Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
by Ilona Andrews
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Book Reviews of Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
Book Review: Awesome new series with a creative world and an kick-butt heroine; not for the faint at heart
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. So far there are three books in this series; on her website Andrews says that she is under contract for 4 books right now. I listened to this as an audio book and the audio book quality was wonderful; the lady who reads it really captures Kate's personality. It was a fast-paced great book.
Kate receives a message from one of The People asking her how her Guardian is. When she calls her Guardian she finds out he's been murdered. Kate is bent on vengeance and decides to join forces with the Order to investigate her Guardian, Greg's, death. She finds out that a number of shapechangers and vampires have also been killed and ends up on the track of a horrid legendary creature. Will the assistance of a crazy Crusader and the Beast Lord be enough for Kate to stop the evil threatening to rip Atlanta apart?
This was a very well done book and a great debut novel. The characters are creative and engaging; and you can't help but like Kate's down to earth attitude, toughness, and dark sense of humor. There are some unexpected twists and turns in the plot that keep you on your toes; and the fight scenes are numerous and well-done. The world is also very creative; it's a world where tech and magic ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. Magic is gaining hold and whenever magic is up; all tech stops working. This interesting alternative version of Earth makes things interesting and forces Kate to come up with creative solutions sometimes as she never knows what weapons and accessories will work at a given time.
The descriptions in this book are not for the faint of heart; Andrews pull no punches when it comes to descriptions of gore, glistening intestines ooze and people are rended into pieces of meat. So if you don't like that type of thing I would stay clear. This book is also by no means a paranormal romance. Kate does go on some dates but that is about the little of the romance of the book; Kate just isn't that kind of girl. The biting humor in this book had me laughing out loud a number of times.
Overall Andrews has created a very interesting world with a lot of depth. Her strong points are her creative characters, her awesome fight scenes, and the fast clip of the plot. The world she creates, while intriguing, is never really explained all that well. The plot could benefit from some more explanation about why the tech and magic wax and wane. Also there is a feeling of dread hanging over Kate as Kate takes so much care to keep her blood from her enemies; Kate's over-protection of her own blood is never explained very well and it was a bit frustrating to try and figure this out as well...I imagine we will get more information about this in the next book.
A great series, I really enjoyed it. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book. I liked it a lot better than some other paranormal series out there. For example I thought it was better than The Becoming (The Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 1) and Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1). For me it was about on par with Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1) or Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks, Book 1); although both of those series have more romance in them than this book did.
Book Review: A new take on urban fantasy and I love it!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ms. Andrews has created a fascinating new world based in an alternate reality verson of Atlanta GA that has been mostly destroyed by freak magic storms that come in waves, and wreak havoc with technology; like internal combustion engine vehicles. I absolutely loved the idea of a truck that runs on magic infused water, ingenious! This book is an intriguing mixture of modern day world meets magic.
Kate Daniels is a member of the Mercenary Guild, hiring on for jobs that require a magical solution, sort of the equivalent of a magic P.I. Then one night she's contacted by Ghastek of the People, a necromantic organization that controls the undead, a.k.a. vampires, by piloting their bodies through telepathic means called necronavigation. (vampires in this book are not by any stretch of the imagination sexy, more along the lines of a horror film creature that is not quite sentient). Ghastek, through his link to a vampire, informs her that her mentor, Greg Feldman, has been murdered.
In this alternate reality, the law enforcement part of the government consists of three branches: the Paranormal Activity Police Division, the Military Supernatural Defense Units, and the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid. Kate's former mentor was a knight-diviner of the Order of Merciful Aid, and his boss hires her to track down his murderer. Only too willing to hunt the man who killed Greg who was not only her mentor but her guardian and one of her only remaining family members, Kate begins the hunt. In the course of her investigation she encounters the Beast Lord, Curran, the werecat who rules all the werebeasts in the southeastern part of the States. With his help, she eliminates a cat-were as the prime suspect and comes to the realization that Greg's death was only one in a series of murders. Murders that have been carefully orchestrated to start a war between The People and the werebeasts ruled by Curran the Beast Lord. In order to prevent a war, she must track down the serial killer before he strikes again. But when she finally succeeds in finding him its only to realize he isn't a man at all. He's an immortal upir who's been around since neolithic times and is intent on feasting on dead human and nonhuman flesh as well as mating with any woman of power (a.k.a. magic) he can get his hands on in order to create an upir child. Unlucky for her, the upir has fixed his attention on Kate as the new mother of his heir and will do anything, kill anyone to get to her and what he wants. Its up to Kate, along with a few friends, to take the upir down, even if it means dying to do so.
This book was fast paced and exciting, more of an action/suspense/mystery novel, so if you're looking for a strong romantic plot you'll probably be disappointed. Although there are a few love interests in the book. And sparks definitely fly between Kate and the Beast Lord, Curran, but there's no strong romantic element, instead focusing on the mystery solving. But I do certainly hope we get to find out more about the Kate/Curran dynamic in the next installment of the series. I also agree with the other reviewer and appreciate the fact that even though this book is clearly meant to be a part of a series, it is sufficient enough to be a stand alone novel with the mystery clearly resolved at the end.
I eagerly anticipate the next novel from Ms. Andrews and only hope that I don't have long to wait! I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the paranormal or urban fantasy.
Book Review: FINALLY a worthy replacement from an author for former Anita Blake Fans
Summary: 5 Stars
First things first...The cover art sucks. The way the character is described and hat she looked like on this cover and later on the sequels cover are totally different from her description but don't let that dissuade you from this series because it is COMPLETELY WORTH THE READ!
This is one of the most carefully crafted fantasy worlds I've encountered in a series in a very long time. The idea are fresh and original and Ilona takes a different angle to vampires and weres in this debut novel. Vamps are not the sexy end all be all of the nightworld and neither are weres. There are the good, the bad and yes even some of the ugly which is a refreshing change and made all of the characters much more relatable.
The heroine, Kate, lives in an alternate verison of Atlanta, GA where magic and technology craete a world that is both frightening and fascinating. When her former guardian is killed, she seeks out the murderer and runs head first into a world where all that goes bump in the night is looking for her.
I used to love Anita Blake before LKH became more concerned with dampening the panties of her dwindling fans than making their hearts pound in excitement from her action sequences, but have since fallen out of my love affair with her and have been looking for a replacement for some time. I love Mercy from the Patricia Briggs novels but she was missing that Anita Blake "kick-some-butt-" quality. Kate Daniels has that quality and many many more.
Kate Daniels is a mercenary for hire and has that same tough edge we saw early on in the AB days. Her internal dialogue is hysterical and she is nicely filled out in the sense that she is a sword weilding chick with some serious fighting skills BUT she does have realistic limits and preiodically gets her butt handed to her in both this book and the sequel.
I sped through this book and am already halfway through the second which i purchased today. I do wish the books were longer which seems to be a common thought from other readers as well. But although short, the storyline will suck you in.
The supporting cast of characters are great in this book and only get better in the second book. Kate's "love interest" is a great supporting character; strong and sexy yes, but he also has a purpose; to help HER grow as a character and add new dimensions to her whichyou see alot more in the second book. Their interactions are entertainign and have that sexual tension in book 2, but its based as much on power struggles and strength of character as it is hot and heavy desire.
If you are a paranormal romance reader, this book may not be for you. The storyline is fast paced and action packed and although the idea of romance in there, its definetly not the focus and I for one hope she keps it that way. Romances should help build an already interesting character through interaction, not destroy them as seen in many other series.
World building is critical to the fantasy genre and Ilona Andrews has earned a loyal fan in me because she does it skilfully and makes me want to read more. As another reader pointed out, the rules for her world are pretty clear and she sticks to them and doesn't "cheat" with her characters developing insane powers (hint hint latest installments of AB series).
I am already eagerly awaiting the third book after the ending of the second. So why are you still here reading? Go and order it! :)
Book Review: Taking a Bite out of Urban Fantasy!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read a lot of urban fantasy. Especially the kind with the tougher than nails women in cities full of vamps and werewolves . . . and this seemed like another one of the same. I was pleasantly surprised to find it's not. Oh it's got a tough female lead--Kate Daniels is a merc dealing with all sorts of paranormal nasties and not afraid to get her hands dirty. And it's got vampires, and werewolves, but Ilona Andrews takes a fresh look at these paranormals and provides some excellent worldbuilding to make them, and the city all of them live in, into something fresh and fascinating.
