Innkeeper Chronicles - Sweep of the Heart (December 2022/January 2023)

[Nirkatze]

Nyssa wrote: "Sweep of the Heart has [spoilers removed]
And I am glad to know that [spoilers removed]! :D"

I had an OMG moment on the (view spoiler)[SPACE CHICKENS!!! (hide spoiler)] too. And I feel it is incorrectly spelled if not in all caps. I did the audiobook, but also have the ebook, and it has a picture of them in it! Here:
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

I may have to make that my background...

[Nyssa]

1. The pic is on the site too! LOL
2. I also have both the audio & ebook for Sweep with Me. I had to get used to that narrator, but I enjoyed it. I wrote a review for each version.

[Narilka]

I started Sweep with Me today. It's the perfect antidote for a book I'm having trouble with :)

[Choko]

Just started Sweep With Me:) Ooohh:) Matching robes! How romantic, hahaha!

[Choko]

Hahaha! OK, the philosopher space chickens are awesome! Orro trying to make a fast food burger, absolutely hilarious, but him wanting to go in the audience for a TV chef, this is a recipe for disaster!!! I am almost scared to see what happens:)

[Nyssa]

Choko wrote: "Hahaha! OK, the philosopher space chickens are awesome! Orro trying to make a fast food burger, absolutely hilarious, but him wanting to go in the audience for a TV chef, this is a recipe for disas..."

Be afraid! Be very afraid!

[Choko]

Nyssa, haha! You are not kidding! I want to adopt Orro so badly!!! That was not a True Chef! He broke Orro's heart!

This was very cute:) Short and sweet, just enough to make my day better:)))

[Narilka]

I finished Sweep with Me. It's too short! (view spoiler)[And what's with the two abrupt endings in a row. (hide spoiler)] Really glad the next book is shaping up to be full length :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I don't think Sweep With Me was a planned book... it was a short christmas "antidote book" for the authors and readers, around Christmas 2020?

Anyway... I read it and loved it, even if it resolved the Innkeeper Meeting plot way too fast... so much for getting a bigger picture of the Innkeeper Assembly and all their uselessness...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Those (view spoiler)[space chickens look alot more like simple chickens than I was expecting... not sure why I'm surprised... but I kinda am... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

The ebook had artwork for that. I guess it's also on the author's website?

[Tonari no Emily]

Also finished this one recently, it was definitely very short. Agree with Iain that it kinda resolved (view spoiler)[ the Innkeeper Meeting to quickly... (hide spoiler)]

Seems like Sean calmed down a bit in this one not getting as many alpha a-hole moments xD

Can I have Orro live with me and cook for me please :,) (view spoiler)[ Him getting upset at the TV chef was so funny and also made me want to give him a hug. So happy to see he reconnected with his mentor :) (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

No you can not! Orro's coming to cook for me instead :D lol

[Choko]

Me! I adore that overdramatic creature:)))))

[Nyssa]

So I completely fell behind in reading Sweep of the Heart. I got through Chapter 5, I think.

I'm currently reading three other books (and I haven't even cracked Cradle #6 yet).

I hope to finish The Kaiju Preservation Society today and then the rest of Project Hail Mary tomorrow.

[Nirkatze]

@Emily, Choko, Narilka--I think we need a timeshare on Orro...

I haven't even started Sweep of the Heart yet--I was kinda hoping the online publication would finish before I started. :) Anyone want to take bets on how many chapters it will be? I'm putting money on 24.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm waiting for the story end... then I'll either read the ebook or wait for audio, depending on delay time...

[Narilka]

I'm also waiting on Sweep of the Heart for the finished story.

[Nirkatze]

Glad I'm not the only one! Good to be in company. :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

6 more chapters is another 2 months, at least, right?... they don't always manage a chapter a week, do they?... 18 chapters have taken 6 months...

[Narilka]

You are probably right. It could end up coinciding with the release of Ruby Fever :)

[Narilka]

Reviving this thread! Sweep of the Heart released yesterday :D Did anyone want to keep the series going?

[Nyssa]

Definitely; however, it might be a few weeks before I can read it. My January calendar is FULL!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Reviving this thread! Sweep of the Heart released yesterday :D Did anyone want to keep the series going?"

