Burn for Me: An Urban Fantasy Romance with Magic and Intrigue (Hidden Legacy, 1)
In this spellbinding first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’s urban fantasy Hidden Legacy series, private detective Nevada Baylor navigates her way through an alternate world where dynasties, built on inherited wealth and magic, guide the course of humanity.
Nevada Baylor runs a small-time detective agency in Houston, Texas, busting scammers, exposing cheaters, and dealing with petty criminals. She’s very good at her job—helped by a magical ability to sense when someone tells the truth or lies. But when she’s forced into accepting a case to find a radical pyrotechnic who can conjure heat and fire at will, Nevada knows she’s out of her league. To bring him to justice, she’ll have to join forces with someone who wields an even more dangerous power.
Connor “Mad” Rogan is a former combat mage, a telekinetic singularly responsible for mass destruction in war-torn countries, and a member of one of the most powerful magic families in the world. His nephew has been kidnapped by the fugitive pyromaniac, and Nevada is his best chance at finding them both. But unlike Nevada, Connor could care less about societal law and order, and has no qualms about extinguishing his family’s enemy.
Bound by their mission, Nevada and Connor clash over their tactics and moral beliefs, even as things undeniably heat up between them. But the man they’re chasing is involved in a darker conspiracy that threatens to destroy the city—and destabilize the balance of power the elite magical families use to influence every nation on Earth.
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Community Reviews
I have a lot of thoughts about this book. While I'm happy that Nevada gains a more understanding of her magic and powers I did not like her character overall. I didn't like how objective she was against Rogan and she was all follow. The rules follow the law we can't do this we can't do that. You're in the line or the business of being a private investigator. You're not a cop and sometimes to get the job done those lines get blurred. I didn't find Rogan to be out of line or as wild and crazy as she thought he was.
I think she was more motivated or had this idea of him just based off of what that old video said about him and files. She never actually took the time to actually get to know him as a person despite them working together. She was always clear on her point of view and her morals and her hard limits and things like that which is fine it's fine to have hard limits about yourself and those around you, but she never afforded Rogan the same courtesy. They come from different worlds and as different and perhaps annoying and obscure the way she wanted to handle the case was he abided to every rule in every promise she sent his way. the book has action and it's fairly an even paste. However, I felt like I was reading a book most of the time just based off of Nevada's character vibe and how young and naĂŻve she came across. I think the book is saved by Nevada's Grandmother the character bugs and her cousins. I do like Rogan and I would have liked to seeing things from his perspective more.
At this time I cannot say that I will continue the series; there were a lot of stereotypes appropriations from other cultures, glorification of other religions, glorification of the military, and the justice department, and the police which I just could not stomach or swallow really. It very much felt like a book written by someone who has either been a cop or in the military and I know that that is the case for half of the writing duo for this book and to me it just felt like a swan song and not a very good swan song a very stereotypical swan song for soldiers in the military or the police force. This was just a book about magic, and our world wasn't a blend of the real world and this different world where magic exist. I would've had a stronger liking for the store as a whole.
To really expand upon this point, I have to say that I don't think it's fair to use soldiers who have been in conflict, Attles or war as a story, trope in any way, shape or form, unless it's relevant to the story as a whole being based about a full military group of characters, etc.
I think that this most of the time generalizes a lot of soldiers, and to be set categories; not all of their stories are the same. And Nevada has this beacon of righteousness. It really knows at the reader because it's from the very beginning of the book, that's how we are introduced to her as she wraps up her first case, and her wanting not to be Arrested or questioned by the cops. I mean if she had her cousin Bernard, who is this programmer and Taki kid also has his connection to bugs isn't it more feasible to have this security back up system in place for when you're in public places to cover your back when it comes to surveillances or to tap into set surveillances so that you don't go into things blind? Yes, she's usually on her own when in the field, but being able to have access to information is always beneficial in my opinion.
Nevada Baylor is the head of Baylor Investigative Agency, her family owned business. The entire Baylor family is very entertaining and I really enjoyed the banter between the family. Nevada's extremely witty in her interactions with all of the characters, though not in a slap-stick way. I loved her attitude and that she didn't waiver from her beliefs and moral code. Her powers are unique, and she is only now learning how to tap into her magic.
Mad Rogan is an excellent counterpart for Nevada. There is a depth to him that is barely touched upon that really needs to be explored. There is an undeniable chemistry between them that I am really looking forward to watching grow and develop. And I can't wait until they fulfil their passion...Mad is ready, but Nevada is hesitant with very good reason.
There is so much left unanswered that I am already looking forward to visiting this world and all of the characters again. Augustine Montgomery, Lenora Jordan, Bern, Grandma Frida are just a few of the other characters I want to see more of. I have a feeling that there will be quite a bit more evil to be combated, and none of the battles will be easy.
BURN FOR ME is one of those books that you just don't want to end...and really it doesn't since it's the first book of a series. Unfortunately, now I need to wait for the next book to come out to get more of Nevada and Mad!!! I hope the wait isn't too long. In the meantime I guess I'm just going to have to glom onto all of the previously released Ilona Andrews books since BURN FOR ME is the first book I've read by the husband and wife writing duo.
There was one small thing that bugged me. There is a paragraph in the book that talked about how Army MOSs (job classifications) transfer over into civilian life that really irked me. Most wouldn't be bothered by this, but, as both my husband and I are Army veterans, it annoyed me. To quote: “Anything in 68 category, medical, was good. Or 91B, wheeled vehicle mechanic. Eleven Bravo wasn't one of those MOSs. It was the backbone of the army, but in the civilian world, there wasn't much you could do with that.” I disagree with this. I know many 11B veterans, my husband included, whose experience and training in the military has translated well into the civilian world and are now in law enforcement, on security forces, or in other criminal justice jobs. Sorry for the mini-rant, but I hate that they get such a poor rap.
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