Book Review: Kate Daniels series (Book 1-4) by Ilona Andrews

The last post of the day, since I have to go to bed now. I have to wake up early for work tomorrow. It's about Kate Daniels series!

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Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1)

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, 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…

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Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

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Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3)

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…

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Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4)

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…

       So, this is the story of Kate Daniels, a paranormal mercenary, who lost her guardian. She wanted to know who killed him and in the same time she kept a big secret from the world. A secret that could shake its core of existence. In doing so, she needed help from someone in the paranormal world. Someone who had knowledge about the underground world, someone who had influence and power. Someone who is the leader of all alpha pack. The Lord of the Beasts. 

        First of all, I love the world building, the mysteries and the complexities of each character in this book. There are so many layers and varieties of characters and their driven intention. For once, they sounded like real people with their own motivation. 

        Next is Kate. Wow. She just rocks. She is independent, driven, smart and not a Mary Sue at all. Most of the times, she surprised me with her own determination to solve cases (when she was not being a hard-headed about it). I love her and the Andrews couple really know how to create a badass heroine (the same could be said about Nevada Taylor from the Hidden Legacy series).

        Last but not least, the slow burning romance. I have to admit, I am an avid romance reader and romance books are my specialty especially about adult steamy romance. I have to admit though that I am not a fan of slow burning one, but I make an exception to those stories who needs it, like this one. Or any of Mariana Zapata books. I approve those. So, despite being super frustrated at the slow progression of their relationship, it takes more time on their character development. And I still love it. Did I say that already?

        All in all, you have to read this book. Just try it. Illona Andrews never disappoint me so far. After you done, read the anthology Curran's POV written by Gordon Andrews, the husband. They are the best couple writers ever (next to Alexa Riley of course). 

         Anyhow, that is all time I have. Will talk to you later. Bye.

L.