REVIEW: White Hot by Ilona Andrews
A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Recommended Readsfamilies / Hidden Legacy / magical powers / Romance / Texas / UF / Urban-Fantasy16 Comments
Dear Ilona Andrews,
Picking up where the first book in your Hidden Legacy series, Burn for Me, left off, book two, White Hot, begins with a scene in which Nevada Baylor costumes herself as “the Lady in Green” to hide her identity and use her truthseeking ability to interrogate a kidnapper and discover the whereabouts of his young hostage.
Nevada succeeds and the child is recovered, but Augustine Montgomery, Prime illusionist and CEO of Montgomery International Investigations, the corporation that owns Nevada’s investigative agency, warns Nevada that her actions that day will eventually have dangerous consequences.
Not only that, but Augustine has only agreed to help Nevada assist the police anonymously in the kidnapping case in exchange for a favor. Now Nevada must hear out an acquaintance of his who wants to hire Baylor Investigative Agency, Nevada’s family business, to investigate the death of his wife.
Augustine’s acquaintance turns out to be none other than Cornelius Harrison, stay-at-home dad and animal mage, whom Nevada first met when she was investigating pyrokinetic Adam Pierce, a reluctant childhood companion of Cornelius’s, during the course of the events described in Burn for Me.
Cornelius is accompanied by Matilda, his four-year-old daughter, and has come to seek Nevada’s assistance in investigating the recent hotel shooting of his wife and three of her co-workers, all of whom worked in the legal department at a company called Forsberg Investigative Services. Nari, like the other lawyers, was at the hotel to meet with another group. None of the team from Forsberg, or for that matter, the security force guarding them, left the hotel alive.
Initially, Nevada is reluctant to take the case. It is, as her dad would have said, above her pay grade. But Cornelius’s obvious love for Nari and his determination to find her killer as well as seek justice get to Nevada, and she agrees to uncover the identity of Nari’s killer.
Since Forsberg Investigative Services is hiding relevant information, the first order of business, Nevada and Cornelius decide, is to question Nari’s employer, Matthias Forsberg. To that end, they attend the Assembly, the governing body of the state’s most powerful magic users. There, Nevada comes face to face with Connor “Mad” Rogan, the man who promised to pursue a relationship with her relentlessly, only to disappear from her life two months before.
Almost before Nevada can process Rogan’s presence at the Assembly, or the fact that he too is there to investigate the same murders she is looking into, Matthias Forsberg is killed. Further communication with Rogan reveals that not only are he and Nevada still drawn to each other like magnets, but that their opponents, including a dangerous ice mage, are powerful enough to make joining forces the best way to proceed.
Will Nevada survive more attempts on her life? Will she go toe-to-toe with Rogan over his morally ambiguous choices? Will Cornelius find justice for the death of his wife? And will Rogan admit that he cares for Nevada?
Like Burn for Me, White Hot is action-packed and exciting, as well as romantic. The world of the series, in which the magically gifted Primes wield power in the name of their Houses (families), makes a great backdrop and foil to Nevada’s dilemmas and her relationship with her family, who are tethered by bonds of deep affection rather than considerations having to do with power.
As in the earlier book, Nevada is a great character, smart, level-headed and funny, as well as utterly devoted to both her loved ones and her work. It’s impossible not to like her. Nevada has three rules on which she runs her business, and these comprise her moral code.
Rule One, we stay bought. Once we’re hired, we don’t switch sides. Rule Two, we don’t break the law unless there are extremely unusual circumstances. Rule Three, at the end of the day we have to be able to live with our choices.
One of the themes of the book is moral codes, and how important it is to have them. Another theme is what makes a family, and here again we encounter some wonderful characters. Nevada’s grandmother is still the tough, resilient mechanic whom we first met in Burn for Me. Her mother is a sniper, a survivor, and the keeper of a big secret which finally comes to light late in this novel.
Then there is Bern, Nevada’s computer whiz and hacker cousin, Catalina and Arabella, her teenaged sisters, whose powers we learn more about here, and Leon, her other cousin, a fifteen-year-old whom Rogan aptly describes as displaying “moral flexibility” and who is frustrated by the latency of his magical skills.
Together, Nevada and her family support one another through thick and thin—and not just one another, but Cornelius and four-year-old Matilda as well. Their warehouse / business office / mechanic’s garage / home is a hub of activity, with Nevada the moral and practical center that is also its heart.
I loved the way this home of Nevada’s was contrasted with Rogan’s house. While Rogan has his own (albeit non-traditional) family—he cares greatly about his employees and they are incredibly loyal to him in turn—his house, for all its greater outer beauty, doesn’t have the same humor and warmth.
