Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews – A Book Review

Posted July 8, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 2 Comments

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Clean Sweep

(Innkeeper’s Chronicles – Book 1)

by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy
Available on Kindle, Paperback and on Audio

Down & Dirty

An older and much shorter release for this dynamic duo, but no less powerful and inventive. Available in several formats.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night…Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Thoughts on Clean Sweep

I held off a long time on reading this gem, even though it’s been sitting on my kindle, taunting me, for months. Yet a recent book slump caused me to peck through my offerings…. and the rest, as they say, is history.

Unfortunately, despite the length, this series is not available on Kindle Unlimited. Yet, it is well worth the price. It is the kind of series you will read again in a few months, then again after that – and reread it once more when news of a new installment hits the web. There is something about Dina’s quiet strength and knowledge that seduces, even as the world being built around her and the other characters that proliferate her Inn, captivate.

For the same reason that books and shows about Space Stations become popular, this series has all the hallmarks of inventiveness and introductions. Because of it’s unique positioning, Earth is neutral in the cosmos, with certain individuals inhabiting this planet acting as hosts to the intergalactic guests that venture their way – in a type of neutral way station that offers rules ALL must abide by.

That is the long and short of it, though the details make it far more intriguing. Our myths and legends come from the sky, and those legends are alive and well, and often nothing like humans dubbed them. Vampires, werewolves, etc… the list goes on, and Dina handles them all. Her technology is so advanced and fluid it’s more magic than thought and her living Inn is as much a character in this Saga as the Innkeeper herself.

In a word… fascinating.

Perspective

Third Person, Single POV

Ending Type

Episodic

Rating

PG-15

Romantic Dynamic

M/F

Character Age Range

24+

My Final Verdict on Clean Sweep

This is an amazing start to an older Urban Fantasy series already five books deep. The characters are richly drawn, the world building is robust and the plot is intricate, with tendrils stretching out to encompasses future installments. Wonderful, and highly recommended.

Clean Sweep

Published December 3rd, 2013
235 Pages

If you enjoyed this review of Clean Sweep, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this series yet? Which one was your favorite? I loved Maud’s story myself. What other books by the husband and wife duo, Ilona Andrews, have you read? Leave a comment, I would love to talk!