Review: Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

Wooohooo, a review! Perhaps not the most original book to review at this time, but hey, it's a start! Hopefully, there'll be more in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy!!

PS - Spent a very boring week-end. Nothing to really blab about :P You?


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
published by Berkley (Ace) in August 2015

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book #8

The Story: I was going to skip this part, because I tend to be lengthy and most of the time, I'm just re-wording the blurb ^_^; However, this blurb is pretty good at being vague and saying nothing relevant about the story. Then again, it's proof that most of us will pick up the book regardless, simply because of 4 words: Kate, Daniels, Ilona & Andrews LOL.

Here goes... Magic Shifts opens up with Kate, Curran and Julie settling in their new life, new neighborhood. Since Curran stepped down from being the Beast Lord, there is a three months period for the separation to be done. That means all of Curran's investments and money will be separated from the Pack, anyone from the Pack wanting to join Curran and Kate will have to settle their affairs as well, etc. It also means that during this period, Curran and Kate cannot go to the Keep, cannot involve themselves in Pack business and cannot try to convince people to follow them. While Curran doesn't miss being the Beast Lord, he misses making things function... and let just say business at Cutting Edge is not enough to keep him busy.

Then, someone from the Pack goes missing and Kate and Curran are solicited for help as the clan Alpha isn't deploying all the efforts for a search and rescue due to personal reasons. Hordes of ghouls are appearing, reanimative metamorphosis occurs... and of course, it's all connected. But how? And is it an attack against Kate because she claimed Atlanta or more personal?

My Opinion: Let's start with a disclaimer. I read Magic Shifts in one seating which usually is a good indicator of how good a book is. At the same time though, I stayed up way past my bedtime, which means I was pretty tired when I got to the conclusion of the book... and I wonder if it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. Perhaps I should have stopped and gotten some rest instead of powering through it. However, what's done is done and here is how I feel about this book.

Overall, I enjoyed and liked Magic Shifts... but it wasn't my favorite book in the series. This is book #8 and at this point, we all know what to expect from a new installment - lots of action, lots of sarcasm and a good mystery involving some magical element or deity. And that's what we got... but I felt like Magic Shifts lacked some of the intensity that made Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays winners for me. Don't get me wrong, there were some great action, but in comparison to previous books, the action sequences were short... and it screwed up the pacing of the story. With a Kate Daniels book, we're used to fast-pacing, but there were a lot of down times in Magic Shifts. In other words, Magic Shifts was a transition book and it felt like it. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy seeing Kate and Curran playing house, adapting to their new normal - because I did - but it came at a cost and that cost was the action and the mystery.

I thought the mystery in Magic Shifts wasn't as complex as in previous books. I never felt that Kate and her entourage were truly threatened. Perhaps it's because the menace Kate has faced in the past couple of books was more personal and this one wasn't really connected to her. Also, I have to say, I was pretty disappointed at how the whole thing unfolded in the end. The answers came too easily, just falling into Kate's laps.

I did have a few LOL moments as usual. I just love Kate's humor :) And I'm giving two thumbs up to Ms Andrews for the secondary characters because she limited their appearances, but also kept them true to themselves. What I mean is no matter how much us, fans, love and gush about certain secondary characters, Ms Andrews doesn't make them more lovable to please us... and that takes guts in my opinion. And I'm not going to lie, I wished we'd have seen more of everyone, but this book was pretty focused on Kate and Curran and that was the right choice, given it's about their new beginning. Also, the ending was very interesting, opening up new directions :)

My Grade: It's going to be a B for me. There are always high expectations for a new Kate Daniels book and Magic Shifts just fell short a bit by lacking of ompf. Still, I'm really excited for the next book and can't wait to see where Ms Andrews takes us :)

Slipped Through the Cracks Review: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

A review, yay! LOL, I'm looking forward to a time when I won't be celebrating every time I put up a review anymore ^_^; Hopefully, that time will come soon :)

As you can see from the title of the post, I'm trying a new feature. I realized that because of my blogging blues, I didn't review a lot of books from my favorite series and authors, books that I really wanted to review. So I'm going to try to play catch up a little bit. I'm still trying to think up of a fun format, so it's different from my usual reviews... if you have any suggestion, feel free! For now though, here's what I came up with :)


Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews
published by Berkley (Ace) in July 2013

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book #6

If you didn't know yet...

... panacea is a herbal mixture produced by European shapeshifters that can reduce chances of loupism          at birth and reverse midtransformation in 1/3 of teenagers, thus saving Pack children.

... the Pack is offered panacea if Curran is willing to arbitrate a dispute between three European packs. Basically, Desandra is the daughter of a powerful Alpha who used her as a pawn and married her to two different men of different packs. She is currently pregnant with twins from different fathers - her husband and ex-husband. Desandra's father has once promised a profitable mountain pass to his first grandchild, but now wants to renegade on the deal. Curran's job is to protect Desandra's life and witness the birth of the firstborn. Things get interesting and complicated when one of the babies appear to be more than just a wolf shapeshifter.

