Liviania’s review of Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5) by Ilona Andrews
Urban Fantasy published by Ace 31 May 11

Magic Bleeds is an almost perfect urban fantasy novel, so husband and wife team Ilona Andrews have a lot to live up to in Magic Slays.  But while Magic Slays falls short of its predecessor, it’s certainly not a step backward for the series.

Kate Daniels and Curran the Beast Lord are truly together.  Much of Kate’s past and connection to the mysterious Roland have been revealed.  Where do you go from there?  Survey says: her mother.  Kate’s mom has been a bit of a nonentity in the past, just a woman who died and barely managed to save her child.  Magic Slays casts what both we and Kate know in a different light.

Kate and Curran, meanwhile, are figuring out how they work as parents.  Kate’s foster daughter Julie is coming home.  At the same time, she’s now recognized as the female Alpha for Atlanta and expected to help keep the youngsters and other troublemakers in line.  In particular, Aunt B asks her to reform Arsenio, a werehyena teen who keeps having sex in public.  (Aunt B steals every scene she’s in, as always.)  Kate’s also expected to learn shapeshifter law and hear petitions.  It’s not a development she’s thrilled with.

She also gets a real case for Cutting Edge investigations when she learns a loose vampire is coming her way.  It’s not only the vampires who are running amok – werecreatures are going rogue as well.  It’s all orchestrated by a secret conspiracy.  Despite culminating in a huge, multi-species battle, it amounts to little.  Neither the world nor the characters are changed. Magic Slays is just a speed bump in the trajectory of the series.  The Lighthouse Keepers are fine as one-off villains, but it’s hard to forget that they have nothing to do with Big Bad Roland.

Plus, much of the emotion directed toward the villains feels false after the conclusion.  Pretty much, this is one of two books I’ve read recently with one serious, small flaw.  In this case, it’s Kate’s powers being a bit too super special.  She promises to never use her ability in that way again, but we’ll see.

Andrews’ worldbuilding continues to be excellent.  Kate’s new business is not an immediate success because her completion is more established and her reputation isn’t spotless.  The Lighthouse Keeper’s motivation makes sense given the changes in society caused when magic came to Atlanta.  There’s little new to explore in the alternate Atlanta, but it’s still important for things to remain consistent.

Little quibble aside, Magic Slays is fast-paced and fierce.  It’s less romantic than previous books, but I don’t feel that establishing the relationship damaged the chemistry between Kate and Curran.  Kate’s confrontation with her father is coming ever closer and until then she has a city to keep safe.  Unfortunately, we have to wait until 2013 for the next Kate Daniels adventure.

Grade: B

Summary:

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 Knights 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 may pay the ultimate price…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s Quick Quack Reviews of one science fiction romance and three urban fantasy novels by Cameron Haley, Ilona Andrews, Katherine Allred, and Phaedra Weldon.

Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle, Book 1) by Cameron Haley
Urban fantasy published by Luna 1 Sep 10

I love the world Cameron Haley sets up in Mob Rules. Her sorcerers are LA gang members who get power boosts from graffiti. Domino Riley, an enforcer for Shanar Rashan, is investigating a murder. Riley soon realizes that there’s something odd about Jamal’s murder when she has trouble summoning his spirit. It also means that her outfit is going to war with Papa Danwe’s outfit.

There’s a strong cast of background characters, especially the piskie Honey. The romance with Adan is nice, but ultimately a non-starter. I’m excited for the next Underworld Cycle novel. Riley’s smart and tough and Haley’s worldbuilding is off to a good start.

Grade: B+

Summary:

As LA plunges into an occult gang war, mob sorceress Domino Riley must unravel a conspiracy that reaches beyond the magic-soaked mean streets into a world of myth and legend.

Domino investigates the ritual execution of a mob associate, a graffiti magician named Jamal. The kid isn’t just dead, he’s been squeezed — the killer stole his magical power or “juice.” Domino summons Jamal’s shade, and the ghost points to Adan Rashan as his killer. This is tricky, because Adan is the favored son of Domino’s boss, Shanar Rashan, a six-thousand-year-old Sumerian wizard. It’s even trickier because only a mobbed-up sorcerer could have squeezed Jamal and Adan isn’t a sorcerer.

As the corpses pile up, Domino must confront the killer and unmask an otherworldly kingpin with designs on her gang’s magic-rich turf.

MOB RULES is an urban fantasy novel of murder and magic, betrayal and redemption set in the supernatural underworld of Los Angeles.

