Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
by Ilona Andrews
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Book Reviews of Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1)
Book Review: Adventure, Magic, Comedy... and a little Romance - who could ask for more?
Summary: 5 Stars
I love our protagonist, Kate Daniels - she's a six foot tall, none too delicate, kick butt magical powerhouse. Unfortunately for her (but much more interestingly for us), she will endanger herself and those she loves if she uses her magic to its full extent. (Why? Because every time she uses her specific brand of magic, she runs the risk of revealing her unique heritage. But what is that heritage? Whatever it is, the hints Ms. Andrews leaves us with promise a fascinating future for Kate.) Every time Kate is forced to use magic, she runs the risk of using too much and revealing herself, or using too little and endangering her life and those of the people around her.
Trained to fight and to use magic, and possessing a deliciously self-deprecating and wry sense of humor, Kate also has problems with authority figures (no wonder I love her!) which is why she's a freelance mercenary when we meet her. Don't let the fact that she's a mercenary fool you - Kate is intensely moral, with a strong sense of right and wrong.
The book contains a good bit of fun sexual tension with the local Pride leader, but (thank goodness) this novel has none of the constant jumping into the sack so many authors revert to when they run out of plot ideas. This is a story with an extremely unique but exciting and realistic take on magic and the paranormal - vampires are decided unsexy in this book, for example, and are "piloted" by necromancers. I also enjoyed the fact that the book is set in Georgia, primarily Atlanta... in fact, I work in one of the high rise buildings she frequently describes as crumbling!
This paranormal universe may be my favorite world to date (at least since I read Lord of the Rings as a 12 year old), and Kate Daniels is my second favorite character after Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's "Dresden Series." Ms. Andrews, I very much want you to continue writing about Kate and her world. RECOMMENDED.
Book Review: Very well-done dark urban fantasy...bit squishy for me tho
Summary: 4 Stars
This is (as my title says) quite a well-done little book. I wish Illona Andrews (and Kate, et al) well with this series.
[BTW, if you're looking for a synopsis of this book, you might glance at the book itself, or read a few of the other reviews here. My main purpose in this review is to warn off those folks who MIGHT not understand what's in store for them.]
I, however, will not be reading any more of these and I'd just like to warn any of y'all out there that enjoy this genre of what you're getting into. For a little perspective, I've read all the Sookie Stackhouse books, all the Rachel Morgan books, all the Patricia Briggs Mercy books, Carpe Demon, Bitten, and a few other titles. Oh yeah, I just finished the first Lilith Saintcrow Dante Valentine book, too.
Anyway, I like all of the above-mentioned books and none of them really creeps me out TOO much. There's the odd passage or scene here and there that are just too graphic and morbid and gross (per the "squishy" in my title description) for me to thoroughly enjoy, but most of the times these occassional authorial forays into the macabre and Grand Guignol just add a little spice.
The "Magic XXX" Illona Andrews series goes beyond my PERSONAL comfort level, though.
I am NOT knocking either this series or the author. I really did like the book--in most ways. It's NOT just a slasher. But the slashing and gushing and squishing and maiming and raping and cannibalism and all that sort of thing are just a too integral a part of the world for ME to enjoy the experience--even though I was VERY fond of most of the main characters and I found the plot and world-building very good.
So...FAIR WARNING...
And...Ms Andrews, should you ever write something else more-or-less of this ilk, but with a less, shall we say, morbid/graphic/eviscerating outlook, I'll be one of your happiest readers.
Book Review: Magic Madness...
Summary: 4 Stars
I wasn't sure how I felt about this book as I started reading it. I was really confused at first about the world Andrews had created. I also was confused by the many, many different charaters being introduced left and right. I admit that usually is the case when starting a new book, but the descriptions didn't make things any clearer. I actually started a list of the names of each charcter and who they were...the list eventually fell to the wayside as I became drawn into the story Andrews created. This story is set in a world where Magic works alternately with technology. If the lights go out, its time for some fairie lanterns and vice versa. The story is definitely set in the future, but a few times I adjusted mentally how far in the future it was. I really liked Kate Daniels and I didn't think she was overly obnoxious at all, she isn't supposed to be soft and fluffy. She is an urban fantasy tough girl. This world and character actually brought me fleeting memories of Anita Blake in the very early books. I also need to comment on those who complain of the lack of romance as nowhere on the copy I have, does the book even begin to hint at being a romance or even paranormal romance novel. When someone close to Kate is murdered, she gets unofficial approval to chase after the murderer. Along the way we meet the secondary characters that will surely reappear time and again in the series. I really, really liked Curran, the were lord. I think the tension beteween he and Kate was better than any sex scene. I thought the mystery was good and I didn't mind the grisly scenes. I didn't think they were unnecessarily over the top at all. I found myself very much liking the series by the time I closed the book and was eager to read the next one. I think time will tell if this will be one of the better urban fantasy sereis out there, but I wouldn't be suprised to see it as a stand out.Book Review: Great Urban Fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
Magic Bites is the first novel in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Kate is a tough as nails, no nonsense woman who has a mysterious heritage who lives in Georgia. In her world, magic comes and goes in waves. When the magic is up, technology fails. The magic does not like large structures and as a result, most of the high rises in Atlanta have been reduced to rubble. Kate works for a magical guild doing odds and ends magical jobs. When her guardian and mentor is brutally murdered she goes back to the one place she swore she never would, The Magical Order, where her guardian was a Knight. She uses their resources to investigate the murder and finds herself sucked into the world of the Pack in a fight for dominance she cannot afford to lose. Due to some bad decisions she winds up with a personal were protector. The deeper she gets into finding her guardian's killer, the more personal the fight becomes.
The book is very vague about Kate's history, only hinting that her heritage is very important. I found this frustrating at first, but as the book went on there was more than enough action in the plot to compensate for the confusion about her past. Kate has a very sarcastic personality and is killer with a sword, literally. Her sword, slayer is very special, as it eats undead flesh. I have to say my favorite point in the book is when she sticks her foot in her mouth and says "Here kitty, kitty, kitty" to the beast lord. You would think she had a death wish, but in one of the hints about her past it was implied that she was trained to never show fear. So when she is afraid, she compensates with her wit and sarcasm. Throughout the book she continues to get herself in trouble with her mouth and sometimes the only thing that saves her is her sword. I look forward to more of her wit and revelations as to who she really is in future books.
Book Review: Good debut novel: not great but good
Summary: 4 Stars
In this, Ilona Andrews' first novel, there is magic in the world, and it does not like technology. Set in Atlanta in the not-too-distant future, Magic Bites tells of a world where magic comes in waves, alternating with "tech" (times when technology works). Because of this influx of magic, there are certain agencies which have been created to deal with new magical problems such as harpies, dragons, and the occasional salamander-wielding arsonist. One such agency is the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, a highly-structured system which "helps" citizens who cannot afford any other aid. Another magical clean-up agency is the Mercenary Guild, to which Kate Daniels belongs.
When Kate's oldest friend and sometime-protector Greg is murdered, Kate takes on a mission to figure out why and how he died, and to avenge his murder. Kate's investigations bring her to the Order - which she left several years beforehand due to "authority issues". They put her in league with the Pack (shapeshifters who have conquered their beasts and retain their humanity), and have her facing off against the city's Masters of the Dead (necromancers and their vampire drones) in a battle for the city - and her life.
The story contained within Magic Bites is interesting, and I love Andrews' conceptualization of magic colliding with our technology-laden world. However, it all could have used slightly more editing, or more writing, or...well, something. There were a few parts where I was unclear as to how the characters got to a certain conclusion, and the narrator is constantly hinting at things which we are never told. Perhaps these hints will be further explained in forthcoming books, and I hope they are. This is an interesting series: I have already started on the next book, and hope that Andrews publishes more volumes of Kate's story.