House Andrews, in their loveliness, sent over this week’s chapter from Florida.
When we last left the inn, Kosandion’s date with the Uma candidate, Ellenda, did not go to plan and her delegation made a move against the Dominion’s Holy Ecclesiarch. Will Dina and Sean manage to eliminate the dangers gathering around the Sovereign? In this week’s episode of Sweep of the Heart…
The prisoner hung from the ceiling of the throne room, his body wrapped in the inn’s restraints. The Kyporo delegation stood under him, grim-faced and ready for some sort of action if only they could figure out what that action might be. Calling them Team Frowns in my head no longer seemed appropriate.
The rest of the delegates had been asked to return to their quarters. Only the Sovereign faction and the observers remained. Every moment would be broadcast live. Kosandion was making a point: he had nothing to hide, from the Dominion or from the rest of the Galaxy.
He sat on the throne now, his expression harsh and cold, watching the massive screen behind the prisoner. On it, Tony led Ellenda to the portal. They stopped before the round gateway. The lights on its rim flashed, the green glow swirled, the Uma woman stepped into it, and her presence vanished from the inn.
Kosandion looked at Sean.
“Poison,” Sean said. “A microcapsule sealed inside his tooth. He bit it and exhaled the poisoned vapor.”
And Sean had sensed it despite being forty feet away. Hundreds of innkeepers had watched him crush that assassination attempt. Not even one would disagree with a simple fact: Sean Evans was amazing.
“The antidote is already in his system,” Sean continued.
“Unfortunate,” Kosandion said. The word landed like a brick.
The leader of the Kyporo delegation, a spare ascetic-looking man, stared at Kosandion with open hostility.
The Holy Ecclesiarch smiled. Every time I saw him, his kind face all but shone with benevolence, but in this moment his expression changed, as if a different man rose from the depth to the surface. Shrewd. Smart. Powerful. It was there for a mere fraction of a second and vanished back into a soft caring smile, but I had been trained to pay attention to every minute gesture of my guests. Something wasn’t right about this.
“Well,” the holy man sighed. “At least I’m still important enough to be murdered.”
“It was an individual lapse in judgement,” the leader of the delegation ground out.
“How quick you are to throw your people into the fire, Odikas,” Kosandion said.
“He is young and impressionable,” Odikas said. “A group should not be penalized for the actions of one individual, nor should it bear responsibility…”
“I had thought you a man of vision,” Kosandion said, his voice harsh.
His pose was relaxed, almost languid, but the intensity in his eyes was frightening. His body signaled that he didn’t condescend to view Odikas as any kind of threat, and his face assured that retribution was coming, and it would be swift and brutal.
“Alas, I was wrong, and you are blind. What is it you said about my father? A weakling controlled by a woman, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Resven said, his voice so buttery you could spread it on toast.
“You brought an Uma woman here, because you thought I missed my mother so much, I would forget my duty, lose my mind, and throw away the nation’s interests for a chance to bed someone who looks like my parent.”
The Kyporo delegation collectively winced. Yes. Ew.
The cavernous room was so quiet, you would hear the proverbial pin drop.
“Such depth. Such subtlety. What was the plan? Did you expect me to turn into a happy idiot and nod while she whispered policy decisions contrary to everything I stand for into my ear? Or was I supposed to die once the heir was born, so you could pull her strings and play at being regent? All those years you blamed my mother for the reforms my father implemented. One would have thought you’d study your opponent. Learn how she thought, what her people valued, what she would do if you pushed her into a corner, and yet you still know nothing.”
The gray skin on the older man’s cheeks turned darker. He looked a hair from losing it.
“You knew you would be eliminated this morning when you saw the rankings. You counted on the date to save you, and when that failed, you sought to murder the Ecclesiarch because his death would force the selection to end, and you could try again. And now you’re making excuses, as if the whole world has lost the ability to reason, and you are the only one still thinking.”
A grimace twisted Odikas’ face. He bared his teeth.
Kosandion stared at him, derision plain on his face. “It’s not the plotting. It’s the sheer, obnoxious stupidity of it that irritates me.”
“Look into the sensors, Odikas,” Resven said. “We are here to witness the funeral of your career. At last, the Dominion is watching just as you always wanted. All eyes are upon you. Are you not pleased? Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
Wow. I had no idea Resven had it in him.
“You!” Odikas choked out.
“The Kyporo delegation is disqualified,” Kosandion said. “All their asks and honors are void.”
“You can’t do that!” one of the delegates yelled.
Kosandion looked at him. It was like being on a dark cliff and suddenly having the bright beam of the lighthouse fall upon you.
“For the citizens at home, tell me, Chancellor, can I do that?”
“Absolutely,” Resven said. “The law gives you that power, Letero. The Kyporo delegation knows it does. They have read the contracts and signed them prior to their arrival.”
Kosandion glanced at me. “These people are no longer part of the selection. The Dominion thanks the innkeepers for the gracious patience in delaying their expulsion at my request. I do not dare to abuse your hospitality any longer.”
I would have to find a way to thank Kosandion. The innkeepers at home were likely wondering why we haven’t taken any action. He spelled it out in the most deferential way.
My broom split in my hand, revealing its bright blue inner light. The delegates from Kyporo focused on me.
“You’ve attempted to kill another guest on the inn’s grounds. Your guest status is withdrawn. Your belongings wait by the portal.”
The wall at the back of the throne room split, revealing the portal room. The screen showed the Kyporo’s delegation’s quarters. I collapsed them. Walls folded as if they were aluminum cans being crushed. Stone columns disintegrated, flowing like melted wax, absorbed back into the inn. Wooden furniture snapped, shattered, and was consumed by the floor. It was a waste, since Gertrude Hunt had expended more energy making it than it would get back, but it was worth it. The reputation of the inns was on the line, and the Galaxy needed a reminder. Within our domains, we were supreme. We would not tolerate any breach of rules.
The inn opened a hole in the ceiling by the portal and vomited the delegates’ possessions out, packaged into clear plastic-like bags. Had they all participated in trying to kill the Ecclesiarch, I would’ve dramatically expelled them, hurling them into that portal, but only one of them had actually carried out the assassination attempt. Besides, I had a feeling Kosandion had more to say.
The Kyporo delegates stared at the growing bag pile, owl-eyed. Things were happening way too fast.
The last bag fell. The inn had purged them.
Miralitt stepped forward. “Prime Councilor Tair Odikas, you stand accused of conspiring to assassinate a citizen of the Dominion, intent to cause grievous harm to a member of a religious order for the purpose of interfering with their duties, bride-purchasing, sentient being trafficking, and violation of the Second Covenant.”
Ten guards in pale armor emerged from the portal and marched toward us.
The First Covenant of the Dominion spelled out the individual’s rights. The Second Covenant established the federal government, its powers, limitations, and vital functions. Violation of the Second Covenant was a catch-all charge that covered a wide variety of offenses. It was also the main charge against Caldenia.
Miralitt had just branded Odikas a traitor, and the Dominion’s Capital Guard showed up to take him into custody in all of its menacing glory.
The dam that contained Odikas’ rage finally broke.
“You’re not fit to rule!” he snarled. “Your father was a weakling, and you are weak just like him. The abomination who murdered him is right there.” He stabbed his finger in Caldenia’s direction. “And you sit in that chair as if all of us have forgotten her colossal sins.”
Caldenia rose and strode toward Odikas. Uh-oh.
“You think you’ve won? Ha!” Spit flew from his mouth as the words came out. “Who are you to judge me? What have you accomplished? What are you achievements? A feeble offspring of a feeble father, soft, undecisive, and spineless. Your very existence impairs our great nation. You should’ve never been allowed to take the throne. If I had my way, I would’ve smothered—”
Caldenia stopped in front of Odikas. Her hand shot up, and she drove her razor-sharp nails into the soft tissue right under his jaw. Blood spilled from his mouth.
Well, shit.
Odikas clamped his hands on Caldenia’s wrist, trying to pry himself free. She raised her arm.
Odikas’ feet left the ground.
Wow.
Caldenia wasn’t even straining. Odikas hung from her talons, bleeding from his mouth. I had seen her slice through aluminum cans with her nails.
A female delegate lunged forward to help.
Caldenia glanced at her. Her voice cracked like a whip. “Have you forgotten who I am?”
The Kyporo delegation cringed. The woman ducked and backed away.
Her Grace examined Odikas like he was some sort of gross bug. “You always were an odious toad, Tair. Dumb as a brick, to borrow the local expression. I warned you before to mind your mouth.”
Odikas gurgled. More blood came out.
“Your Grace…” I started.
“I haven’t killed him yet, Dina. I’ve only shredded his tongue. The day is yet young.”
Odikas made a tortured noise. I needed to stop this.
“Aunt,” Kosandion said softly. “Perhaps this one time due process might be a better path forward? Out of consideration for the patience of our gracious hosts?”
Caldenia sighed and dropped Odikas. He landed on the floor. She smelled his blood on her fingers, gave him a small, refined sneer, and shook it off.
“Thank you,” Kosandion said.
He motioned to the guards, and they grabbed Odikas and hauled him to his feet.
Sean glanced at the prisoner still suspended from the ceiling. The inn’s tendrils unrolled, lowering the prisoner onto the floor. He took a deep breath and blinked, clearly disoriented. The guards closed in and two of them sandwiched the would-be assassin between them.
“Form a column,” one of the guards ordered.
The delegates obeyed without a word. The guards led them by the pile. Each of the delegates grabbed a single bag. We watched them file into the portal.
I had no idea what the innkeepers who watched this would make of it.
“We’ll reconvene tomorrow,” Kosandion announced.
I opened the doors to their quarters. Kosandion strode off, his people behind him. Gaston offered Caldenia his arm. They walked away. He said something and Caldenia laughed softly.
Sean approached. I took his hand. He squeezed my fingers.
“You are awesome,” I whispered.
“No, just fast.”
The observers walked past me toward their quarters. Karat made big eyes at me. Dagorkun was grinning. Cookie was next.
I pulled the floor under Cookie’s feet toward us. To his credit, he didn’t jump in surprise. The floor brought him to us and stopped.
“A word?” I asked.
“Of course.” Cookie nodded.
The last observers left the room.
“You have a stake in the outcome of this selection mess,” Sean said.
Cookie smiled. “Maybe.”
“Of course, you do,” Sean said. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“Are you proposing something?” Cookie asked.
“A trade,” I said. “We need access to your information network. In return, you get to eliminate one of the candidates from the selection.”
Cookie fluffed his tail and squinted his eyes. I had seen that exact expression on Nuan Cee’s face. It meant trouble.
“Tell me more,” Cookie purred.
First?
Indeed, congratulations! 😀
Another brilliant chapter. My eyes kept getting bigger and bigger as I read.
Forget the Bachelor, this is Game of Thrones level intrigue.
::cackles and rubs hands together::
Kosandion is SO badass!
His aunt is no slouch either. 😀
Joffrey WITHOUT the psychotic inbreeding?
First?
THANKS SO MUCH FOR AOTHER CHAPTER
So close, almost shared first prize!
Yay!
Yeahhh
First?
Yay, Friday!
Oh my what an interesting development. This story just gets longer and longer. The thought of Gaston and Caldenia together boggles the mind. I wonder who Kosandion had chosen before this show started. Such fun. I do enjoy Fridays.
What Barbie Doll says
Gaston and Caldenia.. oh, that would be an excellent pairing! He’s part Gator (snap, snap) after all, and she’s a gourmet like he is… and ooola la…They go together like chocolate and peanut butter…
He is part Thoas, which isn’t *quite* Gator hehe 😂, but we get the intention
I LOVE the fact that Gaston continually charms Caldenia.
Um….. wow! On so many levels! Sean IS awesome, Caldenia is a badass and Cookie sure is learning everything his uncle has to teach 😂
Thanks House Andrews for posting during their holiday! Hope it is a relaxing and restorative time ♥️
Also, the closest to first (but no cigar) I’ll probs get, considering I’m in Brisbane, Australia 😂
I’m in Brisbane too and have no expectation of ever being first either, it being about 2.15 am here!
I agree wow….. at last we see a glimpse of Caldenia’s badassery and why Cookie is rising through the Nuan clan so quickly. I am reminded of Nuan Cee saying to Maud in Sweep of the Blade “ Tell me all about it”. I think Dina’s reaction matches Maud’s : oh you clever, clever Lees.
Brisbane here, too. I even set my alarm but always fall back to sleep. Oh well. Such an amazing start to a suture at morning.
I am another one in Brisbane! The first thing I do each Saturday morning is make a coffee and enjoy the Innkeeper update. The family is yet to wake and it’s a wonderful way to start the weekend 🙂
I’m in Newcastle. Moved down here this year and it’s also my favourite Saturday morning ritual.
My goal is to convince HA to move to Australia just so we have a shot at being first. Lol, plus, book signings.
Launceston, Tasmania (ex Toowoomba). Also part of my morning routine after I get the child off to work. Great to see the Aussies who are part of the BDH
Esperance, WA – love my Innkeeper Saturday mornings, such an awesome start to the weekend! 😀
A couple of years ago I went to the Supernova Comic-Con at the Gold Coast just to see Patricia Briggs. She and Ann ( the trusty assistant) we’re both lovely and she graciously signed my suitcase of books. I met Patricia Briggs enthusiasts from Newcastle and other places which was great. I live in hope that one day Supernova bring Ilona and Gordon out as guests and then the Downunder Chiiiiiiii….. chapter of the BDH can meet and have our own mini convention.
+1 😮 (and what a chapter). Thanks for It!!!
How can the innkeepers eliminate a candidate? They don’t have that power right?
You might want to recap on the reveals in Chapter 16 🙂. We know one of the candidates is not what they seem… https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/chapter-16/
Oh good, nevermind an excuse for HA re-read
Thanks, I had the same question 🙂
And Dina’s been holding it back as a bargaining piece! Answers my question about “why don’t we know who the pirate is yet?”
It’s only been a few hours since she found out- and what an excitement filled few hours they have been for the Inn! She addressed it the first chance she got 🙂
I also misread it at first. I thought Dina was offering to eliminate one of Cookie’s choices for the information. What she offered was the chance to eliminate a specific competitor (the space pirate) if Cookie was able to confirm the information.
I also read it as you did. Thanks for clearing it up for me.
Unless Cookie is Cumbr Adgi
Oh! I also assumed it was to let Couki choose a candidate to eliminate…
I totally thought Dina was pulling one over on him and would help him “choose” the pirate. This reading makes more sense.
Hmmm…
Maybe one of the native English speakers can help. Does “In return, you get to eliminate one of the candidates from the selection.” imply Cooky can choose who is going to be eliminated or just that one of the candidates will be ejected. If so it could even be Cookies “person of interest”.
My guess would be that Kosandion would be more than willing to eliminate a party if it would me made clear that this is instrumental in protecting him from the assassin.
No. Dina can only remove the “space pirate” because he’s a fake contestant and possible assassin. If Cookie helps by providing access to his people’s information network, he helps remove the “space pirate”. It benefits him by removing a contestant and improving Lady Wexan’s odds of winning.
I read more comments and apparently it’s the latter
As a native english speaker I was also confused by this.
When I read that phrase, I took it to mean that when Dina had access to Couki’s information network she would be able to verify the identity and eliminate the space pirate, leaving one less competitor for Couki’s candidate of choice to face.
I cannot wait for this to come out on Audible. Between a fantastic storyline and some of the incredible narrators you have I know I will be listening to this book over and over again much like I did with Sweep of the Blade.
wahoo super early…came right from CNN doom ticker to get my daily happiness. please let me move to Gertrude Hunt, need a portal door NOW!!!
+1
I’ll happily take a life-long membership
+1. IRL my preferred travel accommodations ARE inns and B and Bs.
OMG !!!
Caledonia in action …😳
Can’t wait … actually can…
Have a wonderful … restful
Vacation ☀️
Worth waiting for. Enough action and intrigue to make the time until next week go slow as molasses.
OMG, thank you!
Also, the leashed version of Caldenia is fun. I can’t help to think that she might want to organize a future where she isn’t bound to the inn….
Roe v Wade falls, but chapter 18 is up. Thank you.
+1million. (And I’m not even American!)
I love the quick episode recap at the beginning of each post!
+1
Thank you! More vacations to Florida! This was amazing! Worth waiting for.
Love to get more of the backstory to Caldenia.
Wishing you safe travels and smooth home renovations.
Heh. I agree they need more ocean front tropical beach time, vacation time and pampering by the staff of what ever ‘inn’ they are staying in, LOL…
Thank you for taking time and energy from your vacation to feed the horde! Sooooo enjoy these tidbits of awesomeness!
Thank you! I’m sitting on the edge of my seat!
And the hits just keep on coming… this is such an awesome Innkeeper story!!!
Thank you HA for writing this during your break! 🥰
I am cackling in glee
Awesome! But honestly, as a mixed chick, I was really bummed that the black girl was the first to go.
Another way to look at it is that Black woman character spoke her truth, took charge of her destiny, ruined the ploys of the bad guys and won the Happy Ever After she desired above an arranged political marriage amongst strangers 🙂
The entire character development showed her to be grieving and displaced and to culturally see winning the selection as an imprisonment, not a goal.
+100 Perspective IS everything.
But she won her happy ending and guaranteed her branch’s security for all time. That’s quite an accomplishment.
And by Kosandion moving her to first date, he shortened the time of her suffering. I was rooting for Ellanda but this resolution in her favor made me happy.
I love Cookie! Ruthless, with just a touch of humanity, something he picked up from a couple of Innkeepers.
The Grandmother of Clan Nuan has ‘humanity’s as well. She stopped Nuan Cee from contracting Sean’s services for all time.
Nuan Cee is not without humanity either. He wanted Sean to remain Tuan Adin (spelling?) Because Sean could keep his family safe.
Nope, still not a fan of Nuan Cee.
Nuan Cee is ruthless. He will do anything for his people but outsiders are open season. He clearly showed this when one of his people poisoned Dina and he bargained for her life for his benefit. It’s sad that Cookie is turning out to be like him. I need to keep reminding myself that their species are ruthless and are assassins – even their young ones. They smile and are very friendly but you must always watch your back.
He also saved Helen both from the poison and on the space station. He’s a major character, and like all of HA’s major characters, nuanced (pun intended.)
I like the lees. It’s an interesting culture. Nuan Samoa is a great example. Couki seems more fun loving, but I like that he’s proving himself too.
Yes, Dina! Yes! No one messes with an innkeeper in her inn!
Words fail to express the extent of my admiration for your creativity.
Thank you for devoting time during your working vacation to feed us gluttons of the horde! Nom nom nom 🤗
Wow….thank you all sooooo much!
Also, I hope the vacation is relaxing & going wonderfully…
You never disappoint. This is stellar!
Fabulous! Thank you. 💐
A second comment. I needed this so badly today. There is a potentially life-and-death situation in my family, which we have no control over, and sitting and watching someone willfully walk into danger, and call us crap because we worry, is so hard.
So thank you.
Hugs.
Sending you hugs and strength.
Lots of hugs.
Sending so much love. Letting go of what we cannot control is the hardest and the worst
Thank you for the chapter.
+1. Hugs too.
+1 Take care of yourselves.
We’ve all heard about Caldenia, the red-handed monster, but wow. Finally able to indulge because that person was no longer a guest.
This scene puts a very different perspective on the communal empathy of the Dominion. It’s a force, but not an overriding force. Here’s a group with what I can only call an ugly perspective.
Dina noticed something off about the Ecclesiarch’s reaction. What could it be, I wonder? Did he help set up the attempt? If he did, did he want it to fail or want it to succeed?
I noticed that too! I am so excited to see what develops. It is because religious leaders have to be political animals by default? Was it because he had the “human” emotion of serves the buzzard right for trying to off me? Was because he is the bad guy?
This is so exciting!