As he shares more of himself with Nevada, we come to understand why Rogan needs someone like her, and why, for all her doubts about his ethics, she needs someone like him.
Which brings me to the romance. Nevada’s attitude toward Rogan is different in this book than it was in Burn for Me. Whereas in the first book, Nevada kept telling herself how bad for her Rogan was, and resisted his advances because she believed he would tire of her and discard her, as this book begins, she is bummed that he hasn’t followed through on his declaration that he meant to pursue her.
I was disappointed that Nevada’s change of heart took place offstage, between the two books, because I would have liked to see how and why it came about in more detail than we get in White Hot.
The dynamic between Rogan and Nevada is different here from what it was in Burn for Me for this reason, and for another reason as well. Nevada spent Burn for Me convinced that Rogan was a sociopath but here she quickly comes to understand that there are people he cares about. For his part, Rogan behaves more circumspectly in this book, although he still manages to outrage Nevada a great deal with one of his actions.
The change in their dynamic makes this book better—between Rogan’s shift and Nevada’s changed attitude toward him, Rogan comes across as a more consistent and fully believable character. He shows that he has integrity, even if his values aren’t the same as Nevada’s. I might have found him slightly less exciting here in White Hot than he was in book one, but I also liked him better.
The really interesting thing to me in this book, though, was a moral dilemma Nevada is faced with late in the story. Almost as interesting is the way Nevada has become more proficient with her truthseeking power, and can use in ways that are shady. Now that she’s beginning to swim with the sharks, Nevada starts to sharpen her own teeth to keep herself and her loved ones safe, and that brings her to a new understanding of Rogan.
In this way, the characters meet each other halfway, each willing to compromise on some things but not on others. That makes their relationship both convincing and compelling.
As in other Andrews books, descriptions are utilitarian, but the dialogue shines with humor and wit. I have just one more minor nitpick—while the entire rest of the book is narrated by Nevada in first person, the epilogue switches to third person in Rogan’s viewpoint. That felt jarringly late in the book to introduce his POV.
Let me close with a quick mention of how much I enjoyed Cornelius’s animal mage abilities as well as how much I appreciated the subtle way his young daughter Matilda’s grief for her mother was portrayed. The Harrisons are a great addition to the cast, as is a new villain introduced late in the novel.
I am greatly looking forward to Wildfire, which is scheduled to be published in late July. White Hot gets a B+/A-.
Sincerely,
Janine
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Hi Janine thanks for the excellent review . I saw it few days ago in Q but waited to read till I got the book yesterday and tore through it . Like I was literally annoyed that my commute ended and I had to start working :). So of course this is a sign that I really enjoyed the story . I was curious about characters having to do some mutual compromising . I mean I totally agree that Nevada has her own teeth now as you said having to swim with the sharks and all that and yes if she keeps moving that way I don’t know if I will continue to like her .
It is not a spoiler right that um some bad guys are being killed in this book? Delete my comment if it is . I am just trying to say that I worried that I will have issues with killings – surprisingly I didn’t , not even with the last one felt like completely justified last resort to me . But I absolutely had an issue with how Nevada used her power at least once . It is of course just my personal preference – it all fit in the story which as I said I couldn’t put down.
So, mutual compromising – while I agree that Rohan is consistent and to me easy to understand charact r now I am not sure which compromises he made for Nevada’s sake. What didn’t he do that he wanted to do? I guess my interpretation was that Nevada became more ruthless and Rogan’s ruthlessness and killing instincts were well explained but he didn’t change his behavior at all .
Maybe you can email me ? I know it is a specific spoiler . Thanks Janine !
I am torn between reading it now or waiting until the last book comes out in July and reading them together. I have a long plane ride and it would be just the thing…………..however I have no will power and will probably start it this afternoon. I recently reread Burn For Me and liked it more the second time!
@Sirius: It’s been so long since I read the ARC that I had to go back to it and make sure I was remembering right. Rogan’s compromise is toward the end of chapter eleven, which ends on Nevada saying “Respect my wishes, Rogan. And I’ll respect yours.”
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A little before that, Rogan mentioned he wanted to do a specific thing in order to protect Nevada, and Nevada didn’t want him to do it. She came up with another solution instead, and while he backed her up then, he didn’t just immediately do what he wanted to do as he so often does. His first solution to the problem Nevada faced would have been a more sure solution and less risky for Nevada’s safety, but morally much darker.
I think I’ll still email you, though, because I’m curious if the thing you had an issue with Nevada doing is the same one I did. I didn’t mention it in the review, so as not to spoil, and also because while that action made her a little less likable, I didn’t see it as a flaw in the book, because it showed how easy it is for power to corrupt, which is a theme in this series.
