass. She's just not the typical badass.
The secondary characters are great. Well fleshed out and easy to like. Even the ones that are annoying are still likeable. Like Officer Maraias. Dina's interactions with him are simply hilarious. He's gonna cause problems in the future but damn he's funny. I can't wait to see how she'll handle him it the future. I'm glad that there are some recurring characters that are not permanent guests of the inn. And that little cameo from Dina's brother. Things are definitely heating up.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1593184464i/98245866._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
September 11, 2022
Finally, the wait has ended! After only a short teaser in Clean Sweep, George and Jack and even Sophie and Gaston finally enter the stage (characters from the Edge series). Though I would have liked to see more of Jack, seeing adult George was a treat. What’s more, Sean Evans, Dina’s werewolf love interest, is (predictably) back - but the actual romance is still to come. (Thank you, dear authors, for not making this a love triangle.) I enjoyed this tremendously, even if the plot was a bit predictable. I'm getting more and more excited about this series!
February 13, 2017
*rates book*....checks in closet.....looks under bed....sits down and sighs in relief I escaped an attack for giving an Ilona Andrews book an average rating.
I was 'floored' by the first book in the Innkeeper Chronicles, Clean Sweep. It was cute, so unique nothing else came to mind that resembled it, fun in the potential future romance department, adventurous, just plain good. Now we have a much wanted-sequel, but here the brush bristles fell a little flat.
Don't get me wrong - it's "good". It's still unique and inventive, as the plot is ridiculously complex, digging into that supply closet filled with bizarre science-fiction style politics, creatures from other planets, a politically charged war fought in the Nexus. The ending was a creative way to solve a major issue and fix another one - my hat off in respect to the talented imagination of the authors when it comes to crafting plots, climaxes, and resolutions.
They faltered a bit with everything else, however; the downtime was too repetitive and I felt like most of the book was an educational journey. I didn't latch on to the characters to care enough before I was bombarded with info-dump left and right. Some of the scenes were amusing and some charming, but most of them just not that interesting.
As the innkeeper, Dina is cool in her abilities but she sparkled more in the original. Armand is still a fun character but he seems a little less shiny and kind of faded in the background. Orro was the award winning addition - I"ll be happy to see more of him in the future. All the other newcomers...interesting for plot sake but nothing that latched on to me.
I still greatly enjoy the series, even if this one didn't possess the same magic as the original. It's much too good a series to sweep under the rug (yes, I just went there), so I will definitely be continuing it. I'm too impatient to read serial chapters on the website, though, so I'll wait for the full release.
Better late than never, this was a book of the month (January) with SOS: Serious Overload of Series
January 27, 2016
This is such a clever series. I love the world building and I think I have said before I want an inn like Dina's!!! Just imagine what you could do with it.
To me the best part was the crossover by several of the characters from another series "The Edge" most importantly George and Jack. They are older now and considerably more dangerous but it is kind of nice to see what they grew up into.
Bring on the next instalment.........soon:)
To me the best part was the crossover by several of the characters from another series "The Edge" most importantly George and Jack. They are older now and considerably more dangerous but it is kind of nice to see what they grew up into.
Bring on the next instalment.........soon:)
April 27, 2022
✅ Characters
✅ World-building
✅ Pace
✅ Politics and intrigue
✅ The Inn & Innkeeper role
✅ Beautiful cover
✅🆗 Plot
✅🆗 Setting
🆗 Romance
Strong 3.5 stars
Dina Demille is still desperately looking for guests and money to save her Inn, so when she gets an offer to host a peace talk between three groups who'd been at war over a planet for decades, she has no real choice but to accept. She now has less than 48 hours to find a way to host, feed and entertain vampires, a horde of fierce warriors who have been locked in a bloody war with the vampires for decades, and a group of cunning merchants who wants to profit from the possible peace and seem to care about profit only.
I still enjoyed the mix of paranormal and sci-fi in the world-building, and this book had its uniqueness with its mix of magic, monsters, high-tech gadgets, and inter-galactic travels. Still, I feel that while being a very good book, the plot does not progress much. We still don't know shit about Dina's parents' disappearance, Klaus (her brother) was in the prologue but then was never mentioned again (why?! why mention him if he's not in the story?), and while there was action and intrigue in this book, it overall felt like Dina was simply trying to survive one crisis after the other. There is no bigger picture (not for her at least) besides having money to be able to continue living at the Inn.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book and it's fast-paced and very entertaining, I missed the "old Dina". She is not as fiery as in the first book, I missed her snarky conversations with Sean (who by the way was absent for most of the book), and I just wanted her to get pissed at the rude jerks residing at her Inn and to tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. Poor girl got manipulated, almost killed, and insulted way too much in two weeks. I am also pissed at Sean's absence, he is not there for the first 75% of the book, and then he has 2 or 3 bland interactions with Dina and that's it. My romantic/steamy quota has not been reached. Not even close, and there were many other gorgeous guys at the Gertrude Hunt so I was expecting at least a little flirting...
The setting also bothered me a little. Literally, everything happened at the Inn. Dina left to do some grocery and weapon shopping and that's about it. I love the Inn and its magic, but a change of scenery every once in a while would have been refreshing.
On the plus side, Orro is a great new character that seems to be a permanent addition to the Inn. He's basically an over-anxious hedgehog who just wants to be able to cook in peace and have people appreciate his cooking. He is not a main character of this book, but I really loved him and I hope he will be there in the next book too (and won't pull a Sean and disappear for 75% of it).
Caldenia is also awesome in this book. She is not present much, but every time she's there she makes me smile or laugh out loud so I have no choice but to like her.
While I'm having a few complaints, this book is still a great, quick, and entertaining read and I will continue with this series for sure.
Gerard Demille and Helen meet ⭐⭐⭐
Clean Sweep ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ World-building
✅ Pace
✅ Politics and intrigue
✅ The Inn & Innkeeper role
✅ Beautiful cover
✅🆗 Plot
✅🆗 Setting
🆗 Romance
Strong 3.5 stars
Dina Demille is still desperately looking for guests and money to save her Inn, so when she gets an offer to host a peace talk between three groups who'd been at war over a planet for decades, she has no real choice but to accept. She now has less than 48 hours to find a way to host, feed and entertain vampires, a horde of fierce warriors who have been locked in a bloody war with the vampires for decades, and a group of cunning merchants who wants to profit from the possible peace and seem to care about profit only.
Caldenia blinked. “Who are the attending parties?”
“The Holy Anocracy represented by House Krahr, the Hope-crushing Horde, and the Merchants of Baha-char. They coming here for Arbitration and they will probably try to murder each other the moment they walk through the door.”
Caldenia’s eyes widened. “Do you really think so? This is absolutely marvelous!”
She would think so, wouldn’t she?
I still enjoyed the mix of paranormal and sci-fi in the world-building, and this book had its uniqueness with its mix of magic, monsters, high-tech gadgets, and inter-galactic travels. Still, I feel that while being a very good book, the plot does not progress much. We still don't know shit about Dina's parents' disappearance, Klaus (her brother) was in the prologue but then was never mentioned again (why?! why mention him if he's not in the story?), and while there was action and intrigue in this book, it overall felt like Dina was simply trying to survive one crisis after the other. There is no bigger picture (not for her at least) besides having money to be able to continue living at the Inn.
“She is in particular interested in the Ennui predator. She very much likes its demeanor and coloring in the images. She understand she may not get that particular one, but perhaps one that resembles it? A young one?”
The Ennui predator. “Where did she find these images?”
“On your planet’s holonet,” Nuan Ara said helpfully.
We didn’t have holonet. We had internet… Oh. “So, the esteemed grandmother would like a kitten that looks like Grumpy Cat?” I picked up my laptop, typed in the image search for Grumpy Cat, and showed him the picture.
“Yes!”
“I will see what I can do.”
Although I really enjoyed reading this book and it's fast-paced and very entertaining, I missed the "old Dina". She is not as fiery as in the first book, I missed her snarky conversations with Sean (who by the way was absent for most of the book), and I just wanted her to get pissed at the rude jerks residing at her Inn and to tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. Poor girl got manipulated, almost killed, and insulted way too much in two weeks. I am also pissed at Sean's absence, he is not there for the first 75% of the book, and then he has 2 or 3 bland interactions with Dina and that's it. My romantic/steamy quota has not been reached. Not even close, and there were many other gorgeous guys at the Gertrude Hunt so I was expecting at least a little flirting...
The setting also bothered me a little. Literally, everything happened at the Inn. Dina left to do some grocery and weapon shopping and that's about it. I love the Inn and its magic, but a change of scenery every once in a while would have been refreshing.
My future chef was an oversized, hysterical hedgehog with a martyr complex.
On the plus side, Orro is a great new character that seems to be a permanent addition to the Inn. He's basically an over-anxious hedgehog who just wants to be able to cook in peace and have people appreciate his cooking. He is not a main character of this book, but I really loved him and I hope he will be there in the next book too (and won't pull a Sean and disappear for 75% of it).
“Dina, I’m bored,” Caldenia announced.
Too bad. I guaranteed her safety, not entertainment. “What about your game?”
Her Grace gave me a shrug. “I’ve beaten it five times on the Deity setting. I’ve reduced Paris to ashes because Napoleon annoyed me. I’ve eradicated Gandhi. I’ve crushed George Washington. Empress Wu had potential, so I eliminated her before we even cleared Bronze Age. The Egyptians are my pawns. I dominate the planet. Oddly, I find myself mildly fascinated by Genghis Khan. A shrewd and savage warrior, possessing a certain magnetism. I left him with a single city, and I periodically make ridiculous demands that I know he can’t meet so I can watch him squirm.”
Caldenia is also awesome in this book. She is not present much, but every time she's there she makes me smile or laugh out loud so I have no choice but to like her.
While I'm having a few complaints, this book is still a great, quick, and entertaining read and I will continue with this series for sure.
Gerard Demille and Helen meet ⭐⭐⭐
Clean Sweep ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
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