Best of 2017

Man am I ever so glad to see the back of 2017. Could be the fact that my husband accepted a job offer and we moved across the state all within the span of a month. And that we sandwiched said move right between the holidays. Ugh. Don't do that to yourselves, friends.

But there has also been a lot of really, really good and surprisingly exceptional things that happened in 2017. I started editing for another publisher and have been enjoying a steady increase in my freelance business too. Dreams do come true! And there were some pretty wondrous books that came my way. This year I read 176 books -- 12 audio, 91 ebooks, and 73 in print. Some of these were published prior to 2017, but I'm still counting them because I'm a rebel like that.

Best Fantasy
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
This book lived up to every expectation V.E. Schwab set in the previous books and then some. Her character arcs were heartbreaking and beautiful and maybe I cried for like the last 30 pages of the book. Maybe. I wanted to get lost in the gorgeous words and luxuriate in the descriptions. Schwab is a master at her craft and I so loved every single moment I spent with Kell, Lila, Holland, Rhy, and Alucard in the four Londons.

Best Feminist Manifesto
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
I read a lot of feminist stuff this year. A lot. But it's like, once you know this stuff is out there, you can't stop seeing it ... or wanting to know more, in my case. This though-provoking YA tackles the ever-present sexism and abuse girls face every single day. Moxie does a fabulous job at reminding the reader just how terribly hard it is to grow up female. I want Moxie to become required reading -- and I hope it inspires girls to stand up for each other.

Best All The Feels Romance
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This is one of those books that have been recommended to me over and over again but I never felt like I was in the right place to enjoy it. I'm so glad I waited until this year because I think I was at the perfect place to appreciate the story. I actually began listening to it and really fell in love with the dual narrators. Ms. Niffenegger masterfully made both Claire and Henry's voices come alive as they shared the impossible and the utterly mundane. This book was so viscerally real to me, I actually took over a month to finish it because I just had to savor the words and digest them.

Best Doorstop Fantasy
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
This book is HUGE, like over 1,000 pages huge, and everyone who actually finishes it should get an prize. But Brandon Sanderson needed every single one of those pages to fully embrace and explore his many, many characters on their incredible journeys. This series does such a phenomenal job of fully capturing the nuances of good and evil. It's like he's taken a lens to each character when their back is to the wall, simply to find out, what will they do now? Riveting stuff.

Best Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Hunted by Megan Spooner
This category is kind of a cop-out because Hunted is so much more than a retelling. It's a gorgeously penned story of a fierce female huntress with an incredible weight on her shoulders. The setting becomes almost a character in and of itself and yes, there is a truly epic love story. It's one of those books where I caught myself physically petting the pages because of all the beautiful words.

Best Middle Grade
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Uniquely beautiful story about a girl who struggles to find herself in the perilous struggle of middle school while dealing with loss and grief in her own way. Weighty and unexpectedly lovely, I cannot recommend this one enough.

Best #LoveOzYA
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Gorgeously written with one of the best ideas for a bookshop. Can someone please make this place real? Cath Crowley is an amazingly talented writer and I could not get this story out of my head for weeks. She made the pulse of the ocean and the profound serenity to be found in books come alive. Such beautiful words.

Best Horrifyingly Elegant Mystery
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Another 'classic' book that I finally got around to reading this year. Twisty, elegant, and utterly horrifying plotting by Donna Tartt. She takes this group of misfit Classics students and turns them into a sinister and underhanded lot. Richard is a fabulous unreliable narrator and there were so many moments of dawning horror when I realized just how terrible every single character truly was (even their so-called 'authority figure'). But above all is Ms. Tartt's unmistakable genius.

Best Didn't-Read-as-a-Serial Serial
Clean Sweep, Sweep in Peace, One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
So I technically read Clean Sweep as a serial on Ilona Andrews' blog when it was first being released, but serials and I don't really get along and I so waited patiently for the rest to come out before binge reading. It'd probably be a surprise if an Ilona Andrews book didn't make my best of list. The storytelling is magnificent and Dina and her inn, Gertrude Hunt, are amazing protectors of all things family and loyalty.

Honorable Mention

Best Twisty YA
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
I discovered this gem randomly clicking through the archives of Forever Young Adult and it more than delivered. From the multi-layered meaning of the title, this books screws with your head in the way only truly talented authors can manage. Braden, Trey, and their dad, Mart, are all such carefully drawn characters in a story that unfolds in a terrifyingly real and heartbreaking way.

So that's it for me. What books made your Best Of lists?

See Michelle Read's Best Of 2016 2015 2014 2012 2011 2010

Ilona Andrews San Diego Signing

So awhile back I found out that the universe had aligned itself the husband and wife writing team Ilona Andrews would be visiting Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego as part of their tour for Magic Rises. 

Yes. That Ilona Andrews. 

At this point, imagine me jumping around the house doing wildly uncoordinated fist-pumps while the hubby looked on in amused bewilderment. Keeping up a steady manta of "I want to go to there," I immediately called upon my dear friends Becca and Gladys to make the three hour road trip with me to meet one of our favorite writing duos.

Here we are at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.

