I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sweep of the Heart
by
Ilona Andrews
urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA) on December 13, 2022 and has 472 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
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, "The Cool Aunt", One Fell Sweep, Sweep of the Blade, "Silent Blade", Fated Blades, On the Edge, Bayou Moon, "George and Jack in School", 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"
Fifth in The Innkeeper Chronicles urban fantasy series and revolving around Dina Demille, an innkeeper who has spent the last four years making a name for herself. The focus is on a bridal selection process for what amounts to an emperor of a galaxy.
Sweep of the Heart will be a much richer read if you have started from the beginning of the series with Clean Sweep, 1.
My Take
Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Dina’s perspective as everyone gets ready for the big contest, which is being broadcast across multiple star systems and their neighbors, and the Innkeeper Assembly is assessing Gertrude Hunt’s performance, as good a reason as any to use all that gathered energy to really put on a show!
This contest is like a beauty pageant with questions as to how their children would be raised, what they’d commit to the child and the marriage, and some of the responses will have you rolling on the floor. The “debate” between Oon and Surkar is hysterical. Surkar is so dang dumb, lol.
Caldenia does explain spouse selection — its political ramifications, requirements, and the entertainment value, lol. I can’t help but feel rather squeamish about the requirements. All they need is genetic compatibility and the economic and diplomatic benefits such a union would bring.
Survey says . . .!
These inns are a-maz-ing! I want one. They do the cleaning, maintenance, gardening, laundry, chores, surveillance, re-decorating (and remodeling!). What’s not to love? It blows my mind all that Gertrude Hunt can do. If you only read it for that, you’ll love it!
As for Sean’s absorption into running Gertrude Hunt, I’m torn between wondering if Sean’s military nature can accept peace; it does appear that his strategic knowledge will come in very handy with Gertrude Hunt and her increasingly erratic guests.
Oh, wow! We learn the truth behind Caldenia’s exile! Caldenia, in spite of all her very bad press, is quite the character and such a comedown from Mistress of the Universe to an exile “imprisoned” in Gertrude Hunt drinking Mello Yello and eating Funyuns. Even Gaston is infatuated with Caldenia.
I’m going with Dina’s choice for democracy against tyranny. Tyranny is where Trump and his MAGA Republicans are going. I don’t want that.
It’s a tricky balancing act for Dina and Sean, as they try to keep the peace between a wide assortment of enemies, who are eager to be provoked and others who don’t want to hold back on their species’ desires. The Dushegubs are particularly stubborn, lol, and then Dina gives them a whole different perspective with Leave it to Beaver, ROFL.
I can’t help but like Clan Nuan Cee — and Andrews’ description of them. Cute, cuddly, and vicious, lol. Thek is so darned cute. He is such an intellectual with his excitement about philosophical debate. Thek also makes an interesting point about knowledge is good but “igniting the spark of original thought” is better.
What is with all that firewood? I’m not sure about those snarky epigraphs. Yeah, I’m all about the snark, but as the introduction in chapter after chapter after chapter? It gets a bit old. The story snark I’m all for!
Andrews also explores the clash between old school patricians and modern ideas of equality. There is an excellent example of species prejudice that applies to people everywhere.
Andrews gives us a back history on George, Gaston, and Sophie from The Edge as well as reminding us of Sean’s 18 months as Turan Adin.
Everybody is poking at everyone else. Some to kill, some to discredit, and some just for the fun of it. Karat, I’m talkin’ to you! The various reasons the “contestants” have for participating. There are plots within plots with plenty of short- and long-term behind-the-scenes manipulation. Wait’ll you read about discovering the traitor and how they’re dealt with. Talk about spin! It’s karma, baby!
Dina’s a sneaky one, using her knowledge of the various species and manipulating them into doing what she wants . . . but in a positive way *she says angelically*. Kosandion’s manipulations are much sneakier.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, Kosandion is channeling Trump: Public opinion can never be permitted to run freely, lol. I tell ya that Kosandion is smooth and very capable of “going with the flow”. And he makes it sound so reasonable.
There’s action as well, just reading about Sean in action against that pirate ship got my motor revving. Andrews also kept the tension up when Surkar challenges Kosandion.
For all the drama and behind-the-scenes politicking, Sweep of the Heart is a laugh riot, and I find myself wanting to go back to the start, to Clean Sweep, 1, and read it all over again. Right after I visit the loo to ensure the laughter doesn’t spark, um, anything.
All these different cultures with their persnickety expectations and manners, the food preferences, the political maneuvering, all broadcast live with their incoming surveys.