I bought the ebook... probably start it at work tomorrow... not sure how fast I'll be, but I didn't want to wait for the audiobook... kinda excited to see it listed at over 450 pages... and the review I saw on Amazon said questions are answered and new ones left unanswered... there's only 1 book left in Dina's story, right?... and alot of room to continue in the world with the Maud/Arland story...

[Nirkatze]

Nyssa wrote: "Definitely; however, it might be a few weeks before I can read it. My January calendar is FULL!"

January full? Quick, read before January starts!!

j/k--I know my December is pretty packed too, I imagine that's true for others...

I'm not seeing the Audiobook release date anywhere--the author website (https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2022/sw...) just says the audiobook will be recorded in October--but October 2022? 2023? Hoping 2022, since the post was from Sept 2022... Maybe wait for Audiobook release date to schedule reading time? I know there's a few folks who plan to do the audio...

I'm definitely game for Sweep of the Heart regardless!

[Narilka]

I bought the ebook too. I'm planning to start after I wrap up Dresden, so probably tomorrow.

[Narilka]

Sweep of the Heart

Ch 4 (view spoiler)["Sometimes when Olasard persisted in his feline entitlement, I gently booped him on the nose with my finger. The gray Maine Coon always looked stunned, as if I had committed an outrage so great, he simply couldn't come to terms with it. The sphinx looked just like that.

OMG hahaha I have 3 cats, I know exactly that look!! This chapter with a space chicken schooling a sphinx is hilarious :) (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Read a couple chapters at work today, like I said I would... I like the changes in format... there's a Character List somewhere in the book (didn't check it, yet)... and each chapter starts with a little summary of the book so far / previous chapter (a holdover from the web serial that readers found fun), and I really like it... it has the feeling of the narrator in an anime... what's gonna happen next?... stay tune to find out...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Sweep of the Heart

Ch 4 "..."

Yea... I haven't checked the character list yet... and at first I didn't know if we were supposed to know who/what the First Scholar was... but as soon as the description started, I was like, SPACE CHICKENS!!!

I love how this series just has a crazy mythos of races/characters to draw from, and loves bringing characters back, as much as possible... it's not one and done and you never see them again (except for them phoenix deities in space suits that moved to the far edges of the galaxy, after book 2)

[Narilka]

The character list is at the end. I haven't looked at it either lol

[Narilka]

Ch 9 (view spoiler)[That was a nice summary of The Edge for us. It's nice that Sophie and George finally got married.

With Gaston and the Nuans arrived, I'm thinking it's time for the real story to start :) (hide spoiler)]

I continue to find the descriptions of Orro's cooking divine.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 10 & 20%, myself…

I’m loving everything about this book… tons of characters and callbacks and growth/developments… and new characters/species… and the little italics bits at the start of each chapter…

[Narilka]

Through Ch 17. Me too, I love this book. (view spoiler)[Dina's power increase. The inn is swimming in magic right now and she's tied to the power of her inn so it seems to make sense she'd have a lot of power with her at the moment. Unless you think she's becoming more ad hal herself?

The minor crossover with Karat joining is fun. It's Maud without being Maud lol

I followed the blog but didn't read the story early. I remember the voting posts. It all makes sense now. Very cleverly done and lets the fans participate. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Through Ch 17...." (view spoiler)[I definitely think she's potentially an ad-hal hybrid... she's done alot she shouldn't have been able to, throughout the series... the magic at Cosco... overcoming the death of a seedling... etc... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

They put a quiz on their website: Which Intergalactic Bachelor delegation do you belong in

https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/quiz-w...

Bwahahaha, I got Temple of Desire: "You find yourself swathed in the veils of the acolytes of the Temple of Desire. You are not surprised, for harmony and enlightenment are your constant companions. At a sign from the High Priestess, you can show the world that darkness and light both have a place on the scale."

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

More on my Dina theory, given time to gestate… (view spoiler)[ anyone can be an Innkeeper… it’s a calling… but adhals are generally children of Innkeepers, without an available Inn of their own (speculation)… so, something about being born/gestating near the Inn’s magic helps them have an inner core of magic to become an adhal?…

Dina (and Maud/Klaus) are special cases… not only were they born to Innkeepers, but their father spent over a century in stasis in an Inn…

That’s my theory, fleshed out… (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Chapter 11: Unessa (view spoiler)[Will conceive children with love and care, to smother their enemies before they take root. And Harmony. (hide spoiler)]

ROFL

[Narilka]

Your theory seems sound.

