On the outside, Dina runs a quant Inn and bed in Breakfast in a Victorian Style House. The Inn has been struggling for a bit but all of Dina's neighbours know she is determine to make it work. But normal is far from what Dina's life is. Dine is an Inn Keeper. She is responsible for the safety of those who seek sanctuary in her Inn and taking care of those who cannot respect the rules of the Inn. Her Broom is a deadly weapon, her one permanent guest eats people, the Inn and grounds are magical and lets just say her dog has some extra abilities. Dina has been living a pretty quiet life, until something starts to hunt in the night. Fearing for her neighbours and keeping the truth about the Inn a secret Dina gets involved but it's not too long before what's happening in her small town has galaxy wide implications.
I have been a fan of Ilona Andrews for a long long time, and while I have no enjoyed all their series they are still an author that i go back to time and time again. I don't know why i put off this series for so long, but I've jumped in and wow, this was so much fun. This book is very much a sci-fi urban fantasy mix and it was one that I didn't know I needed. Does Andrews blend the two genres seamlessly, no, but there was just enough confusion in the world building to make me want to know more about the world that they have created.
Do i understand the world here, Not 100%, so I am hoping that Andrews will expand on the aspects of this world/worlds in future books. Even the idea of an Inn and Inn Keeper is not completely defined in the book. Though Dina does refer to rules that she needs to follow as an inn keeper and those that enter her grounds are required to follow them as well. Dina also makes reference to Inn all over the world/galaxy/other worlds? and has even explored some of them looking for her parents (great extra subplot in the story of her missing parents), so I'm not sure how BIG this world is or how much we as readers will get to visit it.
Dina is a fun character, I love her sass to everyone around her, and her fierce protectiveness not just over the Inn but of the people that live in her community. Even when her decisions go against the Inn Keeper code, Dina does the greater good to protect those around her whether she knows them or not. I loved that everyone continually kept underestimating her and her abilities and how she proves them wrong is amazing.
Dina's power and broom are just fantastic. I love that Andrews decided to have a magical Broom as a nod to all the witches out there, but I don't think any witches Broom can do what Dina's does. The magic that Dina herself has, the Broom and the Inn house/grounds was a highlight in this book for me.
Do I see a love triangle coming on? Maybe. This book was written at a time when love triangles were all the rage in books (now it seems to be why have a love triangle when you can have a Why Choose). Love Triangles have never been my favourite Trope, so we'll see if this one goes that way or not.
I really enjoyed this book, it was quirky in a way that I have not read in awhile and I think this is due to Andrews' writing style as well as the mixing of Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi genres. I look forward to continuing on in the series.
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