Oh, this was fun!!
The Story
Wilmos has been taken and a trap set. A trap Sean and Dina are willing to trip, if only they can get to the planet where it’s set. At risk, is all their lives and having to forfeit the inn if the Sovereign is hurt.
For Dina must agree to host the Intergalactic Bachelor show in which the ruler of the Seven Stars Dominion must choose a wife from a final list of twelve. What with all the backstabbing and betrayals, what could go wrong?
The Characters
Gertrude Hunt Bed & Breakfast, Red Deer, Texas, is . . .
. . . a sentient inn built in the 1880s who needs the energy of guests to survive. It’s operated by innkeeper, Dina Demille, who has a love for gardening. The many-teethed Beast is Dina’s tiny “Shih Tzu”. Olasard is the inn’s cat, in whom Cyanide takes an interest. Sean Evans, a.k.a. the legendary Turan Adin, is an alpha strain werewolf who has to hold himself back on earth. He’s in love with and living with Dina. Maud is Dina’s older sister; Klaus is their lost brother, an Arbitrator. Their parents were lost, their entire inn, guests, garden, everything had vanished years ago.
Caldenia, a.k.a. Her Grace Caldenia ka ret Magren, properly addressed as Letere Olivione, who prefers world domination to brunch, is Dina’s permanent guest and has a price on her head. Orro, a Quillonian, is the inn’s Red Cleaver chef (since Sweep in Peace, 2), who rules the kitchen. Nope, he is not a cook, he is a CHEF! Orro gets several assistants for help with this group of guests: one is a juvenile Quillonian, the other is an auroch, and Orro’s mentor, Adri, loans his plating specialist, Droplet, a Vaskebiron.
Red Deer PD
Officer Hector Marais now knows all. His wife runs a knitting blog.
Baha-char is . . .
. . . an intergalactic marketplace where Wilmos, a first-strain werewolf, a veteran of the war, and one of the oldest survivors of Auul, now makes a living serving as a go-between for mercenaries and their clients and running a weapons shop; he had been instrumental in creating the Auul alpha strain. And he’s the closest Sean has to a grandfather. Gorvar, one of the last Auul wolves, is Wilmos’ pet and guard.
Sees Lathen had . . .
. . . been a galactic empire that eventually split along ideological grounds: the Seven Star Dominion chose an elected government with a royal head of state while the Six Star Supremacy went with tyranny (an autocratic government that is constrained by political considerations).
The Seven Star Dominion is . . .
. . . a republican monarchy with four primary species, one of whom is the sisfal and Team Smiles and Kyporo (Team Frowns) and ruled by His Supremacy, Kosandion ka ret Maggran, Letero Kolivion, Dystim Arbiento, Sovereign of the Seven Star Dominion. His father, Caldenia’s brother, was murdered by Caldenia and that kicked off the Assassination War.
The aggressive Chancellor Resven is the Sovereign’s right-hand man for anything to do with domicile and family. Capital Prefect Miralitt is the head of the Sovereign’s personal guard. The Holy Ecclesiarch is the sneaky spiritual leader. Orata Tavan is the head of PR. Vercia Denoma, a.k.a. Alind Voun (Special Snowflake), a former lover of Kosandion, vetted the candidates. Minister Parseon did much better than Vercia. Selerian is another of Orata’s subordinates. Samrion is an intellectual, nuanced actor who was used by the Enforee family, Surkar’s people.
The Intergalactic Bachelor show
Participating species include the Dushegubs, sentient trees, homicidal, calculating trees whose first, second, and third options are . . . murder. They’re banned from inns. Oomboles, a.k.a. Children of the Silver Star, are fish who arrive in their own water globes. The Donkamins terrify humans. The Kai with their snake-like faces and six limbs bring a humanish candidate; a Southern and Northern Otrokar warband; the Higgra are feline; the Gaheas, led by Duke Naeoma Thaste, are elegant humanoids who are breathtakingly beautiful who have perfected psionic warfare; Behoun; the Stranglers; and, the “Murder Beaks“, a flightless avian species.
The spousal candidates have been whittled down to Lady Wexyn Dion-Dian, who is an agent of entropy and chaos and sponsored by the White Rose Cluster Temple of Desire; Prysen Ol is the Kai human-like candidate; Nycati of Gaheas; Unessa Sybate is with the Dushegubs; the sneering Bestata, Lady Emindra of House Meer; Surkar, son of Grast and Ulde from Harra, who has a list of bloodthirsty titles; Cyanide of the Higgra; Pivor is with the Murder Beaks; Ellenda is from the Kyporo planet, of Uma, the same race as Kosandion’s mother; and, Oond of the Oomboles, who has a “refreshing definition of harmony”. Prime Councilor Tair Odikas of the Conservative Alliance leads in Kyporo. Sar Ramin and Senator Dulvia of Tar are part of his group.
