Magic Bites

Once upon a time, technology managed to prevail over magic and our world developed the way it did. Some time in the future, magic is coming back causing all kinds of issues - depending on what takes precedence, either technology (all technology) or magic does not work. So if one wants to be prepared, they need to have the ability to use both.

Kate Daniels is born in that world - with the magic and technology constantly shifting and with the world getting crazier by the day with the constant shifts. She is a mercenary - she is hired to solve problems when paranormal entities or actions are involved and she is very good at her job. She is also a bit of an outsider - she does not want to get close to the authorities because she has her own show more secrets. Until her guardian is killed -- and she needs to find what had happened. Which requires getting involved into what she had spent a lot of time not being involved in.

The story is set in Atlanta, an Atlanta that looks very similar to ours. The way the universe is built allows both our myths and our history to exist into Kate's world - the shift into technology made the myths impossible but once upon a time they were the reality and then our history was the era of technology. Using that as a base means that the series does not need to invent any history or locations - it is a close future to where we are so the locations and the world sounds familiar... mostly.

This first novel was a great introduction both to the universe and the heroine. While investigating, we get to see the factions of the supernatural powers in the city (the vampires controlled by necromancers on one side and the shapeshifters on the other) and because of who her guardian was and what he did for a living, we get a deep look into the conflict between them and the authorities trying to control them. The fact that that this murder seems to be connected to an seemingly escalating chain of other murders gives enough energy to the story to carry the novel despite what could have been too much world building.

And then there is Kate - independent, resourceful, sassy, not exactly what you expect her to be and someone you really want to know (well, maybe not on a bad day). The novel even managed to throw a red herring or 3 - making sure you think you figured out what is going on before pulling the rug out from under your feet and laughing at you for falling for the misdirection.

The bonus story covers some of the same ground as the novel - it is a scene from the novel from the perspective of the other participant - the shapeshifter Lord Curran (who from the looks of it will be Kate's main romantic interest... or at least one of them). It was an interesting way to see the same from someone else's eyes but it probably would work even better if you had not read the same scene in the novel 4 hours earlier.

Overall a good start of the series. Onto the next one. show less

A fantasy novel without the gratuitous sex scenes that bore me, has a kick-ass twenty-something heroine with a bit of experience behind her, and dangerous men all in a world infused with magic? Yes, please!

I came into this book after listening to the sixth installment on Playaway, so I was a little bit jaded, and more than a little pleased!

This book, the first in what is turning out to be an excellent series, has me hooked as Kate, a no-nonsense kind of girl, gets lost in the investigation of the murder of her guardian and tangles with both the leaders of the People - a group of vampires - and the Beasts - shapechangers that assume both human and various animal forms. The story is also complicated by a possible romantic interest in show more the form of a high-class plastic surgeon who finds Kate's rough edges part of her charm. But life on the darker side has left Kate a little cold to a warm touch - or has it?

Already reserved the next book at the library, and ready to pick up where this quick read ended. show less

Mmm, liked female protagonist's characterization. Initially, it seemed like an overdone 'hard-boiled, down-on-their-luck' detective. But that was saved by her shows of encyclopedic knowledge, absolutely appropriate wariness in her seriously fucked up post-apocalyptic world, and knowing when to cut the wise-cracking and level with people. And she just kicked ass and got her ass kicked because she was never afraid to get dirty or hurt.

I also loved the completely unromantic, monstrous descriptions of vampires and werepeople. The narrator has no love for, attraction to, or secret identity as one of these waaaay too over-represented fantasy/paranormal denizens. Speaking of, liked the meld of history and mythology, and the motley collection show more of fantastical creatures and beings. show less

If you're an Urban Fantasy fan and you don't already own this book, buy it now. It's everything the first book in an Urban Fantasy series should be and more.

This is not one of those "Maybe the second book will be better" novels where you sense that the author is finding their way and you feel like you're in episode one, season one of a show that SyFy may take off the air. This is a book that feels like it starts in the middle of something complex with a thought through back-story and a clear sense of direction.

Kate Daniels, the kick-ass, leather-clad, sword-wielding, does-not-play-well-with-others, heroine who has a problem with authority, is saved from being a cliché by an awareness of how much of her own image is for show; a very show more human experience of fear and an acknowledgement that bravado such as making first contact with the feared were-cat leader of the shape-shifters by saying "Here kitty kitty..." while it may be witty, is also stupid and counter-productive.

I was excited by the possibilities of the future world that Ilona Andrews imagines, where magic literally bites. Waves of magic wash across the world, eroding technology with the relentless energy of a tide undermining a cliff-face, then ebbing and letting technology stand proud for a while. This creates a hybrid environment where people swap between using technology or magic to take care of business as routinely as if they were moving from gas to electricity to cook with.

In this context, Ilona Andrews re-invents vampires to be revenants piloted by necromancers and has shape-shifters enabled by a virus that can sweep away their humanity unless they live by a code of discipline.

There is a bad guy. A REALLY, stomach-churningly-awful bad guy. There are murders and abductions and political rivalry between powerful supernatural factions. There are fights and then more fights. Fights were you can taste the sweat and smell the blood and feel the fear.

There is, of course, unresolved sexual tension between our heroine and the uber-alpha male. Perhaps more interestingly there is a lack of sexual tension between Kate and a nice guy who, in any normal world, might be a future husband. These two experiences combine to show Kate as more than a smart-mouthed bravo with healthy physical appetites. She is someone who has a secret to hide. Someone with integrity to protect. Someone who is only slowly realizing that she is more alone than she would choose to be. In other words, she is someone ripe for change. What more could you ask for in a heroine?

