Clean Sweep

OK [SIGHS] ....I'm giving this a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 because I love Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniel's Magic series and out of loyalty (and the fact I cannot believe this duo could churn out something so boring and insipid as this book.) Otherwise a straight 2 and no apologies.Besides, I was desperate for something to take on my road trip and it is bad when you can recite an entire novel by heart (magic bleeds)The main character (Dina) just did not work for me--too soft, too hesitant, too genteel, too ladylike, too indecisive,, too soft.. too "lover of all mankind bsy.. too soft (yes I know I am writing this over and over) too domestic but then, she is an innkeeper so I guess this is about her domesticity right?I can't get into the broom or the house as interesting characters. Dina is very young and acts like she may have arrested development (scared of sex or men or ...) what is with this new breed of female as heroines--who is buying that in this age of twerking?Let's see: the book starts out boring, gets really boring and unfortunately for me, I bought it as an MP3 so I was subjected to the sultry tones of a southern belle waaay out of her depth in either character and voice development or interest.The narrator oh so softly "sang" her way through the book full of lots of lilting and "oh me oh my" voice undulation and descriptions of furniture placement. (I'm not kidding) pages of describing the building and the life of.. and I guess we are to think of the building as an entity. Lord please save us all from experimental literature when all we want is anticipated and well earned entertainment in a book... The story is about an innkeeper (really from outer space ) who has a magic broom, trick dog with a big mouth and secrets, an intriguing guest and the inn keeps getting visitors from other planets in outer space who of course start some stuff so she feels a need to jump in.. what with her being so mindful and soft hearted to all things earthly including dogs and trees and people and tea and.. you get the picture--a true milksop of a heroine. Yay us.Oh yeah--vampires and wearwolves in this too (also from outer space, also interested in her In a sort of Archie and Reggie rivalry type of way that is too over the top too soon without provocation....but the one guy she really wants and probably will end up with (the obnoxious, testosterone filled one who treats her like the broom toting woman she is )seems not to be man enough or interested enough to 'close the deal' except for an odd kiss.. (I would say spoiler but the kiss moment is worse than anything else I could write about it). I felt the author really targeted about 11 to 12 year olds in this story except a snarky mention of 'checking out equipment down there"The 2 guys--obviously both wanting the milquetoast but surprisingly the "desired one" is not a true blonde but he does have amber Curran eyes and the obvious loser after near misses is not a dark haired Reggie... (again from the Archie comics)WHO WRITES CRAP LIKE THIS BOOK ANYMORE? FOR ANY AGE?--there are interesting parts but I want to make this REVIEW very clear on what worked (for me) and what was a bust or major irritant.--to the point I did not finish this in either stint of an 18 hour drive because the narrator got on my nerves so badly that I was afraid to drive while mentally cussing her out AND keep my eyes on the road.Dina, did not work for me--too soft and too southern (or at least the narrator made her out to be this way).To me, having a lot of family from the South and spending a considerable amount of time there from the 1960s to now...Southern girls can be beautiful, and intriguing, and delicate and smart, and tough--but to me, they never are sexy. Desirable? sure. Lusty? you bet. Sexy? They often are too busy either being over raunchy or cutesy funny, or too lady like to be really sexy which implies a sort of sensual sophistication. The sexy southern girls are too busy trying to pretend butter would not melt in their mouths to be "sexy". At best they are "wanted desperately" by some men but sexy? Not when they are clueless and scared to death of closeness. Up here in the North we call that frigid or maybe gauche.This one (Dina) is the overly lady like variety--with a broom. As a sometime feminist--hell no--we don't need another lady in distress who all the men want to protect but she is secretly strong with the help of bought insects, careful garden cultivation and a broom. she shoud have been called a Domestic Goddess instead of an inn keeper. Oh yeah--spoler there.. Dina is someone who makes empty threats a lot--but is reluctant to put up or shut up because she is so "gosh danged nice" you betcha. You know "threatens or else then really, really threatens or else .. then okay they really mean it..) a milquetoast.The main character Dina--is classically book worthy southern--and acts it, replete with a fainting (sort of) scene, no nonsense about talking about earthy subjects like sex ("why I nevah") and a resistance to even really being able to fight though she can turn