... knowing it's a trap, Curran and Kate still agree to go because 1) they need the panacea and 2) ever since the events of Magic Strikes and Magic Bleeds, Kate has tipped her hand and thus, revealed her true identity to some. As such, it wouldn't hurt to take a leave of absence from Atlanta for a while. Going with them are 11 other shapeshifters and Saiman who is providing transportation.

... the person Kate wanted to avoid most by leaving Atlanta was Hugh. Of course, that won't be happening as he turns out to be their host.

... and conflict arises between the Beast Lord and his Consort as both are being courted: Curran by the daughter of an Alaskan pack Alpha and Kate, Hugh.

My Two Cents...

When I picked up Magic Rises, I really had high expectations. First, because the series has been going strong for me ever since Magic Strikes and second, the two-year gap between Magic Slays and Magic Rises. And while I did enjoy Magic Rises a lot... it wasn't the wowzer I wanted it to be :(

I thought the setting and premise of the book were really interesting, especially since it promised everything I enjoy in this series: good storyline, lots of action and politics with the bonus of seeing more of the world Ms Andrews has created. I really liked the idea of getting away from Atlanta as it added a wave of freshness to the series. It was also fun to see how Curran and Kate handled themselves, knowing they were walking in a trap... Hugh being their host was such a good twist too! LOL. Not only because it was ironic since he was the person Kate wanted to avoid, but it showed that no matter how prepared you are, you can't be ready for everything :) His presence also offered some balance in the storyline in the sense that it turned out not to be only a shapeshifter matter, but involved Kate more in the storyline. The political aspect of Magic Rises was also really well-executed. I always find the Pack's politics interesting because it's quite unique. To me, it has a different kind of intricacy because the shapeshifter world Ms Andrews has created involves more savagery. So to see this on a larger scale was interesting :) The whole mythology aspect of the story also worked for me. It just fit and added a layer of complexity to the storyline :) Oh and as usual, the action was top-notched :)

Few things that worked, but didn't  at the same time for me. Overall, I thought the pacing of Magic Rises was good... but in the last third of the book, it got a bit uneven. Personally, I thought the reprieve Curran and Kate got was a bit weird. I know it served a purpose, several actually, but the transitioning was off and that part of the story simply seemed to not fit and be a bit illogical. I mean, Kate disappears and the only person going after her is Curran? And when she shows up with Curran,  nobody seems to have been concerned? Also, the final scene for me was rushed. I don't know if there was another way out, but everything escalated too fast. By the way, what happened to the other packs? Did they all die? Finally, there was Chris, the new, utlra-intriguing character that Kate has taken under her wing. I liked that in Magic Rises, there were some casualties and ones that we, as fans of the series, feel deeply. It's never easy when it happens and I understand that we don't want those losses to be for nothing... but it was too convenient to have Chris save the day. Again, was there another option?

While I had some issues, most of them were minor and I could have ignored them easily. What really knocked down my enjoyment of Magic Rises though was the whole conflict between Curran and Kate involving Lorelei. Curran justifies it, but to me, it doesn't fly. I really hated that part of the storyline because I felt it was sooo unnecessary. Although I admit it did fit Curran's high-handedness - to take on the problem on his own without consulting Kate - the resulting behavior was annoying and I really despised it. To me, it was a blatant display of lack of trust :( Also, Kate has been working so hard to fit, to be Pack and he undermined everything. Sure, the shapeshipfters were all close friends to Kate, but still unacceptable with me. Apparently, Mr. Andrews is going to write Curran's POV of this Lorelei episode and all I feel is meh. I think the worst as well was that Kate couldn't have a showdown with Lorelei and be vindicated.

Final Say... B. All in all, I did enjoy Magic Rises; however, the expectations were soooo high  ^_^; Add in the relationship issue between Curran and Kate, and I feel Magic Rises fell a bit flat.

Review: Kate Daniels series novellas

See, this is my kind of laziness. I was looking at my Monthly Reads post and decided that instead of doing mini-impression, it would be quicker to put these three reads in a review. Wrong!! It sure wasn't faster, but in the end I'm happy with the results LOL. How can I have so much to say about novellas though, that baffles me :P

Nothing much going on with me. I've decided to re-read Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher... and am slowly getting ready for Ames' arrival. I'm really looking forward to the two days off at the end of the week!! Yay!! Now I'm off to review more books from August... Enjoy this post!


Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews

published by Berkley in August 2011

Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau finds herself in deep waters when she must challenge a dark being to a battle of wits or risk losing the man for whom she secretly longs.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels series, Book #4.5

The Story: Dali Harimau is a petite Indonesian woman who wears coke-bottle glasses and can shapeshift into a vegetarian white tiger. She is very smart, but not physically strong and therefore feels cuddled by the Beast Lord and her Alpha's rules. While Dali might stretch the limits of these rules, she is always ready to help the Pack. When Jim comes to Dali for her expertise on South Asian magic, she quickly realizes that something is wrong with her Alpha. After poking around, Dali finds out that Jim is being possessed by a Japanese spider demon and said demon is draining Jim from his life energy. Dali is determined to save Jim's life... even if it means putting her own at risk.

My Opinion: I loved Magic Dreams. Simply loved it :) When I picked up the anthology, I had no idea that Dali was the narrator of this Kate Daniels series installment... but when I found out, SQUEEEE!!! I loved Dali from the first when she was introduced in Magic Strikes. She's just so quirky LOL. I mean, seriously, did you ever hear of a vegetarian tiger that get sick at the sight of blood? Also, she has attitude in spades. Being able to stand up to Curran and Jim is no small accomplishment. So yeah, it just made my day to read a story from her POV and to see her romance with Jim unfolds :)

I always thought the strengths of the Kate Daniels series were 1) the characters, 2) the plots and 3) the touch of humor. Well Ms Andrews reinforced this belief for me with Magic Dreams. I enjoyed reading about Dali and Jim, finding out more about their personalities. They are secondary characters that definitively had potential to be expanded and it was great of Ms Andrews to do so. I also loved reading about Jim and Dali's feelings for each other. It's been hinted that Jim had feelings for Dali in Magic Bleeds and I was curious about it. In Magic Dreams, it's more from Dali's perspectives, but it's good to see that she reciprocated his feelings :) Still, you can see how much Dali matters to Jim... I mean, he learned her dialect! That was really cute. So overall, I was very happy with the romance :)

I think that Ms Andrews did a great job at balancing everything in this novella: the characters, the romance and the storyline. The storyline was both interesting and complex. I thought that was really important, so it kept with the spirit of the series. It also fit Dali's background really well, which made it even better. Then, there were the touches of humor :) It's great when you're reading a story and just laugh out loud because of those :)

My only issue with this novella was Dali's voice. I simply think that it is not very distinct from Kate. What keeps them separate is Dali's Asian background and her strength being different from Kate, but otherwise... I think it's partly due to both women being snarky and thinking the same way, plus how the story is actually constructed. But really, this is a very small complaint and perhaps if we had a full-length novel with Dali as a heroine, it wouldn't be a problem at all ;)

My Grade: A. Magic Dreams is one of the best novellas I've read. Of course, if it was a possibility, I would have loved for Magic Dreams to be longer, would have loved to read more of Dali and Jim... However, as a novella, it is well-written, complete and a great read :) I hope we'll get to see them more as a couple in the future books :)


Curran POV vol. 1 by Gordon Andrews
published by Ilona Andrews in July 2010

This isn't a short story or a novella. This is a collection of scenes written by Gordon Andrews as a companion to our Kate Daniels series of books. These scenes illustrate the point of view of Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta and are provided in gratitude to our readers for all of their support. This collection isn't meant to stand on its own as an independent work of fiction.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels series

My Opinion: As described in the blurb, Curran POV is a collection of scenes from the Kate Daniels series written from Curran's POV. These scenes are a couple of pages each and are definitively not meant to be read as a stand-alone. However, fans of the Kate Daniels series will definitively enjoy them :) I know, I did.

I think these scenes give us a better insight at Curran, a better idea of who is Curran, which is a good thing considering that all we've read in the Kate Daniels series have come from Kate's POV. I don't think that Kate's view of Curran is romanticized and actually, he has told her many times what to expect from... but still, I don't think I really believed it till I read some of his thoughts and actions. After reading Curran POV, I find Curran more ruthless and domineering than ever. Perhaps subconsciously, I was the one romanticizing his character.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Curran POV. Whatever is found in this collection doesn't alter the events that has taken place... but it was fun to read these scenes from Curran's POV. To know his thoughts, his feelings and his reactions to some of the things that happened. I especially enjoyed his impressions of Kate when they first met and my favorite scene is when he is feeding soup to Kate in Magic Burns :)  Therefore a big thank you Mr Andrews has taken the time to write these little snippets and that he shared it with us :)

My Grade: B.


Fathers and Sons by Gordon Andrews

published by Ilona Andrews in May 2011

Infuriated by Kate's treatment at the hands of the Pack, the Beast Lord demands an explanation. When words fail, claws and fangs must do the talking.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels series, Book #4.25/Curran POV, Book #2

The Story: Fathers and Sons takes place just after Magic Bleeds. Curran wakes up from his coma and is none to happy to hear that his mate had had to face 22 challenges in the past two weeks. He is especially angry at Mahon, his adoptive father and Alpha of Clan Heavy, because with his support, Mahon could have prevented the situation... However, Mahon has never approved of Kate as the potential consort... and thus, father and son battle it out.

My Opinion: Another very short story, but fun to read :) I think this is the short story that really made me realized how ruthless Curran is. How he expects to be obeyed... and in a way, his selfishness. Once again, nothing new here. We already knew and Curran had already told Kate... but still, to see proof of it makes it more real.

I like this short story because it really solidifies Kate and Curran bond. The fact that Curran would "retire" his adoptive father if necessary for Kate to rule along side with him. I also enjoyed the politics of the Pack. LOL, lots of frienemies :) And despite the shortness of the story, it still got my heart to beat loudly for one or two seconds :)

My Grade: B+.

Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Ugh, sorry, I've been scarce!! Work is killing me, sigh :( My boss' demands, the changes of plans, planning for Men's Day, doing my own experiments while supervising summer students. It's been crazy and I've been cranky and whiny as a result ^_^;  By the way, let me tell you, 5 people in such a small room is too much!

So yeah, had a really bad week and I'm so happy that it's the week-end!! Hopefully, this week-end, I'll be able to do some more planning for RWA! And reading! Ahhhh, that's a nice life :)

What about everyone's else? Any plans this week-end?


Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

published by Berkley in May 2011

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...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book #5

The Story: Okay, so the blurb has it all wrong!! In Magic Slays, Kate is getting used to her status as Curran's mate, i.e. Lady Beast, Alpha, Consort, etc., as well as owner of Cutting Edge. Unfortunately, after the events of Magic Bleeds, her ex-boss at the Order made sure that Kate's reputation was in tatters... and as a result, she hasn't had any business. Therefore, when the Red Guard comes to her for help, Kate and her new employee - Andrea whose shifter identity was revealed - jump on the case... even though the details are sketchy. The Red Guard was entrusted with the protection of an inventor, but said inventor along with his project disappeared, leaving a body behind. Kate knows there's much more behind all this, but she's not getting more information from the Red Guard... and let's face it, beggars can't be choosers.

And as predicted, Kate and Andrea soon find out they've stumbled over something big and dangerous... possibly even worst than Kate's aunt, Erra - Erra was only after Kate while this, it could eradicate Atlanta. And also in Kate's true fashion, while investigating, she still has to take care of mundane details such as shapeshifter's politics, her ward running away from school once again and being entrusted with a sex-up teenage bouda. Always fun times ahead with Kate :P

My Opinion: I'm still trying to figure out whether the back blurb being so wrong was a good thing or a bad thing LOL. When I first read the blurb and thought the book was about vampires, I pretty much discarded Magic Slays from my mind. Oh, I was going to buy it, but meh, wasn't that interested, because well vampires in this world building are a bit boring ^_^; However, Magic Slays turned out into something else entirely and I really ended up enjoying it. So the blurb lowered my expectations and as a result, I was really pleasantly surprised :) Guess it was a good thing then :)

I think that once again, Ms Andrews did a fantastic job with the story. It was interesting and engaging; perhaps not full of action as the previous book, but still had a decent amount in it :) Also, I like how she incorporates so many threads in her books, pretty much seamlessly! There is so much happening that it's mind-boggling, but I never feel overwhelmed. Instead, everything meshes well together, balances each other out and makes for a superior quality read. My only real complaint about Magic Slays is that LOL, it was too short. The book is quite thin, especially in comparison to Magic Bleeds. Although everything was wrapped by the end, I just wanted to read more about Kate and her friends :P Seriously, a year is too long!!

While the storylines are good, what really makes this series is the characters. Kate's sarcasm and cynicism is just hilarious, seriously :) Add in Andrea, Curran and company and there's definitively fun times ahead :) There were many LOL moments for me while reading Magic Slays, and what I like the most is that it's not in-your-face comedic relief. It's just snappy banters that makes you smile... true comedy I guess :P And it's those moments, little things really, that really balance out those action-filled, life threatening instances... For some reasons, I just love the following snippet LOL.

The phone did work and Teddy Jo answered on the second ring. I had once read that every day offered a new lesson. The lesson for today, among other things, seemed to be that bargaining with the Greek angel of death should be avoided by any means, because it cost you an arm and a leg.
"Seven thousand," Teddy Jo's gruff voice announced over the phone.
"Four."
"Six five."
"Four."
"Kate, the thing cost me five grand. I've got to make a profit."
"First, it's used."
"Now look here," Teddy Jo growled. "It's not a Cadillac. It's a body freezer. The value doesn't drop because you drive it off the lot."

I'm also really enjoying the relationships in the Kate Daniels series. Kate started off pretty lonely, but she now has friends, a mate and a ward. I really like the friendship between Kate and Andrea, there's an understanding between them... something that Kate cannot get from Curran.

Speaking of relationships, I was a bit sad with the direction Ms Andrews took regarding Kate's relationship with her stepfather, Voron :( Theoretically, it makes sense really... However, emotionally, I feel like Kate. It's just sad that the one memory she really cherishes, the one constant  from her childhood had to be taken away from her :( On the other hand, I was quite happy for her to discover some kin and really, they're hilarious as well. I hope they play a bigger role in the future!

