Title: Magic Gifts
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #5.4
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: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: “Why the secrecy?”

Dinner date after a hard workday should be heavenly. Of course, dates between the Beast Lord and Kate Daniels don’t always go as planned. Undead run amok, heads are chopped off, lawyers are deployed with extreme prejudice, and drunk vikings call people out.

Magic Gifts is a cute little aside that occurs while Andrea is running around town in Gunmetal Magic. It also helps to fill in some of the gaps to the interactions between Andrea and Kate. I love the way that Andrews is able to fill in the backstory to Håkon and why Curran was so terrified of Kate’s return.

Kate and Curran’s attempts at functioning like any other couple is kind of adorable. They are too volatile and prone to attracting danger in any shape or form. It is so sweet that they try though. Magic Gifts also highlights the love between the two characters – they both try to protect and care for each other, regardless of the outcome. But they also will do anything to protect those that are weaker and innocent, such as children.

Curran has a more than slightly insane protective streak. Sure, it comes from a nice place, but it’s kind of patronising. Kate, however, completely ignores this and does what she wants anyway. The ability to take into account someone else’s feelings, but act of your own accord is something that I greatly admire.

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Slays
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: And none of the gods from the Norse pantheon were strongly associated with ants.

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name. Plus, many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. But it turns out that this is not an isolated incident. Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—and fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price…

Kate has slowly developed and changed throughout the Kate Daniels series, but it is in Magic Slays that this change is most obvious. At the beginning of the series she is prickly and difficult, and has no close people in her life. However, as she slowly lets people in, these walls dissolve around her. Andrews does this so naturally that it is easy to picture this character evolution, and this great character development was so gradual that it is difficult to pinpoint an exact moment in which this change occurred.

Part of this evolution comes in the form of Curran and Kate’s relationship. I love that although they are committed, the parameters of the bond are still being negotiated. Kate refuses to lose herself within his life and role, but, as in all relationships, a compromise must be reached. Their unique brand of sarcastic quips and stubborn refusal to meekly submit left me giggling out loud (not the best thing to do when you are sitting on the bus).

Kate also thaws a little in her relationship with Julie – although she has taken care of and showed her love for her ward throughout the other books, the lengths she is prepared to go to to save her are remarkable. I’m not ashamed to say that my heart skipped a beat, and my eyes leaked a little when I read how far she would go to save part of her small family.

Magic Slays, other than beautifully investigating Kate’s evolution throughout the series, also delves into the idea of ‘them vs. us’. The danger of having such a mentality in its ability to be turned against others (and leads to acts of atrocious inhumanity) is beautifully highlighted in the attempted slaying that takes part throughout the story. I loved the gentle way in which Andrews highlighted this issue, without completely ruining the storyline.

Image source:The Book Smugglers

Title: Magic Bleeds
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2010
5th entence, 74th pages: “I’ll heal, you won’t.”

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. 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.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially, as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family…

Finishing this book left me with an incredibly warm, fuzzy feeling. The storyline was beautiful and so many questions that I had from the previous books were finally answered, much to my relief. The underlying storyline throughout the series continues, but it moves forward and there is a whole new battle in the future. One that I, personally, can’t wait to sink my teeth into!

The slow leaking of information about Kate’s biological parentage, and the ways in which she was raised, is amazingly tantalizing and enthralling. Finding out more about such a fascinating and in depth back story has been thoroughly enjoyable throughout the first three books. The gradual leaking of information, whilst enjoyable, was starting to irritate me. Andrews’ revealing of Kate’s father and aunt was performed at a perfect time within the storyline – the revelation was amazing and I was still surprised at the reveal.

Kate’s aunt is also a fascinating insight into what Daniels can become if her future path takes her away from everyone and everything that she loves. I liked this contrast between characters and the foreshadowing of Kate’s potential future. Luckily, she chooses not to fall down this path, but it is a constant shadow looming over her decisions and an insightful way in which to explore the different paths that a character can choose.

Curran and Kate’s relationship further develops in this story. I love that although the attraction between the two is palpable, Daniels continues to fight it tooth and nail. Neither one is a simpering fool in love and unable to function without the other, they accept each other, flaws and all. To me, this is truly symbolic of a healthy partnership.

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Strikes
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Have you ever seen him sunburned?

When magic strikes and Atlanta goes to pieces, it’s a job for Kate Daniels…

Drafted to work for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems these days than she knows what to do with. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games—an invitation-only, no-holds-barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament—she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…

Magic Strikes finally lets us discover more about Kate’s unique and dangerous heritage. Something that has been niggling at me since I first started reading this series. Andrews is brilliant in slowly teasing out this information – each book reveals a new insight into her life before the series and provides an insight into her character and creation. Aside from the main plot line, this makes me want to continue reading the series.

Kate is finally letting people into her life and world, cracks are starting to appear in the veneer of her personal armour. Although I love the way in which she is able to stand on her own two feet and doesn’t require any romantic or social entanglement to feel whole, it is nice to see her finally reaching out for the companionship of another. Not only is her willingness to form relationships (and her struggle to go against Voron’s upbringing) endearing to the character, it also expands the cast of this story. This expansion is wonderful, and brings in so many more literary individuals that I have completely fallen in love with.

The extension of Kate letting people into her life is that Curran starts to truly pursue her. The rules of this are incredibly unique and weird, and left me giggling throughout the story. Although Kate is sorely tempted to pursue this relationship, she still continues to hold off. Not only due to her own issues, but also in an attempt to maintain her own identity and autonomy within the world. I loved that although she was tempted, she didn’t just fall out the man’s (lion’s) feet – as with everything that Daniels seems to do, there was a fight and warring attitudes within her own subconscious and she didn’t just fall for a pretty face. Such a refreshing courtship story, and one that I look forward to investigating further in the next book!

Image source: Ilona Andrews