Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
by Ilona Andrews
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Book Reviews of Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
Book Review: Snarky and intense
Summary: 4 Stars
PJVs QUICKIE POV:
Being the series junkee that I am, I didn't possibly know why I hadn't started this series yet. I can only blame it on, not enough time and too many good books. From the start this one struck me as different. It starts out very gritty with a head first jump into a very urban fantasy world. I knew I was going to love the main character, Kate Daniels - and her world was twisted enough that I knew I would feel right at home. Paired with some excellent word weaving by Andrews and I was in UF heaven.
REVIEW:
Kate Daniels' world is a world where Magic has gone out of whack. Flares and disturbances plague the cities, rendering technology null and strange occurrences rampant. Shifters and mages are 'out' but distrusted and are usually pretty wary of one another. Vampires are creatures to be possessed and used, unridden by Necromancers they are feral and will murder anything that comes upon them.
Kate actually likes the world she lives in, she is a live by the sword, try not to die by the sword type of girl. She makes her living as a magical mercenary and has made her way pretty well. She was doing just fine until someone kills her guardian. Rips him to pieces is more like it.
Kate can't sit idly by and let the murderer go unpunished. With permission from the Order she takes up the case and finds herself neck deep in two steps. Never one to roll over and take it, Kate pushes on, desperate to find out who killed her guardian - but she just might not survive the knowlege.
Fast-paced, gritty, full of sarcasm and wit, MAGIC BITES is the epitome of a great Urban Fantasy novel. The world building is complex and intense in its defining. The characters are robust and in-your-face. There was enough violence to keep it nasty, without the raunchy romance that drags some UF down. Yet, some good flirting to keep it alive. I wouldn't say this is the most original of pieces, snarky and intense heroine, slick and over-bearing hero are used a lot, but the world Andrews created was definitely on the very creative side of the crayon box. I think I might have a new series to have and hold -- because I'm dying to sink my teeth into MAGIC BURNS.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommended for adults and mature readers. The violence can be a bit overpowering and there was a fair bit of mature language and references. Series is reminiscent of the earlier Anita Blake books (not the later ones when all she does is have sex).
Book Review: Magic Bites, this book bites
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this book because Patricia Briggs recommends it on the cover. I love Patrica Briggs and anxiously wait for her books to come out. I was looking forward to reading another series, but I had to force myself to finish this book. I was greatful I only ordered the first book in the Kate Daniels novels. I found this book difficult to follow because it starts in this magic world where everything is warded, magic is everywhere, cars won't run or run on water, the phones don't work half the time, buildings colapse due to magic. There is Fay lines to navigate and Fay lights but there are no Fay, and there is no explanation of how the world became like this. I didn't know if it was the future, or in present time. I found it confusing. All this magic, magic people, magic cars, magic lights, magic instruments used to investigate crime that are not really explained. The main character Kate drinks Boone's Farms Hard Lemonade, and Boone's Farm Sangria together, like an alcoholic on the street who cares nothing about what they drink just consuming and mixing anything to get wasted. I found the main character hard, mean, excessive, sarcastic, crude, rude and obnoxious. The weres in the book are grotesque, upright malformed slobbering things, there is no word to call them. Not human, not animal, just things. The vampires are terrible, disqusting looking, ceiling crawling robots that someone else directs. The vamps were very disappointing.
Don't get this book if you like Charlene Harris, Richelle Mead, Karen Chance, Patrica Briggs, or Jeaniene Frost. If you like your vampires upright with intelligence and your weres that actually change into true animals, you won't like this book.
If you like your magic with some sense of order, you won't like this book. If you want to read a mystery that makes sense and follows a plot, forget it. The book goes everywhere, yet nowhere. I found myself flipping back to try to understand where the story was going.
The story is grotesque, lots of killing and eating of humans, vamps, weres, and lots of rape. There is no romance at all, which is fine, but the rape stuff got to me. I can just picture this world were you cant drive, you have a horse, buildings are collapsing around your head, your phone won't work, the electricity is off half the time, and creatures are eating everyone and everything. It just didn't make sense to me at all. Don't waste your money.
Book Review: Merc Battles Monsters.
Summary: 3 Stars
It took me two times through this book to feel like I could articulate what I like and dislike about this story. The first time I listened to the Audible version and really disliked it. I attribute this partly to dislikeing the narrator's voice. The second time I read the Kindle version and had a slightly more positive reaction. Just goes to show that format matters.
Kate Daniels is a mercenary with magic abilities that she fights to keep secret. When her long time mentor and family friend is killed, Kate tries to solve the case and apprehend the murderer. The evidence shows magical anomalies, and Kate quickly realizes she is dealing with something entirely outside of her usual work. Her search takes her to the leader of the shapeshifters, Curren, and also into the midst of the vampire creating organization known as "The People". Besides all of this, the book is dense in world building and exposition, but handles it gracefully.
