One Fell Sweep (Inkeeper Chronicles #3) by Ilona Andrews
Dina’s inn is getting a reputation. It’s not the most popular, it’s not the largest – but after Dina’s previous adventures it’s definite a place to go if you’ve got something difficult or dangerous to organise
And this may be the greatest challenge – a species is actively being hunted to extinction. Their enemies are willing to destroy entire planets to kill them. But an innkeeper always keeps their guests safe. And a good person will try to find a doomed people some chance to survive.
I loooove this series, I love it I love it I love it
But doesn’t that always apply when we have an Ilona Andrews book? I don’t think I’ve ever written a book she’s (or they) written I didn’t love.
I often praise the world building of Ilona Andrews but I think this series takes that above and beyond. The whole concepts of different worlds with an array of alien creatures that have visited Earth and given rise to our many myths and legends which all excellent combines sci-fi and urban fantasy is a really fascinating one
But, like so many of her books, these beings are not just there, but they’ve been created with a whole culture and history. There’s a lot of world building to turn them into far more than just vampires in space – to create the whole culture of the vampire houses and the holy onacracy is just fascinating
And this excellent world is just complimented and expanded by the stories told within it. I loved the introduction of Maud, Dina‘s sister. She’s strong and capable and able to use the inn in the same way Dina can. In so many books she would be competition or a threat or she would clash with Dina. We have an ongoing concept that “strong” women must hate or compete with each other. But they don’t, they bounce off each other well. They’re very different women, they have different skill sets and attitudes. Maud has absorbed a lot of vampire culture and is very aggressive and physically orientated while Dina is more mystical but focused on her inn – but they respect and love each other. There’s never a hesitation between them, never a moment when Dina isn’t willing to happily put everything she has in Maud’s hands because she knows Maud will look after it, handle it and be trusted with it
I like that – it’s sad that I find it rare – but I like it.