her broom into stuff to jab things with, play the victim who secretly has a "trap" ,plant things to harm other things with (if they get close enough to her inn's yard) and has a house and yard willing to fight for her. so Dina is.. what would have been called back in the day: a Milquetoast aka timid, weak, unassertive (though she gives LOTS of warnings to the men as they flirt with or ignore her)--then her house and broom and dog show them what's what. She is not a character I could like (at least not so far) --in several scenes I hoped her adversary would kick her butt so royally, heer butt globes would pop out the other side and give her an instant pair of kahoonas.This story (sorry Ilona) seemed to be written by a foreigner who wrote it based on what the MYTH of "southern girls" used to be--secretly steel magnolias, who were always ladies, soft, simpering, weak, but if you pushed them too far, they'd pour a cup of tea, take off their kid gloves, and put on their robes and maybe a burning cross or two and some pliers--all the while saying "suga" and "y'all" and "patoot" in a soft southern, patter.I guess I believe in females now, who are not afraid to be tough at all times--who don't fit neatly into caricature of what southern or any other woman is really like. My dad was from the south and the women for the most part were earthy if not downright raunchy, and were loud and that "butter wouldn't melt in my mouth" type of Southerner, came off the tracks about the same time as the Civil Rights movement ended--we saw what was beneath the Belle mask and after that, no one was falling for the dragon hidden behind the snow white halloween mask.Then there is the house. Somehow.. a stationary house that can do things is boring--no matter how many dimensions it opens up to. It can't leave, it kicks people out and makes a lot of gadgets. It is like a Men In Black Extra, ran by a Dina.I feel like Ilona and her husband had been watching reruns of the Jetsons, Starwars (for the Barachar scenes) Beetlejuice (for the house that opens doors to places not on earth) and threw in just enough of Sookie to irritate, but made her more genteel..This book was genteel--the characters were not that developed and bordered on juvenile, the plot was ALMOST good, but then took that predictable "evil cousin twist" the side characters made me see bits of Avatar and Star wars in my head (that scene in Star wars where Luke goes to a rough space club for the first time) That scene has been exhaustively exploited and stolen from ever since)The bad guy or at least the killer , turns out to be pretty slick and smart until he is totally , unbelievably stupid..I'm glad certain people did not die--I am sorry some dogs did. I love the... SPOILER ALERT!!!! Woman at the store--she was the best in that chapter as is the houseguest, hope we see more of Caldinia and discover what makes her so scary--and I hope what makes her scary is not simply her rapier wit or her love of poisoning others and having a strategic brain (pol Pot, Stalin, Mao and Hitler had those too) I hope 'her grace' has some extraterrestrial trait like can unhinge her mouth like the guy in the mummy and swallow small worlds or something--something amazingly awesome.Dina--is weak, her broom that can change into many costumes without a bat cave is boring--her innocent and almost dulcet and genteel act is irritating and made more so by that damn narrator --is that the same one who did Magic Bleeds? I love that audio book--I don't know if I can play this one again--I hear this lilting voice and instead of being intrigued, I want to kill Dina, myself. Yep--she is portrayed as just that weak but needy but secretly powerful in a stay close to home with her broom sort of way.See the difference? SPOILER ALERT!! Kate DAniels would have told the guy maybe ONCE to leave and the next thing would have been her foot upside his head and him dragged over and off the property or slayer would have cut his clothing from him so that he could mark his territory even easier--I could not decide if the voice for the werewolf was Curran's or not, but Arlen sounded as simpering and oily as Saiman.. in fact--I think that WAS Saiman impersonating a vampire--it would explain a lot...This was not a good book.If it had been by any other author, I would cry bogus and claim they were trying to be like some weird and soft version of a Magic book but Dina is no Kate, she is not even Andrea--she is a woman with a f---g BROOM --I guess this is the year where every single author has tried to take up the challenge of making their die hard fans like something that is almost inherently impossible to like--Moning did it (and failed with Burned). LKH did it and FAILED with Jason...Ilona Andrews did it and (imh) is on the verge of failing with Clean Sweep.Get a new narrator--give Dina a backbone and please don't make her afraid of sex--get her some powers that don't weaken her to death, or give us a new side kick in either her house guest or hecks yeah--that woman from Texas who seemed to have more in her gut than Dina has in her entire lily white (but soft and oh so moisturized) body.

I actually found the books through the webcomic and boy am I glad I did. It's hard to explain but the novel is very to the point? Very self-contained, which I imagine is the point, but not so much that it over or understays its welcome. The romance aspects came on a little fast for me, personally, but honestly they're all grown adults and attraction is a thing--it'll be hilarious to see how that turns out over the series.I was quite taken by the world building, and I definitely was NOT expecting the explanation I got for elements in the story which made my geeky little heart very excited. The scope of the world definitely feels "bigger" than just the inn without walking away from it too much. The universe is vast and complicated and that's treated well through our focus characters and the source of the main conflict! No long explanations, just enough to know that you'll learn more later if at all and that there's structure and sense to it.**Minor spoilers ahead**I just about died laughing when Arland was explaining how vampire "weaknesses" became so popular in fiction. And the fact that Sean asked to begin with had me rolling. Dina chiming in on occasion, too, to expand on a point in Arland's place--amazing.Caldenia absolutely terrifies me and I adore her with my whole heart. 1000/10 would avoid being eaten again.

Ilona Andrews originally wrote this as a serialized publication, for free, on the web. I read the first couple of chapters as they were released and quickly came to realize that I'd never have enough patience to wait week to week to find out what was going to happen. So I deliberately ignored that it existed. I was anxiously awaiting the day when it would be available for me to buy.Clean Sweep has an utterly original idea; sure there are werewolves and vampires and magic, but it's all so much more than that. There's intergalactic travel, and aliens, doors through space and incredible weapons. I'm not sure how they do it, but the husband and wife writing team of Ilona Andrews always manages to come up with the most interesting stories and tell them in the best way possible. I'm always utterly engrossed in their books and devastated when I finally reach the end, because there's no more to read.I've known for a long time that I can count on finding an abundance of subtle humor in books by the Andrews. Clean Sweep is no exception. I laughed out loud more than a few times while reading it. Another thing I can count on is kick-butt heroines that hold their own, don't cow to the uber-alpha heroes (who manage to not be *jerks), said heroes that are actually complicated and interesting character in their own right, and beautifully described action scenes.I know you've read that blurb, and if like me you hate love-triangles (with the passion of a thousand fiery suns), you might be slightly concerned. There is a love triangle that's formed in this book, BUT - hold onto your hats - I liked it. I really liked both Sean and Arland and, most importantly, how Dina reacted to them. The chemistry is fantastic, and I just find myself wanting more, more, more! I have my guesses about who she'll end up with - it's pretty clear to me - but I'm still going to enjoy each moment of the dance between the three of them.Dina is a great character. She's young, with some tragedy under her belt - and there's an overall mystery to her past and present that I'm dying to see solved - but she's got this great sense of life about her. She's vivid and uncompromising - I mean that she won't give up. She loves life and cherishes it. She wants to enjoy it, so she sets out to follow her path and earn what she wants. She's logical and thinks (why is this such a rarity in books these days?); Dina doesn't let anyone else control what she does or doesn't do, and she takes her responsibilities seriously. And when two alpha males start showing interest in her she doesn't fall all over herself in an attempt to please one, or both, of them. She maintains herself. I love that.Speaking of the two males: Sean and Arland. Sean's a werewolf stronger than other werewolfs; the alpha-strain werewolf, bred to be faster, stronger...more. I liked that he didn't really know the truth of everything when it started. He takes it pretty well though, and at the end I can completely understand (and agree with) his decision. Once he realized that Dina's not a helpless female, I loved how he treats her. With respect and care. Intent on keeping her safe, but at the same time realizing that she's able to do that