Ilona Andrews – Page 5 – The Obsessive Bookseller

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Burns

Author: Ilona Andrews

Series: Kate Daniels #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare… As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive… -Goodreads

The Review:

After a while, all urban fantasies start to sound alike. Magic Burns was, unfortunately, no exception. Boasting a kickass, gun-toting heroine with unique powers, it was the epitome of typical. It also utilized cultural mythology to create the bad guys, which I suppose is a mite more creative than your typical werewolves and vampires, but still pretty common. So for those reasons, I can’t say I found anything about Magic Bites original…

…But I still really liked it.

Especially compared to Magic Bites (book 1 in the series), with which I had a lot of issues. This writing duo seems to have gotten into their stride with the second novel because all of my issues with the first one were nonexistent here. There was great romantic tension, the storyline felt more structured, and there was a more clear direction. I also laughed more within the first few chapters then I did the entire first book. In fact, I think it cracked me up more often than Harry Dresden, and that’s saying something.

I have to say thanks to all my Goodreads friends who urged me to keep reading because I enjoyed it Magic Burns thoroughly and can’t wait to pick up the next one. I’m now starting to appreciate why Ilona Andrews is considered a staple of the genre, and I have it on good authority that I ain’t seen nothing yet! :-)

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by Niki Hawkes

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Bites

Author: Ilona Andrews

Series: Kate Daniels #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 2.5 stars

The Overview: Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic… One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy…

The Review:

I think I have a “read only the first book of every urban fantasy series you come across” problem, and Magic Bites is just one more victim in a long line of my series ADD. My intention is to continue on in all of them eventually, but unfortunately this one is pretty low on that list.

It started out with such a bang, too: a strong female protagonists who totally handles her shit against an ugly vampire (a small, misshapen creature that had me celebrating a grittier take on supernatural beings). It even had a compelling mystery to get the story started. These attributes remain in place throughout the novel, so it’s fair to say my disappointment comes down to a specific issue: the development of the love story (or lack thereof).

Frankly, for the first half of the book, I wasn’t sure who the love interest was supposed to be, which is just fine with me because the protagonist had a few viable options and I was actually looking forward to seeing how (and if) the sparks would begin to generate. Then, all of a sudden, she was in LOVE with one of them, and I’m over here reeling in my recliner wondering “did I miss something??!” No joke, I flipped back and skimmed the previous few chapters and even checked page numbers to make sure I wasn’t the victim of a misprint. Nope… It really happened that fast.

It’s probably because I’ve tried so many urban fantasies that I’ve come to expect strong relationship development within them, even if it’s not the main focus of the story. I also received oodles of positive feedback on this series from customers and fellow bloggers, so I definitely expected more right from the start.

Going forward, I have high hopes. I mean, people love these authors for a reason, and there were so many other things that showed promise that I’m willing to give it another go eventually… I just want to delve a little deeper into the other handful of series that hits bullseyes on all accounts first.

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