Ruby Fever marks the end of the story about the second Baylor sister, Catalina Baylor. I was invested in Catalina’s story midway through her older sister (Nevada Baylor)’s book and having read and reviewed all of Catalina’s books feels like the biggest achievement of my life because Ilona Andrews practically rank at #1 in my heart.
This novel truly packs a punch. In my head I see the authors having sat down and decided that they’re going to bring out the big guns this time and it was not going to be just for show. Andrews have rolled up their sleeves and thrown plot twists and emotional moments at the readers in ways we won’t be ready for.
The secondary characters in Ruby Fever we’ve seen over the last five books, the authors somehow manage to always have them all feel exactly as they’ve felt in the previous books. However, at the same time, they write unique individual growth arcs for each of them that fit perfectly to their situations and personalities. The secondary characters get a first mention simply because of how well developed and well written they are.
The best part of the primary characters that Andrews write is that they never write characters, couples, or relationships that aren’t flawed. Alessandro and Catalina bring some of their struggles to their relationship and, truly, only Andrews could write a healthy argument. As a reader, we may all have half a mind to take notes on good communication in difficult situations.
The plot is complex, because the plot has a bigger purpose than just telling a story. The plot reveals. There are multiple threads of sub-plots that coalesce into one gigantic plot that we almost never see coming. The book has connections across the series that as a reader we won’t be prepared for.
The pace of the book is fantastic. The editing clearly has been done to perfection with not a single moment or scene being more or less than it needs to be. This is the first book where I specifically felt that there wasn’t a single moment to waste or breathe; events just kept happening on the heels of one another. Perhaps this was because it was the conclusion of one part of the series and the foundation for the next part of the series.
I would recommend the readers do a complete series reread before starting this book, simply so that the connections that happen across series are better understood and the impact of the story is greater. This is especially helpful because some of the worldbuilding in this book builds on the awareness the readers have of the past and connects it to the present scenario.
The book brings a fantastic end to Catalina’s story and I still can’t believe it’s the last book in her series. I’ve related the most to Catalina so far and I can’t wait to go back and reread the series again.
Andrews have set the stage for the next part of the series and while I’m excited for what is coming next, I realised while I was reading this book that I would be ready to read a trilogy about any character in that series.
This book, like every other in the series, does have a lot of violence, blood, gore, threat to loved ones, and near-death situations, so please check trigger warnings before reading.
Ruby Fever is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Ruby Fever? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews is back with the newest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to her trilogy featuring fierce and beautiful Prime magic user Catalina Baylor.
An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina’s boss… And it’s only Monday.
Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who’s responsible before all hell really breaks loose.
