Innkeeper Chronicles, #3

FANTASY / URBAN FANTASY

Gertrude Hunt, the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, is glad to have you. We cater to particular kind of guests, the ones most people don’t know about. The older lady sipping her Mello Yello is called Caldenia, although she prefers Your Grace. She has a sizable bounty on her head, so if you hear kinetic or laser fire, try not to stand close to the target. Our chef is a Quillonian. The claws are a little unsettling, but he is a consummate professional and truly is the best chef in the Galaxy. If you see a dark shadow in the orchard late at night, don’t worry. Someone is patrolling the grounds. Do beware of our dog.

Your safety and comfort is our first priority. The inn and your host, Dina Demille, will defend you at all costs. We ask only that you mind other guests and conduct yourself in a polite manner.

“Yes, the princess you were expecting put on her armor and left to kill the dragon. So sorry.”

Ilona Andrews made this available on their website for free in weekly installments until its published on December 20th. I held out until all of it was complete because I'm not a patient person.

In the third book of the series, Gertrude Hunt has to call on a favor with Arland and Sean to go and save her sister and niece on a distant planet. Fortunately this doesn't take up too much of the book, and they are back at the Inn for a new intergalactic war between these weird creatures I already forgot the names of. Besides the new characters, the book mainly focuses on the regulars and the old mystery of Gertrude's parents disappearance.

Every book has been good in the Innkeeper series, but I enjoyed this the most. Sean is around to stay and be a backbone support to Gertrude. Her sister is a strong, fun character. The niece is an adorably vicious thing. There's hardly any down time as the pacing holds up strong from one disaster to the next.

There's Ilona Andrews usual stellar writing style, fun dialogue, and a big turning point in Gertrude's love life. Sadly the ending needed to be a bit stronger, but the author has said on their websites some parts were sanitized a bit because it was available for all ages to read free online. Personally I don't care about the mystery of Gertrude's parents, but clearly that's going to lead to a main story-line.

Despite a few minor flaws, this one was hard to put down and a delight to read. It's not quite as good as Kate and Curran or Burn for me, but it's a close runner-up.