Might have been because he disliked and knew the person plotting was a rotten beastie to the core? Or something like that?
Or could he have still dealt with it himself, before Sean had intervened?
So excited to see how it all plays out!
I had to go straight to the comments before reading the chapter coz I got a giggle out of ‘In this week’s episode of Sweep of the Blade’. Admit it Mod R, you’re missing Maud too.
Anyway, I’ll go back to reading now. Thank you House Andrews!
Oh poop 😀 . Thank you, fixed!
I baptised it in the first place because I was thinking of SotB and said “Sweep of the Heart” instead of “This Sweeping Heart”, I really need to get my brain in gear 😀
I noticed it too, and giggled when I saw the correction now, starting my reread.
Huge HUGE Thank You!!!!!!!!!!
After the horrible SCOTUS news of the last few days this is what I needed. Thank you!
Such and awesome chapter!
Same. I feel you. Bad weekend, good chapter.
Wow, in the time it took me to read Mod R’s post (fascinating and the photo of your hometown – reminds me of trips to Bratislava and Prague) this was posted. My weekend is complete.
Does anyone else think the Kosandian and Caldenia interaction is a prelude to something? I’m wondering if Kosandian will give Caldenia a pardon.
Yes, I think so too!
Even if he does, there are still dozens of bounties out on her. So still reason for her remain living at the inn!
The relationship between those two doesn’t seem to be antagonistic.
If you look at it in a particular way Caldenia gave up EVERYTHING (including her freedom) to put her nephew on the throne and he knows it.
Thanks for the chapter!
Yay! Not expecting a post with story parts today! Score!
If anyone needs me, I’ll be over here swooning at Caldenia’s feet. You go girl!
Agreed!! So badass, even years into “retirement”!
It just gets better and better each week. Wow. I love this so much
First 100? lol
Jumped to the latest *wonderful* episode as soon as I saw it and still couldn’t crack the top ten
Beware the tail-fluff!!
Wishing you a wonderful time in Florida and sending thanks for an intriguing chapter.
Always fantastic to see Caldenia in action, and now interacting with her nephew is even more fun as we get to see a new facette of her.
Also wondering about the Ecclesiarch and what Cookie will come up with.
Dear Mod R,
Please thank the “ones who allowed” the snippets of this chapter for “their” permission to publish this selection. Until this appeared in my email I had decided not to purchase this SWEEP book. However this one snippet alone has reactivated my interest in the series and I definitely will purchase it when it becomes available.
Thank you,
Jo
People are not always guilty of all they are accused of (not that it doesn’t still mean they are badass). Also, family may fight family but woe betide anyone outsider getting involved. Hehehe, Team Caldenia for the win! (She and Gaston are cute aren’t they?) Another excellent installment.
And that is why she would make an interesting Holy Ecclesiarch. I had a feeling about that and now with his revealing of his true self…religious leaders are some of the most ruthless around, just saying.
That role never occurred to me!! Interesting…
Oooh I like this idea!!! She’d get a pardon and an upgrade! Super interested to see how it all shakes out!!
But that would mean her leaving the inn. I’d certainly miss her.
Thank you for the delightful surprise! Quite the action-packed chapter!
I LOVE Cookie! I can’t wait to find out how his negotiations go!
This was an amazing addition to the story line. So many intriguing questions raised. Thanks so very much!
I know you’re having a “working vacation”, but I do hope you’re really getting some vacation! Fun in the sand and sun! And yummy seafood!
chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!I love ripper cushions
Loved it 🙂 Thanks! And may the good, relaxing vacation times continue 🙂
What a joy! Excited to see how it all plays out!
Hope the rest of the trip for House Andrews goes smoothly.
Beautiful – I love it!
Loved each and every part of it. I hope to learn so much more about Caldenia, for me – it’s her book. Her people, her background story in a Bachelor- inspired package. 😀🌞
+1
Aunt,” Kosandion said softly. “Perhaps this one time due process might be a better path forward?
So is this an implication that Caldenia killed his father for the greater good.
That’s what I’m thinking. She certainly didn’t gain anything by killing her brother. In fact, she lost everything.
Wowzers. There is A LOT to unpack here.
Me likey!
Thank you so much for taking the time from your vacation for this!!
Thank you, House Andrews!
Thank you, House Andrews and Mod R, for the one bright spot in an otherwise wretched day. It’s truly, deeply appreciated.
Amazing! ❤️ Thank you
Her Grace is in fine form.
Cookie!!! <3
I confess I was terribly confused by the last bit:
“A trade,” I said. “We need access to your information network. In return, you get to eliminate one of the candidates from the selection.”
From the wording I thought Dina was offering to remove someone of Cookie’s choosing. It took me a while to realize it was the pirate she was going to remove. The “You get” implies it’s Cookie’s action to remove, not that it will be facilitated.
Otherwise as usual a kick butt installment!
Hi Heather, please do not write lines for the characters, I will be forced to remove the comments, thank you 🙂
Sorry, of course. Not really thinking straight this morning. News has not been kind to my thinking today.
Hugs 😞
Yes, I thought that was an odd wording, too, as Dina doesn’t have the ability to promise just any old candidate would be removed. I do know the pirate removal is coming up, so I supposed she was referring to that. And I’m waiting on tenterhooks to see how that gets handled. SO FUN!
““It says involvement.”
“Involvement is a perfectly good word.”
“We’re dealing with the lees. It’s like making a deal with…” the devil. She grappled with her knowledge of ancient sagas, looking for a reference. “Yarlas the Cunning.”
Lord Erast raised his eyebrows.
“If we leave any gap, any hint at an alternative interpretation, they will drive a space cruiser through it. We have to make this super simple. Short, clear sentences. No ambiguity at all or we will end up explaining to Lady Ilemina why the lees now own the station and half of the planet.”
Adrews, Ilona. Sweep of the Blade, Innkeeper Chronicles 4. NYLA Publishing 2019/ Kindle edition, Chapter 19
Dealing with the Lees and especially making agreements with them is a very delicate skill involving precise language :). If Dina had meant “of your choosing”, she would have added it.
Ah, ok. I was with the others, thinking those words were implied, but it’s more the case that removing a candidate will improve the odds that the lees’ candidate will advance. Of course, she doesn’t say the lees’ candidate *won’t* be the one leaving.
I thought the same when I read that. That Cookie was going to be able to choose.
Me, too. Now I’m confused.
There is no need to be confused 🙂, Dina will use Clan Nuan’s information to verify the intelligence she received in Baha-char regarding the candidate who is there to kill Kosandion- see Chapter 16 https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/chapter-16/
I adore Caldenia. Kick butt chapter. Thank you gracious authors for sending it from vacation!
I’ve re-read this portion three times…my smile just keeps getting bigger each time.
This just keeps expanding and I am looking forward to the rest of the story.