herself too. He trusts her to keep herself safe, and helps her when she asks for it. I can't help but respect that. And ... well, hell, I just want him. When he starts flirting? Damn. Sexy as heck.And then there's Arland. Just as sexily flirtatious. When he turns on the charm I admit I wondered at his motivations at first, but by the end I was healthily intrigued. He's honorable - in fact that's nearly everything to the vampires - but he's also a predator, through and through. And I love, love, love how he reacts to coffee. Made me laugh out loud. He treats Dina like a warrior, worthy of respect. There's no looking down on her because she's a woman - he knows that women can be just as powerful, just as deadly as the males. Misogyny? You can trust that you won't find it in this book (or any book by Ilona Andrews).Though I normally hate the grand-standing that happens between ALPHA males in books, I loved how Arland and Sean came to terms with each other. How they got to know one another, and gained some respect for each other. Their last interaction made me laugh out loud and had a grin splitting my face for the last few pages of the book. In fact I'm still grinning like a fool here.I haven't even touched on the plot. It drives the entire story - isn't that what is supposed to happen? Yes, yes it is. Maybe I've been reading too much crap lately, I don't know, but it's such a breath of fresh air when I read a book that combines all the things I love into a single set of bound pages. The plot here is fascinating. It allows us to learn more about the characters, the world, and pulls the reader through the pages of the book to inhabit the world we're reading about.I want to live there by the way. I want to visit this inn, travel the worlds, meet these characters.Ilona Andrews' books always reduce me to feeling like a squeeing fangirl, mostly because that's what I become. With such great characters, an actual plot, in an intricately conceived world...who can blame me?

Dina is a thoroughly engaging protagonist. Impulsive, brave and with an over-developed sense of responsibility, she immediately plunges into this adventure when she feels the caretaker of this territory is not doing enough. I really enjoyed her character, particularly as she also has a vulnerability that pulled me further onto her side. She has lost her parents, who disappeared from their thriving Inn and though she has spent years trying to track them down, all her efforts have ended in failure.As for this particular threat – she quickly finds she has met her match and needs some help. Once again, this urban fantasy adventure delivers in giving us an interesting take on both vampires and werewolves. The science fiction twist is a delight and I liked the supporting cast – Sean, the touchy alpha werewolf and her one and only permanent guest, Caldenia, the aristocrat in hiding. There is plenty of sharp dialogue with a fair amount of humour.Meanwhile, I cared about the main plotline – Andrews puts her young innkeeper in real jeopardy and I stayed awake reading far longer than I should have in order to discover how the final climactic battle would resolve itself. For fans of urban fantasy, this is a well written, enjoyable take on the genre with some refreshing touches.

Recently numerous dogs are kill in the place Dina lives. Nobody knows why, nobody knows who, nobody knows anything. Soon enough Dina finds more strange things happening, things which do not fit into normal earthling behaviour. But what is it? As a neutral individual Dina should not get involved but who else would? And then, out of a sudden more non-earthlings stand at the threshold of Dina's inn...Witches, werewolves, vampires, these are well known species from various other books. This new series defines them a bit differently. And the area is wider too, earth is only one of many places, and obviously a rather minor one.This first book in a new series might be a start to a new, great interpretation of vampires, werewolves, witches and more or it might be a nice try. Which way it will go is not yet clear. The story in this book is rather simple, interesting enough to read, but not much more. Of course, it has to set the ground first for this new interpretation. If you like to stay in the conventional world of fantasy around said magical creatures, then there are numerous other books which adhere to that "common set of rules". If, however, you'd like to try a new angle to it, you might want to consider to have a look at this series.