As a character I felt Kate was very likeable, even possible to relate to, but also a bit forgetable. She's very tough and reasonably intelligent. I got the sense that she has so much potential, both in her power and as a person, but in this book at least it isn't fully developed or realized. In my mind she blends in with all of the other alpha female leads I've encountered in urban fantasy. The secondary characters are similarly full of unrealized potential. I liked the shapeshifters immensely, and hope they will have more parts in future books.
The world building is by far the cleverest part of the book. There's this ungoing conflict between magic and technology, with magic gaining more and more of an upper hand. They fluctuate in waves, and when a magic wave hits man made technologies start to crumble. There's a lot more to it then that, and again it's not fully explained to my satisfaction. But I really enjoyed the ideas, very imaginative.
In the end, after rereading I can safely say that my main complaint is the lack of developement and distinction in the characters. There's a lot of sequel baiting: the authors are counting on you buying the next book to see Kate start to grow as a character. That's all well and good, but it shouldn't get in the way of telling the complete story in the first novel. I like this book, I'm going to try the rest of the series (but not in audio) and hope it improves. 3.5 stars
Book Review: The ending was a let-down
Summary: 3 Stars
There's a lot to like about this book. The world-building is excellent, and I like it that Kate had enough self-respect not to jump in bed with either potential boyfriend. However, I never cared very much about Kate or what happened to her. She constantly acts in very childish ways and often acts without thought to the consequences. She's somewhat redeemed by at least knowing she's acting childishly, but she also doesn't try to act more maturely. I'm also not attracted to a "heroine" who deals with depression (caused by consequences of her actions) by drinking herself into a stupor.
The writing was generally strong enough that I might have bought the second book in the series except that the ending just didn't do it for me. I knew who the unknown bad guy was from the moment we were first introduced to him. I accept that Kate didn't realize who it was, but I have a very hard time understanding why no one else did.
I also don't understand another part of the ending. **SPOILER ALERT** It's Curran who suggests that his rival for Kate's affection is the unknown enemy. Kate agrees that his reasons make sense, but she says she doesn't think he's the enemy and gives several reasons why. Curran decides to test the fellow anyway. I sort of assumed it was mainly to get rid of his rival. While the fellow is being tested, one of Curran's subordinates tells the boyfriend that this was all Kate's idea. Kate doesn't correct him and say, "no, it wasn't." When the boyfriend turns out to not be the enemy, Curran blames Kate for leading him wrong _when it was his own idea_ and Kate just accepts the blame. I was so confused by this that I went back to re-read the previous section just to make sure I was right, that Curran had been the one with the idea. Kate blew things with the boyfriend, no doubt about it, but I can't understand why she accepts blame for something she didn't do when that doesn't seem consistant with how she's acted before. I felt like the author changed the story mid-way and forgot to revise the previous part. **SPOILER END**
Since the rest of the ending was pretty predictable (including her getting drunkenly depressed), the book left me feeling confused and not wanting more. Obviously, most people didn't have the problems I did with the book, so go ahead and try the book if you're on the fence about getting it.
Book Review: Fantastic Urban Fantasy
Summary: 4 Stars
Kate Daniels lives in urban Atlanta. Magic is unpredictable here, as it's always fluctuating. This is how Kate, a mercenary, makes her living. Killing or capturing the bad guys who wreak havoc during the magical disruptions. When Kate learns of the death of her guardian she takes it upon herself to find the killer. This sticks her right in the middle of the two power structures in the city. The People and the Pack. Fighting whatever darkness is loose in the city will be tough with everyone breathing down her neck, and staying alive long enough to find the killer will be even tougher.
***
It took me a while to read this book. I've had it on my shelf for a long time. Which is a shame! The world building is rich and dark, and sucks you right into this alternate Atlanta. I love the spin on the different power structures of "the People" and "the Pack". Andrew's vampires are frightening, not the kind you want to run into in a dark alley or in broad daylight, that's for sure. They are disgusting creatures, that are controlled by The Masters of the Dead from afar. The best part though is the Magic. The fluctuations, and not being able to do something as simple as drive a car, people having to ride on horseback, not being able to turn on an electric lamp, and unable to use guns! Magic and technology are battling against each other in Magic Bites, but for people who know how to channel that magic, like Kate, and use it to their advantage, this battle can be a good and bad thing.
Lets get to Kate. Daring, smart, brave, strong, fierce, I could use so many words to describe her and all would be deserving. She's also got a sharp tongue, bad temper, and issues in her romantic life. I'd have to say she's a "well-rounded" character who won't fail to be exciting for readers.
The romance is there in this book, but it doesn't take a front seat. It's mostly hidden in the small moments...a look here, a teasing remark there. I'm interested to see where and what Kate ends up doing in book two, Magic Burns. Maybe she'll even explore the options for romance that surrounded her in this book, in future books.
This one had a slow start for me. Not boring, just not very attention getting. Kate sitting and drinking by herself in her kitchen didn't really grab me. But once I got to know her better, and the world created, I was hooked!