Read an excerpt here.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews
Urban fantasy published by Ace 25 May 10

I am extremely happy I finally read Ilona Andrews’ works. I read Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, and Magic Bleeds in quick succession. Thus, my memories are somewhat blended together. (I may also spoil parts of the previous novels.) Even with that handicap, I am convinced that Magic Bleeds is a highlight. Quite a bit is revealed about Kate’s mysterious past due to her adversary. Kate’s confrontation with her father is probably going to come soon, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

In addition, Curran and Kate’s relationship is progressing nicely. In fact, Kate’s willing to fight to stay with him. Kate’s becoming more connected to her community in a variety of ways and it makes her a stronger person. I can see why this series is so hyped, and I must say that it’s living up to all the nice things people say.

Grade: A

Summary:
Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

And now there’s a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Close Contact (Alien Affairs, Book 2) by Katherine Allred
Science fiction romance published by Harper Voyager 8 Jun 10

Science fiction romances aren’t that common, so I was somewhat excited by this one. Echo Adams is a Genetically Engineered Person with psi abilities. Now, instead of planning parties, she’s attempting to steal back a stolen crystal on a far-off planet and falling in love with the commander of the king’s army. But there’s something strange about Reynard and his fellow Madreans.

I found this one a little disappointing. I prefer hard SF to soft SF, and all the psi abilities being used might as well be magic. Echo and Reynard’s romance worked fine, but wasn’t overly memorable. The book is, however, better than the cover would lead you to believe.

Grade: B-

Summary:

GEPs just want to have fun . . .

A Genetically Engineered Person and self-proclaimed “party girl,” Echo Adams loves her diplomatic job entertaining alien bigwigs for the Galactic Federation. But the Bureau of Alien Affairs has discovered she’s much more than she thinks—that a rogue scientist endowed her with skills and psi abilities dwarfing those of common GEPs. And suddenly Echo’s luxury life is over, replaced with a far more dangerous one: a special agent expected to not only chase bad guys but eliminate them.

Echo hates being stuck on Madrea—a planet of technophobes off limits to Federation visitors—hunting for a stolen quartz crystal with a powerful alien life form embedded inside. She despises the Bureau’s restrictive rules—especially the one warning her away from the dangerously seductive commander of the king’s army. And if she doesn’t learn how to use her alleged super-psi powers soon, her partying days—in fact all of her days—will be over for good.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Revenant (Zoë Martinique Investigations, Book 4) by Phaedra Weldon
Urban fantasy published by Ace 1 Jun 10

Revenant is the fourth Zoë Martinique Investigation novel and an excellent example of why I like to start series from the beginning. The novel begins with a brief explanation of Zoë’s past. By the third page I was completely lost. She used a number of abbreviations and the timeline was quite confusing, plus it’s a totally made up system of magic. I may give Revenant another change if I can first read one of the earlier books. I’m not sure about the prose, however. It had a strong rhythm, with lots of staccato sentences. It seems like it would be jarring to read a full work written in Zoë’s voice.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

The smart, sassy, single, and “highly original” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs) Zoë Martinique is back- and she’s seeking clues on the other side…

Zoë Martinique’s life hasn’t been ordinary for quite awhile. First she developed the ability to travel outside her body at will-where she encountered some seriously weird things. Things that left her with powers that she didn’t really want or need. Still, a person can get used to almost anything- even being a Wraith. Though more often than not, it plays serious havoc with her love life.

But for once, Zoë is glad of her abilities. Bodies are showing up all over Atlanta, drained of blood. They’re beings from another astral plane, called Revenants-and they’re being stalked by her old enemy, the Phantasm. The Revenants are hardly the nicest of creatures-but to preserve the cosmic balance, Zoë will need to put everything on the line to save them…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
Fantasy romance released by Ace 28 Sep 10

Ever wonder where the term “redneck” comes from?  In Texas, it has a very different meaning than in other parts of the country. No matter where you live, though, being called a redneck is not usually a compliment.

The authors of this book call it “redneck romance” – I call it a unique and captivating story.  No hint of redneckery involved.  Read on to see why…

“Ilona Andrews” is the husband/wife writing team of Ilona and Andrew Gordon.  I’d like to think that this combination of male and female perspectives is what makes the characters so rich and complex.  No matter the reason, the result is a book full of people you know, believe in, and want to spend time with.

The “redneck” or rustic overtone is not buck teeth, “aw shucks” type.  It’s used as an important story element, lending a sense of impoverishment and an edge of desperation to the characters and their actions.  It helps explain a lot of what happens in this very dense story.

And a lot happens in Bayou Moon – lots of very well thought out fight scenes, lots of fun dialogue, and good quality time spent in the heads of the hero and heroine.  It’s a well told story of some very interesting characters in a very believable alternate reality.  It was easy to read it and forget where I was for a while (literally startled out of the “book trance” a couple of times).

I can’t say enough good things about the way the hero was written.  William is a damaged, lonely man yearning for some softness in his life.  Then he meets a woman who is anything but soft – they don’t even like each other for much of the beginning of the book.  But the heroine, Cerise,  manages to bring to William that sense of family and belonging he craves.  You will have more fun being in his head than any other character in the book.

The world and the plot is delightfully complex.  It’s been a while since I’ve read such a believable alternate reality.  It’s easy to think “this could really be true” when reading it – nothing dragged me out of the story with a “wtf?” feeling.  I stayed fully engaged in the book until something or someone startled me out of it.  LOVE that.

The romance is believable and so wonderful when it finally happens.  I was really cheering for the couple by the time they got together.  However, I would have a difficult time classifying this strictly as a “romance” – there’s so much more to the story than the simple “boy meets girl” plot line.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good paranormal/fantasy book.  I didn’t read the first book and didn’t feel lost in this one.  You will enjoy the time spent in William and Cerise’s world. You may even feel like you should wash the swamp mud off your feet as you read it.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Walmart and magic is a fairytale–and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
Urban fantasy released by Ace 29 Sept 2009

You can barely take two steps in the urban fantasy pond before hearing a recommendation for Ilona Andrews (the penname of the eponymous Andrews and her husband Gordon). I recently managed to pick up the first two books in each of her series, Kate Daniels and the Edge, for cheap. (UBS are gold for trying out an author. Of course, once you get the cheap hit you’re stuck buying full price as soon as the next one comes out because you’ve been salivating for it.) I don’t think I’ll review Magic Bites since it’s been around for awhile, but here are my thoughts on On the Edge.

Andrews’s website states that people had trouble classifying On the Edge. I think this is because the general term for fantasy in a modern setting is “urban fantasy.” But the Edgers are not urban people. They live on the fringes of two civilizations, lawless, surviving through sheer grit. This is rural fantasy.

The Edge lies between the Broken (the fictional version of our world) and the Weird (typical fantasyland). Most people in the Broken and the Weird don’t know it exists. The Edgers have minor magic and can travel into either. Rose Drayton lives in the Edge but works as a cleaner in the Broken, the only job she can get as an illegal. But she needs to work, because she has two young brothers at home.

Rose is a fabulous heroine. Andrews could’ve easily turned her into the family martyr, but she isn’t. She thinks she’s given up her dreams to care for Georgie and Jack, but she’s really just put them on hold. (And she’s not doing it for no reason. She’s working hard to give Georgie and Jack the life their parents failed to give her.) Declan brings those hopes to the fore when he shows up determined to marry her. He’s a blueblood from the Weird and exactly what she’s been trying to escape. But she can’t help enjoying his company as they fight a threat to the Edge together. (Mostly, the threat serves to bring the characters together, which is perfectly fine. But the villain is a bit of a boring, doing it for the evil, insane sort of villain.)

Declan can be pompous, but he adjusts fairly well to the social rules of the Edge. The development of the Edge is where Andrews really shines. Andrews did well in creating a poor community where everyone survives by limiting retaliation (considering many Edgers have short tempers) and being willing to work as allies, despite past animosities, when the situation calls from it. There’s quite a bit of worldbuilding in addition to the plot and romance.

As more and more first books of a series end with sequel bait, I like that On the Edge is a self-contained adventure. I thought it was a standalone until I looked it up online, to be honest. I did hope it wasn’t, because William still needs a happy ending. (He has a tragic backstory. Total woobie. I can never resist a woobie.) On the Edge (and Magic Bites) definitely showed me why Andrews’s star is on the rise.

Grade: B+

Summary:

The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale.

The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.

Read excerpts here.

Sandy M’s review of Must Love Hellhounds by Andrews, Brook, Harris, and Singh
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Berkley Trade 1 Sep 09

I don’t read anthologies very often, but once in a while they’re a nice change of pace. I figured I’d love this one because after reading Lori Devoti’s hellhounds series, I fell in love with these evil but lovable dogs. I have to say that I was more disappointed than happy with the majority of the novellas in this anthology. I’ve only read one out of the four authors, Nalini Singh, and she is the standout of the group. The other three don’t even come close to her stellar story.

Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews

I do have the Magic series in my TBR pile, just waiting for me to get to it. The first part of this story didn’t do much to make me want to move the series higher in the pile, but that changed with the second half. Raphael, a werehyena, is full of charm but is as lethal as any other paranormal creature when pushed. He’s been in love with Andrea for quite a while, though she doesn’t know it. They grew up together, he’s like a brother to her, or so he thinks. Andrea’s just trying to get along in the world while keeping her inner self a secret. She doesn’t want to lose the life she’s mapped out so far just because of a little cross breeding in her background.

Trying to locate Raphael’s stepfather’s shade/soul when it’s stolen after his death, they start their investigation and eventually come upon a house guarded by a huge, very ugly and evil hellhound who takes his guard-dog duties seriously. The action during their journey is hair-raising, especially when battling with said hellhound. They come across a variety of different paranormal creatures that helps their trek along and keeps the story interesting. And their eventual tryst is quite steamy, and Raphael’s confession to Andrea is a highlight of the whole thing.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Kate is on medical leave and Andrea is sitting in her office. Everything is going well, until a giant hell dog escapes the Underworld and Raphael, the smoking-hot and very persistent werehyena, asks Andrea to help him track down…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Blind Spot by Meljean Brook

This is my second favorite story of the anthology. Ms. Brook gives a reader something different and that makes reading it so much more fun. What I found most interesting and different is the fact that Geoffrey is blind due to an ancient curse that has tainted his family blood — but he can see through other people’s eyes. I perked up even more when that little tidbit came along. Maggie works for Geoff’s uncle, a very old and dangerous vampire, and has been sent to help rescue Geoff’s sister who has been taken hostage for some unknown reason. With her is Sir Pup, a fun-loving but also dangerous hellhound. He plays guide dog and guard dog with equal aplomb.

I really enjoy Ms. Brook’s writing, her characters are perfect, and she gives a story that moves at just the right pace and with twists and turns where you least expect them. I will be moving this series to the top of the TBR pile.

Grade: B+

Summary:

The job was simple: find her boss’s niece, bring her home safely, and hand out a whole lot of pain to whoever had abducted her. But Maggie hadn’t counted on her boss’s nephew, the hellhound who loved to make her life difficult, or her own past rearing its complicated and ugly head.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

The Britlingens Go to Hell by Charlaine Harris

This novella is the disappointment of the bunch. Simply, I was bored the entire way. The idea of the Britlingen Collective is interesting, but this story just didn’t live up to the potential. Two of the Collective’s warriors, Clovache and Batanya, are chosen to  head to hell with a client who needs something found there. So all we get is the danger they go through as they journey through the halls of hell toward their end goal, all of which is not that interesting; a client who is not upfront with them, thus leaving them in more danger; slugs leaving slime on the ground; and at this point I don’t even remember the hellhound involved. And only a slight hint at romance.

Not a very good introduction for a reader who has a good majority of Ms. Harris’ books in the TBR mountain.

Grade: D-

Summary:

A pair of warriors, Clovache and Batanya, take on the task of safeguarding a thief, not realizing they’d be going to Hell in pursuit of Lucifer’s favorite toy and along the way, encounter some very interesting travelers.

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Angels’ Judgment by Nalini Singh

I have yet to read the first book in this series, Angel’s Blood, but after reading this novella I’m now salivating to get to it.  That doesn’t surprise me one bit. I should have known I’d love this story just because it’s Nalini Singh.

Sara is being considered to take over as Guild Director who reports to the Cadre of Ten, archangels who rule the world. She enjoys her current job as a vampire hunter, returning rogues to their masters. But she knows Simon, the current director, is weary after so many years and wishes to retire. She’s on one last mission before she has to make her decision.

Hunting down the villain killing vampires is that mission, and Simon sends Deacon, The Slayer, along to help but also to protect Sara if need be, because he knows the archangels will test her. As they work together, an attraction between them grows, and with Deacon’s secretiveness and sexiness, I can certainly see why. Their fling, which Sara believes is all they can have – how can she date such a dangerous and secretive man once she becomes director? – is hot and steamy and the best parts of the story. I didn’t care about the hellhound – which is owned by one of the suspects in the killings – I just wanted more of these two together.

Now that I have some of the background of the series down, it’s time to start Angel’s Blood. And I know I will like it just as much.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Vampire trackers Sara and Deacon must discover who is murdering vampires; one suspect owns a hellhound…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Overall Grade: B