This is a short and fast-paced urban fantasy novel. Make no mistake, this isn't science fiction at all (as a friend told me to convince me into reading it). No complaining though, it's entertaining and well written, very witty actually. Anyone'd finish it in a couple of days. The interactions and relation between the characters is fun. A little too sitcomish at times.The story presents some lore (that is not entirely disclosed intentionally in this first entry of the saga), just enough to make the story and the setting feel bigger. The main character is OK, but a little too focused in trying to meet today's standards: an empowered and independent magical lady who has a magical and sentient inn for aliens (the inn reminded me the Casita in Encanto). The other characters are very one-dimensional though. These characters resemble too much other fantasy stories' characters (a vampire and a werewolf both handsome, powerful and attracted to the main character, creating a sort of a love triangle, ever heard of something like that?).There is a threat to all the characters, around which the whole story revolves, but it never manages to feel life threatening. It feels more like an excuse or a plot device for the whole story to happen and for the characters to meet.In general, not a bad story, just not my cup of tea. I don't know if I'll read the next books.Who is this book for, then? I think young adults and teenagers who are into fantasy stories with a dash of romance and mythological beings will really enjoy this.

One of the things I love about Urban Fantasy is that it can be blended with other genres, such as Western, Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Superhero and many more. The one genre though I didn’t think it could overlap with was Science Fiction, and yet, the author has managed to aptly pull this off. Vampires and Werewolves are aliens and not magical creatures like in tradition urban fantasy. Technology plays a big a role in the story as magic.The main character Dina is an innkeeper who runs a small bed and breakfast. The inn though is no ordinary inn and serves as a rest stop for intergalactic travelers. The Inn is also the center of Dina’s magic powers, away from its confines her power is significantly diminished. This limitation to her powers is a fantastic source of tension to the story.The characters in the story are wonderfully unique, each has their own set of goals and desires which is another source of conflict that keeps you turning the page to find out what happens. The only issue I had with this book is that I started later in the evening and it cut into my sleep schedule as I was unable to put it down. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

Il duo di scrittori che si cela sotto lo pseudonimo di Ilona Andrews ha colpito ancora e non finisce di deliziare il suo pubblico con storie sempre nuove e scritte benissimo.La giovane Dina Demille gestisce un alberghetto chiamato Gertrude's hunt in un quartiere periferico di una normale cittadina texana.Apparentemente.In realtà l'albergo di Dina è una locanda magica che riceve solo ospiti speciali da ogni angolo dell'universo. Posti come questo sono collocati in alcuni pianeti neutri ( e la Terra è uno di questi) e gli ospiti possono anche essere persone che hanno bisogno di sparire dalla circolazione per un po' o che hanno bisogno di un rifugio permanente. La nostra locandiera ha costruito un rapporto simbiotico e magico con la sua locanda e le caratteristiche di questo rapporto vengono svelate man mano nel corso dei volumi che compongono questa serie.Come di consueto, secondo lo stile dei coniugi Andrews, l'avventura inizia fin dalle prime pagine con un ritmo elevato che tiene incollati alle pagine. I personaggi vengono approfonditi gradualmente e si svelano nelle azioni più che con le parole o le informazioni il che è un bene ed evita di appesantire o di distrarre il lettore.In questa serie gli scrittori hanno voluto giocare con i cliché dei libri che vanno per la maggiore e pertanto ci sono vampiri e lupi mannari ma non crediate di trovare la solita minestra. Qui ogni elemento è trattato in modo unico e con grande originalità.Non voglio approfondire la trama che ruota attorno alle regole fondamentali che governano le locande intergalattiche - offrire ospitalità e protezione all'ospite, qualunque sia la sua provenienza e la sua storia, e tenere celata ai terrestri la natura magica della locanda e di coloro che ci vivono - ma posso promettere che il lettore non sarà deluso.Non posso dare cinque stelle a questo libro perché i due successivi finora pubblicati sono persino migliori.Spero che anche questa serie venga pubblicata in italiano, ma a coloro che leggono in inglese e amano il genere, consiglio vivamente di non perdersi le avventure di Dina Demille e della sua locanda.Dimenticavo. All'interno del volume si trovano alcune illustrazioni che servono ad inquadrare meglio i personaggi. Una vera chicca!