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Nine months on and a rewatch confirms I’m still bitter about the end of S4 of The Magicians.

That is all.

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I’m surfacing to say hi, I’m still alive.

And to say OMG the NYCC Picard trailer has stolen my heart. Please return it if you find it. ❤️

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@drstrangewillseeyounow, #truth.

I’d love some more screen time of him looking besotted and enraptured.

OMG, there went a half-hour. And now all I want to do is watch rom-coms all day.

@alexandralyman @nowforruin @sambethe @lenfaz

They left Colin out tho. But we did get Richard Armitage!

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Bah! Yet another book series ruined by an unnecessary love triangle.

Can we put a moratorium on love triangles?

Just a request to think again if you’re tempted to write one yourself?

Also shout out to writers who spend time developing friendships between men and women in books without having to eventually make them go all pairing up happy?

So yup. Stopping here at book 3 of 5 in Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series because the obvious developing love triangle plot has me alternating between bored and angry. Which is a shame as I was totally digging the Fae and Hunt legends stuff and the overarching mystery was interesting. But I just don’t want to spend time with a heroine prevaricating between two men.

*sigh*

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I may have the feelings I have about the back half of S4 of The Magicians, however, rewatching S3 with a friend who is seeing it for the first time reminds me of everything I love about this show.

If only I could seal myself off of all that is to come.

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Ha! Now I too have lost 30 minutes, but they were well worth it!

OMG, there went a half-hour. And now all I want to do is watch rom-coms all day.

@alexandralyman @nowforruin @sambethe @lenfaz

They left Colin out tho. But we did get Richard Armitage!

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Sapphire Flames review (minor spoilers)

Very happy to get an eARC from Edelweiss exchange for an honest review

“I was sitting on a counter, gloriously half-naked, and my wings were out, spread wide above my shoulders, each luminescent feather deep green at the base then brightening, like the water of the Aegean growing lighter as one rose from a deep dive, turning emerald green, then turquoise until finally at the tips, they shone with radiant gold.”

I adored this book.  And it was way too short. Tagging a few friends here as I promised to promote in exchange for the eARC.  Spread it around would you all?  @lenfaz @sambethe @alexandralyman @housebaylor

Well. I think Catalina may be the most dangerous member of the Baylor family. Like a certain celebrity Italian playboy, she contains multitudes. Sapphire Flames is both a continuation of the Hidden Legacy series and the start of a new trilogy focusing on Catalina Baylor. Nevada and Rogan from the earlier trilogy stay offstage and Catalina emerges as a young adult and the head of new House whose survival is very much in doubt as new Houses are vulnerable to the richer more established Houses. This could be the starting point into the Hidden Legacy series especially for the YA and NA readers as Catalina is only just 21 at the start of the novel. Her earlier story (when she was 18) revealed in the novella Diamond Fire, deepens her motivations and character in this book, but is not essential to understanding. The first chapters establish the Baylor family and the ruthless magical world in which they operate and jostle for power, wealth and influential alliances with other Houses. The entire atmosphere of the Hidden Legacy world is reminiscent of Renaissance Florence with its intrigues, innovations, assassinations, and familial bonds dropped into modern technological Houston. As a resident of Houston, I find this extremely amusing. Everyone still gets stuck in traffic, Prime or not. Catalina is fiercely intelligent, sensitive, and somewhat introverted. The very nature of her magic keeps her isolated from others her age and hesitant to form relationships outside her family. When one of the few people she considers a friend turns to her for assistance after the destruction of her family, Catalina hardly hesitates. But she finds there is far more to her investigation than a simple arson/murder and is soon on the trail of dangerously warped magic that threatens the stability of the world of magic users. Interfering with her hunt, is another hunter, Count Alessandro Sagredo, a Prime from an old established Italian house who tested Catalina in her trials to be registered as a Prime. He is an Antistasi, a magic which nullifies other magic, and an Instagram/social media star, but like Catalina, he also is more than he appears to be. Where Catalina uses her intelligence to out-strategize her enemies, he uses other surprising means to stalk and attack. She is a Siren but he is a Wolf. And they are magical together. Each keeps knocking each other off balance as neither is what they expected and their interactions are delightful and laced with banter, tension, and heat. And food. There are so many food incidents. Welcome to Texas, Alessandro Like many of the Andrews’ heroes, Alessandro finds so much more than he expected with Catalina and he is revealed to have a hidden legacy of his own which should play out in the subsequent books in the trilogy. Right now, they are just juicy hints of what drives him and what his ultimate goal is. Catalina’s goal is the survival and flourishing of her House and to obtain it she has to make a terrible choice and one that might destroy any chance for her own personal happiness. There is so much to appreciate in this book (other than the fact that it seems too short). The careful world building, the delightful and hilarious family interactions among the Baylors, the hints of new relationships, and the mysteries of powerful Primes like Linus Duncan and his connection to Catalina, and in the midst of it all, Catalina herself. The imagery of her power is both beautiful and terrible, her mind is subtle, and her love is fierce. I can’t wait to read how she spreads her wings, establishes House Baylor, and defeats her enemies in the upcoming books.

