Thursday, August 9, 2012

Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Bites
Series: Kate Daniels #1
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Vampires, Necromancers, Shapeshifters, Mages, Psychic Abilities, Werewolves
Publisher: Ace Books, Penguin Group
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 260 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-441-01489-7
Release Date: March 27, 2007
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4/5

Tagline(s):  Atlanta would be a nice place to live if it weren't for the magic...

Summary: 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…


Review: 

A magical apocalypse has destroyed the technological world we all know so well in Magic Bites. Our once proud technological advancements have been laid waste by the resurgence of Old World magic that now runs wild once again. Skyscrapers are ruinous heaps that are home to magical outlaws, while guns fail to fire and vehicles fail to start. When magic hits, technology doesn't stand a chance.

After learning of her guardian's death, Kate Daniels travels to Atlanta in search of answers. But the questions lead to a building feud between the Pack and the People, and Kate is caught in the middle. Both factions have members mysteriously murdered and they are blaming each other. Pressured by both sides, Kate must figure out who (or what) is behind the killings and what they have to do with her guardian's murder, before war breaks out.

The world of Magic Bites is really intriguing and complex. I mean, there are so many factions and groups that it's hard to keep them straight sometimes. There is the Pack, the People, the Order, the Division, and the Guild just in this first book. I'm not even sure what all of their purposes are, especially the law enforcement factions. But the intricacies of the Pack and the People are really interesting. There is still so much to learn about this world and its people.

I loved the dynamic between Kate and Curran. They both push each others buttons, in good and bad ways. I loved the incident where Kate sent Curran a saucer of milk at a restaurant when she finds him basically spying in her. It was such a hilarious moment, I couldn't stop laughing. And you can definitely feel something simmering between them. We don't see much in Magic Bites, but you just know something is going to happen between them.

Magic Bites was a great introduction to the world and people in the Kate Daniels series. We meet key characters that will show up throughout the series, and I'm sure there's going to be even more about post-magical-apocalyptic Atlanta to learn in future books. This is an exciting start and I can't wait to read the next installment!

About this Author:

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.






Magic Bites was read during the Summer Wrap-Up Read-A-Thon
Magic Bites was read during the Review Copy Cleanup 2.0 Challenge
Review was written during the Sit Down and Write Write-A-Thon

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