Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles, #4)

by Ilona Andrews

Maud Demille was a daughter of Innkeepers. She knew that a simple life wasn't in the cards, but she never anticipated what Fate would throw at her.

Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her daughter, Helen, had been exiled for the sins of her husband to the desolate planet of Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud had spent a year and a half avenging his debts. But now all the debts are paid. Rescued by her sister Dina, Maud had swore off all things vampire. Except she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined.

Try as she might, she can't just walk away from Arland. It doesn't help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.

To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is a powerful vampire House, and Maud knows that a woman who turned down the proposal from its most beloved son wouldn't get a warm reception. But Maud Demille never shied from a fight and House Krahr may soon discover that there is more to this human woman than they ever thought possible.

• ISBN10: 164197107X
• ISBN13: 9781641971072
• Publish Date: 16 July 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Nancy Yost Literary Agency, Inc
• Edition: Is ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[booksandcats]

I was disappointed at first when I realized this wasn‘t going to be about Dina, who I absolutely adored in the previous books, but I shouldn‘t have worried because Maud is awesome and kickass and this book is amazing and really entertaining.

I shouldn‘t be surprised as I have yet to read something by Ilona Andrews that disappointed me. Which is even more impressive considering that my expectations have risen with every one of their books, but they are always up for the challenge. I highly recommend the Innkeeper Series to everyone!

plus, Helen is about the cutest badass vampire child I have ever heard of.

[EBookObsessed]

I like Dina and Sean in the Innkeeper series, but they are seriously upstaged by big sister Maud and Arland, and of course, little Helen.

As we already know, Dina’s sister Maud and her daughter Helen were exiled to a dessert wasteland called Karhari after her vampire husband’s failed plot to murder his brother and take his position as the House Marshall. Maud plead with her former mother-in-law to allow their three-year-old daughter Helen to remain behind but her pleas fell on deaf ears as the family was more than happy to get rid of the lowly human and her half-vampire mutt. Dina, Sean and Lord Arland rescued them from their exile after Maud’s husband is killed and they take them back home to Earth and Dina’s Inn, Gertrude Hunt.

Maud and Arland trained and fought together to protect the Inn. Before the fighting ended, Arland declared his feelings for Maud and asked her to marry him. While Maud can admit that she has fallen for Arland as well, she can’t put herself and her daughter through the gauntlet of politics of another vampire House. Vampires are vicious fighters and live a warring and feudal lifestyle, living in castles which are guarded by knights. Arland might be House Marshall of House Krahr but his mother is Preceptor and Arland bringing a human bride and her half-vampire daughter isn’t going to go over any better for Maud than it did before.

When House Krahr calls Arland back to Daesyn to deal with a House matter, Maud has a choice to make. And as much as she doesn’t want to deal with another House, she can’t imagine allowing Arland to walk out of her life. So she gives Arland a solid maybe which he is willing to take for now.

When they arrive at Daesyn, House Krahr has been requested to host the marriage between two feuding vampire houses. There is no question that there is something really off about their request but unless they have solid proof, House Krahr can’t lose face by refusing their guests to come to Daesyn and make themselves at home.

Even feuding enemies get a warmer reception than Maud. Arland’s mother isn’t happy about the announcement of Arland’s engagement to a human and her refusal to marry him.

Poor Maud is trying to determine if she should follow her heart or her head and what is best for her and her daughter while being attacked by her future mother-in-law. It is making it hard to figure out what these other Houses are trying to do. But whether or not she is going to join House Krahr, she will fight to defend Arland and protect her daughter. These vampires might underestimate the human in their midst, but Maud will make sure it will be the last mistake they ever make.

As much as I like the magic of Dina in her Inn and the interesting alien characters who arrive, there really is nothing more exciting than a down and out fight including fists, swords and maces.

Arland, Maud and Helen already make an adorable family unit so we know how we want this story to end.

But Maud’s prior House treated her like a trained monkey, the human brought out during company to recite in Ancient Vampire and to show off her fighting abilities. Maud pretends ignorance when she is dragged into the wedding preparations of the other Houses while them whisper about her in Ancient Vampiric. Maud is an amazing strategist, lying low and not taking the bait when provoked allowing them to keep believing her weak while she gathers information. She is also the daughter of Innkeepers so it is solely due to her intervention, that the visiting alien guests in attendance do not get insulted and leave which would be a black mark against House Krahr’s hospitality.

Maud teaches all the vampires a valuable lesson not to underestimate her as she wins the begrudging respect of Arland’s mother and the rest House Krahr.

I really enjoyed this story and hope future Innkeeper stories might spinoff to Maud, Arland, Helen and House Krahr.

[Linda]

I have one word for you all, just one: EPIC!!

That really tells you all you need to know about Sweep of the Blade! I loved the switch from Dina to Maud, because she's a force to be reckoned with. A mother who would do absolutely anything and everything for her daughter. But she still also took time to be herself. And go after her own goals. And so, now I want to be Maud when I grow up.

The fights and the action were so well done I was out of breath - feeling like I was fighting alongside Maud and Arland more than once.

When is the next Innkeeper Chronicles book coming out? I need it, and I need it now!

[kimbacaffeinate]

This is the fourth audiobook in the Innkeeper Chronicles and I love this series! Love it. The authors release this series first as a serial for free online to fans. Which I avoid like the Black Plague. Seriously, I want my wine glass filled to the brim and I want to enjoy it in one sitting until I am pleasantly buzzed. Usually the novel and audio release close together, but there was a delay. I bought the ebook to support the authors but held out because like red wine, audiobook is my drug of choice when it comes to this pair. It was so freakin’ worth it. I LOVE MAUD!! I mean seriously love her!

