IAAA - Ilona Andrews Addicts Anonymous: Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5+ & Kinsmen Universe #1-3 (October 2024)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished Sweep of the Blade which catches me up on this mega buddy read finally! I liked this one but man that ending!Loved the action in this one and Helen was adorable <3"

The next unreleased book (view spoiler)[is supposed to be the wedding and plot arc finale... Dina, Maud, and Klaus together at last, getting revenge and answers once and for all... with the possibility of future stories past the plot finale...

Before then, you've got 2-3 more Innkeeper stories to read next month, and some actual movement on the overarcing plot in the final released book at least... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Marie wrote: "I finished the first book some time ago and really enjoyed it. Reading so much IA in a row makes me notice a lot of sameness in characters and interactions but they always come up with a cool idea ..."

Like I said in the Hidden Legacy thread... I think HL 1-3 is their crispest trilogy in the IA formula/mold, after first attempts in KD & Edge... but I like the funness and weirdness of Innkeeper Chronicles more (if a bit rough around the edges at times for being a web serial first and foremost)...

[Ann-Marie]

Hidden Legacy has been my favorite so far but the last few of Kate Daniels was very enjoyable, I liked it when their circle grew which is why I am concerned to read the Wilmington books!

[Nirkatze]

Agree! Hidden Legacy takes the cake for me too so far, and I think Innkeeper second? I really enjoyed the Kate books once we got further into the story.

I read #2 Sweep in Peace a week or so ago and enjoyed the reread. I think I got more out of it the second time around... I remember having trouble with the cup-and-button style switching game of whodunnit on my first read. I love the introduction of the merchants--cute cuddly-looking creatures that are completely cutthroat. (view spoiler)[And I enjoyed the tension between the Horde and the Vampires--especially, as @Ann-Marie says, when Dina gets to "kick some ass with her broom."

I really enjoy the reveal of Sean as the planet Boogeyman, and while I wish Dina had extracted even more from the merchants than just Sean's freedom, that act was a sweet setup for further romance, with a nice side of growing up/dealing with trauma for Sean. (hide spoiler)]

Started #3 One Fell Sweep and really looking forward to the introduction of (view spoiler)[Maude & daughter. (hide spoiler)] I'd forgotten this was where they're introduced.

[Nirkatze]

In #3 One Fell Sweep. Okay Wandering Inn readers, raise your hand if you were delighted when Helen said (view spoiler)["Is it War?" and thought smilingly of Ksmvr? (hide spoiler)] Don't be shy now.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

FOR SURE :D

[Charlie]

I love little Helen so much, she's adorable.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I love Helen, and Maud is pretty great, too... Maud + Arland...

I re-read Sweep of the Blade, last night, and it really IS a chance for Ilona Andrews to re-do the Magic Rises plot after some fan criticisms (I think)... afaik, the Magic Rises romantic drama is one of the biggest fan complaints of the series, unless I'm just inflating my own feelings on the subject, and some top reviews on GR...

In the first chunk of this book here, Maud suggests some of the same ideas, and Arland just flat out rejects them... maybe Curran could learn a few lessons :D

It also works pretty great in the end, overall...

Altho, I DO think this is the start / middle of the authors doing alot of end of book plot hooks that don't necessarily go anywhere for awhile...

(view spoiler)[Book 3 had Sebastian North, and the cat's collar... this book has Klaus showing up... book 3 or 5 has the threat of an Innkeeper Conclave over events at Gertrude Hunt that fizzles...

Things finally start coming to a head in the last released book with Dina, and plans for a conclusion in the next book or 2, with Maud's wedding as a battleground for the final showdown with the series villains... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Really looking forward to that reread; will probably jump in this weekend.

You'll have to remind me though--which one was Magic Rises? These generically named series really wreak havoc on memory...

Finished #3 One Fell Sweep not long after last post and really enjoyed it... such a nice combination of heart-string tuggers, cuteness, and kick-assery... not to mention series-panning secrets...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Really looking forward to that reread; will probably jump in this weekend.

You'll have to remind me though--which one was Magic Rises? These generically named series really wreak havoc on memory....."

Kate & Curran and the pack go to European Castle to get Panacea... downplay their relationship for tactical reasons (without discussing it first, so it's a relationship betrayal), drama/plot ensues...

[Nirkatze]

Oh yeah... I really enjoyed that book, except for that part...

[Nirkatze]

Started #4 Sweep of the Blade--through Chapter 8--and I really appreciate how it starts with Maude's POV of some scenes from #3. Usually I find those meh, but this was a cool insight into Vampire cultural view of things--(view spoiler)[I especially noted her reaction to Dina picking up Helen, which she critiques Dina for in #3.

There's been some great lines---there was one I wanted to remember when I started typing, but forgot by the time I got to this sentence. Also loving Helen's cuteness.

I'm really enjoying how Maude is able to come out on top of each challenge through smart application of knowledge. At the dinner, with all the sneering vampirites, impressing Arlan's family too.

Maude just dropped that Gerard isn't her biological father. I'm guessing that means he wasn't Klaus's either--but might possibly be Dina's? I wonder if that is going to come in to play with some genetic secrets or pop-up bio-parent at some point. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

New month, new round of books... I forgot how short Sweep With Me was... it was a Christmas novella a few years ago, bit of a gift to fans/themselves, in between other writing commitments... web serial only ran for 2 months or so, I think... full books run for more like 6-8 months, I think?...

This means this thread is a super light commitment this month... only Sweep of the Heart is a full-length book...

The Kinsman Universe are some super short stories/novellas... 2 were written a long time ago, early in Ilona Andrews career, and one was written more recently, out of the blue and a bit longer... I've actually only read the 3rd entry before, I think...

[Diana Stormblessed]

Forgot to leave a review here for Sweep of the Blade. My first time through I liked it a lot better than Dina's POV but I think it's mostly cuz I read these right after Kate Daniels and Maude is def more like Kate than Dina is. I liked the story. It was easier to follow for me than the last book in the series. And I love Helen.

[Nirkatze]

Helen is the cutest.

Read #4.5 Sweep with Me this week and was also surprised at how short it was. It does feel like a holiday novella now that you say so, @Iain--like a bonus gift. I was also surprised at how little of this story remained in my memory. I didn't remember anything about it when starting the reread... (view spoiler)[And once we met the lady from the Mountain, I started combing my memory to see if maybe she was someone we'd already met... I guess not, but she did seem like she could have fit in the Edge books easily, with how obnoxiously demanding of instant comeuppance her uncle was. That was a satisfying ending.

Also enjoyed the debate chickens... being sidetracked by the "chicken or the egg" question. Fun bits of chaos. (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Just finished Sweep with me. Forgot how short it was. And actually forgot everything about it, except the philosophical space chickens. Those rang a bell lol. It was an ok read, but too short to really leave an impression.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "Just finished Sweep with me. Forgot how short it was. And actually forgot everything about it, except the philosophical space chickens. Those rang a bell lol. It was an ok read, but too short to re..."

Yea... it's definitely short... the aliens in this series always leave an impression... doing audio, we miss out on all the commissioned art, too...

Was about to say I feel like I've gotten way ahead of everyone on these, sticking to my spreadsheet schedule for the most part, but you're close behind...

I'm about to start Kinsmen Universe, the Kinsmen 1-2+new short story omnibus... this is a new read for me, despite reading Kinsmen 3 before, Fated Blades

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Read Silver Shark... it really is a pretty bared boned romance in space...

[Diana Stormblessed]

Just finished Sweep of the Heart. This is def my favorite of the series so far. My only complaint is there are SO many new people introduced that it was really hard to keep them all straight.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea… the important stuff is Caldenia-related and Sebastian North stuff…

Really good tho… hyped for next book release…

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished Kinsmen Universe books... Fated Blades is definitely the best of the bunch, by a fairly large margin... you can definitely tell they're revisiting the setting after a long break and more writing experience... and the story has twice as long to breath before ending...

[Nirkatze]

Read #5 Sweep of the Heart a few weeks ago and I still enjoy it about the same as the other books... the over-the-top Bachelor show with behind-the-scenes shenanigans is a lot of fun. (view spoiler)[One of the things I like the most is how it showcases how far Sean has come, both into his innkeeper powers and as a partner to Dina. I wish the werewolf plotline had been bigger--I was enjoying seeing her get smacked down over and over again.

One of my favorite scenes was the Sphinx v. philosophy chicken. Not only were the riddles fun (if rather easy), the end where the chicken roasts the Sphinx not only for delivery but style was precious. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Read Kinsmen Universe this week and it was really interesting seeing the authors branch into more SF. This is in the Edge/Inkeeper universe, right? There was a mention of an Arbiter at the beginning, making me think this is in one of those distantly connected worlds... Plus we're reading it in this thread... Anyway, I enjoyed the stories. I was a bit surprised at the speed of the pacing, and the sex scenes seemed another degree of racy, but I adjusted my expectations accordingly. (view spoiler)[I enjoyed the comeuppance, especially in the first story, with the rejected child-bride taking her revenge through making her promised beau fall in love with her... that's a trope I have fun with. Comeuppance!

The second one with the mind-magic was interesting, but didn't stand out to me much otherwise. The last one... some of the contract-conversations were rather ick.. made me think of Fifty Shades of Grey. Though I like how the MC managed to turn that around into a kind of filibuster until she got something out of it. (hide spoiler)]

I like the world-building, and am glad that @Iain said the next one is the best one. Looking forward to it.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I dunno if Kinsmen is connected… mostly here because Innkeeper ran out midmonth and we didn’t need another IAAA thread…