T;LDR: A snarky heroine who’s a badass with a sword lives in a world where technology and magic aren’t the only ones fighting for dominance. Magic Bites is the first book of one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series.
The main character, Kate Daniels, is snarky, stubborn, tough as hell, and cares way too much for her own good. But she also carries a secret, a very dangerous secret, one that keeps her separated from others. This secret and separation are part of her larger character arc for most of the series until it no longer makes sense for her to stay quiet.
I love this book for its characters, especially Kate and Curran, but also the others that join in the fun and become part of the core cast. I love it for its breadth of mythology. And I especially love it for its unique take on technology and magic – where one exists, the other cannot, and so there is a hodge podge of old and new living side by side. The twisted landscape mirrors the twisted nature of Kate’s life.
And I love it all.
The Plot
Kate Daniels is a mercenary for hire, who isn’t really making a lot of money doing it, but doing the best she can. When her mentor and guardian, Greg, is murdered, her need to solve his murder and find his killer drives her into a power struggle between the two major factions in Atlanta: the vampires and the shapechangers.
As the body count piles up, the tension between the two factions increases, with Kate stuck in the middle. Will she solve the murder before the power struggle escalates to all out war?
Major Complaints about the Plot
The core complaints about this book fall into two camps, but honestly, the reason behind both is a misunderstanding of what urban fantasy is and yes, I have a post coming up to address this because it drives me bonkers.
Ahem, back to my review.
Urban fantasy is fantastical characters and concepts placed in real-world urban settings. That’s it. It does not require long exposition as to how the world works and it does not require a romance. If you’re looking for a romance, seek out the Paranormal Fantasy sub-genre, because that’s where they all fall.
To be fair, this series does feature a romance, but it is a slow boil kind of romance. You see peeks of it in this book, but Kate doesn’t (no matter how much one reviewer wants it to be so) fall in love in this book. She warms up in to the idea; she cares, but love is not there yet.
And so, the readers who felt the romance was lackluster or missing – you were right. This wasn’t that book. If you want that book, continue reading the series because the romance takes a while to get solid.
Many people also found fault with Kate and Curran as characters. Kate’s a bitch, snarky, sarcastic and defensive with everyone. She lives in a world where the secret she protects is so huge, she has no choice. She’s been trained since she was a kid that no one can know her secret. Of course she’s defensive and snarky. It’s not until you get to know her better that you see underneath that hard shell.
As for Curran, reviewers label him as an asshole. Well, he is the leader of all of the shapechangers. He’s also playing a part here. He has to look tough and hard, because otherwise the shapechangers will fall apart and everything he built will fall.
One reader didn’t like that he was dating someone after he met Kate and that he made Kate aware of that fact. He had a life before Kate, he’s not dating Kate, he’s not even in love with her at this point – why the hell wouldn’t he continue to date the woman he was before he met her? This is not love at first sight, drop everything and get together kind of romance. This is the navigate-the-differences-between-them true love kind of romance. It’s realistic, not a fairytale.
I love how their relationship develops and you can tell it was a female/male duo writing it because the romance is real, the male characters aren’t just tropes of the fantasy genre, and everyone has their own motivations for why they do what they do.
The other complaint is about the world building, or lack thereof in the book. Readers found it confusing, not explained enough and frustrating to follow.
The authors do drop you in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world, where magic and technology fight for dominance in the same way that the factions do, amongst themselves and amongst each other. And no, it’s not well explained, but you don’t need it to be. This is not high fantasy; it’s urban fantasy. The fantasy world is part of the backdrop, not front and center to the story.
They don’t explain too much, but they do give you enough to understand that it’s a messed up world Kate lives in and it’s been that way for a while. But I get it; maybe they could’ve explained it better or added in a few more touches here or there.
And maybe part of my defensiveness in this review is due to my perspective after having read the entire series of books. But still…I wouldn’t have continued the series if it was confusing.
To Sum Up (Too Late!)
I love this book for its world building, its use of every mythology under the sun, and for its characters. I love the Kate/Curran romance dance and that it doesn’t solidify until several books later. I love the strength and quirkiness of the secondary characters and how big a part they play. And I love the larger themes woven amongst the smaller ones in every single book.
I do think this is a series worth reading and I do recommend it to anyone looking for a kickass heroine with a penchant of saving everyone – the oddballs and outsiders alike.
About the Author
Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge, and essays.
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