Finally, Curran. It's so fun to see Kate knee-deep in shapeshifter's politics :) One thing that's sure, Kate is a very quick-thinker! LOL. I'm enjoying the relationship between Curran and Kate, although they didn't have as much interactions as I thought they would. I think though, that was a good decision from Ms Andrews... not to overload the readers, make us cherish it more :) I'm also happy it's not all pink and perfect between Kate and Curran - as Kate still has a lot of doubts and is not used to loving someone so much. Furthermore, I like that Ms Andrews addressed the issues of Kate's identity - the fact that Curran knew before she told him. It just made sense to me and it was a niggle that I had... I mean, with all he's seen Kate accomplish, to not have at least some doubts just didn't make sense to me given his position, his powers. Know your enemy... and Roland is definitively an enemy.

All and all, I was very happy with Magic Slays :) It was a pleasure to re-visit Kate and Curran. I was happy that we saw a bit more of Derek, but disappointed that there was so little of Raphael, Jim and Dali... Although from what I hear, Andrea might get a spin-off book which means Raphael should feature prominently and we can find Jim and Dali in Magic Dreams, a novella part of the anthology Hexed.

My Grade: A-. I don't know if it's because I had low expectations of Magic Slays, but it turned out to be a great book that I enjoyed immensely. Looking forward to the next book, hopefully, it will involve Hugh d'Ambray :)

Review: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

LOL, I'm going to spare you all another rant about how I wanted to blog during the week-end and how lazy I was :P And my room is still in a pitiful state ^_^; Although at least this week-end, I did stuff LOL. Went outside and enjoyed the sun :) Guess what I discovered? There's this tiny shop near my house - really tiny - that has this poster of gelato outside... and I've been meaning to stop by for quite a while now, but just never really took time to do so... The gelato was great, but even better... They make French macaroons! These things are really good and very colorful :) So I warned the owners - they'll be seeing a lot of me :P

By the way, I'm thinking of doing a weekly post about my book purchase? What do you think? LOL, Hauling Sunday... Nice ring to it, right? Problem is, I haven't bought books last week ^_^; although I still have my haul from two week-ends ago that I've been meaning to share with you all, but haven't...

Oh and best of all, I've been reading, but I mean, really reading :) It's been a while I haven't read like this. Maybe I'm going to break the 20 books cap this month... but maybe I just jinxed myself LOL. We'll see :) I was teasing Ames last week, that she was the reading machine... but I think the reading machine mojo has gotten me :)

Now, if I could become a review machine, that'd be great LOL. Seriously, there's just sooo many books I want to review, but none are really calling to me... Luckily for me, for Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews, I had Tabitha which made things much easier :) At the moment, Tabitha is my reading twin :D So check out what the reading twins though of Magic Bleeds over at Breezing Through by simply clicking here :)

Enjoy! :)


Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
published by Berkley (Ace) in May 2010

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.

Review: Must Love Hellhounds - anthology

Awwww, long week-end is almost over and tomorrow is back to work... which wouldn't be so bad, but it's also my boss' return to work from vacation. That means we're going to get really busy :( I just don't feel ready for it ^_^;

I hope it was a great week-end for everyone. It was for me, it seems I had time to do everything I wanted: caught up on blogging, spent time with my friends, read some books, cleaned my room (just a little, still not done ^_^;) and watched a lot of tennis. The US Open is really interesting this year, especially on the women's side... LOL. I'm definitively rooting for Kim Clijsters, such a great return!! I'll also be rooting for Flavia Pennetta tomorrow. Although I don't really like her, I acknowledged that Serena Williams is a great player... but we need someone else to win the US Open. Come on. On the man side, I hope Andy Murray makes it. Lleyton Hewitt was playing well, just too bad he had to meet Federer so soon :( I hope he's going to rest and come back strong next year.

Anyway, let's get to to the review :) I know many wanted to know what I thought of it...


Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook
published by Berkley in September 2009

In these hound-eat-hound worlds, anything goes. and everything bites.

Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer's realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets, in Charlaine Harris's The Britlingens Go to Hell. Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of non- lethal vampire trackers, one that intends to eradicate the entire species of bloodsuckers, in Nalini Singh's Angels' Judgment. Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world - and whose scent he's following - in Ilona Andrews's Magic Mourns. Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind - and damn sexy - companion and a hellhound in Meljean Brook's Blind Spot.

These four novellas by today's hottest paranormal authors will have hellhound lovers everywhere howling.

Genre: paranormal romance/urban fantasy


I don't read Ms Charlaine Harris work, therefore I won't be commenting on her story.


Angel's Judgment by Nalini Singh

Series: Guild Hunter, book #-1(?)

The Story: Angel's Judgment takes place before Angel's Blood and is basically Sara Haziz, Elena best friend, story - how Sara met her husband and how she became the director of the Guild Hunter. Basically, Sara is ideal candidate to be the next director and Simon - the previous director, and the Cadre of Ten (the Archangels) are waiting for her to accept the position.

In the meantime, Sara's next mission is a bit unusual. Instead of retrieving a vampire, she's supposed to investigate on a Hunter who has gone rogue. Joining her is Deacon the Slayer, aka the Guild Hunter's enforcer. However, he has another mission - protect the next director from any test the Cadre of Ten would like to give her...

My Opinion: Surprisingly, I enjoyed Angel's Judgment much more than I did Angel's Blood. I don't know if it was the characters or the storyline... Perhaps I felt that there was less world building, as a result the focus was more on the storyline and it made it simpler. Anyway, I liked it, I thought it was a solid novella. The characters were well developed and the story was interesting.

I really liked Sara and Deacon, they very interesting characters and they had a lot of chemistry together. They also work well together and have good chemistry. I'm glad that Sara didn't take offense at Deacon's presence - protecting her. There wasn't any fight about who is more Alpha or in charge. I also really liked the ending, I think it worked out very well and both took some good decisions. They didn't let obstacles cripple their relationship, made them more than they are.

The storyline was also very good in my opinion. Basically, they had three suspects as the rogue and there was some twists. I really liked it. The only complaint I might have is that the "hellhound" wasn't very present in this one.

My Grade: B+. After this short story, I'm ready to give Ms Singh Guild Hunter series another try.


Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews

Series: Kate Daniels, book #4

The Story: The novella is told from Andrea's POV, which is a nice change. Magic Mourns takes place after the events of Magic Strikes and Kate is still recovering from her injuries. As a result, Andrea is covering for her. She gets a phone call reporting a huuuuge dog chasing after a shapeshifter. Andrea is all happy to have an assignment, till she discovers the shapeshifter is actually Rafael, a werehyena that is courting her, and that the dog... is much more than a dog.

My Opinion: To sum it up, Magic Mourns was great character-wise, but a bit meh story-wise. Basically, I enjoyed reading more about Andrea and Rafael and seeing them take the next step in their relationship. They are both very interesting characters, Andrea being a bit more complex due to her situation. I loved the courting LOL. Especially when Rafael realized that Andrea kept the tree with the thong ornaments LOL. Andrea has a bite to her, an edge... My only complaint would be that Kate and Andrea are very similar to each other... I also liked reading about Rafael. He is definitively more than just a playboy.

So I really enjoyed the characters but they definitively overshadowed the plot. I thought that overall, the plot was okay, but it was missing some punch... and I'm not sure how I feel about the Greek mythology touch. Anyway, it's not that the plot was bad, just not as interesting as the characters. The ending though made me chuckled. Seems like Curran will get an apple pie :)

The definite plus though, is that we got to learn a bit more about the world building... and how they are dealing with the magic waves that make the technology go down. Still no word about "how" magic works though...

My Grade: B.


Blind Spot by Meljean Brook
Series: The Guardians, book #8

The Story: Maggie Wren is an ex-CIA agent now working as a butler for Colin Ames-Beaumont. She is sent by her new employer to New York, along with Sir Pup, in search for Colin's great, great, great-nephew and niece who are in trouble.

My Opinion: Blind Spot was my favorite novella in this anthology. Two reasons: first, Sir Pup played a big role. Seriously, Sir Pup is such a character, given he is a "pet." He's just so fun to read about LOL :) Playful, but at the same time, very protective :) I always like it when he appears with his three heads and his transformation. Lilith is sooo lucky LOL :) Secondly, I love seeing Colin's many facets. In this case, it's his love for his family... I find it rare that a vampire who's live for hundred of years still have contact with his family/descendants. Most of the time, vampires have to hide and look upon them from afar. In Colin's case, he's totally involved with his family, they know him and he protects them. I find that awesome. I mean, they call him "uncle Colin"!! How cute is that?!? Also, Colin calling Maggie "Winters," I thought that was endearing as well. Colin still remembers his past, he hasn't become jaded or lost his humanity. He still feels quite human and I think that distinguishes him from many other vampires.

Okay, so what about the actual story and characters? Basically, a demon has kidnapped Colin's niece, Katherine, and her brother, Geoffrey Blake, is trying to rescue her and Maggie is sent in to help Geoffrey. Because Colin family's blood has been tainted by dragon's blood, it has had its effect in his descendants... i.e. it has given birth to some very unique "gifts." Katherine is able to locate things and Geoffrey is technically blind, but is able to see through other's eyes. I really like Geoffrey's gift. Quite unique and he knows how to use it. LOL, funniest is when he tried to see through Sir Pup's eyes... but the hellhounds have 6 eyes! LOL :) Anyway, just to say that I really liked Geoff's gift. I also liked his character. He was quite interesting, quite confident and assured. His outward image is one of a fool, one that uses his connections to keep his job in the Ramsdell Pharmaceuticals... but in fact, he's the problems solver - kind of the enforcer of the company.

I liked Maggie's character. Very competent and cool. You know the new kind of butler. Given her past as an ex-CIA agent, she's a survivor... and speaking of past, hers is linked to this case.