First Scholar Thek, Recipient of the Starlight Quill, Sage of the Great Tree, is a great philosopher who happens to be a chicken. The observers include an emissary of the Khan, an otrokar who is the son of the Khan and Khanum, and Tomato, who is from a republic neighboring the Dominion. Teplaym is the most scientifically advanced planet. Cumbr Adgi is the third son of Gar Por ar’Muterzen, a pirate who rules the Vagabond fleet of the Muterzen meteorite belt.
Planet Aul has . . .
. . . a sad history and had been Sean’s people’s home planet. Its people had been poets and storytellers, even after they evolved into werewolves to protect their planet.
The Hope Crushing Horde are an . . .
. . . empire of otrokars, who adjust their bodies during puberty. Dagorkun, the Under-Khan, the son of the Khan, chose a general mode.
Nexus had been the focus of a long war between the Hope Crushing Horde, the Holy Anocracy, and Clan Nuan Cee.
The Holy Anocracy are an . . .
. . . empire of warrior vampires divided into Houses. Alvina “Karat“, Lady Renadra, Commander of the Krahr Vanguard, and Daughter of Soren and Alamide. She’s also best friends with Maud and is Arland’s favorite cousin. Maud, Dina’s sister and the new Maven of House Krahr, is engaged to Arland, the Marshall of House Krahr. Helen is Maud’s half-human, half-vampire daughter — and I can’t help but love her fierceness, lol (Sweep of the Blade, 4).
House Meer is fast becoming a sworn enemy of House Krahr. Sileta of House Korsa gifted weapons to an inn, and they descended through the years to Gertrude Hunt. And doesn’t that just chap Bestata!
The Merchants are . . .
. . . fox-like lees whose families split into merchant clans. Clan Nuan Cee is a Merchants clan of lees who had hired all the Turan Adins and are based on Baha-char. Nuan Couki, a.k.a. Cookie, is highly ranked within Nuan Clan, which has one of the best information networks in the galaxy. They’re friends of Dina’s. Clan Sai runs the merchant territory in the Dominion.
The Earth Treaty protects our planet from aliens and provides them with a neutral planet for meetings. The Innkeeper Assembly is the central body of innkeepers. An ad-hal is an innkeeper enforcer to back up the innkeepers. But only within earth’s solar system. A friend of Dina’s parents, Brian Rodriguez, runs a large regional inn in Dallas. Tony, an ad-hal, is Brian’s son. Lachlan Stewart runs the Lock Broom Castle in Scotland; he wants to adopt Dina. Michael Braswell, Tony’s and Klaus’ best friend, became an ad-hal who went to the bad.
The werewolves have three forms: OPS, their human form; OM, the wolf form; and, the wetwork form, half-wolf, half-human for combat. Ossai is a programmable synthetic virus that boosts the form and enables unconscious shifting. Derryl of Is, a werewolf, has some huge self-esteem issues.
Arbitrators (try to) resolve disputes between nations in the galaxy — hey, wars are expensive. George Camarine, a necromancer from The Edge, is one; he started stirring things up in Sweep in Peace, 2. He’s also the one who put the spotlight on Gertrude Hunt. He is currently arbitrating with the Valkkinians. Gaston, Jack (George’s brother, a shapeshifting lynx), and Sophie (Bayou Moon, 2) are part of George’s strike team (also from The Edge). Rose is George and Jack’s older sister who raised them. Ruk Minoody ruled Harriblex, a planet of swordsmen whose citizens placed great value on marital prowess.
Karron, a huge planet, hosts a cyanide-based life, the Karr. Tumma Fangsinkers are venomous lizards.
The Cover and Title
The cover has an emerald green background with a circular view in the top half of what looks like a gaseous planet. Occupying most of the cover are the dark-haired Sean in his armor and the blonde Dina in front of him in jeans, teal T-shirt, and her brown innkeeper’s cloak, her long braid dangling down her left side. Both of them are holding their brooms, ready for action. Text-wise, there is a white info blurb at the top with the author’s name in a pale yellow below it. The title, in pale yellow, starts at Dina’s hip. Thank goodness for that “Sweep” in the title, since we’re not getting any series info.
The title is sardonic, since it’s a tale about the Sweep of the Heart as Kosandion chooses his “bride”.
