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"The Cool Aunt"
by
Ilona Andrews
magical realism in a PDF edition that was published by the author on September 14, 2020 and has 12 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Must Love Hellhounds, Dark and Stormy Knights, Angels of Darkness, Hexed, Fate's Edge, Hex Appeal, An Apple for the Creature, "Magic Gifts", Gunmetal Magic, Innkeeper Chronicles, Steel's Edge, Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds, Magic Slays, Magic Rises, Magic Bleeds, Burn For Me, Night Shift, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds, White Hot, Wildfire, Iron and Magic, Magic Triumphs, "Gerard Demille and Helen Meet", "Diamond Fire", "Sweep with Me", Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, "A Mere Formality", Blood Heir, "The King of Fire", Sapphire Flames, "A Misunderstanding", Emerald Blaze, One Fell Sweep, Sweep of the Blade, "Silent Blade", Fated Blades, On the Edge, Bayou Moon, "George and Jack in School", Sweep of the Heart , Magic Tides, Small Magics, "The Wilson Building", "Conlan’s Birthday Text", "Dabwaha", "Don't Fight with Fate", “A Bit More of Roman”, “Getting Distracted”, "Sgt Munoz Had to Go", Ruby Fever, "Regina", Magic Tides, "The King of Fire", Magic Claims, "Sandra", "No Heroes", "Purpose", "A Mere Formality", "I Will Explain Everything", "Sanctuary", "Kind Regards"
A free short story, 5.1 in the Hidden Legacy magical realism series (and 2.1 in the Catalina Baylor Trilogy subseries) revolving around the Baylor family. The focus is on Arabella with a side look at Nevada and Connor.
My Take
“The Cool Aunt” actually occurs during the end of Emerald Blaze, 5, when Nevada goes into labor. Fortunately, we also get a quickie wrap-up of Emerald Blaze.
Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Arabella’s perspective. Andrews also uses the start of the story to describe Arabella. It’s so dang funny, if you know that Arabella turns into a terrifying beast, as she assesses her lipstick and worries about which pair of shoes to wear.
I’m not quite sure why Arabella thinks Stephen Jiang will be anywhere. It doesn’t sound like she’s meeting him??
Oh, man, only Andrews . . . We did learn about the baby’s power towards the end in Emerald Blaze, but nothing like what we’re learning in “The Cool Aunt”!
It doesn’t help when Nevada relates what happened when Arabella was born. Eeek. Nor does it help when I read that “six in tactical gear armed with automatic weapons” met them on the hospital’s roof! Then there’s the emergency telekinetic team. Oy.
Part of the story is the action that takes place in the hospital room, lol. I can’t wait to see how Nevada and Connor cope with their newborn son at home!
The pace of the story was average, although I suspect Nevada thought it was danged slow, *more laughter*.
Okay, I enjoyed reading it, discovering the “nasty” surprise towards the end, but I do not enjoy having to wait until 2022 to read Ruby Fever.
The Story
Nevada is in labor, but Catalina and Alessandro must do battle in the Pit to protect the world.
Protecting Nevada during birth falls to Arabella . . . and Connor with his telekinetic abilities, the armed men, the halycons, medical personnel, and emergency telekinetic team.
The Characters
Arabella Baylor is the youngest sister and a beastly Prime. She’s so scary that governments and the military want to imprison her.
Catalina Baylor, a Prime Siren, is the head of House Baylor and the middle sister. Alessandro “Mr Dreamboat” Sagredo is Catalina’s handsome Italian assassin/not-boyfriend.
Nevada Rogan-Baylor, the oldest sister, is giving birth to her and Connor “Mad” Rogan‘s baby. Connor is a Prime Telekinetic with slight empathic powers, a.k.a. the Scourge of Mexico.
Dr Maier is a Prime laborist, who specializes in High Risk Prime Parturition. The power of a halycon is to sooth and calm.
Victoria Tremaine, the Baylors’ evil paternal grandmother, is threatening Nevada and the baby. Trevor is her assistant. Grandfather? Where did he come from? He’s never been mentioned???
The Pit is . . .
. . . a swamp where a monster construct has acquired self-aware intelligence. Stephen Jiang, a Prime Aquakinetic, is one of five investors in the Pit Reclamation Project.
The Cover and Title
The cover, lol, is something of a disaster with a deep gray monster baby with glowing green eyes, hands, and feet in the center standing atop what appears to be a pillar that’s falling apart with barbed wire extending out on the left and right. Yep, there are smoky explosions blowing debris into the brownish-gray to pale gray sky that segues into a green band and then a red lower right corner. The title is at the top with the series information right below it; both are in white.
The title is all about Arabella, “The Cool Aunt”.
