Title: Magic Steals
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #6.5
In: Night Shift (Nalini Singh)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Don’t you faint.
Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau may be a powerful healer and magic user, but she’s far from what might be called “normal”. She dislikes the violence and bloodshed that are a way of life for most of her kind, even going so far as to become a vegetarian. The last thing she wants is trouble…
Jim Shrapshire is an original, hardcore badass. A jaguar shifter, he’s been tasked with keeping Atlanta’s Cat Clan in line, which he does with swift and lethal force when necessary. His only soft spot is for the petite Dali, whose kindness he calls upon when he is injured.
When Dali is approached by a desperate woman whose grandmother has vanished, Jim is concerned enough to help investigate. But what they find may just be the end of them—an enemy whose skill in the dark arts is matched only by their willingness to kill anyone in their way…
Revisiting Dali and Jim is always a pleasure, and this novella was no different. Dali and Jim’s relationship is so much more subtle than the other relationships in the Kate Daniels series, but no more passionate. Dali’s strikingly different attitude and outlook on life is so refreshing, and I am really hoping that more of her stories will be told as the series continues.
Dali’s tales explore a different aspect of magic, shapeshifter life and mythology than the other books. Dali’s position as a purveyor of good within the East Asian (specifically Indonesian) community is further explored. This is so different from the usual positioning of the shapeshifters within this dystopian society, and I love the juxtaposition between Dali’s two identities. And the way that she eventually realises that she can use both aspects of her life in her partnership and leadership with Jim.
Earth and Skye 
3 thoughts on “Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews”