Well, it’s Wednesday again so time to write about my reading journey. After last week’s debacle I decided to return to Ilona Andrew’s books, this time to her Kate Daniels series. I have now finished the first three…

These are the blurbs. First for Magic Bites…

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…

Then Magic Burns…

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 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…

Then finally Magic Strikes…

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. 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 Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…

By the way, I know that “Ilona Andrews” is a pen name for a husband and wife duo, but I can’t stop using “she” and “her”!!

I am not going to write separate reviews for each book on Goodreads as I powered through these stories and enjoyed them immensely. To be honest, the plots have now blurred together in my brain! I loved the heroine, Kate Daniels, a young woman with terrific fighting skills, a strong sense of purpose and a wry humour. The world building and the range of fantastic monsters were imaginative and well drawn. The plots and sense of place were also very well written. I knocked off a star for some small annoying things such as the repetitive descriptions of buildings, but otherwise I enjoyed the writing.

Apparently, there are at least ten books and several novellas in the series, so I will probably move on to something else soon and return at a later time. I have started the fourth book, so I will let you know how that one goes next week.

So, back to the world of monsters and mayhem! Happy Reading everyone!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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