Don't Mess with Kate

  I have heard of the Kate Daniel series, an urban fantasy series written by Ilona Andrews, for quite some time. My dear book addict. blogger, and lovely friend, Twimom, and our mutual lovely book addicted friend, Una, have praised this series for quite sometime now. Yet I debated whether or not to pick up yet another series to read. I currently have about ten YA series and a few adult series that I'm currently reading right now. Was this series really worth picking up? Well, when Twimom selected a passage from this series on her feature called "Sunday Snippets" that was so funny, entertaining, and action-packed, I knew that I had to pick it up. Thanks, Twimom and Una for introducing me and chatting about Kate Daniels. While I only read the first book, Magic Bites, I can't wait to continue the series!

Description:  Kate Daniels is a mercenary who makes her living cleaning up paranormal problems left behind in Atlanta when magic began to recede and technology returned to the city. When she learns that her sole guardian is murdered, Kate is determined to find the killer and bring him/her to justice. Seems pretty straightforward, right? That's what Kate thought. As she delves into the investigation, she quickly finds herself over her head and gets caught up in a standoff between the Masters of the Dead and the Pack. In Kate's mind magic truly bites. 

Review: I really enjoyed Magic Bites. The world building that Andrews has created is truly unique. Unlike many other paranormal books/series I have read, vampires, shapeshifters, and other paranormal beings live among humans and their identities are well known. Vampires who are generally portrayed as being sexy and alluring are the complete opposite; they're feral and motivated by their own volitions. To say the least, I found the struggle between magic and technology to be fascinating.  
  In addition to the great world building, the book is fast-paced and reminded me of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire series with its balanced mythology, magic, humor, and likeable characters. Kate Daniels, our heroine, is instantly likeable. She is tough-as-nails, takes no crap from anyone, impulsive, and has a wicked sense of humor. She loves to infuriate Curran, the arrogant yet dependable were-lion and Lord of the Beasts. Seeing Kate and Curran bicker and work with another are my favorite parts of the book, particularly the scene where Kate meets Curran for the first time and calls him "kitty". Right from that moment, I knew these two's interaction would be highly entertaing. There is definitely sparks and tension between them and I can't wait to see how that develops.
  There is a lot of mystery surrounding Kate, particularly of her parentage and her blood. There are some teasers about Kate's mysterious identity that are sprinkled in the book, but aren't answered which I don't mind because I'm eager to read the next installment in this series. It's great to see a female character hold her own in a male dominated world.
 Please note that this is not a paranormal series. Despite the suggestion of its title, Magic Bites falls strongly in the urban fantasy genre. Magic Bites is both a very good fantasy as well as mystery that will immediately grab your attention and draw you in.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language throughout the book. The violence can be a bit gory for some. If the book were a movie, I would rate it as rated "R". I can see teen appeal with this series, but I would be a bit reluctant to have it my high school library.

If you like this book try: Magic Burns (Book 2) by Ilona Andrews, The Study series by Maria V. Snyder, Graceling by Kristen Cashore, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, Fray by Joss Whedon