I’m starting to suspect that Caldenia will turn out to be a totally different person than the one we have come to know.
Probably not totally, but she definitely has depths.
And what if her brother was dying anyway and he and Caldenia plotted his own murder and her exile together for the good of the Dominion? The whole family does seem to be pretty ruthless about duty.
Weeeeeeee! Excellent! Thank you. Next Friday is too far away.
Another awesome chapter.
The power of alpha strain. The showman ship of Dina and GH and of course the resident badass Caldenia.
Now I wonder what the holy man is up to 😉
+1
+1+1
Wow I’m so lovely this book.
Each chapter is better than the last
I love Cookie 🍪 😍
Thank you IA and Hope you all have a great weekend
Fabulous. Thank you for posting on your vacay. Enjoy the rest of your time 🏖️
Friday joy! Helps me forget the tiresome work meeting i just sat thru. Thank you. Hope the Andrew Family are having a good holiday!
The whole world fades in comparison to how much I enjoy these installments!
I don’t usually comment much, even though I read every post on this blog – I’m just a tiny piece of the BDH, after all.
My job is basically watching the news all day long, analyzing coverage. I can’t turn it off.
So today, especially today, I really *needed* the smile that was on my face at the end of this part. My little chuckle at Cookie will get me through the rest of my shift.
You’ve given me something to be grateful for, a new piece of a good story, on a day I was struggling to find anything for a gratitude list.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you Mod R and thank you House Andrews.
🤗
Great trrat ! Thank you ! 🤭🤭
Sorry, I have to get something off my chest:
Each time I read the intro, it reminds of “Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs”. It has the same ring to it. I am sure thats not the only one. But I can’t stop thinking about it and always have to readjust myself because I kind of get immediatly tuned into a space opera 😉 well, I guess thats how childhood shapes us 🙂
So, now I’m off reading. 🙂
🎶 Sabeeeeeer Riiiiideeeeeeeeerrrrr 🎶
Your destiny will lead you!
Ohhhhhh myyyyyy! (Read in George Takei’s voice)
That smack down was EPIC!!!!!!!!!
And Caldenia, woooweeeee! That is one tough lady and I am going to bet that in her carnivorous heart, she cares about her nephew. She isn’t going to ADMIT it, but she does. She will just say she was protecting the dignity of the peerage or something lol
Thank you! Next……
Holy cripes. So much to think about.
Thanks, House Andrews (hope you’re having a fabulous vacation) and Mod R (you enliven every post even more).
Mod R, are you going to edit your shipping post to include Caledonia and Gaston? 😉
Ooops — autocorrect, Caldenia.
Oh my. After that wonderful gift the other day, we then get this. I am giddy with joy. Squee!!
Nowhere near first but am happy for this unexpected treat on my birthday. I know you said working holiday but I was thinking more holiday and a break for the AL so it’s happy days for me!! 🙂
Absolutely love that we get to see Caldenia in action in front of Kosandion no less! Although I’m trying to get my head around the delegates and I thought it was a different delegation to Ellenda’s that were the assassins? I need to reread some of the earlier chapters I guess!
Happy Birthday!
She was of Team Frowns always 🙂
Rereads are encouraged, there’s also a recap of the delegations here https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/intergalactic-bachelor-the-reckoning/
There is another assassin. This one is probably after Kosandion (the one in the scene aimed for the Holy Ecclesiarch). The second one is pretending to be someone else. They are high born pretending to be an average person and are one of the Candidates.
I suspect that Dina’s offer to Kouki is killing two birds with one stone. The second assassin is probably the prime competition to Lady W. So Dina anticipates that Kouki will eliminate the second assassin from contention. And since the second assassin isn’t in contention anymore, she’s offering Kouki something that seems valuable. But isn’t really, since that candidate is eliminated. Kouki just doesn’t know it. It’s a game of chess.
And Dina knows how to bargain with the Lees.
Sigh, thank you. Needed this today
Thank you so much for the story post; I hope your vacation/recharge and renovations long-distance are going well and smoothly.
I get the feeling that cookie rose through the ranks so fast, not because the emerald was “found”, but because he conned someone else into finding it and succeeded! The emerald was found because of his pleading to Dina, even despite the fact that it went sideways on the clan.
Finally we get to see just how much of a badass Caldenia truly is! This is such an enjoyable and exciting read! Hope you all have fun in Fl, I lived in Tampa for almost all my life and miss it.
Whoa…what a snippet. Thank you to all who made this happen on their vacation. 🙂
On the next episode of the Bachelor – Universe…will the next date happen with no further assassination attempts? Will Caldenia be standing up for her nephew again? Will Cookie grant Dina and Sean access to the information they want?
Tune in next Friday! 😀
More treats! We are such a lovely, sleek, spoiled BDH.
50th?
Loved this! Loved the collapse of the rooms. Loved Caldenia’s actions. Loved the conversation with Cookie. So excited to find out where this is going! Thank you!!
Thank you! Finally see some Caldenia action. Hope y’all are having a wonderful vacation avoiding this godawful Texas weather.
Next time its Cookie’s turn. 🤭
Does Caldenia shred the tongue because he called her an abomination and accused her of colossal sins? Or was it more than that.
I admire Caldenia for knowing exactly where her line is. I thought it was that she couldn’t harm another guest but I was wrong. She can’t kill another guest.
““She’s too polite to tell you,” Caldenia said. “If I were to kill you, I would be breaking my contract with Dina. The contract stipulates that the moment I kill another guest, even if I do so in self-defense, she has the right to void our agreement. I’d lose my safe haven. It would be very inconvenient for me.”
This makes it sound like Dina has the option of canceling the contract but isn’t required to.
Can’t wait to see more of her “plans”.
I think shredding his tongue was a more extreme way of saying, “Just shut up already!”
Dina had already revoked their ‘guest’ status. I’m not sure what the ripper cushions would have been knowing that. I’m sure wondering tho!
He was no longer a guest at the Inn at that point. He had been expelled and his guest status revoked. So Caldenia wasn’t breaking faith with Dina.
Squee!
Excellent! Thank you so much. Love the ending. It’s so much fun to see Cookie’s increasing skills. Dina’s intervention with the Clan’s normal handling of talented young seems to accelerated his rise in status. Hopefully without multiple bankruptcy scares.
Cookie!! Wow, Caldenia tho!! YESSSSS!! She is a BOSS!!!
This is awesome – love your work!
Yes … “Tell me more …”
Wow!! What a chapter!! 😳
I reread everything last week (due to there being no new chapter) I almost fogot about the new door developing, wonder where it will go… maybe to Dina and Helen but would the Holy Anocracy ever stand for such a security risk
Or maybe….
Will it be a relaxed place an exilerating place or a (very) dangerous one…
Will probably find out after Wilmos’ rescue
But ofcourse all the intreague in the interim is very entertaining too
Sorry, I meant Maud ofcourse
Hmmm Gastenia..or Calston…? 😁
And all the other Innkeepers are watching toooooooooo! no pressure or anything hehehe
Thank you so much for thinking of us during your much deserved vacation! I read this installment twice in short order-wide eyed and cackling in turns. My spouse now knows that I am crazy!
You are the absolute best. Big hugs!
+1000
I think caldenia killed Kosandions father for him. Not sure if he requested it but i think she did it because he was bad news bears and kosandion would be better. Also i think the Holy Ecclesiarc might be the assasin! Lol just my crazy opinion 😋
Honestly, all the talk of reforms, how Kosandion’s father was weak and loved his mother, doesn’t make him seem very much like a monster who needed to be eliminated by Caldenia. Sounds like he may have been trying to change things in the Dominion for the better and against asshats like Tair Odikas.
Or maybe he lost his mind when he lost his mate? Forcing Caldenia to eliminate the threat to the Dominion and assume responsibility while her nephew matured? Doing so in a way that would ensure the Dominion would welcome the nephew with open arms and a sigh of relief?
I like this possible redemption arc for Caldenia 😂🤗
But Dina might shake her head at us for our sentimentality when she intimately knows this tyrant 😆
Yeah, I caught that bit of foreshadowing too. You don’t rise to that high of a position without a sharp brain. Just don’t know if it’s a red herring or not. Hmmm.
My word, this is lovely.
Wow, as always, wow!
To the Assembly and other Innkeepers: “How ‘bout them apples!”
Thank God it’s Innkeeper Friday!
Wonderful. Thank you for starting my weekend on such a great positive note.
Amazing as always! Thank you very much!!!
Worth the wait! 100%
Woohoo!
So good! My Friday has been made! Thank you House Andrews! You have reminded us that Caldenia is EPIC!
Wow. I am repetitive, I know, but every installment is just fantastic.
A) Caldenia is amazing. At least 3 years into retirement, & she’s still got it!
B) Gaston is amazing. I still 100% ship him with Konsandion. Fierce, charming, unintimidated by a “surprise” show of ferocity from Caldenia. Yup, he’d make an amazing consort!!! (Add in spy, gentleman of adventure, familiarity with plenty and with want, etc, etc, etc)
C) So glad Sean & Dina are getting the positive press they need for innkeepers, or maybe didn’t need, but each of them has had a public display of their utter awesomeness (Dina with the Dryght Lords of the last novella). Hoping this gives them less headaches in future, not more!!
E) the Holy Ecclesiarc has revealed a sneaky side!! (I’m not really putting much effort into this thot, but could he be the pirate in disguise? I still think that’s likely Pivor, but with considering..)
D) heading back in for a rearead!
On reread, I wonder most: who will Cookie eliminate? It would have to be a high ranking candidate, who wasn’t already clearly going to loose in favor of Lady Wexyn…. Maybe the true scholar? Or could it be that only First Scholar Thek knows he trounced Nycati in the debate? (I sure didn’t notice!) or maybe the parrot girl from Team Smiles? As she’s the Dominion fan favorite? Maybe Bestata, since we all adored her debate remarks…. Such fun to consider!
Personally, I’d like to be rid of the creepy Donkamins, but Cookie is more strategic than I am!
After reading ModR’s clarification, backtracking on the Couki elimination scheme, but it was fun to consider while it lasted!
Donkamins remain creepy though!
Ooooooooo, this is getting better and better!!..Is it next Friday yet? 😉 Thank you!!!
Three snaps for “Your Grace” with a lighter’s fire waving in the wind. I Salute You!!!
She certainly has a fan base 😍 💅
Oh, wowwwww. That was worth the wait (no surprise though). Thank you!!!
Here’s something that has been bouncing around in the back of my brain: Why is Caldenia?
[Insert Why is Gamora meme here]
But seriously, throughout this whole spousal selection process there has been talk about the *child* that will be born as a result of the union. Child. Not children. Apparently, monarchs have heirs. No spares.
And yet, two generations ago, two children were born. A boy and a girl.
Why?
(I’m probably reading too much into things. I know I tend to do that. But whatever. I’ve been home all week with COVID. I’ve recovered enough to feel human but the thermometer still shows a low grade fever which means I can’t go out. So I’m going to use this free time to overthing silly things like Caldenia’s origin story. :D)
My thinking is that we have the Dominion and the sister empire(forgot the name, need to do a reread). We have Caldenia and her Brother. What if one child rules the Dominion and the other rules the sister empire. Kos might have a sister, she just doesn’t get mentioned.
Twins?
wow awesome chapter. oooh, i really feel that while the delegations are in it for some deals, Kosandion is using this spouse selection to clean house. I’m guessing that Kosandion’s father was pushing for changes that more conservative members didn’t agree with. And when Odikas (and most likely others…maybe even the Holy Ecclesiarch?) manipulated the Dominion’s collective empathy into believing Kosandion’s father was “A weakling controlled by a woman” and resulted in Caldenia having to murder her own brother and being exiled, Kosandion has been plotting his revenge since then. that is my wild theory at the moment =)
Ooh, I like this! But I’m not sure…? I read the empathy thing to be like… when the Dominion dislikes their Ruler, they get increasingly irritable–everyone is, like, in the Instant Pot, but with violence instead of culinary mishaps–until the pressure blows and the Ruler is killed in psychic defense.
If that happens, would the subjects really mourn that Ruler? Because Dominion citizens were in Dina’s parents Inn when Konsandion’s father was killed, and they lit themselves on fire. Authors be sneaky, but it was kind of implied ‘in grief’ not ‘in relief’… I suppose there could be outliers and factions, so the Inn Guests could have been a minority that liked K’s Dad…?
I’m kind of wondering if maybe K’s Dad was sick (given the Dominion’s interesting ideas about genetic superiority, it could have been a genetic disease that would somehow “stain” Konsandion) or otherwise incapacitated… Maybe he even got murdered by someone other than Caldenia? The alternative could have been Konsandion being appointed an unsuitable regent, until Caldenia came in and took the blame, then as you said… showed those pansies what a “tough” ruler looked like until Konsandion came of age!
I can’t quite believe Konsandion survived to adulthood unless Caldenia wanted it. That is a loose end, and Caldenia has no problems snipping those. I also notice that despite her “legendary appetite” she’s had no problems controlling herself in the Inn, because she knows her life depends on its protection. Kind of like how her life depended on the goodwill of the Dominion’s citizen empathy, if she wanted to keep in power…
Last but not least… Spouse selections are great for calming unrest, as Caldenia noted. But… Caldenia didn’t do one? She doesn’t have an heir? Well, not that we know of. Hmmmmm.
