Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Pages: 308
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 31, 2011

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

My Thoughts: I'm starting to realize I need to be very careful with this series. Since these Kate Daniels books are so fun and addicting, it makes me want to just pick up the next books that are already available and forget about the review books I should be reading instead. I have to say, it took a lot of effort for me to do the right thing once I was done reading Magic Slays. Hopefully I'm able to control myself for the next few months.

After the epicness of book four, Magic Bleeds, I had no idea what would be waiting for me in book five, but I couldn't wait to find out! Magic Slays started off with Kate and Curran in their bedroom, and by the time I was done with the novel, I felt like that beginning scene was a hint as to how much focus would be given to their relationship. What Kate and Curran went through in this book made what they shared even more real and authentic in my eyes. Not everything was perfect, but they tried to work out their problems. And I really appreciated that their relationship showed the importance of trust, honesty, and communication. I thought I couldn't love Kate, Curran, and their romance more than I already did, but Magic Slays proved me wrong.

As for the mission in the story, it still took a lot of hardwork for Kate and everyone to accomplish. However, I thought the resolution wasn't quite difficult as some of the others in past books. I felt the main purpose overall was to introduce a couple of new characters and for Kate to learn even more about her family's history. I actually had assumed there wasn't anything else for Kate to know, but I was so wrong. Some things that were revealed were a shock, and I'm not surprised this caused Kate to question her relationship with certain people. Kate's father Roland also continued to have a huge presence, of course. Although Kate's skills have improved and her knowledge has grown immensely, I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for a Kate and Roland showdown. I'm pretty sure Kate feels the same way (see why I find it so easy to adore her?). It all seems impossible, yet I'm hoping by the time it happens Kate will be more than ready.

Magic Bleeds may still be my favorite Kate Daniels book so far, but Magic Slays was definitely an awesome addition to the series. It had the action, humor, mystery, and mythology I admired from the previous novels, and the romance developed in a realistic way that I couldn't help but to love. I cannot wait for the time when I'm finally able to continue on with the next books in this kickass series.

(By the way, anyone else have 'Kiss From a Rose' by Seal stuck in their heads after reading this book and can't help but to laugh because you'll forever associate that song with Saiman's Curran video? Yeah. I'm still cracking up over it.)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Series Review: Magic Bleeds & Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4) by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: May 25, 2010 / Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This series continues to put a smile on my face. Right now, Magic Bleeds is my absolute favorite out of all the books in the series. It's overflowing with nonstop epicness and hotness. I couldn't get enough!

If you've been wondering about Kate's family, this book will give you almost all the juicy answers. Not only that, we finally know whether or not Kate and Curran will get together. What I love the most about Kate and Curran's relationship is that Curran respects her. He doesn't try to be all mysterious, and he's honest and straight-up with her. On the other hand, Kate has to be secretive in order to protect the people she cares about, but I'm glad she doesn't hold back for long. She opens up to Curran, and it's quite clear that she never enjoyed being alone. The romance between them is not dragged out for the sake of drama and that is entirely refreshing. Basically, Kate and Curran fans will be satisfied with what occurs in this book!

Kate Daniels is definitely the best urban fantasy series out there, in my opinion! I'm so glad there are six more books in this series. Once this journey is over, I know I will be sad and missing the characters. I'll have to savor these books while I can.

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Magic Dreams (Kate Daniels, #4.5) by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: June 26, 2012 / Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I was so excited to start reading this short story! After Kate and Curran, Jim and Dali's relationship is definitely the most intriguing one to me. They didn't have any romantic moments in the previous books, but it was hinted that Jim at least had feelings for Dali. It was wonderful to read about their growing relationship in Magic Dreams, and the mythology in this story was all kinds of fascinating!

My only problem with Magic Dreams is the length. I know it's a novella. I still wish it were longer! I wanted to continue reading more and more about them. Jim and Dali work so well together. And they're adorable together! Jim has such a strong presence, and Dali stands out with her humor and smarts. I heard the authors had planned a full length novel for them and unfortunately that idea fell through, which bummed me out! Hopefully we at least get more Jim/Dali novellas because I love their relationship and they are fun to read about. Make sure not to skip out on this story!

