Magic Mourns

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finally reading the Kate Daniels short story from Must Love Hellhounds. It truly was a pleasure even though Kate was not a big player in this short story. Andrea and Rafael are front and center in this unbelievable tale.

Kate is on medical leave and Andrea is filling in for her. While most callers hang up when the realize Kate isn't in, one caller does tell her to tell Kate that a shape-shifter is being chased by a dog the size of a house with his tail on fire. So Andrea packs up her guns and goes out to investigate.

Well the dog really is the size of a house and I am sure you can guess who she has to rescue from the huge monster that drools fire. If not I am going to tell you because I knew well before Andrea knew that it was in fact Rafael. She had been trying to avoid his advances and very early on you get a big clue that it is him.

Once she discovers who needs protecting you get into a fun and exciting story line that includes Hades and some special apples that are supposed to give youth. Oh and I don't want to forget a few vampires a necromancer and a dead guy that can still communicate with the living. While the action and the mythology are great the best part was learning more about Andrea and Rafael. Even if I never read the rest of this book it was worth the buy for this one story.

It is a short story so I think I should stop there so I don't spoil anything for those that want to read it. I am very tempted to ignore my to be read books and read this series again.

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Kate Daniels in Dark and Stormy Knights

I love any story that comes from the Kate Daniels series. If you are a fan of this blog you know that I highly recommend this series. I will read the entire book over time but I wanted my Kate fix so I just read that short story by Illona Andrews called "A Questionable Client".

For those of you who would like to know it is the story of how Kate met Saiman. Since I have always enjoyed the interactions between these two characters I found the story to be a ton of fun. Saiman is crazy and he only looks out for himself. He has himself in a mess and he wants protection. Kate is a mercenary and has to take the call because no one else will. He won't tell her who she is protecting him from or why. This presents a great deal of questions on how to appropriately protect her charge. Also he seems bent on putting himself in harms way so it makes it even harder for her to do her job. Saiman never makes it easy and he never tells the whole truth but he always makes for fun reading material.

There is quite a bit of action packed into this short story which makes it all that much better. If I say too much more it will give it away too much. Once again I am really impressed by the writers. If you only collect one series I would suggest that it be anything with Kate Daniels in it.

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On the Edge by Ilona Andrews Book Review

Description from authors website

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it . .

My Review

On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1) is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. I could barely put it down. I had to put it down to get some sleep and then the book invaded my dreams. I am still having some trouble sticking to my book budget that says wait until you get your Amazon gift card next month and you can buy the next one. 

Again this husband and wife writing team crate an very strange mix of three very different and distinct worlds. You really get a sense of the world between our world and the magical world. I don't know how they do it but the writing is superb. You don't have a lot of boring information about the world. They bring you into the lives of the characters and at the same time show you an amazing world and tell a great story. I have found myself bored in many books as they describe the city streets right down to the shape and size of the sewer grates. This never happens in On the Edge.

I was in love with Rose and her family from the first page to the last. There was nothing that I didn't like about this book! Rose and her two brothers live in the Edge. She takes care of her family because her mother is dead and her dad took off. Rose has a crappy job in the Broken(where technology rules and magic is useless) but she finds work where ever she can. Rose does what it takes to take care of her family and she is a very strong and lovable character. 

Rose and her brothers are gifted with magical powers. One brother can raise the dead and the other can change into a cat. Rose is very special and very powerful and because of that she has suitors coming out of the woodwork from the Weird. They really don't want her they just want her to make them some special and powerful babies. 

Now might be a good time to mention Declan who shows up from the Weird and gives Rose the chance to win freedom in a game. She is to give him three challenges to complete and if he does he wins her if he loses he promises to leave her alone. An increasing amount of disturbing events in the Edge and the need to work if she wants to feed the boys keep Rose distracted and issuing the tests become a secondary priority.

Strange creatures stalking people in the Edge with magical powers are appearing everywhere. In an effort to protect the Edge and her family Rose and Declan put their differences aside to solve the problems. The tension between them is often thick it makes for such fun reading. I am tempted to pick the book back up and read it again simply because I am writing about it now. 

Each and every relationship in this book was rich and full of emotion. From the sexual tension between Rose and Declan to the enjoyable antics of Jack and his cat like behavior. This book gets 5 out of 5 stars. 

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On My Reading and Review List

I am really behind on this blog so I thought I would give you a quick update. I still have one more book review and a few short stories in my Ilona Andrews series.
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)
Must Love Hellhounds (Story from Kate Daniels Series)
Dark and Stormy Knights (Another short story)

I am also reading Ravena & The Resurrected by Tami Jackson. I am having a little trouble reading this because I downloaded it into an adobe file. I thought with all the reading I do on a computer that would make it as easy as reading a paper copy of the book. Somehow I like the hard copy better. Just so you know it is not the book itself it is reading on the computer screen for too long. I need to take breaks like I do when I am reading blogs. Tami Jackson will also have a guest post on this blog I am really excited about it!

Next on my list is a book I forgot I had Learning to Stand by Claudia Hall Christian. I knew I had it at one time and because I couldn't find it I actually thought I dreamed that I had it. When I found it I remember saying if I put it in my bedroom it won't get mixed in with all the other books. This was one of those times where you put something somewhere safe so you don't loose it yet it is the last place you would actually look for that particular item. I never get tired of reading Claudia's work she is a master when it comes to creating amazing characters.

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson) by Patricia Briggs is next on my list. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series. I just have too many books I want to read and I will never loose any of this weight if I sit around and read all day.

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Magic Bleeds Book Review

First I want to say I am really sorry it took so long getting this book review to you. I have been struggling to write something that does the book justice and then I got sick.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4)

This book starts with Kate working to fight some sort of magic gone bad. She is headed home  when she gets the last minute call sending her to a bar fight. When she gets there it is not just any bar fight and she must try to contain the infectious evil magic that is left behind. Somehow a stranger came into the bar and caused all the men to go crazy and start fighting one another.

As Kate begins to investigate she finds that similar things have been brewing in other cities. No one can understands who or what could have done this and they all seem too happy to give the case over to Kate.

Then the perpetrator attacks The People and the Mercenaries Guild with no consequence. They walk right in take what they want kill a few people and leave. The worst part is no one can really rememberer what they saw. Every time Kate uncovers something new she ends up with more questions and more dead ends. This case takes a surprising twist that I was not expecting but it makes for a crazy and exciting ride.

The side story is Kate and Curran and their multiple misunderstanding. These two really should start talking to each other rather than just assuming things. Early in the book things go sour but as usual they are able to set that aside and work together to solve the case. Throw Simian into the mix and you nearly have a casualty of the crazy romance in these books. It is probably the insanity of it that draws me to it so I am not complaining.

Something I don't think I have mentioned before is how in each book Kate changes a little. It is something I like a lot and is much more realistic than when a character just decides to change. Kate starts out as a hard and even sometimes cold woman. She was brought up to trust no one and she keeps her emotions locked away. Each progressive book she begins to chip away at the wall she has built up as she learns to trust others.

I am sorry this is a short review but I am really afraid of giving away too much. There are so many twists and turns in this book that one sentence could ruin it for you.

I love these books and this one was no exception. This book gets 5 out of 5 stars. If you have not started this series yet it is one of the few that has kept my attention. I love the writing, the world and the characters. These books are the best of it all.

Kate Daniels Book Review Links

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Kate Daniels Book Review Links

As requested I am posting links to the first book reviews in the Kate Daniels series. Now I want to read them again! I don't have time for that I have other books to read but some day I will read them all again.

Magic Bites is the first book in the Kate Daniels series and you can find my review here. In this book you meet Kate and a number of other creatures who live in a world torn apart by magic.

Magic Burns is the second book in the series and the review can be found here. You learn more about Kate and where she came from and you meet Julie. Both a bit sassy and stubborn their interactions make for some fun reading.

Magic Strikes the third book in the series really has some great character development. I at this point I am so into the Curran and Kate romance that I just can't wait to see what happens next with them. This review can be found here.

I think I forgot to mention the books are action packed. It is so hard to put one of these books down so don't pick it up just before be time hoping to read just a chapter or two.

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Book Reviews Coming Soon

I have three books that I have not reviewed yet. I am really tired today as I worked 6:45 pm on Tuesday to 7:15 am today and then my phone woke me up before I got enough sleep. It gave me the time to finish the book I started though. I am still not quite awake and it is nearly 6.

So I have a review coming for the teen series Vampire Academy. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I usually have trouble with the teens in books and their snotty attitudes and extreme behavior. This was not the case for this book but it is the first in the series.

I also have reviews coming for Magic Bleeds and On The Edge by Illona Andrews. If you have not already guessed it might take me some time to get these reviews out. I want to do the books justice. I very rarely run across an author that makes me crave more each time I read a book. These books have just the right amount of romance and loads of action. There is magic her with this husband and wife writing team. I absolutely loved both books and now I have a new series I will follow absolutely.
I have a bunch of books in my to be read pile as well and I might spend the next few days getting a list together so I can post it here. I would love to hear opinions on which book to read next. I have a few that I have read one or two in a series and I intend to finish them first. The problem is sometimes I am just not feeling a book and I would rather read a book I am in the mood for. Sometimes I want a vampire book sometimes I don't.

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Tuesday Teaser On The Edge

Tuesday Teaser Rules: 
Grab your current read and let the book fall open to a random page. Share two sentences somewhere on that page and the title of the book that you’re getting the teaser from. Please avoid spoilers! 


Todays Tuesday Teaser comes from On The Edge by Illona Andrews. I am going to cheat a little here because it just seems wrong not to put the third  and fourth sentences. I also have not started the book but plan to start it tonight. So here goes this is from page160:


"Thats what I am afraid of" grandma murmured. "You must understand, he's a dangerous man. Very dangerous. I cursed him"

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Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

I really can't wait for this book to come out. I really loved the first three books in this series. You can click on the titles for my reviews:
Magic Bites
Magic Burns
Magic Strikes

I loved this series because Kate Daniels is such a mystery. The forth book Magic Bleeds will be available in May which seems like a very long wait to me. If I had to pick my favorite series since starting this blog this would have to be it. What I really like about this series is that it has a lot of magic and mystery and proves that a book can be awesome without all the sex. I find a lot of the books I read are so full of sex that it takes away from the story. A properly placed love scene is fine in my book but sometimes they are just over the top and too much. Like long drawn out sex scenes in a teen novel. Sometimes it seems like the author didn't have enough material for this book so they but in twelve sex scenes. Okay maybe not twelve but I have felt like that in some of the Sookie Stackhouse books while I loved the books I could have done with half the sex or less. Don't get me wrong there is a love story brewing in these books it is done well and it seems to be moving along. I guess I like the girl who wants the man to chase her instead of the girl who hops in bed with every man she meets.

I also loved these books because each book reveals a little more of the power that Kate has. Kate doesn't know the full potential of her powers and she usually has to get into a tight spot before they manifest on their own. She is learning as you are learning and it keeps things interesting.

So if you don't own these yet head on over to Amazon or your local bookstore and pick them up!

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Upcoming Reviews

I have three reviews to do. Over the last few days I didn't feel so well so I got some reading done. Finished Every Which Way But Dead and A Fistful of Charms books three and four in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. Click on the titles to see the previous reviews Dead Witch Walking and The Good The Bad and The Undead. These books just keep getting better and as soon as I feel good for more than a few hours I will be posting the reviews plus I still need to get one up for Dead and Gone. I am all out of Hollows books but there are at least three more plus one that can be pre-ordered.

I have to save some money so I will just have to read some of my already purchased books before I continue on in this series. I only have two series that I am dying to read the next one and will stop everything for right now. That would be the Mercy Thompson series and the Kate Daniels series.

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Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels works for the Order and gets a call about a dead shape-shifter. Kate checks it out and is denied access to the crime scene. Then her friend Derek a young werewolf finds himself in great danger.