Anyone also thinking the Holy Ecclesiarch might be the architect behind the assassination plot against Kosandion?
Thank you. I needed this today.
Really just such a fun plot.
I do love Cookie. This was lovely, especially as it was done on vacation time. Thank you. I ‘my. Looking forward to the next installment.
Uh oh! I think we might be about to find out more about Your Grace before the end…
So pumped am I!
I love the image for the post, too. Did Luissa draw that one? If so, I hope it’s added to next year’s calendar. (I hope she does another one.)
Oh, wait, someone else does the artwork for the Innkeeper books, right? If so, can you relay that the Horde would love an Innkeeper calendar, too? 😁💛👏
I’d buy one for each of me!
Thank you for the chapter. It was very enjoyable.
The mental image of Team Frowns’ quarters collapsing was epic! That should cement Dina’s power in everyone’s mind. Much food for thought in this chapter. Thanks HA.
A smile of satisfaction and . …Well! Very satisfying. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This was definitely a #TeamPopcorn chapter. Just wow.
Thanks HA for sending this from Florida! Hoping there is much relaxing there for you.
And thanks for the recap, ModR — which I hear in a “Pigs in Space” voice.
OK, then, I must steal this wonderful line: “It’s not the plotting. It’s the sheer, obnoxious stupidity of it that irritates me.” Check out my Facebook page, credit will be given.
It IS such a fantastic line!
LOL, can’t imagine whom you have in mind.
I loved that line too. I’ve actually said something similar before (not about an assignation attempt). SO MUCH FUN!
Cookie has become a player…hummmm
Fun
Sheer pleasure & happiness couldn’t have come on a better day. Thank you for writing & sharing your creativity & genius.
Caldenia never disappoints.
Oh wow! “Something wasn’t right about this.” Really? Hmm, so what’s up with the Holy Ecclesiarch? Is he plotting too? For Kosandion or for his own interests?
And Caldenia… wow again! I knew she was cunning, but I didn’t know she had physical strength as well. Also, “Perhaps this one time due process might be a better path forward?” What did Kosandion mean by that? That his pops deserved what he got and Caldenia just happened to give it to him outside of the law? Hmmm, veeeery interesting.
(Also, I loved the image of Gaston walking Caldenia out and Dagorkun grinning.)
Thank you!
Not surprised but delighted to see Caldenia be a total bad ass.
This is a treat. A good way to end a day,
🙂
We still know so little of her grace. I expected by now that the veil of mystery would fall off since everything seamed connect to her.
But nope .She just got more scary.
I like the Dune reference. Also the twist that the assassin already took the antidote.
Wheeeee!!! Crazy good chapter!! 📚💖📚
Thank you, HA!! Hope the vacation has lots of ice tea and lovely dinners. And maybe getting some tourist activities in, too!!
Thank you for this piece of story. Especially since HA is on vacation. Hope the creating process gave as much pleasure as reading it did.
Question: Is it anywhere stated that the assassin is one of the candidates? Or is it just suspected and implied?
I am also getting suspicious of the Holy Ecclesiarch.
The woman who gave Dina the information about the assassin said this:
“ The Sovereign is in danger. One of the candidates is not who they claim to be. Meet me at the glass stall on Curved Street. I will wait for half an hour. No males.” in chapter 16 https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/chapter-16/
So we have been running with the idea that it is one of the male candidates 🙂
I thought when she said ‘no males’ was because of her former situation. The pirate captured her and enjoyed hurting her. In my mind, he is sadistic. She was very pretty but he changed her physically to meet his specs. When I read what he did to her, I was so glad Maud escaped his claws. I figured the pirate traumatized her against all males.
I was referring to the “candidate” part 🙂. The “no males” referred to the people coming to meet her.
When Dina speaks to her he refers to the disguised assassin with male pronouns.
I have been re-reading Sweep With Me during our 2 weeks iatus (well deserved by IA) and was wondering if there will be a spin-off story about Adira Kline now Liege of Green Mountain. There is a story there for sure 🙂
+1
OOOHH! Big ‘UH-OH’ eyes like Karat! And Sooooooo satisfying… Thank you!! Fabulous chapter with some deeper character reveal… simply Awesome! Thank you!
I love Cookie… More please 😃😃😃😃
Thanks
What if the Ecclesiarch set up team frowns and Dina caught the smile he couldn’t hold in?
These chapters make my Fridays!
Coolest
Odikas and Caldenia killed Kosandion’s father. Caldenia just shut him up.
Great chapter, thank you!
I just love how Sean is working with the inn.
Hope Ilona and Gordon are having a fabulous time in Florida!
Wow. Since Guest status was revoked for the Team Frowns, Calendia can’t be expelled by Dina for killing Odikas. Right?
Also that micro expression from the High Priest is highly intriguing. What’s the subplot there?
The Holy E. is up to something. What if the religious branch of the Dominion decided THEY would be better at ruling it and Kos’s dad was willing to go along with it? Then Caldenia had to step in, because the separation of power is a good thing to her pov.
Kos, realizing that with a theocratic rule there is going to be problems with citizens practicing alternative religions or beliefs (like his mum), is secretly in contact with Caldenia and ready to grant a pardon and/or ready to do a Julius Cesare move and set up Caldenia as the Holy E. successor.
I am so grateful we got this today! Thank you.
The plot thickens… I can’t wait to see what else we learn about Caldenia’s past and relationship with Kosandion!
😍😍😍😍. Kosandion’s speech gave me chills. “What is everything you hoped it would be?”
Oh! Oh! Oh! I did not notice it the first time I read it. Does it mean then that Kosandion’s father deserved what he got but that Caldenia did not use due process to mete it out?
I’m also thinking there is so much more story behind what we know.
This is delightful. Love it!
Fabulous chapter. I love all of IA’s series, but watching Innkeeper unfold is so much fun.
Wow! Double Wow! Everything happened so fast I had to go back and reread chapter 17 to make sure I had not missed anything. Sean was magnificent! All homes should be equipped with a guest removing device as clever as the inns. There are times…just saying. And Caldenia…she is certainly a force to be reckoned with. I’m wondering if she actually did what she was accused of or if she took the fall to achieve an end. SO GOOD!
Wow! Thank you for sharing! Happy Moving 🎉🥳👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😻
Cookie is starting to be one of my favorite characters!! We need to ship him with someone.
So their guest status was removed was it okay for Caldenia to shred the guy then?
Nah, he’s still just reaching his prime 😁, very career-focused at present. Maybe in a couple years, at least once he’s exited the obligatory family money-back ploy. Unless he’s already got an amazingly bright & cunning lees girlfriend off screen!
Kosadion exudes consummate diplomacy. But I think underneath, he may be as lethal as his Aunt.