Kate Daniels is a merc for hire, and her specialty is all the bad and weirdling things that come out during the waves of magic that regularly swamp the city. Magic doesn't work all the time, but neither does technology, and her urban world is in the process of adjusting to a mixture of both to survive. It's not an easy fit between tech and magic in the city of Atlanta, nor is it always easy for the paranormal communities to adjust. But someone is out murdering vampires and weres, bent on breaking the uneasy peace that exists between them. When Kate's old mentor is murdered in pursuit of the killers she puts herself in the middle of the investigation, determined to bring the murderer to justice. But solving the mystery and getting that justice means dealing with vampires (who are not at all attractive or sexy), and weres (who might be sexy if they could just get over the power games) and quite likely getting herself killed. It's all in a day's work for Kate.
This was a lot of fun to read. Kate is tough stuff--even if she's not always the toughest thing around. She's got a colorful and secretive past that we're given glimpses of, but not given the whole story on. Unlike some other paranormal and urban fantasy series, Kate's story is less heavy on romance and more focused on the thrilling and sometimes gory fantasy noir. There is some romance in the story, but no real sexual exploits, so someone looking for a paranormal romance with a steamy sex scene or two may be disappointed. That said, I prefer my urban fantasy to be action-based rather than romance-based. And this definitely fits the bill. The author dives right into the world setting she's created, but the audience can follow right along without too much trouble. New concepts are explained without lengthy exposition but just enough detail to give them life in the story.
Ms. Andrews has a vivid imagination that has allowed for some impressive world-building, especially in a genre that's become so glutted with similar themes and story lines. For anyone who reads urban fantasy, the elements won't be unfamiliar, but the author uses them in a fresh and enjoyable way to tell a story that was unpredictable and satisfying. Her main characters are likable, especially Kate herself. I found myself wishing there were more than one sequel out already, but I've devoured Magic Burns with similar gusto.
A reader who enjoys the paranormal urban fantasy set up by Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and early Laurel K. Hamilton might enjoy taking a stroll through a paranormal Atlanta. The book is a fast read and should leave you satisfied, but looking forward to more! Those who enjoy this should check out Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews and Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
Book Review: Good debut!
Summary: 4 Stars
Magic Bites is the first book in the Kate Daniels series and opens up in an Atlanta which has been devastated by Magic. The authors have conjured up an interesting world scenario in which Magic seems to have returned with a bang. Originally both magic and science were on an even keel, however as society and mankind advanced in the field of science; magic was dwindling. Eventually science got so far ahead that the metaphysical thread connecting the two caused magic to snap and come back in waves. This makes mankind relearn its role in the grander scheme of things and thus magic comes and goes leaving mankind on the planet to share with creatures who are affected by it.
In the opening chapter readers are introduced to Kate Daniels, who is a mercenary and manages to scrap by doing various odds and ends jobs. She however gets a shocking letter which announces that her one-time mentor and the closest thing she has ever had as a family, Greg Feldman a Knight of the Order of Merciful Aid, has been murdered in a brutal way. She decides to follow up on his murder as her unresolved anger at him will not permit anything else. She then contacts his fellow Knights who surprisingly act in accord with her wishes and even allow her to become a temporary member of the Order to facilitate her investigations. Armed with her snappy sense of humor and her fighting abilities Kate sets forth to determine who or what killed Greg?
During the process of gathering information she learns that Greg was a bit on the friendlier side with the Pack, which includes all the were-creatures and proceeds to meet up with them. This leads up to an important event in her life as she makes her first contact with the Beast Lord who controls the pack and is the absolute authority on all things related to the Pack. Kate doesn't exactly help with her attitude and soon gets into more trouble with the Pack and the Vampire controlling People who seem to be having similar problems with the Pack. Kate manages to make do without destroying her alliances with the Pack as well as the People and also sets about to discover Greg's murderer. She gains somewhat of a sidekick during her investigations and also manages to intrigue some one enough to get her a dinner date.
The writing is a bit patchy but since this is the first book, it can be understood and gleaned over. The main protagonist is the biggest draw as readers see the world through her eyes. With her being such a strong individual it does help the book to be alleviated from the many strong female protagonist clones. Kate Daniels as a main character is fascinating, as a few snippets about her past are revealed, but who she is, is still very much shrouded in mystery. I guess as the series moves forward we will learn more about her. (The author are currently contracted for seven books, of which four are written).
The plot has a main murder mystery to it and is handled well, as readers is race along with the characters to spot the actual culprit. Some veteran readers might very well get the clues and figure it out, however I wasn't one of them and thus I thoroughly enjoyed the race to the climax and the climatic sequence as well. This was a good debut and even though it had its shortcomings, the main character and the world scenario had me hooked on to the next book.