Series Review: Magic Burns & Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2) by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: April 1, 2008 / Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I really do believe the series gets better with each book; however, I would like to say that I liked the plot a tiny bit more in Magic Bites than in Magic Burns. I have to admit that things kind of went over my head at some points in this book. I always couldn't keep up with all the goddess and witch talk. I think that may have only been me though, and honestly, it didn't affect how I felt overall about this book (I mean, I gave it 5 stars for a reason!). The thing that no doubt gets better and better in this book? The characters and the relationships!

Kate continues to kick ass. She goes all out! Guns blazing! (Or err...sword blazing?) We learn more about her past, and the dots gradually start connecting.  A new character is introduced called Julie, and I felt she brought out more of Kate's protective side. Kate would definitely make a wonderful mama one day! I can't forget to mention that there's more Curran too! The chemistry between them is intensifying, and it's just a matter of time before their restraint cracks. It's going to be awesome!

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Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3) by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: March 31, 2009  / Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I can't even imagine the kind of research that goes into this series. So far, every book in the series focuses on unique mythology from around the world, and it seems to get more and more complex. It just shows the originality of this series and how dedicated the authors are at making sure they get all the details right.

My most favorite parts in this series are the Kate and Curran scenes. They are intense and hilarious whenever they're around each other. And oh my god! There was this one moment involving a hot tub... It was very very hot! I just can't get enough of their moments, and Curran makes me swoon like crazy. As for the rest of the characters: Jim, Derek, Andrea, Raphael, Dali, etc... They make such a cool and badass team. I love them all! I haven't read a whole lot of urban fantasy, but I'm positive the Kate Daniels series has the best characters out there. None of them frustrate me, and they're all extremely likeable. I wouldn't mind reading stories about every single one of them.

If you love reading urban fantasy and haven't started reading Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, what are you waiting for? You're missing out on some epic books!

Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Pages: 260
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 1, 2007

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…

My Thoughts: I didn't plan on writing a review for this book. All I wanted was to read something NOT for reviewing purposes. I couldn't help it though. I had to write a something, anything! Because I just couldn't stop thinking about the world, the story, and the characters found in this AWESOME series.

Before I started Magic Bites, I heard a lot of readers say that although they love the series to pieces they weren't impressed with this book. I feel like I'm one of the few who loved it right away! And I loved Kate Daniels as soon as I met her too. She's sarcastic and honest and so freaking hilarious! One thing that I completely admire about Kate is her deep compassion. She's willing do whatever it takes to protect people. And even when she's acting all tough and badass, she shows the readers through her thoughts that she's scared and vulnerable on the inside. I love a character who is brave and stands her ground but willing to admit to herself when things are hard and impossible. It makes her easy to sympathize with and very relatable.

Kate's past seemed like a vital aspect of the story. It's the main reason why she chooses to stay alone and not get close to anyone. However, we didn't learn much about her past by the end. Kate may be the main character, but she still has quite a bit of mystery surrounding her. I wasn't put out by it at all, since it's quite obvious we'll learn more in the next books. Plus, I was too busy enjoying everything else!

Something I couldn't wait to happen was the very first meeting between Kate and the Beast Lord Curran. I've heard such good things about Curran and his relationship with Kate. It took a couple of chapters for him to make an appearance, but once he did I was grinning like crazy. The banter between Kate and Curran was so much fun to read about, and he sounded so damn FINE. They definitely shared some chemistry. Even with the handful of scenes he appeared in, he managed to leave an impression with me and especially with Kate. And just like with Kate's past, I knew there would be more of Curran to come in the other books in the series.

Magic Bites was a wonderful and kickass start to the Kate Daniels series! It's set in a fascinating world of the future and filled with such likeable and fun characters. As soon as I finished, I wanted to immediately start book two, Magic Burns. Even if you don't end up loving Magic Bites, don't stop reading the series! The story and the characters continue to get better and better. You don't want to miss out on that!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars