Title: An Ill-Advised Rescue
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #5.8
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Empty.

An Ill Advised Rescue is the Kate Daniels short story, set a few weeks before the events of Magic Rises.
The story begins when Kate receives a phone call from the Guild informing that Saiman has been kidnapped…

I love that Saiman lands himself in some very serious trouble and needs to be rescued. He is an interesting character, and his continual presence in the Kate Daniels series is a good point of literary humour in the writing. Plus, the fact that the big, bad, whatever he is needs rescuing is such an appealing little side story.

An Ill-Advised Rescue perfectly explains and sets up many of the activities in Magic Rises. Saiman’s presence within the tale is key, and this short story perfectly explains it. It’s not necessary to understand what is happening, but it does make more sense in Magic Rises.

I also love Kate’s solo missions and her preclusion to take on daring tasks because it is the right thing to do. Luckily, Derek and Grendel reappear in this story as her faithful and cunning sidekicks. It’s a tough call which one is my favourite, but I think that the idea of attack poodle might just shift the scales into Grendel’s favour.

<- Retribution Clause

Magic Rises ->

Image source: Fantasy Book Clinic