I think that Ms Brook did a good job balancing the story and the characters. The story and relationship were interesting. There was a definite connection between Maggie and Geoff and I wouldn't mind reading about them again :)

My Grade: A-. I really liked this novella. I think Ms Brook definitively has a knack writing them :)


Overall, I think this was a great anthology if you're fans of these authors. Definitively no regrets getting it :)

TBR Day: Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

Ain't I lucky? I just happened to read a fantasy novel that's been in my TBR pile for the past two years and it actually fits the theme of this month for the TBR challenge :) Yay me!! I love it when it's all coincidence.

So I got Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews pretty much when it was just released. I got quite a good buzz around blogland if I remember correctly... However, I just never read it... I started it a few times and never got pass, hmmm, page 1 ^_^; Don't know why. Then, Magic Burns was released and I still didn't feel like reading. It's only when I read Leslie's review of Magic Strikes, the latest in the series that I was interested. She has a mini extract of the book and I got hooked LOL :) So today, I'll be reviewing Magic Bites and as a bonus, you also get Magic Burns and Magic Strikes.


Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
published by Ace/Berkley in March 2007

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...

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, book #1

The Story: Kate Daniels is a mercenary. She could have been part of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, like her guardian, Greg, wished; however, Kate has a problem with authority and hierarchy. Of course, all this becomes moot when Kate learns that her guardian was killed. The last person whom she cared for, the last person who really knew Kate's identify. Kate is determined to find Greg's murder... While looking for clues, she discovers that Greg was investigating a series of disappearances and was working closely with the Pack... and this is how Kate meets his Lord Beastly, Curran. Together, they discover a hideous monster... who wants Kate for himself.

My Opinion: Sooo. As first book goes, Magic Bites was so-so. I didn't fall in love with the world and Kate and if it wasn't because of the snippet I read in Leslie's review, I probably wouldn't have continued on. In my opinion, the world building is lacking a lot and I'll expand more about this, after I've reviewed the three books. Personally, I think the world buidling is weak and is not supporting the story enough. It leaves a lot of holes and questions and it's distracting.

In addition, I wasn't very impressed by Kate's character. She's okay, but she's very typical for an urban fantasy heroine in my opinion. It's as if authors are given a check-list when writing characters: kick-ass, check; mouthy, check; powerful, check; secret, check... and so on. Sometimes, it's okay and it works well... However, other times... I don't know. What's interesting about Kate is that we know she's powerful - or at least, will grow powerful. She's "special" and because of it, she's hiding... and readers want to know why she's special. I have to say, that's what kept me reading. Otherwise though, Kate doesn't stand out very much and I have to say, I'm starting to be a wee bit tired of heroines that don't know when to shut it ^_^; As for Curran, well think of him of the Alphas of the Alphas... He's actually a lion - king of the jungle! (Now, the covers make a bit more sense to me :) He's arrogant, strong and knows how to play dirty. Personally, from what I read of him in the first book, I preferred reserving my judgement. What saves the book in my opinion are the secondary characters. Jim and Derek are quite interesting and I guess, there's more potential with them :P

As for the plot, well again, so-so. I think that the book was very busy, introducing the different factions, the world building, the characters and so on. So to me, the storyline took the back-seat and never captured my attention.

My Grade: C. Like I said, so-so first book. There's potential, that's for sure... but if I've read this book back when it was released, would I be rushing to get the sequel? Not really. Luckily, the books improve as the series goes on :)


Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
published by Ace/Berkley in March 2008

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 is 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...

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, book #2

The Story: There is a magic flare coming - think of it as a magic tsunami. Lots of things can go wrong during a flare and all the magic is enhanced... Not a good sign when your job is to clean up after magic gone wrong. While helping Jim and the Pack retrieved maps that were stolen by a guy who can teleport, Kate stumbles across a young girl, Julie, whose mother has disappeared. Julie's mother is part of a coven of witches who worshiped the goddess Morganna. Kate takes in Julie till she can find her mother; however, some sea demons are after the girl... and Kate realizes that she's embarked in much more than she's asked for...

My Opinion: A much better book! I think that once the authors had the whole world building and characters introduction out of the way, they could focused more on the storyline and development... and they did a good job.

I think this time, the plot was better, better written, better thought, better put together. More interesting as well. It's always fun to have a touch of mythology, god and goddess :) I enjoyed Kate character more as well. We got to see another side of her personality, more maternal - more caring and thoughtful. Her relationship with Curran is also developing, so another plus :) It's very funny to see these two characters interact, although I'd like to see Curran being, you know, rattled? :P LOL, the scene where Kate realizes what it means, the fact that Curran has fed her. Hilarious :)

Also, Kate's identity is slowly unraveled :) That also keeps the story interesting. I also like the new characters introduced. Julie, Andrea and Raphael :) I have to say, it's fun to see all these kind of shapeshifters interacting together, being one big clan.

My Grade: B. Not perfect, but still much better than Magic Bites :)


Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
published by Ace/Berkley in March 2009

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 Beast Lord, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta's shapeshifting community...

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, book #3

The Story: Bit hard to summarize this one... Hmmm, Kate is having difficulty with her shapeshifter friends. First, she's avoiding Curran like the plague. Second, Jim is behaving coldly towards her and is refusing her offer of help when it's evident he needs it. Third, she is called to bail Derek out of a trouble - indeed, her werewolf friend has gone and tried to steal tickets to the Midnight Games, some kind of arena fights that are outlawed, especially by the Pack. So in short, her werewolf side-kick is in lots of trouble... Even more when he is found injured, disfigured and unable to shift into his werewolf form. That's when Jim comes clean to Kate, that he's been investigating the Midnight Games because he believes something could be a threat to the Pack... however, his investigation has not been sanctionned by Curran... and so, Jim, his team and Derek are on the lam... and of course, they've pulled Kate into their troubles.

My Opinion: Okay, my summary is not very good, but in short, this book is the best book so far in the series! :) I enjoyed it a lot, especially the second half :) It was just great, got me sitting on the edge of my seat, reading fast and best of all, it made me laughed!! Lots of funny moments in this book...

The plot was interesting and tight :) and like I said, very exciting. It really enraptured me :) There were a lot of good interactions in this book, Kate and Curran especially, Kate and her friends. I have to say, Kate seems more friendly now... She was also more in control in this book and so, her mouthiness didn't seem so out of place. You know when you're mouthy when you're afraid, well that sometimes is just stupid. However, this time, I thought she was being witty :) In addition, Kate's identity has finally been revealed! Can't wait to see how all this will impact on the future books. I really liked learning more about Kate's past and her adoptive father. The man sounded great and Kate was lucky to have him. I really wished he was alive.

The ending was just perfect. How the enemies were defeated and of course, the last scene between Kate and Curran. Their relationship is definitively developing, even though Kate doesn't want to. That is keeping things interesting.

So yes, this book was almost perfect :) I enjoyed the intrigue, liked Kate in this book with her interactions with all the other characters. Curran and Kate's relationship developing :) Discovering Kate's past. My only complaint is well again the world building, but also how she treated Saiman. Seriously, I don't understand her reaction to Saiman. Perhaps I missed something in the last book, but she was mean. They seemed to be friends at first and this time, she seemed really revulsed by him... and I didn't like it. I think that Saiman is a nice guy and yes, it's annoying the way he keeps trying to get her to sleep with him, but he's been there for her and he's helped her. So what was her problem?

Anyway, minor problem... but all the LOL moments made it up :) Here's one of my favorite scene... Just to put you in context, Curran, Kate and the rest are participating to the Midnight Games. They have to fight the opponents and Jim wants Curran, Kate and Dali to barely win their fight - not to show their true strength :) However, the fight was done in minutes... LOL :)

Jim waited for us at the Gold Gate. His teeth were bared.

"What happened to barely winning?"

"You said sloppy! Look, I didn't even use my sword; I hit him with my head, like a moron."

"A man with a sword attacked you and you disarmed him and knocked him out cold in under two seconds." He turned to Curran.

The Beast Lord shrugged. "It's not my fault that he doesn't know how to fall."

Jim's gaze slide from Curran to Dali. "What the hell was that?"

"Crimson Jaws of Death."

"And were you planning on letting me know that you can turn people's elbows backward?"

"I told you I did curses."

"You said they don't work!"

"I said they don't always work. This one worked apparently." Dali wrinkled her forehead. "It's not like I ever get to use them against live opponents anyway. It was an accident."

Jim looked at us. The clipboard snapped in his hands. He turned around and very deliberately walked away.

"I think we hurt his feelings." Dali looked at his retreating back, sighed, and went after him.

Curran looked at me. "What the hell was I supposed to do, catch the werebison as he was falling?"

p.254-255

Speaking of Dali, I really like her character!! LOL, it would have been fun to have a bit background on her... but LOL, a white tiger that is vegetarian and cannot support blood LOL :)

My Grade: B++. Definitively hope that the next book will be as good or better. I'm not giving it a higher grade though because I still have issue with the world building... which I'm going to address just below.


Okay, about world building. I thought the world building was a bit lacking in this series. It's very convoluted and you're giving a lot of information, but no explanations. I mean, after reading, I have a lot of questions... for example, when someone is infected with Lyc-V, do they only transform into wolves? In that case, how did other shapeshifters come to happen? And do other wereanimals the same as werewolves then? What about humans? What is the difference between humans with psychic powers such as empathy, telepathy and clairvoyance and people like Kate? Actually, what is Kate? She's a human with magical power? Then, how is she different than witches? See, we are introduced to so many "races" but we're not explained how they differ... Also, technology co-habits with older, more traditional habits such as horses and swords... but is it adopted by everyone? Actually, are there beings that are simply humans, devoid of magic? Are they inferior? Is there a hierarchy? The whole world is very hard for me to visualize and as you can see, I have lots of questions... this affects how much I enjoy the books. There are also some inconsistencies in time frame that bothers me. If those could be correct, then I'm sure the grades would be higher for all three books. Alas...