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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Every single time I read a book by this duo, I am blown away by the great writing, great characters, and great plot. I have read their Kate Daniels series, and I admit to some serious misgivings about making Hugh a main character in this latest by them. But, as I should have known, they pulled this off with great skill. Did they alter his character to fit? No, not really. However, we get a huge glimpse of what makes him tick and why he is the way he is. And, wow, his love interest Elara was a perfect match for him. She is a very strong character in her own right, someone who was very fitting to show Hugh another way and how love is just as important. He is still the same person, but just so much better. I loved the slow build up, the world, and just how well everything came together. I wish I could say more, but I think this book is just something you have to experience for yourself. I am really looking forward to reading more in Hugh and Elara’s world and I can’t more highly recommend this book! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
Omg
Wow.... just wow. I knew this was gonna be good but it surpassed my expectations. Thank you!! It was amazing!! Can’t wait until August and then the next 2 books in this trilogy!!!
Wow.... just wow. I knew this was gonna be good but it surpassed my expectations. Thank you!! It was amazing!! Can’t wait until August and then the next 2 books in this trilogy!!!
Avoided reading this book because I rarely enjoy ‘he’s an asshole with a heart of gold’ stories. But after reading Magic Triumphs I knew I had to try it. And it was worth it.
Wow. Who knew that I would end up liking Hugh by the end of this book. I am still kind of appalled I like him and am rooting for him and Elara. I know some people would say that you can read this book as a standalone, but I really do think you have to read the Kate Daniels series first just so you can see Hugh in action, and get why many of the characters in the Kate Daniels series are not going to be opening their arms to welcome the guy.
The characters were fantastic, I loved the setting up of the marriage between Elara and Hugh. I am still intrigued about what magic Elara is tapping into and went crazy Googling the other day to figure out what power she could have and from what being. All in all I did not want this book to end. I don't know if I can wait until next year for the next installment of the Iron Covenant.
Readers should know Hugh by now. After the events in the Kate Daniels series, Roland (Kate's father) tosses him away and now that Hugh is without Roland in his head at all times, he feels alone and adrift. He has started drinking himself into a stupor and doesn't care what happens to him. When his loyal Iron Dogs come to find him, he realizes that if he doesn't step up that the Iron Dogs are going to be wiped out by Nez. Hugh starts looking for a place to settle with his people and then is offered an interesting proposition. He can marry a woman named Elara Harper (or the White Lady) and live among her and her people in a castle in Kentucky.
Hugh and Elara dislike each other on sight and though they don't want to marry each other, realize it is the best thing for their people in order to form an alliance against Nez who seems to be hell-bent on wiping out Elara and her people as well with his vampires.
Hugh is messed up, but you get why. I love how Andrews shows how Voron and Roland found him centuries ago and what Hugh's magic abilities allow him to do (heal himself and others). It was indoctrinated in Hugh that Roland was always right, but now he realizes that he is rightfully not trusted by people due to his breaking his word every single time due to Roland's orders. He wants to belong somewhere and living with Elara gives him a chance to do so.
Elara's mystery has not been totally revealed yet. We know she has access to some magic. She finds herself annoyed by Hugh and their bickering back and forth actually caused me to laugh a few times. What was interesting though is that without realizing when, they both start doing things in sync (almost) with each other. When the times comes to them to fight they both realize that no matter what they have to make sure that their people get out of things alive.
We get some insight into the Iron Dogs and also into Elara's people. I can see there being spin-offs in the future since I have so many questions about all of the new characters that we get to meet in this one.
Also there are repercussions to Hugh's actions which I found realistic. We get some characters from the Kate Daniels series that appear here and I was glad that Hugh isn't going to just be able to walk away from what he has done. Hugh actually reminds me a bit of Xena: Warrior Princess. Xena like Hugh did terrible things and spent most of her journey after passing the gauntlet making amends for what she did.
I have to say though my favorite moment was Hugh reading Jim (the new Beast Lord) for filth to some members of the Pack. Sorry, not sorry, I don't care for Jim and am still pissed he betrayed Kate and Curran like that. And I love that even Hugh gets that Curran is always going to be the beast lord no matter what he does (stepping down for Kate).
And I love Hugh's slow recognition of his and Kate's relationship. Dude was a dumbass and am glad that Elara helped him out with that whole thing.