Kate finds that she must hide things from the Pack leader, Curran the were-lion. I love the tension between Kate and Curran, the romance here is unusual to say the least.
Kate teams up with Jim the Pack’s head of security to solve the mystery of the dead were after Derek is seriously injured. There is a secret underground fighting scene in Atlanta where people pay top dollar to see others killed.


There is a strange team rising to the top called the Reapers. They seem to be mere men but they can perform feats only magical beings can. Everything seems to lead to these night games.
You will have to read the rest to find out what happens. This book was excellent I didn’t want to put it down. Had I started it on a Saturday I would have finished it with in hours. It took me two work days to get find enough time to devour this dark novel. I was hooked the minute I started the book and Kate had to rescue a banshee from a tree.
This dark novel gets 5 stars out of 5.

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Book Review -- Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns picks up right where Magic Bites left off. Kate takes a job working as a go between for the Order and the Guild. She takes on a mercenary job with her friend Jim and a strange man with a bow interferes, kills their target and runs off.


Then while investigating the bowman she meets Julie, a young girl whose mom and her coven of witches has disappeared. When the bowman starts stealing from the Pack and Kate is hired to find the stolen goods and she is now watching over Julie as she is being chased by crazed undead monsters. Kate works closely with the pack in this book in her efforts to keep Julie safe and find out where the new creatures have come from and what they are after.


I loved this book and I really appreciate the fact that Kate is not jumping into bed wit every man that comes her way. I like the stories in the Southern Vampire series but there is just way too much sex and I find it takes away from the story when it is overdone instead of adding to it. I am very pleased with the slow moving aspect of the possible romance.

I enjoyed every moment of this book and can not find one thing I did not like about the book. The plot was fast moving and full of surprises, I was not bored for one minute. The supernatural beings she introduced in this book and the environment were so well done I felt I could imagine everything.



I especially love the way Andrews spends just the right amount time bringing the story alive. I have read some books where they have spent way too much time describing buildings, and scenery and unnecessary descriptions of minor characters hair color and clothing. I have also read books that are quite the opposite where you can not picture much of anything because the descriptions are so vague. This book is well balanced and very entertaining.


Kate is still as sassy as ever but on occasion she actually thinks before she speaks or apologizes for what she said. Her character became more likable as Andrews delves into Kates’ mind to show the isolation she feels as well as giving us a bigger picture of her past. Readers will also begin to see the depth of her power as she unleashes more than seen in the previous book. There is also a little hint of romance for Kate in a quirky kind of way in this book.


I am going to highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy. I give Magic Burns five stars out of five

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Magic Bites By Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites is amazing, it creates a new world where magic and technology are at war with each other. Kate the main character is a mercenary working to keep magic gone wrong at bay.


She lives in a world that produces magic waves. When a magic wave hits, little technology works so they have to create alternatives such as magic powered light and cars that run on water. Andrews puts a great amount of detail into creating this world and here efforts made me feel like I was right in the middle of Kates’ world.

Kate has a lot of magic herself and she uses it to catch supernatural creatures gone mad or people misusing their magic. This book follows Kate as she investigates the murder of here friend and guardian.


It is so full of supernatural creatures and powerful humans that I really couldn’t put the book down. There is also something very special about Kate herself but they never quite reveal. They give you plenty of hints that she is more powerful than she appears. I enjoyed every moment of this book, it has a bit of humor that makes it even more fun.


There were things I did not care for in the book because of my own personal preferences. I didn’t like the vampires in this book. Andrews makes them putrid creatures that are controlled by people who specialize in controlling the dead. If not controlled by a person they are only controlled by blood lust and have no mind of their own. They don’t even stand upright, there is little resemblance to a human.


I did however enjoy every minute of the world the shape shifters live in. She did spend some time describing the world of the pack and how some people went crazy when they changed and became out of control killing everything around them.


Over all I loved the book and have just finished the second book. There was a great deal of action and violence in this dark novel. Andrews gets an A+++ from me. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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