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Book Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

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.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

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Top Ten Authors I’ve Read The Most Books From!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Well, this post is embarrassingly late. I blame over ambition… And a horrifying eye strain issue that kept me from reading, writing, and essentially functioning for three days. :/ In any case, I initially tried to narrow my list down to ten authors, but felt guilty for every one I had to knock off. Long story short, enjoy ALL THE AUTHORS I’ve read the most books from (my favorites, anyway).

Top Ten Fifteen Authors I’ve Read The Most Books From!

1. Richelle Mead

I’ve read everything she’s published and for the longest time have considered her my favorite author. Thank goodness she’s so prolific!

2. R.A. Salvatore

I love this series and think the author is great at sparking a sense of adventure and excitement. Even though Salvatore made the list, I still have several non-Drizzt books on my shelves waiting to be read.

3. Brandon Sanderson

So many amazing stories – it’s difficult to believe they all came from one mind. I have not read a single Sanderson that got lower than 4 stars – in fact, most of them were solid 5s!

4. Kim Harrison/Dawn Cook

I actually read Kim Harrison first as Dawn Cook then got really bummed when four or five years went by where she didn’t publish anything new… Imagine my delight when I discovered her Rachel Morgan series (which is now my favorite urban fantasy series)!

5. Glenda Larke

I love Glenda Larke with a passion, so much so that I was even willing to pay astronomical shipping to buy her Mirage series from overseas. Her world building is phenomenal and her stories are unforgettable – I recommend all of them!

6. Raymond E. Feist

This is the author/series that really ignited my love of fantasy. I’ve been slowly making my way through all the books, savoring each one as I go, for the last fifteen years and am finally getting close to having read them all.

7. Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs is such a cool author – she’s made a huge fan out of me with her Mercy Thompson series, and I have also thoroughly enjoyed her fantasy novels (although I admit I still have a few of those to read). I like her. :-)

8. Daniel Abraham

Daniel Abraham is an author who does not get enough credit for his vast array of works (although, some of that might be due to his many pen names). Regardless, I’ve read most of his works and appreciate all of them.

9. Julie E. Czerneda

Czerneda is my favorite science fiction author, and I have to thank Luis Royo for putting them on my radar with his gorgeous cover art. I am super excited for This Gulf of Time and Stars coming out within the next couple of months!

10. Robin Hobb

It is so difficult for me to declare which author is my all-time favorite, but with every new book by Robin Hobb, that decision becomes easier and easier. She is a remarkable author, and her books stay with me years after I’ve read them.

11. Brian Jacques

I didn’t start taking reading seriously until my eleventh year, when I came across The Outcast of Redwall in my middle school library and decided I wanted to get good enough at reading to tackle a novel of that size. It was a major revelation in my life, and I have enjoyed each of these books countless times throughout the years.

12. Ann Aguirre

Aguirre might not be my favorite author, but she sure as hell makes my top five. I have completely enjoyed everything I’ve read by her and am impressed that she can brilliantly write stories from so many different genres.

13. Jacqueline Carey

I love this series with a passion and have not even made my way through all of them, but only because I take several weeks to savor each one. I am super eager to read her new urban fantasy series, but I’m equally terrified to run out of Carey books to read.

14. Keri Arthur

As many books as I’ve read from this fantastic urban fantasy author, I still have about double that amount before I’ve read everything she’s published. I like her newer stuff better than the older, and her Riley Jensen series is still among my all-time favorites.

15. Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

This was arguably one of the earliest series that I read to completion (not counting all of the spinoff novels, although I did read a bunch of those as well). I think these are an excellent introduction to the realm of fantasy and recommend it often to young readers wanting to tackle the genre without getting into anything too heavy.


I love all of the authors on this list, and would like to pay an honorable mention to Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mindy McGinnis, Rae Carson, Rachel Aaron, and Melissa Landers. All of these authors would have made the list if they’d had more books out – I completely devour anything new that gets published! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my really long, really late list!

What authors have you read the most books from?

by Niki Hawkes

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Top Ten Books on My Summer 2015 TBR

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

These seasonal TBR TTTs have always been my favorites to compose, as figuring which books to read next is one of my favorite pastimes (nerd-alert). That’s why I started a monthly feature called Tackling the TBR, where I prioritize which authors I most eager to read on a monthly basis. Because I’ve been so good at reading the best books first lately, coming up with titles for this list took a little more effort than normal – a sign that tells me I’m doing a good job reaching my goals. I didn’t include many titles from my most recent Tackling the TBR post because I’m hoping to have most, if not all of them read before the end of the month. Here are the other books I am most excited to read this summer:

Top Ten Books on My Summer 2015 TBR

Rachel Aaron and Rachel Bach are the same person, and I absolutely cannot get enough of her – she’s at the top of my list. I included a couple of ARCs, but most of the others are series continuations that I am eager to read (Jacqueline Carey being at the top of that list).

