Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews @ilona_andrews ‏@nyliterary

Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Atlanta was always a dangerous city. Now, as waves of magic and technology compete for supremacy, it’s a place caught in a slow apocalypse, where monsters spawn among the crumbling skyscrapers and supernatural factions struggle for power and survival.

Eight years ago, Julie Lennart left Atlanta to find out who she was. Now she’s back with a new face, a new magic, and a new name—Aurelia Ryder—drawn by the urgent need to protect the family she left behind. An ancient power is stalking her adopted mother, Kate Daniels, an enemy unlike any other, and a string of horrifying murders is its opening gambit.

If Aurelia’s true identity is discovered, those closest to her will die. So her plan is simple: get in, solve the murders, prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, and get out without being recognized. She expected danger, but she never anticipated that the only man she'd ever loved could threaten everything.

One small misstep could lead to disaster. But for Aurelia, facing disaster is easy; it’s relationships that are hard.

Blood Heir is the first book of Aurelia Ryder, the spin off series from the hit series, Kate Daniels. I’m a huge Ilona Andrews fan, they are my favorite UF/PNR writers so I may be slightly biased in my review, but I will attempt to keep fangirling to a minimum.

Julie left town at the end of Magic Triumphs to head off into parts unknown.  It is now years later, she looks different, smells different and her magic is also a little bit different.  She is back in Atlanta to fight against the a new big bad and save Kate and Curran.  Oracles never call with good news and Julie got the worst, if Kate knows about the new enemy, she will try to fight it and lose.  It is up to Julie, and a blast from her past, to team up in order to save her family.

First, do you need to have read the Kate Daniels series to read this book.  While not totally necessary, I do think knowing all the players and some histories will make the book even more enjoyable.  There are a lot of players from the main series that show up and we get to see what their lives look like later.

Conlan is a little terror, as you would expect from Kate and Curran’s child, but he is a great little brother to Julie.  There are a few cameos by some of my other favorites from the original series including Barabas, Christopher, Ascanio, Hugh and many more.

I loved the growth Julie has had since she left Atlanta.  She is smarter stronger and definitely an adult now.  All the years of training with Erra have paid off and she really has come into her own skin.  Derek, well he is a surprise and I have so many questions about him.  But Ilona is adamant he is not a First so Derek will definitely have a very cool backstory going on what happened to him while he was away from Atlanta.

Blood Heir is a good first book in a series.  It did everything a first book it is series should do, setting up an overall plot arc, introducing the characters, beginning a possible romance *wink, wink* and delivering a solid story.  My rating is probably a little inflated due to my fangirl status but it felt like coming home to a world a fell in love with over years.  I’m so excited for all the possibilities for the next two books of the series.

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Robin

Reviewer at Books of My Heart

Reading is my #1 addiction…I’d go to a support group for it but who are we kidding -  I have no intentions of quitting anytime soon. By day, I’m a chemist and can be found sciencing and listening to books. On nights and weekends, I’m a wannabe Spartan and am often training and listening to books. I straight up LOVE almost everything by Brandon Sanderson and Ilona Andrews; they are my flagship authors and I might be slightly impartial where they are concerned. My other guilty pleasures are unusual fairytale retellings and uber alpha males.


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