So yesterday I finally got to read a new book. Its been out for a month or so and I finally got to pick it up.
Specifically Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Now first off “Ilona Andrews” is actually a husband wife writing team, and I gotta say they do good work. Husband and I get along very well, but we’d never be able to pull that off, I’d probably kill him in short order. So I find that particular fact to be very impressive.
The second interesting fact is that Magic Slays is book 5 of the Kate Daniels series. I’ve stuck around through book 5, wow, there are a few authors that I do that with, but not many. The others at the moment are Jim Butcher, and Patty Briggs. ( Infact I’ve been going slowly nuts since Butcher’s last book (number 12!) in the Dresden series, bastard ended it with a cliffhanger from hell (which he NEVER did before!!!!) and book 13 was supposed to be out two months ago…..sigh….just a couple more weeks and then I can find out happened!!!!) *clears throat* Sorry, back to Magic Slays.
The Kate Daniels series is urban fantasy, which doesn’t mean that it takes place in a major city (although it kinda does), it just means that it takes place in a setting recognizable from the real world. Urban fantasy can take place in a farm house in the middle of no-where, but if that farmhouse and surroundings is a recognizable setting from the real world then its considered “urban fantasy.” But in this case a major city is involved, Atlanta GA infact.
In Kate’s universe most of humans recorded history tech has ruled. Magic hasn’t functioned, to the point where “magic” was a fairytale (ie: our world). Till shortly before Kate’s parents met (I’m a bit iffy on the exact timing, not sure the books say). Then Magic swung back. Now the world lives in a fractured place where part of the time technology works just fine, the rest….magic rules. Kate, raised in this fractured place, is very comfortable in it. Raised by her step-father to function as a mercenary, to be able to fight and defend and keep herself alive in both the tech, and the magic. And above all, keep herself secret, cause as soon as she brings attention to herself her REAL father will find out…..
The books feel like they’re a bit lighter read than Briggs or Butcher, but it could be a size issue, as its hard to compare size of books due to different fonts and the like. Either way I enjoy them immensely. There’s some romance touches, but its not the point of the story so thats ok, it just makes Kate more human. I was a bit worried about Magic Slays as several of the reviews on Amazon talk about a specific instance halfway through that turn a whole BUNCH of previously KNOWN facts on their heads (and knocks Kate for a loop), that they weren’t happy about. Once I knew what they were talking about though I really don’t see where they’re coming from. Infact it makes very clear some specific issues that I’d wondered about before (what had appeared to be minor loose ends to me apparently weren’t obvious to these folks and they didn’t LIKE it when they became MAJOR loose ends that mattered).
At any rate the first book in the series is Magic Bites, and if you’ve liked urban fantasy at all previous to this I highly recommend this series. If you’ve not read urban fantasy before you might find this a bit weird, but the authors do a good job at explanation and I promise the vampires don’t sparkle!
OOOhhhh! A new(to me) book series! Husband and I will look for it as an audio book, so we can share it together. We're both Jim Butcher fans, too! I hate that “cliffhanger” ending. I figure Harry has been rescued by Mab's crew, and will have to pay one way or the other. You know what Mab wants!
Have you tried the S.M. Stirling “Emberverse” series? The first book is Dies the Fire, where technology stops working,and civilization must rebuild in a variety of ways. Art and I have also read the paralell series taking place on Nantucket. Any more reading suggestions?
I have read Stirling's stuff. I liked the first few books in the set better though, once he switched to the son's POV it doesn't do as much for me. I do eventually pick them up though.
Never could get into audio books, so I've no idea as to availiblity, but good luck.
If you haven't tried Patricia Brigg's Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson Series (and its off shoot Alpha and Omega) I highly recommend them. Heck, I might have to do a post on that….I'm sure I can come up with others too once I start digging through the piles….