@Connie: Have a good plane flight one way or the other! I would love to hear your thoughts on this book when you finish reading it.
@Janine: Eh I am confused. I think at the end of chapter seven they are arguing about that action that has Nevada enraged. I think I know what you mean though and if Rogan indeed wanted that done but for Nevada asking him not to, then sure I agree.
Looking forward to your email and if we are thinking of the same action, I do not see it as a flaw in the book, no, I see it as a flaw in Nevada, which totally makes sense in the story but which I want her to fight ( and keep fighting – I don’t need it to magically disappear) rather than go down that road further and deeper.
Janine I just realized something that I may came off as questioning your interpretation! I wasn’t. I only asked because I wanted to make myself feel better – I like mutual compromising way better than making them equals by showing that Nevada has ruthlessness in her too rather than Rogan also learning that maybe he needs to do some changing as well.
@Sirius: Yes, I agree with you. It is a flaw in Nevada, and I hope she fights it too, but I don’t think it will be easy, and I kind of liked that the authors went that way with her, because it makes her character more complex and interesting.
And no, I didn’t think you were questioning my interpretation. Will email you shortly.
@Janine: thanks :). Oh for now I definitely do like it, sure. It is just I am afraid of slippery slope, you know? In other words while what she did in this book was a flaw that makes her more interesting, next time I can easily see how she does something even worse, all in the name of protecting loved ones and I will be not happy.
@Sirius: It could happen that way but I think the authors are too aware of Nevada as the series’ moral center to let her go too far down that road, or else to fail to redeem her if she does.
I started this book this morning before work, but didn’t finish before I had to leave. (Sometimes, I really hate how my job interferes with my personal life! :-) ) I had wanted to reread Burn for Me first, but didn’t have time. Luckily, I didn’t have any problems jumping back in and I’m really enjoying the book and am looking forward to finishing it after work.
Like you, I love Nevada’s relationship with her family. Family and connections (or the lack thereof) is a big theme in all the Andrews series (Kate Daniels, Edge, Innkeeper, Kinsmen). The exact situation changes, of course, but it’s always there.
@Susan: I agree that family and connections are a big theme in their books. And in this series, it is starting to turn into a theme of “How far would you go to protect your family?” which I’m fascinated by, since I love books with moral dilemmas.
I loved this book. It feels like I have been waiting for it forever and I am often disappointed when that happens but not this time. One of the things I love about these authors is the way their protagonists negotiate their relationship. It’s really what I appreciated in the Kate Daniels series and also here. I like that Nevada and Rogan both have their vulnerabilities and strengths but they negotiate them together. I was okay with how Nevada used her powers in this book. Maybe I am more of an ends justifying the means than I thought but agree it is a slippery slope. I will admit to being a little concerned about the set up for the next book. Without being overtly spoiler a similar storyline in the Mercy Thompson books was well handled and I hope that will be the case in wildfire but I will have to wait and see.
@Bronte: Yes. I so agree with you about the way they negotiate. There is something adult and satisfying about it. It shows how much respect they have for each other.
I’m a little concerned about the next book, too. From reading the blurb, I’m worried that it could be another Magic Rises (That book shook my belief in Kate and Curran as a couple, and even reading the following book did not entirely restore it). I hope it’s not the case.
I love this series.
A+
FIERCE about family, plus a romance and magic.
A+
I just finished this book and liked it as much as I did the first one. I completely agree with you that Rogan was slightly less exciting here, but more likable.
Btw, what was up with Rogan’s doctor friend pulling a Lady Catherine de Burgh on Nevada?
@Jo Savage: I think it was even a bit better than the first one for me.
It is interesting, isn’t it, that exciting and likable aren’t the same thing. The Rogan of the first book was a lot of fun to read about but also gave me pause. This book both shows him starting to learn to compromise as well as explains what makes him tick more, and those things make him feel like a less dangerous bet for Nevada. What with Nevada learning to use her own powers and taking a more ruthless turn herself, the balance of power is evening up between them in a way that bodes well for their relationship, third parties notwithstanding.
I read the doctor’s lecture to Nevada as a misguided attempt to have his back. She didn’t think that their relationship could work and didn’t want him to get hurt. But it was still none of her business.
I loved this. I enjoyed it better than Burn for Me. It exceeded all my hopes. The world building was solid and different and I felt both Rogan and Nevada came more into their own and the series distinguished itself as entirely different to the Kate Daniels world in a way I hadn’t felt before. It’s rare that a second book exceeds the first in a trilogy for me but this one did.