The writing was very good and the flow was fantastic. If you have read Kate Daniels you are going to love this one. It takes place in the same world as Kate Daniels so you should be able to follow people/world building as long as you have read Kate Daniels first.
I will say the only quibble I had was having two plots going on in this one. We have the Nez issue and then a mysterious army that is attacking towns near where Elara and Hugh live. That was bit too much for the first book, but it ended up working.
The ending was fantastic and I cheered a lot. Elara steps up and she's now my favorite character. Sorry, Kate! I can't help it! It goes Elara, Kate, Curran, Hugh, and from there I would have to flip a coin. Sometimes I like Julie and other times she annoys the crap out of me.
One final note, Andrews let's readers know that "Magic Triumphs" is next (August), but that the next two books in the Iron Covenant series take place before that book. So it sounds like maybe Hugh and Elara are going to appear in "Magic Triumphs". Hope so!
The characters were fantastic, I loved the setting up of the marriage between Elara and Hugh. I am still intrigued about what magic Elara is tapping into and went crazy Googling the other day to figure out what power she could have and from what being. All in all I did not want this book to end. I don't know if I can wait until next year for the next installment of the Iron Covenant.
Readers should know Hugh by now. After the events in the Kate Daniels series, Roland (Kate's father) tosses him away and now that Hugh is without Roland in his head at all times, he feels alone and adrift. He has started drinking himself into a stupor and doesn't care what happens to him. When his loyal Iron Dogs come to find him, he realizes that if he doesn't step up that the Iron Dogs are going to be wiped out by Nez. Hugh starts looking for a place to settle with his people and then is offered an interesting proposition. He can marry a woman named Elara Harper (or the White Lady) and live among her and her people in a castle in Kentucky.
Hugh and Elara dislike each other on sight and though they don't want to marry each other, realize it is the best thing for their people in order to form an alliance against Nez who seems to be hell-bent on wiping out Elara and her people as well with his vampires.
Hugh is messed up, but you get why. I love how Andrews shows how Voron and Roland found him centuries ago and what Hugh's magic abilities allow him to do (heal himself and others). It was indoctrinated in Hugh that Roland was always right, but now he realizes that he is rightfully not trusted by people due to his breaking his word every single time due to Roland's orders. He wants to belong somewhere and living with Elara gives him a chance to do so.
Elara's mystery has not been totally revealed yet. We know she has access to some magic. She finds herself annoyed by Hugh and their bickering back and forth actually caused me to laugh a few times. What was interesting though is that without realizing when, they both start doing things in sync (almost) with each other. When the times comes to them to fight they both realize that no matter what they have to make sure that their people get out of things alive.
We get some insight into the Iron Dogs and also into Elara's people. I can see there being spin-offs in the future since I have so many questions about all of the new characters that we get to meet in this one.
Also there are repercussions to Hugh's actions which I found realistic. We get some characters from the Kate Daniels series that appear here and I was glad that Hugh isn't going to just be able to walk away from what he has done. Hugh actually reminds me a bit of Xena: Warrior Princess. Xena like Hugh did terrible things and spent most of her journey after passing the gauntlet making amends for what she did.
I have to say though my favorite moment was Hugh reading Jim (the new Beast Lord) for filth to some members of the Pack. Sorry, not sorry, I don't care for Jim and am still pissed he betrayed Kate and Curran like that. And I love that even Hugh gets that Curran is always going to be the beast lord no matter what he does (stepping down for Kate).
And I love Hugh's slow recognition of his and Kate's relationship. Dude was a dumbass and am glad that Elara helped him out with that whole thing.
The writing was very good and the flow was fantastic. If you have read Kate Daniels you are going to love this one. It takes place in the same world as Kate Daniels so you should be able to follow people/world building as long as you have read Kate Daniels first.
I will say the only quibble I had was having two plots going on in this one. We have the Nez issue and then a mysterious army that is attacking towns near where Elara and Hugh live. That was bit too much for the first book, but it ended up working.
The ending was fantastic and I cheered a lot. Elara steps up and she's now my favorite character. Sorry, Kate! I can't help it! It goes Elara, Kate, Curran, Hugh, and from there I would have to flip a coin. Sometimes I like Julie and other times she annoys the crap out of me.
One final note, Andrews let's readers know that "Magic Triumphs" is next (August), but that the next two books in the Iron Covenant series take place before that book. So it sounds like maybe Hugh and Elara are going to appear in "Magic Triumphs". Hope so!
3.5/4 stars
I haven't dived into Kate Daniels world in a long time so it was nice to be back, even without Kate. The storyline was interesting and everything you expect from reading in this world.
The relationship between Hugh and Elara wasn't my favorite though. Way too much animosity, especially once they both basically started faking it. It's never my favorite when characters take foreeeeeever to trust each other, and in their case, they still barely do. It's not a bad way to start a series, but I hope the next book sees them come together with more authenticity.
I haven't dived into Kate Daniels world in a long time so it was nice to be back, even without Kate. The storyline was interesting and everything you expect from reading in this world.
The relationship between Hugh and Elara wasn't my favorite though. Way too much animosity, especially once they both basically started faking it. It's never my favorite when characters take foreeeeeever to trust each other, and in their case, they still barely do. It's not a bad way to start a series, but I hope the next book sees them come together with more authenticity.
I can't wait for the next one.
I think this is my favorite Ilona Andrews book.
This book exceeded my expectations. I loved almost every single bit of it.
I think this is my favorite Ilona Andrews book.
This book exceeded my expectations. I loved almost every single bit of it.
I had such a hard time starting this book. I started it right after Kate Daniels #9 and just hated Hugh. I didn't care about him or his issues and couldn't get into the book. I needed a long time to have an open mind for this one. The Andrews team writes amazing stories so I knew I had to come back to it. I'm so glad I did. What an amazing read and redemption story for Hugh.
I can't believe this book actually started out as an April fool's joke. I also can't believe that each Kate Daniels book is consistently awesome even though the series is so long. This whole spin off into Hugh's story is so amazing. when I heard there would be a Hugh book, I was like, Meh, won't read it. Then I read all the raving reviews and changed my mind.
Wow! I hated Hugh! now I love him! Ilona Andrews did such a great job turning his villainous character into a real, fleshed out, believable person. his character development was engaging and I'm totally rooting for him to keep becoming less of a crazy butcher maniac and more of a loyal dependable protector who stands up for what's right.
Elara---- wow. I was not expecting that Hugh would get paired up with someone so kick butt and ultra powerful. I loved that she's no wilting Daisy and that she's probably way more powerful than Hugh, yet needs Hugh. I loved how compassionate and is, pure Ilona Andrews heroine, yet completely logical and cold at times. definitely not what I expected but I loved her.
also---was not expecting all the fun humor in a Hugh book! it wasn't all doom and gloom, just some doom and gloom, plus Harry Potter and unicorn jokes. ha ha loved that.
favorite moments... spoiler alert...
Andrea trying to comfort Raphael by telling him that he killed Hugh at least four times
bring the cows! then.... hello honey
when Hugh says he'll do whatever it takes to protect Kate's baby 😍
can't wait for the next book!!!
Wow! I hated Hugh! now I love him! Ilona Andrews did such a great job turning his villainous character into a real, fleshed out, believable person. his character development was engaging and I'm totally rooting for him to keep becoming less of a crazy butcher maniac and more of a loyal dependable protector who stands up for what's right.
Elara---- wow. I was not expecting that Hugh would get paired up with someone so kick butt and ultra powerful. I loved that she's no wilting Daisy and that she's probably way more powerful than Hugh, yet needs Hugh. I loved how compassionate and is, pure Ilona Andrews heroine, yet completely logical and cold at times. definitely not what I expected but I loved her.
also---was not expecting all the fun humor in a Hugh book! it wasn't all doom and gloom, just some doom and gloom, plus Harry Potter and unicorn jokes. ha ha loved that.
favorite moments... spoiler alert...
Andrea trying to comfort Raphael by telling him that he killed Hugh at least four times
bring the cows! then.... hello honey
when Hugh says he'll do whatever it takes to protect Kate's baby 😍
can't wait for the next book!!!
OMG! From the first page to the last, it was intense, attention-grabbing, and wonderful. I honestly didn't think I could enjoy a book with Hugh D'Ambray as a MC, but holy crap, I was wrong. I had checked this book out from my library, and before I got to the end, I bought my own copy. All I can think now is "When will the next book in this series come out?"
I loved the prologue where we get to see how Hugh met Voron and then Roland. His childhood brings a pain to my heart.
The main part of the book starts out with Hugh struggling after being banished/exiled by Roland. His life is basically trying to fill the void in him that was torn out of him. He is found by his loyal Iron Dog members who have survived Nez's attacks. Hugh has to pick himself up and be their leader once again. He can train them back up to fighting form and make them a cohesive group again, but he can't support them, providing food and shelter. So, the Iron Dogs go looking for a place that needs a protection force and also has the shelter, food, and supplies the Iron Dogs need.
They find it at Baile with Elara, the leader of a group called the Departed, which consists of witches, druids, and other magical/mystical people. An offer is made to have the Iron Dogs protect Baile, the castle of Elara and the Departed, but in order to make it look true and sincere to Nez, Hugh and Elara have to marry.
Oh, boy. These two are something. Both are strong willed and initially can't stand each other. (Seriously, how these two passively/aggressively went at each other is worth the price of admission alone.) In public, they put on a loving front, but will mutter insults at the other right and left. Both of them are powerful in their own ways. Hugh knows that Elara is hiding something and is determined to find out what that is. In the meantime, he fortifies the castle to the best of his ability, and time and time again, is there with his Iron Dogs, saving the day. Slowly but surely, the two of them start to respect each other's ability while they fight to keep their people safe. And slowly, they come to the conclusion that they want each other in their lives, even though neither of them will fully trust the other.
There are too many wonderful secondary characters to mention, and the world building with the new cast of characters of the Departed was some of the best I've read. I loved how both groups started to integrate with each other, which just makes me want the next book like tomorrow. This was nail-bitingly great.
I loved the prologue where we get to see how Hugh met Voron and then Roland. His childhood brings a pain to my heart.
Spoiler
Finding out how Hugh had been looking for a family does explain - to some extent - his loyalty to Roland in the [b:A Kate Daniels Magic Series Collection|12177832|A Kate Daniels Magic Series Collection (Kate Daniels, #1-5)|Ilona Andrews|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337659224s/12177832.jpg|17149554].The main part of the book starts out with Hugh struggling after being banished/exiled by Roland. His life is basically trying to fill the void in him that was torn out of him. He is found by his loyal Iron Dog members who have survived Nez's attacks. Hugh has to pick himself up and be their leader once again. He can train them back up to fighting form and make them a cohesive group again, but he can't support them, providing food and shelter. So, the Iron Dogs go looking for a place that needs a protection force and also has the shelter, food, and supplies the Iron Dogs need.
They find it at Baile with Elara, the leader of a group called the Departed, which consists of witches, druids, and other magical/mystical people. An offer is made to have the Iron Dogs protect Baile, the castle of Elara and the Departed, but in order to make it look true and sincere to Nez, Hugh and Elara have to marry.
Oh, boy. These two are something. Both are strong willed and initially can't stand each other. (Seriously, how these two passively/aggressively went at each other is worth the price of admission alone.) In public, they put on a loving front, but will mutter insults at the other right and left. Both of them are powerful in their own ways. Hugh knows that Elara is hiding something and is determined to find out what that is. In the meantime, he fortifies the castle to the best of his ability, and time and time again, is there with his Iron Dogs, saving the day. Slowly but surely, the two of them start to respect each other's ability while they fight to keep their people safe. And slowly, they come to the conclusion that they want each other in their lives, even though neither of them will fully trust the other.
There are too many wonderful secondary characters to mention, and the world building with the new cast of characters of the Departed was some of the best I've read. I loved how both groups started to integrate with each other, which just makes me want the next book like tomorrow. This was nail-bitingly great.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why is there no second book????
It was so much fun reading that, I feel a little bit cheated , that I can’t continue in this world.
I haven’t read her other books I just stumbled across this in my library. It doesn’t really matter, I understood everything just fine. I would love recommend this, but I don’t think it will be continued?
It was so much fun reading that, I feel a little bit cheated , that I can’t continue in this world.
I haven’t read her other books I just stumbled across this in my library. It doesn’t really matter, I understood everything just fine. I would love recommend this, but I don’t think it will be continued?