Kate Daniels - I’ll be back for seconds! (Gordon Andrews dropped by!)
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
Excellent intro to this series
The Kate Daniels series kicks off strong with Magic Bites! I bumped this series up in my TBR list after all of the raves from my fellow urban fantasy fans, and so far I’m pleased with the decision! Normally I’m not that into darker urban fantasy, but this one works for me. There is certainly enough humor to keep me interested, so a comical dark urban fantasy can be done! It bridges the gap for all fans of this genre, bringing something to the table that everyone can enjoy.
Aside from a few quotes that really had me laughing, I also love the magic and the world building. It has somewhat of an alternate universe apocalyptic feel where horses (or mules) are becoming more of the norm than cars as a mode of transportation. I am certainly a “VampireNovelFan” and typically like it when they’re pretty, but if you’re going to make them ugly, you’d better make it good. This series makes it good. This take on vampires is very fascinating and original. It stands out in a genre where there are so many variations that vampires are reduced to “sparkling” and even lacking fangs altogether in an attempt to differentiate themselves.
The magic is pretty cool and it comes along in waves called “Flares.” Tech-based weapons and devices won’t work during this time, so that adds to the unpredictability of the story. I also liked her weapon, Slayer. It sort of has a mind of its own and I love imagining it in action.
While the pages are short, the read actually feels like it’s just enough. I really respect a series that doesn’t drag out the plot just to increase page count. It keeps the story tight and focused.
Just when I was starting to wonder if there could be anything original in the urban fantasy genre, this book does it. I really look forward to cracking open book 2, and 3, and 4, and 5 when it’s released. This is definitely a must-read if you love urban fantasy.
The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason
An okay start to a trilogy
Vampire Voss is the first of a period trilogy series that takes place in 19th century London. We meet Voss, a vampire whose prides himself on a debaucherous lifestyle as well as gathering any and all intel he can about his fellow vampire brethren. This line of Draculia bears the mark of Lucifer who selects them while they’re dreaming. Once chosen, they awake as vampires and must do Luce’s bidding.
Voss encounters Angelica, a Woodmore sister with the gift of Sight. She dreams about how people will die. This ability is a huge assett that makes her an attractive target for heroes and villains alike. Her brother, Chas, is a vampire hunter who places his sisters (Angelica and Maia) into the care of his friend, Dmitri, another Draculia who denies his vampiric nature. Chas believes there are good and bad vampires and makes it his mission to kill the bad ones. Dmitri and Voss have a bit of history, clashing many times as Voss tries to get closer to Angelica.
The series centers around Voss and Angelica finding love for each other. There is an instant attraction-easy as both of them are attractive people. But his vampiric nature presents a huge challenge for him. He spends a good deal of the book trying to hide it. He wants her, but he also wants to protect her. I am normally not a paranormal romance reader because I generally like for there to be other things going on, so I appreciated that their relationship developed at somewhat of a slower pace. That said, I wasn’t particularly in love with the pairing either. There’s nothing really memorable about Voss and Angelica, and how it ends isn’t typically how I prefer my vampires. I also sort of predicted what would happen, too.
The novel is in third person, so that gives the author an opportunity to focus somewhat on the flagship couples of the next two books. In that sense, it is nice that we’re being introduced to them now. Will I read them? Perhaps at some point, but I’m not anxious to get my hands on them like I have been with other series.
The book is a decent read, but I would not recommend it for someone that’s not into period novels. While the author does give details of the 19th century setting and customs, it still sort of feels superficial to me. It doesn’t completely engross me like other novels. Also, the Kindle edition for my eARC probably had some of the worst formatting I have experienced with an ebook, so I hope that the official release fixes that issue. I am not sure if it affected my enjoyment of the book, but it definitely didn’t do it any favors.
(eARC provided by NetGalley)
Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells
Destination: New Orleans
The third novel of the Sabina Kane series focuses on the kick-ass mage/vampire on a mission to save her twin sister, Maise, whose been kidnapped by their vampire grandmother. Sabina and her trusty demon and mage sidekicks, Gighul and Adam, travel to New Orleans to get her sister back and do away with her grandmother once and for all. No, this is not your typical nuclear family. There is not much love lost between the twins and grandma, who can’t accept her grandaughters’ mage heritage. The stakes are high and Sabina’s patience is low with her sister’s life on the line.
I have not read the previous two books for this series, but from what I could gather, Sabina’s character experiences a bit of growth. Throughout the book she learns to trust her teammates, open herself up to love, and become a more effective and powerful mage.
I didn’t feel as if I missed much from the first two books. I’m not sure if it’s because this book rehashed plot points well enough, or if it’s because this series isn’t much different from other urban fantasy books out there. While it was an easy read for me, it came off as formulaic and predictable. Sabina’s character isn’t very unique. She’s got a chip on her shoulder, yet being surrounded by her teammates and coming to terms with her past mistakes, she experiences changes for the better. Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.
This book has a lot of action which helps move the story along. There are many quirky characters and Dark Races between fae, werewolf, mages, vampires, demons, you name it. No one really came off as a favorite in terms of personality, but I liked trying to imagine how Gighul looked.
Would I recommend this series? It certainly isn’t the worst, but at this point, I didn’t really feel compelled to want to go back and read the first two or continue on to book 4. For me, at this point it’s forgettable, but it’s not a bad read for someone new to the Adult Urban Fantasy genre. Actually, I think it’d be a good transition series between the Young Adult and Adult genres.
(eARC provided by NetGalley)
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Well, I’ve Got a New Favorite! Harrison’s better than ever!
