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It appears the author wanted a cool premise but did not think through the ramifications of the society or the world she was building. It suffers in every major category: characterization, plotting, world building, pace, and interest. Second there is seriously incomplete world building in this novel. Such as the fridge that she goes and gets a cold drink from even though there had been a magic surge for the last few days.the FRIDGE managed to keep food cold that long. I mean if you are driving to work and a magic fluctuation rises, what happens.you just sit there with the other forty thousand people on the highway for two days waiting for tech to come back. She's given the answer in the first two chapters of the book and just kind of blithely goes, la di dah I'll ignore this and go hunt wild rabbits. So she's supposed to NOT call attention to herself with the "Powers" because of some magical blood or whatever that she has, then when forced to meet them she goes out of her way to antagonize them making sure she's pretty memorable and alienating those who could help her in her chosen mission.
She's a moron. How are we supposed to root for someone who is that stupid. It took me about six tries to finally slog my way through this novel. When it happened, we don't know; when it is now, we don't know; but it's apparently occurred long enough ago that societies have risen up in response to it and so we can presume that it was quite some time ago. SO my question would be, why are they still living in a society that has any trappings of past tech. And why would anyone still be driving cars AT ALL. And the author, in expense of character or world developing just chose to go with cheap horror tactics, the equivalent of a bloody slasher film as opposed to an intriguing psychological thriller. It was like slogging through mental glue.
The characters are one dimensional and flat, the lead protagonist Kate is just a freaking moron. Then there was the plot. So they are living in a time when magic has risen and there are "waves". No real explanation how or why that occurs, we are just supposed to take it on faith that it happens. Leaving out all the stupid inconsistencies in the characters that made it so very, very bad, the book dragged on tediously for entirely too long. Not recommended at all.
It is complex. wow) did not hold my hand while I navigate the first few chapters of Kate Daniel's world. Did I miss something. The vampires call themselves as the People (and their face / personality, everything leans more on hideous), Magic Guild Mercenary (this is where Kate belongs, assassin of some sort), The Pack that have seven clans and not all of them are werewolves and the Order of the Merciful Aid (the politicians, lol).
As a result while I was reading, I almost decided not to finish the book. Fascinating groups, now all I have to do is get use to them and their terms.I wasn't really jumping up and down with this book. It is actually hard to review this one. Ilona Andrews (they are actually man and wife tandem. Or she kill the person/creature who took samples. But how did it come to that.
Normally I like this kind of a challenge but I wasn't up for it while reading. So the research to understand more came in later.
Her blood is either something special or she's hiding from someone/something and I'm itching to know. I was not used to it I felt lost.
I was confused and sleepy up until about the last few chapters.But here's what kept me going: There is a mystery in Kate's blood. Kate Daniel's world is somewhat futuristic.
Magic is loose to the world and humans live a long side our favorite monsters. When she spills she have to make sure that nobody can get a sample of it so she burns her bloodied clothes or whatever after a fight.
Then there's Curran, not impressed at this point but I will give him a chance he is after all the leader of the Pack, I need to read more of his antics.To those who read this book already, how many are you out there revel on the goriness of that one scene where Kate cut of a vamp's head and order it to wake up and tell her who his master.
I started this series last year and I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment. Andrews really builds a world believable and addictive. All you think about is getting your next fix.
I just tore through them. Kate is a believable and lovely character and the supporting characters are just as lovely. This series is just so good.
Ha Well.something like that anyway. Great character development and the tempo results in those days where you're angry at the world from being dragged away from your book into the real world. I know you guys know what I'm saying here.
It has just the right amount of underlying romance without giving cavities or inducing eye rolls. I recommend the rest of this series as well.
I read some of the reviews which spoke about how awesome the book is, but I guess I don't get what they loved about it. I mean, the world is very interesting, and the descriptions really create a great atmosphere, but Kate Daniels is so unbelivably tough it is hard to feel anything for her. It seems almost obvious that she's going to get out of every scrape she's in, and I found it very hard to invest in a character who didn't seem concerned about the monsters they were facing.
They are hideous quadrupedal humanoids continually degrading into something much worse--"an abomination in progress."SHORT SYNOPSIS:In Magic Bites, Kate Daniels receives a cryptic message prompting her to check on her guardian. When she was ragging on herself, she really ragged and that did become a little annoying.While the characters were also well crafted-Kate Daniels and Curran (the scary, and yet somehow sexy, Lord of the Free Beasts) in particular-a few did seem off somehow. She's a spunky, in your face, get things done the hard way kind of girl. Nope. It's evident that the word selection and syntax were assembled with care.* Point 2: This novel is a perfect exercise in world-building.
It becomes real.* Point 3: What, no sparkly, beautiful, or dangerously seductive vampires. Another qualm I had with the book was the various new agencies (and their abbreviations) thrown at the reader. The book is smartly written without being pretentious and urges you forward without shoving you down a flight of stairs. (When I first saw the term `guardian', I thought it was some sort of super/preternatural type of guardian-it's her legal guardian).
Being inside her head for the entire 260 page book wasn't bad. I can't put my finger on it, but something about him rang false. In this book, vampires veer from the contemporary norm. When she checks up on him, she learns that he's been murdered. The descriptions of the people and settings were vivid enough to place the reader in the story while leaving enough room for the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks.
THREE QUICK POINTS:* Point 1: The prose and pacing are exquisitely done. She was rather entertaining. The only tough humps were the moments when she was down on herself physically. Most notably was Bono. What results is a preternatural mystery complete with red herrings and all.MY THOUGHTS:My first thought after shutting Magic Bites was *this* is how a preternatural fantasy book should be written. The prose was clever, well thought out without being pretentious or forced; it was very natural to read from one sentence to the next and one page to the next. Set in a future version of Atlanta ravaged by magic, the descriptions are vividly dark and disturbingly crafted.
It had a little bit of everything: superficial romance, depraved bad guys, and bloody battles. Kate's investigation soon leads her to a much bigger problem involving two feuding groups: The Pack (shape changers) and the People (necromancers). The strongest point of the book is the world created; the tearing down of the Atlanta we all know and the rebuilding of a dark, dilapidated, and disturbing place complete with menacing creatures and a new code of conduct.The book is told from the point of view of Kate Daniels, a mercenary. It's a little overwhelming to keep track of who they are, what their purpose is, and what they're actually doing, but as the story moves forward, it does become easier to manage.Those small points aside, Magic Bites was easily read in a single sitting. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable read.
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