What a great chapter! I have all the feels 😃. Thank you House Andrews for posting while on vacation.
I have just recently hopped onto the innkeeper bandwagon… and now I am here stuck on a weekly waiting scheme.
This feels like self inflicted torture…. I’m going to have to talk to my therapist about this, lol.
On a better note, these characters and the world building makes me happy. Can’t wait for next week!
Welcome to the bandwagon – prepare for a bumpy ride!
Personally, I think team Kosandion is carefully orchestrating a situation (with or without Caldenia’s help) that will let him prove to the watching Dominion audience that he is fit to be the sovereign.
And here is a hard left turn into the weeds. How are Gorvar and Olasard getting along? It was mentioned that the inn seemed to give Olasard free rein to go wherever he wanted.
I so love you guys and your books. Not many authors draw me in and keep me coming back for more! Enjoy your time away, be healthy and stay safe.
Too short! But still very much appreciated.
Interesting…Caldenia’s main charge is part of the catch all clause? Wouldn’t murder of a ruler be First Clause?
This was awesome! I was just in Florida for a month. I l’adresse miss everything about it. Even the heat. Have fun and if you get a chance to kayak down a river to see the wildlife do! We saw turtles and alligators and birds. It was a gorgeous experience.
Great chapter! It left me shocked and heartbroken throughout the whole scene! And Caldenia coming into action was the icing on the cake! The most sinister and imposing Diva in history!
Thank you so much for the chapter, even though you’re on vacation, I hope you had as much fun writing it as we all had reading and diving into this amazing story!
I always use Google translator, so please excuse me if I have any translation errors, inconsistency or a meaningless sentence😓
You (& google translate!) are very welcome here! Sometimes my crazy posts are due to my brain, sometimes due to an unforgiving and vengeful autocorrect!!
You are amongst friends here, Ana 🤗, and welcome.
Whoo-hoo! Stunning! So exciting! Calendia, way to go, you fine old babe! And you got Gaston walking you off stage… now, that’s a good morning’s work. What a complex chapter section! Wheels within wheels … Thank you SO MUCH House Andrews! You lit up my day!
As always, a pleasure to dive into your world! Thank you for this unexpected chapter. Hope everything is going well for you and yours.
If this is the result of a vacation
—— Schedule More Vacations!!!!!!
Edge of my seat, OMG, ” never expected that” = Phenomenal plotting and character growth.
Words cannot describe the magnitude of my utter adoration of Cookie. 🥰😍🤩🤣
I love the Innkeepers so much. Thank you for the chapter!
Just found this! So excited
Thank you for the lovely new chapter. Sorry, it took me so long to read it. Things are just getting warmed up it seems. Can’t wait to see what happens next. 🙂
Great episode. Thanks for the innkeeper adventure!
Wonderfully written.. as always!
Thank you!
❤️👌❤️
Loved it and as always “patiently” waiting for the next part of the story 🙂
Did have a thought though, we all express out thoughts and opinions about the characters but the main character rarely gets spoken of…..the inn 🙂
WOW I love it What an awesome installment. Thankyou! I hope you have a Happy safe holiday. You and yours deserve it
Did I miss the details of how and when Kosandion lost his mother? Was he very young, and that’s why the Kyporo thought their ploy would work? (Missing her and being influenced by another Uma woman) Or is that something yet to be revealed?
We do not know how Kosandion lost his mother 🙂
Deepest thanks to House Andrews for an enlightening and thoughtful segment.
WOOHOO!!!! YEAH!!!
Question: does the spouse of the innkeeper eventually become a keeper too? I know that Dina’s mom and dad could both “use” the inn and Sean can too. I know that Dina is the “primary” but if she were to die would The inn not go dormant if Sean was there?
I also read the line as Cookie could pick someone but then thought that they have to word it that way otherwise it would appear that Cookie was doing them a favor instead of it being a trade.
Thank you!
Really great. Thank you for thinking of us during this stressful time.
AAAAaaaannnd the plot thickens (rubs hands together while eyes glint with maniacal glee, while a tear of reflection rolls down the cheek). Viva HA! Viva HA! Viva HA!
Best chapter!!!!!
People are very sad about the publishing situation of Brazilian publishers, they take good series to publish, translate the first book and abandon the series, we as readers of foreign books, without understanding the original language of the books, we have no options, besides using Google Translator that is not very good.
“Universo dos Livros” published in 2017, with a translation of “Suria Scapin” Book 1 of “Hidden Legacy” under the title:”Magia Explosiva” (which I even confused for a while, with book 2 “Magic Burns” of the series Kate Daniels, because of the title) and that was it, I went to the publisher’s website, looked in the list of authors they publish, I didn’t find the name of Ilona Andrews there, the same happens with book 1 of the Kate Daniels series published here in 2015 by the publisher “Saída de Emergência”, with translation of “Flávia de Lavor”, I also looked in the list of authors they publish, I didn’t find the name of Ilona Andrews there.
I know I’ve asked you other times here about the publications in other countries of your books, sorry if I’m being repetitive😓, but I wanted a safe opinion on this. Does it mean they abandon the projects? I don’t understand this behavior by publishers, could anyone with experience on this subject of publishers give an opinion on?
I wanted more on my shelf than just the 2 books of these captivating series😞😭.
And Please, has any reader here been through this situation? Or is it something that only happens in my country?😭
Hi Ana,
I am so sorry to hear about this and I understand how frustrating it is.
House Andrews are very happy to sell the rights in other countries and make the books as widely available as possible. Unfortunately, this is where their influence and ability to control matters ends.
It’s only the local published who decide what gets translated further and which books of a series they will publish. As such, the only people who can give you answers and be influenced by your opinion are the local publishers. Please try emailing them, I have gotten answers before when I was in a similar situation.
Good luck!
Thank you! Mod R ^^
Can’t wait for next chapter.
This is getting more and more interesting!
Oh HECK YEAH !!! This just keep getting better and better
Thank you, Ilona Andrews and mod R, for the thought provoking snippet.
Oh, man! I cannot wait for the next installment.
Thank you for sharing your worlds with us!
“Aunt,” Kosandion said softly. “Perhaps this one time due process might be a better path forward?
Does that mean Caldenia has not followed the “due process” in the past. Could it be related to her brother’s death? 🤔
I love it, love it, love it!!
The complexity of Caldenia’s relationship with Kosandion!
SO GOOD! I am ADORING this book.
The bachelor meets Game of Thrones. Now this I would pay to watch. LOL
Just read all posts from Chapter 1, can’t wait for the next chapter and final book.
I love how real each character is. They become a living, breathing entity in your mind. In fact, after I read this, I’m thinking….. I need a conversation over tea between Caldenia and Erra. 🤭🤷🏼♀️