About two years ago, Ms. Harrison teased her blog followers about an upcoming book involving Rachel, Trent, and Jenks on a road trip headed out west. Fast forward to now as Book 9 has finally been released. If you follow Ms. Harrison, you know that she touts this particular book as her favorite of the series. As a fan since 2005, I can say it’s without a doubt my new favorite as well. It took six books, but Book 3 has finally been trumped.
We have Rachel and Jenks trekking out west for what she tries to convince herself will be a pardon with the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards for using black magic. Oh yeah, and she has her brother’s wedding to attend, too. Trent Kalamack also needs to get to the west coast, though it’s for personal reasons. He’s keeping mum on the details; however, he will accompany Rachel to her pardon (more like her trial as far as he is concerned) in an attempt to vouch for her. Rachel is banned from flying commercially and Trent is limited to travelling by land. Neither can get out west without the other. If Trent doesn’t make his deadline, he’ll miss out on the most important opportunity to help his race. If Rachel loses, she says hello to Big Al and the Ever-After FORever-after.
Joined later by Ivy, Pierce, a surprise Coven member, and a few assassins trying to stop either Trent or Rachel in their tracks, we end up with an American Inderlander Road Trip…from Hell. Aside from the banter amongst themselves, they later run into a new demon, a Pale Demon, who can walk in the sun and must eat living souls to sustain himself. He’s so dangerous that even the demons sealed him away, but upon his unexpected release he causes plenty of ruckus on both sides of the lines in more ways than one, proving to be a bit too much to handle for our favorite witch/demoness.
Character development, magic, action, comedy, drama, romance-these elements have been what keeps the storyline going and makes it so special for fans of this series. Harrison hits all of that in her writing. She addresses several particular issues when it comes to Rachel’s relationships, as well as the relationships between the people around her.
While not trying to spoil much here (feel free to skip this paragraph if you’re worried), you’re certainly strapped in for a roller coaster ride in terms of Rachel’s love life. If you thought it was crazy before, you’re in for it now. While I’ve been a card-carrying Trent and Rachel supporter since Book 1, there’s attention given to her relationships with him, Pierce, Ivy, and Al too. I doubt that’s very surprising for those who have read the previous books though. It’s all quite complicated and I have a hard time imagining how Kim plans to iron out everything. Like any fan, of course I have certain hopes.
Relationship dynamics evolve as much as the characters, and I think it is for the better. Everyone in one way or another is growing in this book, even the demons. New and important characters are introduced as well. You find yourself surprised as you sympathize and even start to like particular characters that you may not have cared for in the beginning. Harrison does well with fleshing out their personalities, revealing them to be more complex than they seem. Throughout this book the lines of black and white aren’t so clear anymore, though certain characters do *finally* pay consequences for their actions. People-and I mean species in general-are who they are, but the issue of nature vs. nurture is still there.
Acceptance is a major theme this time around, along with trust and vulnerability. We see Rachel making smarter choices and tapping more into her demonic nature. She and Trent have to learn to work together and trust one another. If you’re a Trent fan, he’s here in spades and you’ll never tire of him. You can see a mile away any opportunity when Rachel will ogle him, which is all in good fun of course. New questions arise for the demons and the Ever-After. Jenks evolves too, and he’s still some of the best comic relief throughout the book. You’ll love him per usual, if not a little more. We get more Ivy focus with the good old-fashioned teamwork that we loved from the beginning of the series, and more light is shone on her relationship with Rachel. Al fans should really enjoy this book as well because we learn a few new things about him as he helps Rachel harness her demonic powers. Even Newt’s character improves immensely. You can read it yourself to learn why. I am not the biggest fan of Pierce, but he is slightly more bearable this time around, too, and that’s saying something. I found his presence in Black Magic Sanction absolutely smothering, almost ruining my enjoyment of that book.
Overall, I thought the book was pretty solid, but some instances were a little too convenient.
******MINOR SPOILERS*************************
Like in terms of Trent’s quest. Realistically, why what he was after wasn’t being monitored 24/7 until his deadline passed was beyond me. That needed more explanation.
I also wonder why Harrison doesn’t exploit elven super-speed a little more considering they can travel really fast from one spot to another.
******END MINOR SPOILERS*******************
I read it in 2 evenings. However, I was breezing along until the last third, where all of a sudden it came to a screeching halt. It couldn’t have been helped, but gears switched a little too suddenly and I had a hard time wanting to follow it. It wasn’t that I was uninterested in the subject matter. I just wasn’t interested right then. Black Magic Sanction in comparison was all over the place, but that was easier for me because that was the established pace. My annoyance with Pierce was the only thing slowing me down there. However, after I finished Pale Demon, I went back to re-read the last third and I found it *very* engaging after all, so if this happens to you while reading it, see if that works. For other fans who read the book, it may be the opposite and the last third will be the easiest to read. Regardless, I have to say that I found the last 30-40 pages nothing short of epic. Harrison is full of surprises alright!
I have to admit, I was a little sad when I finished reading it. Loose ends are starting to tie up and this is the first time where I felt the series slightly begin to wind down. There are new obstacles and challenges and arguably a new direction for the story to take, but you definitely reflect a bit about how far things have come since Dead Witch Walking. I look forward to Book 10, but I’m not quite sure it can top Pale Demon so I’m anticipating it slightly less. Even still, The Hollows is my favorite series and there’s something or another that I enjoy in each book, so I expect nothing less in that aspect. In the meantime, the fan in me is actually pretty sated right now. It was worth the wait, Kim!
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