Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Inkeeper Chronicles, Book 1

Synopsis: Dina Demille runs a Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town and tries her best to pretend to be normal. Her broom is a deadly weapon, her house is a sentient magic inn for otherwordly visitors to Earth, and her only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, normal can be a little difficult. Now something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth begins hunting dogs in her neighborhood. Feeling responsible for the welfare of her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with an alpha-strain werewolf and a cosmic vampire, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’d ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Review: I love Ilona Andrews and even more her Kate Daniels series. Yes, I’m one of those girls who anxiously waits for each new release and who has preordered each one a long time ago. But to my shame I must admit that apart from these writings, I have not read any other novels by the author. And what a shame! It is, at this point, imperative that I read ALL the books they wrote because Gordon and Ilona are real geniuses! But back to the beginning …

So we discover Dina Demille, a young woman who tries to live fairly unnoticed in a quiet town in Texas. But of course she is far from normal and has one of the most unusual house. A Bed and Breakfast she runs and which is actually a very special place, a kind of sanctuary for all people / creatures / aliens good or bad who may ask for hospitality in return of money of course. But there is more, and the house itself has a soul allowing it to defend itself and its occupants when needed. Dina also holds a great power within the confines of her field thanks to her status and she governs it all alone. She is determined to do the best she can to straighten this place which has been abandoned for so long. But her life will be turned upside down when dogs are found killed in her neighborhood. I confess that I found the idea quite strange at the beginning of the novel. We often find in stories some human murdered but it’s the first time for me to see dogs. Yet Dina takes it to heart and I was curious to see how she would manage all that. But this story will take her far beyond than what she would have thought and it will put her in life-threatening situations more than once.

I really loved this novel, there are a lot of completely unique ideas. Firstly we have Dina. This young woman is truly amazing! She didn’t have an easy life, she knows that it would be safer to stay neutral and yet she will fight for others, to help them so they can remain unharmed. I really admired her courage in all circumstances mainly when we know that far from her home she is like every other woman. Sean then enters in play, he is a really enigmatic man and we do not know what to think about him at the beginning of the novel. I struggled to understand him from the start and what impact he would have on the life of our heroine and yet he will completely change the life of the young woman. And I must say that in the end I would like a Sean at home even if sometimes he is really unpredictable. Of course this is not the only character and I would let you discover the other who comes into play in the second part of the story.

So in terms of the plot, I must admit that I was completely swept away. I was really curious to see who was responsible for all these murders and what the reason behind them was. And it’s true that I was completely surprised. I did not expect that the author would lead us that way. I should also note the sublime ideas that we find throughout the story. Yes, because added to many creatures that we do not know, there are also some completely revisited myths. Indeed, each species actually comes from another planet and each of their stories is completely original, whether werewolves or vampires. And I really succumbed to each of the stories. Everything is really well done and I loved seeing some pictures in some chapter so we were able to imagine some characters.

Finally you can understand now, I was conquered by this first volume and I can only advise you to read the novel which is a wonderful surprise. I sincerely hope that there will be a sequel because I would like to read it as fast as possible!

4-5

mellianefini

11 thoughts on “Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

  1. I have her KDaniels book and I’m so ashamed that I haven’t opened book 1! Thanks for the review, I’ve been curious what this one is about and it sounds like a real winner. I love the concept of the eerie B&B and I’m sure it’ll be full of adventures. The writing duo wrote another series worth following.

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