What awesome books made your list? Do we have any in common?

by Niki Hawkes

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Stacking the Shelves – May 2014 Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tinga’s Reviews

May was a humble months of purchasing over here at The Obsesses Bookseller, though that wasn’t due to any concerted effort on my part, haha. You see, I did stick to my personal Read 4, Buy 1 challenge, but there is this footnote in the challenge contract which indicates that all book buying bans go out the window if I find any “killer deals.” Therefore, I ordered about 16 bargain hardcovers online and would be showcasing them… had they not gotten lost’s in delivery (just my luck). The company says they’ll replace them but, until then, this meager (although pretty) pile of acquisitions will have to do!

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 Thank you @FierceReads for hosting the contest for ARCs of Hungry by Swain – I’m super jazzed to read this one!

 All in all, it’s a pretty sharp collection of books – I have already read a couple of them and will be picking up The Burning Sky next.

 That’s it for me this month! Did any of you bring home anything exciting? I’m dying to see some of the hauls from BEA…

by Niki Hawkes

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Top Ten Books My Friends Recommended!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today’s TTT was supposed to be Top Ten Books About Friendship and I have to admit I found the topic a bit… underwhelming. So instead I decided to showcase the absolute perfect recommendations my friends have given me over the years. A good friend knows exactly what kind of books you like to read, and mine haven’t let me down yet! Without further ado:

Top Ten Books My Friends Recommended!

 Some of the books above are among my all-time favorites and I am totally grateful my friends knew my tastes in reading well enough to single them out for me. There’s a chance I may not have picked them up so quickly otherwise, or worse, I may not of discovered them all… that’s a horrifying thought.

Anyway, what great recommends have your friends given you?

by Niki Hawkes

Your Pick for Nik! – November Nominations!

Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Depicted below are my 10 nominees* for November. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! At 10:00 pm (MST) on Tuesday the 6th, I will announce the winner. Come the end of the month, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen title – and may the best book win!

November’s Nominations:

Title: Drowning City

Author: Amanda Downum

Overview: Symir — the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government. For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers — even the dead are plotting. As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.

Title: The Last Dragonlord

Author: Joanne Bertin

Overview: Dragonlord Linden Rathan, last-born of a race of immortal weredragons, has spent six hundred years alone, searching for his soultwin while his fellow Dragonlords watch over humanity’s Five Kingdoms. When the Queen of Cassori dies mysteriously, Linden and the other Dragonlords are called upon to prevent civil war as two human claimants vie for the regency. As the battle for Cassori rule escalates, Linden becomes the target of the Fellowship, a secret society of true-humans who could actually destroy his immortal life. Then he meets a beautiful young ship captain named Maurynna who may be the only one who can help Linden bring Cassori back from the brink of chaos.

Title: Tinker

Author: Wen Spencer

Overview: Inventor, girl genius Tinker lives in a near-future Pittsburgh which now exists mostly in the land of the elves. She runs her salvage business, pays her taxes, and tries to keep the local ambient level of magic down with gadgets of her own design. When a pack of wargs chase an Elven noble into her scrap yard, life as she knows it takes a serious detour. Tinker finds herself taking on the Elven court, the NSA, the Elven Interdimensional Agency, technology smugglers and a college-minded Xenobiologist as she tries to stay focused on what’s really important – her first date. Armed with an intelligence the size of a planet, steel-toed boots, and a junkyard dog attitude, Tinker is ready to kick butt to get her first kiss.

Title: Disappearing Nightly

Author: Laura Resnick

Overview: When mysterious mystical disappearances disrupt her career, struggling actress Esther Diamond teams up with Maximillian Zadok, an eccentric elderly wizard whose day job is protecting the Big Apple from Evil. Meanwhile, the sexy NYPD detective investigating the disappearances fears that Esther and Max may be a bigger problem than the vanishing performers.

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Overview: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

Title: Aurian

Author: Maggie Furey

Overview: To the city of Nexis, where Magefolk rule uneasily over a race of mortals, a young girl named Aurian comes to learn the magic arts. Her dormant powers are coveted by the corrupt Archmage, who intends to possess her. When she rejects him for a mortal, the enraged Archmage plans his revenge.

Title: Spider’s Bite

Author: Jennifer Estep

Overview: After Gin’s family was murdered by a Fire elemental when she was thirteen, she lived on the streets and eventually became an assassin to survive. Now, Gin is given an assignment by her handler to rub out an Ashland businessman, but it turns out to be a trap. After Gin’s handler is brutally murdered, she teams up with the sexy detective investigating the case to figure out who double-crossed her and why. Only one thing is for sure —Gin has no qualms about killing her way to the top of the conspiracy.

Title: Reap the Wind

Author: Julie E. Czerneda

Overview: This prequel to The Trade Pact Universe series begins in a time before the Clan had learned how to manipulate the M’hir to travel between worlds. Aliens have begun to explore the world of Cersi, upsetting the delicate balance between the Clan and the two other powerful races who coexist by set rules. And one young woman is on the verge of finding the forbidden secret of the M’hir? a discovery that could prove the salvation or ruin of her entire species.

Title: Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Overview: The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Title: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglass Adams

Overview: The story of a British earthling plucked from his planet, and his subsequent adventures elsewhere in the universe

*Overviews taken from BN.com