Unessa (view spoiler)[Oh my yes lol so many funny statements. They are summed up at the end in the Dramatis Personae so definitely don't read if you don't want spoilers. (hide spoiler)]

I finished. I loved this book. (view spoiler)[How the heck did the Inn grow a root to House Krahar's home planet? Is it helping keep Dina's family together and knows Maud and Helen are there? I knew Gertrude Hunt had sapience but wow.

That ending, I knew it was Dina's parent's inn as soon as she started walking through with the magic trying to go to her. I'm glad she was able to save the cutting. I wonder what kind of repercussions that will have later on now that it is bonded with Gertrude Hunt.

It was great to have the answer that her parents are definitely alive. With that nice tease at the start about Klaus, I'm thinking maybe 2 more books to find their parents. We'll need a full book to get Klaus back in the picture IMO.

I can see they are sort of trying to pair Karat with Gaston. Wouldn't that be interesting.

I don't know why but part way through I was wondering how that would work it of the Prince had ended up with the fish lol I'm glad that it all worked out in the end. It's a nice temporary HEA for him until the next war or whatever breaks out.

Sneaky authors pulled a nice fake with Caldenia at first. It's also really great to get her back story. I wish she'd been in the story more. (hide spoiler)]

I am really looking forward to the next one. Fingers crossed they will start writing it next year.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I read a bit more... still got alot to go... might read at home the next few days... might continue to just read on breaks at work...

Nice to see my theory isn't crazy...

I definitely want to know where's going on with Caldenia in this book... so many hinted machinations...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The audio is up on Audible Pre-Order, with a January 13th release...

I might end up finishing this on audio... I've already lost a week, being sick, and not getting any reading done at work, lately...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The audio is out now, if anyone wants to read... I'm probably going to re-start it...

[Choko]

Tell me when, Iain...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Right now… I’m on chapter 5ish…

[Choko]

I will start this afternoon then... While watching football:)))

[Tonari no Emily]

I just got it. Will start when I have a moment..

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Looks like I meant chapter 7, not 5, and I'm a few chapters further now... made it to 14ish in ebook last month...

After discussions previously, I'm hyperaware this is the 3rd narrator for the series... Renee Raudman, the new narrator for the Maud book and the previous Dina book, and now a new Dina narrator... I dunno if it was an availability thing, or about getting different narrators for the 2 sisters...

This one gives the story / main characters a bit of a southern twang (makes sense, set in Texas)... the summaries/epigraphs at the start of each chapter have a British accent, which immediately made me think of Caldenia, and that was validated later on when she first appeared in the story... not sure if there's a reason that matters or not...

Also, she gives Gaston a Louisiana/French/Cajun accent, I think?... also makes sense, given his backstory in The Mire, in The Edge series... it makes him a bit harder to parse, tho, but luckily I read these chapters before and can try to get used to it before reaching new dialogue from him...

[Tonari no Emily]

Oh no... hope the accents aren't overstated for Texas :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I think there's also a vibration noise in the background of the audio...

EDIT: Went and checked Audible... nobody else is mentioning it (despite half the reviews being unhappy with the narrator for vairous reasons), so it's probably only something that's a thing because I listen at 2.7x speed...

It also reminded me about the one other issue... Wilmos... the narrator pronounces it Wilmos instead of Vilmosh (the way the previous 2 narrators pronounced it... the werewolf on Baha-char that sent Sean to Nexus)...

[Narilka]

Huh. I've always pronounced it Wilmos in my head too. Go figure.

If you slow the speed down does the background noise go away?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Narilka wrote: "Huh. I've always pronounced it Wilmos in my head too. Go figure.

If you slow the speed down does the background noise go away?"

It comes and goes... and now neighbor is playing bassy drum music in their car outside, and sometimes I hear that over audio... so not sure if I heard it for real recently or not... I know I heard something similar earlier and didn't mention it...