Beast Business by Ilona Andrews:

5 stars

Keeping secrets from the elite of Houston is, so often, a futile endeavor. The product of a recent and revolutionary innovation has been stolen — and the clock is ticking! Will Diana Harrison and Augustine Montgomery be in time to stop a truly warped individual?

Beast Business is an exciting addition to the world of Hidden Legacy and manages to remain familiar, bringing back beloved characters, while expanding the lore and reinforcing the existing structure. Diana and Augustine, in some odd ways, are well-matched. They were, arguably, both human shells at one point — with Cornelius and Matilda pulling Diana back from the brink while Augustine’s interactions with Mad Rogan and House Baylor help him see the error of his ways. Now, the tunnel vision is gone, and they have even more to fight for.

This novella also ties up a loose end from the first three-story arc quite tidily, while broadening both the illusion and animal mage mythos in unexpected ways. It pays to assume that a Prime is always hiding something.

I’m not typically a fan of having a story divided into two distinct sections, especially when it messes up the timeline. I don’t like it here, either, but acknowledge it as a necessary evil; there are really two separate stories included, and combining them to keep the timeline intact would be detrimental to both. Still, I’m like Bern — I like things to be chronological.

One thing I adore in House Andrews’ writing is how old characters — or relatives of old characters — can reappear in new roles. Humans are a mix of good and bad; when fiction reflects that innate complexity, it’s just delicious.

Beast Business is a treasure, sure to delight fans of the Hidden Legacy series, although I would advise against reading the books out of order. It has gripping tension, the insane action sequences that are a hallmark of House Andrews, a very special kitty, and humor — Arabella kills me! I didn’t want to get off this ride.