The only thing I would change about this book is the cover art. I'm glad I was listening to this as an audiobook. This is not a cover I'd want to be seen with in public. The design looks like it was slapped together by someone using a Simcity avatar for Kate and an Aslan rip-off for Curran. Kate has the wrong colouring, her sword is the wrong shape, and the lion looks less dangerous than the average house cat. This kind of sloppiness is insulting to the author and to the readers.

I'm kicking myself for being eight years late discovering this series. The upside is that there are six more books in print, waiting to fill my imagination with strong characters working through conflicts and challenges in this complex future world show less

I've heard a bit about the Kate Daniels novels here and there and they have been on my 'to read' list for a while now. I really wasn't looking to start yet another series though because I have so much trouble keeping up with the ones I am already reading. Then I read the short story A Questionable Client in the anthology Dark and Stormy Knights and I knew I had to start reading this series.

Kate is a great main character. She is tough yet realizes her own vulnerability. She has a smart mouth which gets her into more trouble than it gets her out of. Her sense of humor is dark and twisted which fits perfectly with the tone of the story. There are many things about Kate that are hidden and we are given small clues throughout the book to a show more larger story. I'm really looking forward to learning more about Kate in future books because there seems to be so much more to discover.

The story is intense and moves quickly. Kate must navigate so much unfamiliar territory in this book and I could feel how unsettled this made her. Andrews uses great descriptive passages but does not waste words going on excessively. There are few moments to stop and ponder the larger meaning of events because something is always happening. This keeps Kate off balance throughout the entire book as just when she thinks she has things figured out something changes and the questions become more than they seemed at first glance.

Another thing that I loved about this book is that the vampires are really creepy. They are not human in any way and they most definitely do not sparkle. The were-creatures have some humanity to them since they do have a human form but they are still presented in a darker way than in many books today. The darkness of the monsters seemed more real than some of the lighter versions we've been seeing in books recently.

I am really looking forward to continuing with this series and seeing what happens to Kate next. show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
0🌶

* Note: I was feeling a tad loquacious while writing this so be ready for a ramble *

Kate Daniels is a merc living in an Atlanta of the future where magical tides rise and fall, wiping out all technical function. Monsters are the norm in this new world order and sometimes you just need to carry a sword.

We meet Kate after her guardian is murdered and she takes on the case. She crosses paths with the Pack of (animal) shapeshifters, the People (a deadly mix of necromancers and their controlled vampires), and the Order (a peace keeping force of sorts, highly skilled in magic and sworn to a code of their own. Kate's late guardian was a member). This is definitely the world building book for the series, so we show more meet a lot of characters (there's a helpful who's who in the back of the book) while learning a lot of details about the chaos of the magic x tech system.

As a start, the overall premise intrigues me and made me want to read the next book. We have a mystery to solve and a lot of twists on the road to solve it. Unfortunately that road includes a lot of bloodshed, so if you're not a fan of blood, gore, or fights, this one won't be for you. There is a rawness to this world that is both very intriguing and at times off-putting. Where a lot of modern fantasy romanticizes vampires and werewolves and the like, this is a darker take. There are necromancers and vampires who are mindless killing machines and beings willing to gut someone else without a second thought.

This is a gritty urban fantasy that feels like a darker, bloodier, magical version of Veronica Mars if she had a penchant for swords instead of tasers. Kate is not a perfect character. She is flawed and deeply human, and has a lot of secrets that we are not privy to yet. She's the type to keep herself apart or sacrifice herself instead of getting close to people because it's more dangerous for them. She has layers that make a reader want to learn more about her: her origins, her motivations, her endless supply of sass.

Add in an interesting (if deadly) set of friends and enemies and this looks to be an interesting series.

I don't know quite how to describe it, but the world being built in this series is one I'm not sure yet if I want to visit for a whole series. It is a dark one with seemingly very few patches of light, and those patches are elusive for someone like Kate. She may be human, but she exists in a world of shadows and monsters. Magic is so often described as wonderful and well... magical. But in this world, even the magic is inherently destructive and dangerous. It tears apart entire buildings and re-creates landscapes. It's as dark world, but sometimes the most interesting things live in the shadows. It's a world that makes you want to peer deeper, even if it means leaving the light behind while you do.

I'll give the authors this, while this wasn't a "5-star, I loved it for giving me the warm and fuzzies" read, it did something harder. It made me think and question the truths we are slowly learning about this world and it's characters. It's a challenge worth continuing, let's see what book 2 has in store.

Novellas to read after this:
- Curran's POVs in Small Magics: Unicorn Lane & Fernando's
- Prequel: A Questionable Client (Found in both Small Magics & at the end of the updated version of the Magic Bites ebook, how Kate met Saiman) show less

The first time I read this I didn't get why there were so many rave reviews. I mean it seemed pretty average. The world building was cool and Kate seemed alright but a bit standoffish. The romance between Kate and Crest was mediocre - it seemed like she didn't like him at all and it felt forced and awkward. The romance between Curran wasn't any better. It didn't make sense why he followed her home while he was on his date. I liked Derek and Ghastek was creepy. There was lots of snappy, witty dialogue and I had a few laughs - but I was just confused. It was good but it wasn't great.

Yeah - read the rest of the series. It gets SO MUCH BETTER. Kate stops being standoffish and starts letting people in. Derek becomes a total badass. Ghastek show more - well he's still pretty creepy. But also funny and kind and sweet when he wants to be. And Curran - I love him now. He is an absolute ass in this first book. But I forgot. He becomes everything you want in a love interest.

So do yourself a favour. Keep reading.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. show less