While I suppose one could jump in here and begin since this is Maud’s story, don’t do it. I think it would be ill advised. Listen to them in the order of their release.

Maud Demille, daughter of Innkeepers, sister of Dina married an ambitious vampire knight and bore a daughter named Helen. All was well until Her husband plotted for a new position and was killed. Maud and her daughter were exiled and sent to the desolate planet of Karhari. Rescued by her sister Dina, Maud had swore off all things vampire. And in walks, Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr. The tale the unfolds takes place on the planet of Krahr as Arland woos Maud. And Maud tries to decide if she and Helen can find a place to call home.

Maud is an innkeeper’s daughter, and that knowledge is an asset. You can see similarities to her sister Dina, but she is very much her own person. There is a stillness to Maud. Even as she is freaking out on the inside. I loved that strength and poise. She is fearless and can be ruthless when protecting those she loves. Maud is fierce with her sword and wise with her tongue. She commands respect, only the vampires haven’t learned that yet. After all she has been through, I respected her for giving Arland and House Krahr a chance.

Snark, battles, danger and wit await you. The story is richly detailed. Krahr and the galaxies came to life in vivid 3-D. The Andrews have a unique gift for providing history without info dumps. House Krahr and its visitors kept things interesting, particularly Arland’s mother. We meet several species, learn some about Maud’s childhood and those of Arland’s own family.

Arland is swoon-worthy. I love an alpha who respects his woman enough not to claim her until she is ready.

With this fourth book came a narrator change. It worked perfectly since this is Maud’s story. This was my first listen to Natalie Naudus, and I felt she did an excellent job capturing all the essence of Maud, the curiosity and youthfulness of Helen and providing unique voices for Arland and secondary characters. I found she narrates fast and listened at 1.1x instead of my normal 1.3x to 1.5x range. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[MurderByDeath]

Only Ilona Andrews could make me like a book in spite of the science fiction setting.  Of course, she lured me in with a story that started as a traditional-ish paranormal tale involving magic and werewolves, and it all took place on good old Earth; it wasn't until this book that the series becomes firmly entrenched out in the universe with spaceships and aliens and nary a werewolf in site.  Sure, there are vampires but they really aren't very vampiric - token fangs and an obsession with rules and protocols, but all the other tropes are tossed out.   Yet in spite of all the deadly-dull-to-me intergalactic elements (and yes, my eyes glazed and glossed over all the space stuff), the tale has stuck with me in that way that Daesyn (I think that was the name of the planet) feels like a very specific place in my imagination, with it's own feel; extremely detailed as to layout and atmosphere.  It's a place I very much enjoyed obviously, since I catch myself looking forward to going back, only to remember I finished the book and now have to wait who-knows- how-long until the Andrews team published the next one.   I've always like Arland and was disappointed he didn't end up with the Innkeeper (whose name I can't remember - she doesn't play a role in this book), so I thoroughly enjoyed having this story centre on him and Maud.  The secondary characters, mostly Arland's family, contributed to the world building, and weren't merely paper constructs, though the antagonists of the story lost something with their lack of subtlety.     All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this story in spite of all the things I dislike on the surface and I actually find myself hoping the next one comes out sooner rather than later.

[Quirky Cat]

I read Sweep of the Blade for free on Ilona Andrews’ website. When the edited version is released for purchase I’m going to reread it and will likely update my review then.

Sweep of the Blade is the latest novel in the Innkeeper Chronicles. Technically it’s 3.5 in the series; mainly because this one does not follow Diana on her adventure. Instead, this whole book is from Maud’s perspective, which was a fun change of pace.
Sweep of the Blade was intended to be a novella, but somehow the authorlords (as their fandom teasingly calls them) ended up with a full novel on their hands. I’m personally thrilled by this. For one thing, it meant I didn’t have to see the book end too quickly. And for another I prefer that the story take as long as needed, flowing organically.
The whole novel released for free on a weekly bases. I think it’s probably still posted, but it’ll likely get taken down when Ilona and Andrew Gordon have time to start editing the massive beast they created. On the bright side, after that point, you can buy the novel from them. It’ll have extra parts that they’ve not comfortable including online as a bonus. Plus you get to support the authors. Win/win, right?



I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt at first, knowing that the newest Innkeeper novel wouldn’t be following Diana. I had grown pretty attached to her character, as well as the quest she was on. So I was conflicted about the switch. On the one hand, I liked Maud well enough and was curious about her story, and on the other I wanted the main plot to move forward.
In the end, though, it wasn’t my call and I decided to just go with trusting the authors. And I’m so glad I did. I loved Maud’s story. It was brilliant to get to see more about her, and alongside that, we got to see more of Arland and the vampires.
The vampire politics and plotting may very well have been some of my favorite scenes in this novel. I couldn’t have been happier reading about all the plots they were sorting through, and all the schemes Maud witnessed happening all around her. It was everything I expected for the vampires and more.
The fight scenes in this novel were of epic proportions. Sometimes fights brought out because vampires are arrogant, stubborn, and prone to getting angry. Other times because something completely unpredictable occurred. And of course, there are the fights that were carefully plotted and anticipated. They all were wonderfully written.
There were cameos I really didn’t expect but probably should have. I don’t think it’d be an Innkeeper novel without an appearance from Nuan Cee, for example. I was delighted to see him and his adorable (but fierce) family.
I know some people have a tendency to skip .5s in a series, but in this case, I’d urge you to reconsider. Maud is an amazing and fun character. And while a lot of the plot may not have been relevant to Diana’s quest, I promise you that there’s enough there for it to be worth it.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks