Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites
Kate Daniels #1
Author: Ilona Andrews
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace (March 27, 2007)
ISBN-13: 978-0441014897

SUMMARY:

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


One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

After hearing a few other bloggers I know rave about this series, I finally decided to cave and give it a try.  The main reason I was so hesitant in reading this series is because I am not a huge reader of urban fantasy.  I prefer Paranormal Romance over Urban Fantasy because I enjoy the romance over the blood.  With everyone talking about Curran and Kate though, I figured there must be some sort of romance in the story that would make it pleasant for me to read.

What I completely forgot about in Urban Fantasy though is the roughness of the characters for lack of better word.  Kate is strong, but she isn't living a perfect life you find in most stories.  She is a mercenary -- paid to kill things -- and has a serious magical boost in her veins.  This world that you venture into is filled with magic, necromancers, shapechangers and vampires that are completely different than my usual norm of reading.  They are meaner, stronger, and at times grotesque with no hint of sparkle anywhere.

There was a lot of information packed into this book and made it a little too much for a casual reader of this genre.  I enjoyed the character of Kate and her strong will. She was determined to find the person responsible for the death of her guardian.  Curran was a strong leader and was a great opposite for Kate.  They both kept each other in check and didn't put up with the others snippy attitude at times.  Derek was fun, but I wish we could have read about him a little more.

The person I suspected of being the killer was not the correct guess on my part.  I could have sworn it was a possible love interest of Kate's, but the author threw me for a loop and took off in another direction that I wasn't really expecting.  I love how an author can lead you down one path with bread crumbs and then push your theories back in your face with a new path.

While it was not my favorite book,  I will say that this book captured my interest enough to keep me going with the future books.  I am curious to see if Curran and Kate will develop a bigger relationship than just friends.  I am also curious to see what the author can come up with in the next book.  A new Urban Fantasy series to add to my list!

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!