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So you know when you’re reading a book and the author really wants you to know this story is placed somewhere specific.

I’m not even done with chapter 1 and I’ve got someone who practices voodoo, someone else referred to as Cajun, several really terrible ‘Southern’ phrases, and mentions of bayous and étouffée.

You know, just in case I missed the fact this was set in the ever so alien venue of New Orleans.

I knew I shouldn’t open this book. But it was available on prime reading and I’m apparently a glutton for punishment.

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I was wondering if you might have gotten my ask about Possession is Nine-Tenths?

OMG, anon! I just checked my box and saw it. I didn’t see a notification on the original. (I’ll blame mobile as I haven’t been on my computer of late.)

Can I hug you for sending it??

I will get you an answer this weekend! I’ve got some thoughts and would be delighted to share!

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Also I’m totally flailing over the pseudo (???) return of Miller.

I need more snacks!

The rest of this season is totally now going to be the rest of my Saturday plan, isn’t it?

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Bulky arms aren’t usually my thing, but can we talk about Amos’ arms for a sec? Because they are a thing of beauty.

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Excited! Still an author I will but everything in print. ❤️

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I’ve basically teared up at the last few episodes of The Expanse. I’m just about at the end of S2.

I did not expect to be this emotional about this show.

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All right, back to The Expanse.

Because, frankly, I need a palate cleanser.

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I’ve honestly spent this season low key hate watching GoT, but this episode hit a new low.

This here is the only redeeming part of the last hour of my life:

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I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail.

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@kliomuse and I are both fascinated by what might be beneath the layers of Augustine’s illusions. What exactly is he hiding? What does he really look like? Oh the possibilities...

Accordingly, I’m utterly fascinated by the idea that these two idiots shared a Harvard dorm room. That Connor knows the Augustine from before he took up the mantel of House Montgomery. Before he feels obligated to raise his two siblings. And on the other foot, that Augustine knows Connor before he enlists. Before he’s groomed and molded into El Huracán. I love thinking about what they must of been like before all the weight of obligation and expectation hit them.

It’s such a rich, medieval world IA has built. I can’t wait for Sappgire Flames.

Some of the content creators of the Ilona Andrews fandom, I’m not including people who are no longer active or no longer post about the books.

Graphics:

@aster-ria @ambarsimon @housebaylor

Fanart:

@alluviium (same @ in twitter) @chococonut (lemon_cookie on twitter) @tubbie11 

Updates, text posts:

@bookdevouringhorde @aelin-godkiller @elenajohansenreads

Fans to talk to:

@ara-rose @kalimera030 @bleedinknight @starsofthenightwind @hinateambre  @skulllflower @dexaria @kliomuse @lenfaz @yagelmybagel @rrozabelikova @krysmoon37 @wolfram-matter @brittsbookreport @cantbelieveididthis @smirkingraven @tiggerfiasco  @architectplayground @ohtheraven @maryam0revna @lionhearted21 @alittleillumination @rainlilly @houdinioverlord @chasingcarz @sun-above-the-golden-lion @bi-nonsense @storm-pirate @god-of-warhol @eltariels @jehphg @vasochka @katedanielss @momocheww @borzoiboi @maroroux @superimaginarygirl @sambethe @alexandralyman

I now I’m forgetting a lot -

If you are here and you don’t want to be here let me know, same goes for the people whho are not here, and like to be included.