Review: Magic Slays

Ilona Andrews
Urban Fantasy
304 pages
Kate Daniels #5
Excerpt
ACE


Synopsis:
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 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, and 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. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Review:
I have read a LOT of books since the last Kate Daniels book, Magic Bleeds, and quite frankly I think I forgot how much I enjoy this series.  I had forgotten how in-depth the characters are, and most importantly how interesting the world is. I'm happy to report, the world hasn't lost an ounce of intrigue in Magic Slays.  


This time the villains of the story are a whole new brand of magic users, so not only did it make the world seem new again, it gave us a healthy glimpse into that part of Atlanta. It also provided us with lots of backstory into Kate's magical side of the family tree.   Magic users are easily my favorite paranormal group.  Sure, shifters are big and hairy, er I mean scary, and yes the vampires of this series make me wanna pee my pants in fear.  But the magic users in this story are so frightening you instantly submit to them by watching the shear power they posses.  They're simply diabolical.... and I loved every page.


The pacing and the plot move quickly. The nature of the "thing" they're fighting against makes the action pretty much constant. Basically, you'll want to bring snacks and a drink with you to your reading corner, because you wont want to put the book down.  My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed in my opinion.  There are two crucial points that have to be resolved though, so you get twice the suspense.


Like I said, the action is pretty heavy and it's on par with what I've come to expect from this series, but we got more Kate and Curran duo action this time.  It's kind of amazing.  Anyone worried that their first book as a bona-fide pair would soften either of their badass-ness, needn't. They're still separate characters though. They're not together all the time.  There's plenty of Kate and her new business partner (mystery item I wont reveal). And the two of them are awesome together. I can't wait for more.  But yes, there is a lot of K&C time, and in my opinion the pair are stronger for it. 


The last thing I'll point out is, continuing to find the star of the show interesting and someone you want to learn more about is huge, and Ilona & Gordon, aka Ilona Andrews, make it seem easy. The shocks and googily eye reveals they created this time around added new mystery in this long running series for me. I find it incredibly telling that a 5th book in a series can be just as exciting as the first.


Bottom Line: Back and better than ever.  New characters, new developments, and the new supercouple, Karran. 


4.5 stars