Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) | Ilona Andrews | Taking a Bite out of Urban Fantasy!

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) | Ilona Andrews | Love a Good Urban Warp

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Magic Bites (Kate ...

	Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) Ilona Andrews Ace, 2007 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 127 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Taking a Bite out of Urban Fantasy!

I've read a lot of urban fantasy. Especially the kind with the tougher than nails women in cities full of vamps and werewolves . . . and this seemed like another one of the same. I was pleasantly surprised to find it's not. Oh it's got a tough female lead--Kate Daniels is a merc dealing with all sorts of paranormal nasties and not afraid to get her hands dirty. And it's got vampires, and werewolves, but Ilona Andrews takes a fresh look at these paranormals and provides some excellent worldbuilding to make them, and the city all of them live in, into something fresh and fascinating.

Kate Daniels is a merc for hire, and her specialty is all the bad and weirdling things that come out during the waves of magic that regularly swamp the city. Magic doesn't work all the time, but neither does technology, and her urban world is in the process of adjusting to a mixture of both to survive. It's not an easy fit between tech and magic in the city of Atlanta, nor is it always easy for the paranormal communities to adjust. But someone is out murdering vampires and weres, bent on breaking the uneasy peace that exists between them. When Kate's old mentor is murdered in pursuit of the killers she puts herself in the middle of the investigation, determined to bring the murderer to justice. But solving the mystery and getting that justice means dealing with vampires (who are not at all attractive or sexy), and weres (who might be sexy if they could just get over the power games) and quite likely getting herself killed. It's all in a day's work for Kate.

This was a lot of fun to read. Kate is tough stuff--even if she's not always the toughest thing around. She's got a colorful and secretive past that we're given glimpses of, but not given the whole story on. Unlike some other paranormal and urban fantasy series, Kate's story is less heavy on romance and more focused on the thrilling and sometimes gory fantasy noir. There is some romance in the story, but no real sexual exploits, so someone looking for a paranormal romance with a steamy sex scene or two may be disappointed. That said, I prefer my urban fantasy to be action-based rather than romance-based. And this definitely fits the bill. The author dives right into the world setting she's created, but the audience can follow right along without too much trouble. New concepts are explained without lengthy exposition but just enough detail to give them life in the story.

Ms. Andrews has a vivid imagination that has allowed for some impressive world-building, especially in a genre that's become so glutted with similar themes and story lines. For anyone who reads urban fantasy, the elements won't be unfamiliar, but the author uses them in a fresh and enjoyable way to tell a story that was unpredictable and satisfying. Her main characters are likable, especially Kate herself. I found myself wishing there were more than one sequel out already, but I've devoured Magic Burns with similar gusto.

A reader who enjoys the paranormal urban fantasy set up by Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and early Laurel K. Hamilton might enjoy taking a stroll through a paranormal Atlanta. The book is a fast read and should leave you satisfied, but looking forward to more! Those who enjoy this should check out Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews and Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

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Love a Good Urban Warp

Some things are just to fun to read and I am always looking for a new author. Rather new to the urban fantasy genre and repelled by the vamp worshippers...I have had a great deal of fun since discovering Butcher's Harry Dresden. Kate is a great female protagonist with all the pungent humor and wit as well as great imaginings for her world so necessary to absorb me.
Heartily recommend it!

Enjoyable First Book

I tend to like this style of KATEGORIE|/book" class="textlinks">book. It reminded me of the Dresden Files with a harder tilt to fantasy. The Heroine is tough, has power, has secrets and is willing to sacrifice for what is right. The bad guys are powerful and interesting. I will definitely continue to follow this series and recommend it to Dresden fans.

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Angieville: MAGIC BITES

I tossed MAGIC BITES into my last Amazon order, mostly because of the Patricia Briggs quotes on both front and back covers as well as several positive blog reviews I'd read. One of the most fascinating things about this KATEGORIE|/book" class="textlinks">book is that the author's name, Ilona Andrews, is actually a combination of Ilona and Andrew Gordon's first names. They are the husband and wife team who create the Kate Daniels books. That is to say, together they come up with the characters and plot, then Ilona writes the book, and finally the two of them wrangle over editing/general clean-up. Awesome, no?

I have to say what I liked best about this first book is the crazy, psychedelic Atlanta it takes place in. This alternate city is saturated in daily waves of magic that doggedly eat away at any signs of civilization and/or technology. The city's skyscrapers are no more than dwindling piles of granite and steel. Magic and technology are basically anathema in this world and the inhabitants of Atlanta live a sort of refugee-type half life. Having adapted to the dark surges when the electricity and cars stop working and people take to horse-drawn carriages and camp stoves. During these times the supernatural rules and mere humans get by. It reminded me vaguely of the gritty, post apocalyptic world Robin McKinley created in Sunshine. The vampires share a few common characteristics as well, their extremely gruesome appearance being at the top of the list. It's nice to see someone else bucking the current beautiful and seductive trend. Not that I have anything against your run-of-the-mill sparkly vampire. It's just fun to see the ubercreepy version as well.

The reader is dropped into Kate Daniels' life without a by-your-leave. Being the somewhat cantankerous reader that I am, I like it when a book challenges me to keep up, grabs me by the throat, shakes me once, and says, "Immerse yourself or be left in the dust!" In this world where humans exist side by side with creatures straight out of mythology and nightmare, it was a treat to attempt to navigate it without having everything spoon fed to me. I like Kate. She does share some characteristics with Briggs' Mercy Thompson. She has a sense of humor and she ruthlessly guards her independence. Kate's a bit rougher around the edges than Mercy. She's had a rough past, undoubtedly, but one of the strokes of genius in this series is that the reader doesn't know what Kate is. We know she's something. But we don't know what. And Kate is determined not to tell anyone. Not even the reader. Oh, we'll find out eventually. But I'm all tingly with the mystery of Kate and her powers.

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