On Beastkin: A Review of Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Oh, Ilona Andrews. You write the very best and most entertaining urban fantasy on the market. Now, this latest book happens to be a spin-off of the most beloved Kate Daniels series. Was I cranky that we wouldn't be getting another Kate book for well over a year? Yes, a bit. But in the end, if I couldn't have a Kate book, this was a damn good substitute.

This book follows Kate's best friend, Andrea, as she investigates several untimely deaths related to a vault of mysterious ancient artifacts. The case brings her into close contact with her ex, Raphael, whom she is not over yet. As she fights for her life against the latest threat to Atlanta, Andrea must confront her own identity issues and old insecurities. Will she join the Pack of shapeshifters and get Raphael back, or flee and be alone forever?

Positive Comments

I can certainly understand how this book came to be. The Kate Daniels world lends itself to a lot of stories outside what might be going on with Kate herself. Andrea was introduced in book 2 (I think), and has progressively grown on me like a fungus. The side stories of her relationship with Raphael have always been intriguing, so its nice to see some resolution to that as well.

Andrea is an intensely interesting character, in that she has survived some serious shit. Child abuse, rejection, leading to mild self loathing and identity issues, leading to a tenure as a knight in the very prestigious Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid. When The Order kicks her out for being a shapeshifter, her life is shattered. In this book, she has to put the pieces back together and find a new purpose for herself, all while trying to solve this heinous crime. The emotional story is fascinating.

The emotional journey is fascinating, but it never gets in the way of the action (and the violence) of which there is a great deal. Ultimately, Andrea and Raphael go head to head with the Egyptian god Anubis,  taking huge risks to end his existence as best they can. How does one kill a god?

Negative Comments

I did feel that a bit more raw mythology would not have gone amiss in this story. Since we have an Egyptian god as our "villain", why not delve into his back story thoroughly? We are given the bare minimum to serve the purpose of the story, and I'm sure some readers like it that way, but I would have liked a bit more.

Recommendation

Probably the first question you might ask is: Does it stand alone? Umm, hmm, uhh....No. I don't really think it does. I think to understand the world and it's characters and everything Andrea is struggling with, you really need to have read the five Kate Daniels books already available. But trust me, that's no hardship.

If you are already a fan of the Kate series, you'll enjoy this one. The shift in point of view is temporarily refreshing. We do see enough of Kate that you won't miss her too much. And as with all of Andrews' books, there's mythology, violence, horror, and romance in a very nice package. 4 stars.

Follow Friday 5/4/12

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

Oh no! WHY would you make me choose favorites? Okay...

To the awesome writing team known as Ilona Andrews:

I read all of your books and they are fantastic. Whenever I have to do something difficult, I always think of Kate Daniels, and it makes me feel a little more bad ass. You guys are in serious danger of acquiring me as a creepy stalker fangirl. I'll try to stalk quietly.

Sincerely,

Reading Penguin 

Follow Friday 4/20/12

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

What a lovely opportunity to bring out my blood thirsty side! Let's see...

 I stand by my desire to have Sam and Dean from Supernatural hunt down and murder Edward and company from Twilight. I don't think Edward would stand a chance, though, so it isn't exactly a fair fight...

If we're talking a fight involving weaponry, I think Kate Daniel's from Ilona Andrew's Magic series, pitted against Elena from Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter's books, would give us the most interesting battle. I think Kate would win...but Elena does have wings, so it would be a challenge. 

 If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go HERE and HERE to check them out. You'll thank me later.

Miscellaneous Monday: What Makes a Hero?

Welcome to the first Misc. Monday of 2012! Last week I asked everyone what they thought the most important trait for a hero is. The most common response was, surprisingly, "Intelligence". We like our men smart!

So, lacking any TV or movies or other junk to talk about, I'm dedicating today's post to all of the great book heroes that I've discovered (so far). I read female centered books, so I think I tend to focus on the female characters in my reviews. This post is the guys' time to shine. So, without further ado, my Top Seven Heroes (in no particular order).

Ethan Quinn from Rising Tides by Nora Roberts. If I'm going to talk about awesome heroes, I obviously have to include the Quinn men (see my snippet reviews for more information). I chose Ethan in particular, though, because he's such a quiet, gentle soul. One would be tempted to call him a Beta male, but I don't think the term quite fits. He's dependable, loving, and great daddy material. He's got a dark, tear-jerker of a past. For those of you who love nice guys in contemporaries, Ethan is for you.

Curran from the Kate Daniel's books by Ilona Andrews. Curran makes it onto the list for being a genuinely scary dude who I would not want to piss off...who is still genuinely likeable. If you like alpha males, he's it. This is as alpha-like as they get. He's a tough, smart, loyal bad-ass who's carried Kate out of more than one burning building--and who wouldn't want a guy to do that for her? He's the leader of the Pack--basically all of the shape-shifters--which equals a ton of power. What really won me over to him, though, was when he tells Kate that he would ditch the Pack and let them all go hang if she asked him to. What a prince!

Vishous from the Black Dagger Brotherhood books by J.R. Ward. Smart guys really are super sexy. Combine that with his tragic past and present day issues and you get a hero who's a little messed up, a little scary, but still incredibly likeable. I liked seeing his emotional journey, in which he struggles to reconcile what he feels in his heart with what his brain tells him is "best".

Mark Turner from Courtney Milan's Turner series. He makes it onto the list for having an impeccable moral code and being such a decent man. That makes him sound terribly boring, but in fact he's one of the more well developed characters I've seen in historical romance. Once I learned that his stance on male chastity was brought on my finding a starving baby in an alley, I was won over to his side 100%.

Jamie Fraiser from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. He earns his spot on my list for being a survivor (of, like, every terrible thing that can happen to a person), in addition to more heroic traits than I can reasonably expect to name. He's a big, tough, handsome Scott with more layers than an onion. Clair carries this series for me, but it wouldn't be half as memorable without Jamie by her side.

Jericho Barrons from the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. The thing I like most about Barrons is that he's incredibly mysterious. He's something of an antihero. I was never sure, even right up to the end of the series, whether I could really classify him as a "good guy". Yet, I was always sure that he loved Mac, at least in some distant corner of his heart.

Bones from the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. While Mark made it onto the list for being moral and good, Bones earns his spot by being pretty naughty. He's a bounty hunter and former prostitute, who now uses his talents to help and...please his wife. All of that aside, he gets points for putting up with Cat who, let's be honest, puts him through the emotional wringer a time or two.

So, those are my most memorable heroes. Who makes your list? What makes him fantastic?

This week, as so many of us are starting our 2012 reading challenges, I'm asking how many books you usually read in a year. Don't forget to vote, on the right side of your screen. Happy reading!

On Blood: A Review of Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

I've been promising this discussion for awhile. I love Ilona Andrews, so I really wanted to read this one thoroughly and give it the attention it deserves. For those who don't know, the Kate Daniels books are a must read urban fantasy series featuring a monster killing heroine who wields some dark and interesting magic. This is the fifth book in the series For more information you can see my past reviews HERE, HERE, and HERE.

In this book, Kate is just getting settled into her role as the owner of Cutting Edge Investigations, when a monumental case is brought to her door. It seems that a secret society has been developing a device that has the potential to harm every magic user in the entire city. Kate must uncover their secrets and stop the threat. Meanwhile, Kate is dealing with the pressures of being mated to the Pack alpha, and struggling to keep her ward, Julie, safe and out of trouble.

Positive Comments:

This book is smart. You don't usually find a lot of social or philosophical commentary in urban fantasy books. And that's fine, because urban fantasy books are action driven by nature and they don't need to be thought provoking to be entertaining. The great thing about this book is that it has these themes about class, social structure, and morality, presented so subtly that you barely notice them. But they're in there, making the story seem richer. The conflict is about a group of people who want to destroy magic, because they believe that magic creates an unfair class system. Those born with magic get better jobs and have an easier time in the world than those without it. This group is willing to basically commit genocide to get what they want. The later part of the book has magic users, many of whom are normally rivals, banding together to stop the threat. Additionally, the creation of the device itself is a lot like the creation of the atomic bomb or dynamite (the book references the atomic bomb directly); The creator thinks he's doing a good thing, and is so caught up in the invention process that he isn't really thinking about long term consequences. And all of this is weaved into the story so that it doesn't slow down the action or over tax the reader's brain.

I love the characters. Kate has grown on me, and I like her more with each book I read. She's tough, smart, and funny. She's flawed in many ways, but she has a good heart. I love Curran, who in all his surliness really just wants to be with Kate, unconditionally. This book has their relationship taking some big strides toward maturity. It's not a romance novel happily ever after, but it does make me feel warm and fuzzy. I also really like Julie, even though she's a walking, talking plot device more than anything else. I love Andrea, who is a fitting best friend for Kate. I'm eager to see her grow and develop more in future books.

Critical Comments:

There is so much plot that it does, at times, feel a bit crowded. Especially in the middle, when new plot points were still being introduced, I kept thinking "Oh God, what now?!" But it doesn't get confusing, everything manages to connect and wrap up (miraculously) by the end. The end is not what I would call fully satisfying, but it only has the tiniest of cliffhangers. Cliffhanger may be the wrong word--it has a hint of more. Which is good, because I hate dramatic cliffhangers.

In the end, I'm caught up with a series for once! This never happens! It really is a fantastic series, and I highly recommend it to any fantasy fan. Magic Slays excellent addition to the Kate Daniels story. 4.5 stars.

Following Friday (6)

 

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character? 

 

I'm going with Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews for this one. I've been enjoying this series so much! It's so original in world building and ideas, and I think it would make an awesome movie or TV series. I am no good at casting people...I thought of Maggie Q (who plays Nikita) for Kate. She has the right look to her, I think...

  

Happy Friday everyone!

On Lions: A Review of Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series has grown on me like a fungus. You can find my reviews of the first three books HERE and HERE. So naturally I was looking forward to reading the forth installment, Magic Bleeds. Happily, it did not let me down. I'm going to try to keep the spoilers to a minimum in this review.

In this book Kate is knee deep in trouble once again, as an unknown power is attempting to unleash a plague of disease on Atlanta. The Pack appear to be prime targets for the Steel Mary (as the villain is labeled). Kate has strong loyalties to The Pack--many members are close friends. More importantly Kate carries a torch for the Alpha, Curran.

Once again Andrews delivers a captivating and well written urban fantasy story. The villain is original and genuinely scary. There is a ton of action and violence. Plus we learn just a little more about the rules of magic, particularly Kate's personal powers. Ilona Andrew's shines when it comes to clever world building. As usual Kate is a bold, kickass heroine with a good heart, who grows with each book.

Now, as to the relationship between Kate and Curran--I was aware that this was the book when it was all supposed to be addressed. And I was really excited to see that happen. I don't want to get too specific and spoil anything, but...this book uses the Big Misunderstanding trope. Yeah...one person doesn't show up for a date, the other assumes it's because they don't care, and instead of actually talking about it (which would have fixed things in like 10 seconds) they decide to ignore one another and brood in silence. Now, this no talking, brooding thing does fit Kate and Curran's personalities. But I still felt like it was a pretty cheap plot device. Other than that though, I love these two as a couple and I was excited to see hints at their future together. And according to this book, lions can mate up to 30 times a day, so I think they'll be pretty happy.

*Side Note: Princess Bride references in this book earned the authors major brownie points.

I can't say enough good things about this series so far. I highly recommend it to any urban fantasy fan. 4.5 stars.

On Violence and Magic: A Review of Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

I stayed up late into the night finishing Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews. That's something I try not to do, since sleep deprivation makes me a dangerous biologist/library assistant/penguin keeper, but this book was too good to put down. The following review is therefore bursting with praise. Please beware of MINOR SPOILERS, particularly if you have not read the first two books. You've been warned.

Plot Summery: Kate learns of The Midnight Games, a gladiator style fighting tournament. The shape-shifters of the pack are forbidden to participate in the games. Kate's former werewolf sidekick and good friend Derek is found near dead after investigating the tournaments in secret. She learns from her friend Jim (a werecat) that several of the fighters in the games may have intentions to take on The Pack. She and Jim defy Curren (the Beast Lord) and proceed to infiltrate the games in an effort to save their friend and stop the threat to the Pack.

When I first started this series I didn't care much for Kate. I couldn't see past the fact that she was yet another butt-kicking alpha female in an urban fantasy novel. Three books later, she's grown on me (like fungus). She has a sense of humor all her own. She's reasonably smart and competent. And she's tough not just in her ability to make sarcastic and defiant remarks, but in her ability to fight and kill. Over three books, little by little, it is revealed that she has a lot of heart and some weak spots that make her a more sympathetic character. Once you understand her back story, you can't help but like her and want her to succeed.

Kate is far from the only likable character in this series. The cast of secondary and minor characters is actually quite large, but not yet too big for my liking. They each serve a purpose in the plot or in helping Kate to develop, and they show up when it's appropriate to the story. I like Julie, Kate's ward, because she brings out Kate's big sister type impulses. I enjoy the friendship between Kate and Andrea because it seems genuine and heartfelt. And of course, there's Curren. After three books of building sexual tension between them, I can honestly say that I would relish their ending up together. I like that there is a romance, a hot but imperfect  romance, that is building over several books worth of time.

The plot of this book was fairly simple but still very enthralling. It's been my experience that with series, the second and third books are often so much better because they aren't burdened with world building like the first books always are. The author is free to tell his or her story within a world that readers are familiar with. That was certainly the case here. The pace is quick, the action is plentiful, and everything is easy to follow.

I like the way that magic is utilized within this universe. So often in fantasy, magic based fighting is bloodless and kind of boring. You end up with two wizards shooting sparks at one another, or there are a lot of passive parlor tricks. In Magic Strikes the magic is violent and vividly described. It adds a touch of horror that I really appreciate.

I struggled to grade this book, because I try not to give out five star ratings lightly. The bottom line is, I can't come up with any sincere criticisms that in any way affected my enjoyment of this book. I highly recommend trying this, even if you didn't love the first two books. I'm very happy to have stuck with this series. 5 stars.

A Kate Daniels Double Review

Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series has been one that took me some time to warm up to. This is really strange when you consider that most urban fantasy fans seem to really like this series. When I went to buy the third and fourth books, a skinny nerd fellow caught sight of me and proceeded to launch into a "Kate Daniels is awesome" speech that cost me 8 valuable minutes of my life. So yes, these books have gained a certain popularity. And furthermore, they are exactly the kind of books I tend to enjoy: strong female protagonist, mixed fantasy elements and clever world building, violence and gore, friendships and relationships that build over several books, and most importantly a crisp readable writing style. So why the initial hesitation? I offer my reviews of the first two books by way of explanation.

It took me two times through Magic Bites to feel like I could articulate what I like and dislike about this story. The first time I listened to the Audible version and really disliked it. I attribute this partly to disliking the narrator's voice. The second time I read the Kindle version and had a slightly more positive reaction. Just goes to show that format matters.

Kate Daniels is a mercenary with magic abilities that she fights to keep secret. When her long time mentor and family friend is killed, Kate tries to solve the case and apprehend the murderer. The evidence shows magical anomalies, and Kate quickly realizes she is dealing with something entirely outside of her usual work. Her search takes her to the leader of the shape-shifters, Curren, and also into the midst of the vampire creating organization known as "The People". Besides all of this, the book is dense in world building and exposition, but handles it gracefully.

As a character I felt Kate was very likeable, even possible to relate to, but also a bit forgettable. She's very tough and reasonably intelligent. I got the sense that she has so much potential, both in her power and as a person, but in this book at least it isn't fully developed or realized. In my mind she blends in with all of the other alpha female leads I've encountered in urban fantasy. The secondary characters are similarly full of unrealized potential. I liked the shape-shifters immensely, and hope they will have more parts in future books.

The world building is by far the cleverest part of the book. There's this ongoing conflict between magic and technology, with magic gaining more and more of an upper hand. They fluctuate in waves, and when a magic wave hits man made technologies start to crumble. There's a lot more to it then that, and again it's not fully explained to my satisfaction. But I really enjoyed the ideas, very imaginative.

In the end, after rereading I can safely say that my main complaint is the lack of development and distinction in the characters. There's a lot of sequel baiting: the authors are counting on you buying the next book to see Kate start to grow as a character. That's all well and good, but it shouldn't get in the way of telling the complete story in the first novel. 3 stars

In Magic Burns Kate is back and as before is up to her neck in problems of the magical monster variety. Magic is increasingly erratic and approaching a flare. Someone keeps stealing valuable maps from the pack of shape-shifters. A local coven of witches may have been worshiping questionable deities and unleashed more then they bargained for. And in the midst of it all Kate encounters Julie, a thirteen year old who's fallen in with bad company. Desperate to care for Julie and stop magic monsters from overrunning the city, Kate sets out to solve the mystery of the deity and her misguided followers.

This book was significantly better then the first in my opinion. Before, I really struggled to understand and like Kate as a character. In this book, a lot about her is revealed to make her far more palatable. She shows a troubled past and present loneliness. She has a good heart and a solid sense of humor. Her unshakeable moral code is admirable. I liked that she began to show real connections to the people around her--Curran, Julie, Andrea, etc. And she's strong in so many ways that it's hard not to cheer for her.

I also found the plot and mythology much more intriguing in this book. Witches, Celtic gods, powerful objects--all much more to my liking then the monsters of book one. And I found it interesting that here and there the authors managed to comment about things like class, hierarchy, and power. For example, there is talk about poor people volunteering to have their bodies made into vampires (mindless killing puppets) in exchange for their family being paid a marginal sum.

Again, my complaints are mainly that both the world build and character development still seem to be dragged out. The romance reader in me can sense relationship drama coming on, and I wish it would happen sooner. I understand spanning these things over several books for sales reasons, but I'm not a fan of sequel baiting. I want each book in a series to feel complete all by itself, and this one didn't quite accomplish that. 4 stars.

I'm currently reading Magic Strikes and really enjoying it. This is certainly one of those series in which each book only works as a part of the whole and does not stand alone. But each book seems to be an improvement on the last, so I'm happy to continue.

Musings From Atop the TBR Pile

Here with *Duff the penguin to discuss our ongoing mission: concurring the TBR pile. This is only a small representation of my collection, but I didn't want to stack Duff to high (he tends to roll).

My pile is born from many sources. As penguins on a budget, we do what we can to cut costs. That means second hand stores, sales, coupons, borrowing, and trading. Paperbackswap has been a particular life saver. I can't recommend that site enough. With their give a book, receive a book system I satisfy my book cravings without taking up more space (which is definitely an issue).

The selections range from random to systematic. Sometimes I pick up a book simply because I like the cover art. More often I'm encouraged by positive reviews from trusted sources. And when I find a book I like, I compulsively search out every book in that series or by that author. This happened with Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books, Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate books, and of course Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson books.

My main problem is deciding what order to read in. I try to mix it up, not read to many urban fantasy or historical romances in a row. I used to have a strict system, but I cheated so much that it wasn't worth it. These days I kind of select at random. Spontaneous reading is happy reading



*I feel obligated to mention that Duff (Dougal Ulfric Fergus) was a random gift from my sweety. He was left at work for me with a very nice love note. Five years and he's still a sweetheart. I'm one lucky girl!