Despite my almost normal expression here, imagine an entire colony of juiced up butterflies pinging around my stomach at this point. I was a wee bit excited.

The bookstore was packed but somehow Becca and I wound up literally sitting at Gordon and Ilona's feet during the Q&A session. Which Gordon opened up by simply saying "So. What do you want to know?"

By the end, my butt was numb and my legs were all jittery from sitting still for so long but it was totally worth it. We are such book nerds.

Because this totally happened... 

I got to meet them!!!! And they kindly agreed to sign all my Kate Daniels books.

I cannot even begin to tell you how super cool and nice and gracious and funny they were. Maybe you can tell by my crazed I'm-a-swimfan-grin I've got going on here but they pretty much were amazing. Also. Ilona hugged me. I think I died.

Still high on endorphins and sheer giddiness, we met up afterwards with Maggie from Young Adult Anonymous (who is incredibly cool) 

 and enjoyed some seriously delish sushi while we rehashed every single hilarious thing Ilona and Gordon said (and the fact that they sorta matched, which was kind of funny). 

Like the fact that even though we all knew that Ilona was from Russia none of us expected her to actually have such a killer Russian accent... 

Or that some of the things Gordon said would remind me so much of Curran. I think at one point when they were talking about some changes they wanted their editors to make to Magic Rises very late in the publishing stage he said: "We're not asking you. We're telling you. It's our name on that book." I sat there giggling to myself just thinking of all the times Curran said something like that to Kate or to one of the Pack...

Or that Aunt B is their favorite character to write *sobs*...

Or when asked if Derek is ever going to get the girl and his own happily ever after Gordon responded with "Well he should!"

It was an incredible day. I could not have imagined them being more candid or funny or working so well together. Frankly, I'm still a bit in awe of their abilities. And of their books. Thank you so much for doing what you do so well. This is one loyal fan you've got in your corner forever.

It's okay, you're supposed to laugh

I'm not really a fan of book trailers and it seems as if Ilona Andrews is of the same opinion. BUT she has crafted this excellent spoof of a trailer for the next Kate Daniels book, Magic Slays, which is just too awesome not to share.

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

Hoping to basically fade into the woodwork living and working in the Broken (the non-magical world) for the last few years, William is startled when he is approached by an agent of the Hand - a group of spies who serve Adriaglian in the Weird - to once-and-for-all destroy the ruthless killer known as the Spider. Having dealt with the Spider before, William absolutely understands the importance of taking down the deranged killer for good. The Spider's trail leads William directly into the Mire - a portion of swampland that separates the Weird and the Broken called the Edge - and straight into the path of the warring Mar clan. At the head of her rag-tag family is Cerise Mar and she's currently only holding her rough and tumble family together by sheer determination. Cerise's parents were kidnapped and as the oldest and best-trained fighter, it's now up to her to make sure her fiercely proud family of Edgers can protect themselves. So even though she knows it's a bad idea to bring William into her family's conflict, she can immediately see him for the trained fighter he is and knows that he just might be the only chance her family gets.

Thank heavens Ilona Andrews decided to return to the fascinating world of the Edge, this time with a story for William. William played a bit part in On the Edge as Declan's shape-shifting army buddy and I just knew from the start that he'd be buckets more interesting than Mr. Perfect Declan could ever hope to be. For starters, William is a bit damaged. He's got these dark corners in his past and already is a bit behind emotionally due to his being born a changeling -- in this case a man who shifts into a wolf. But man, is he ever so likable. For the outset, it's obvious William's got himself on this tight leash -- he refuses to become the 'animal' so many people believe he is.

And then that's not even going into how much I loved Cerise and her off-beat family. Their magical talents range from deadly flashing sword skills to limitless good luck which can only be tapped after a bet has been placed upon the outcome. And once again Ilona Andrews showcase their trademark wit in the character of Cerise. She's smart and tough and I immensely liked her. I could have spent much more time in the Mire with the Mars family but was still immensely pleased with what I got. Whereas On the Edge often felt a little too formulaic and fluffy, Bayou Moon has some grit and substance to it -- The Spider and all of the Hand's minions are some scary dudes -- plus it's hefty. 447 pages hefty people! I'm not one to complain about that sort of thing. All total, Bayou Moon is a fabulous second novel with plenty of good things to recommend it. I for one am already waiting to see where Ilona Andrews will take us in the Edge next.

Even if, once again, Ilona Andrews got shafted in the cover department. Admittedly, Bayou Moon is light-years better than the artwork for On the Edge, but this one would be greatly improved by the removal of the pensive floating head of William.

series reading order:
~ On the Edge - my review
~ Bayou Moon

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Dear Author review
Dreams and Speculation review
Janicu review

book source: review copy from publisher

"A Questionable Client" by Ilona Andrews

I'm not sure if it's because I'm so used to reading all the wonderful snippets Ilona Andrews posts on her blog or if the husband-wife writer duo is just excellent at writing period (I'm thinking it's the latter), but I was exceptionally pleased with their latest novella "A Questionable Client" found in the Dark and Stormy Knights anthology. After Magic Bleeds rocked my world earlier this year, I was in need of another Kate fix fast and this short and sweet little story did the job nicely.

"A Questionable Client" is set a few months prior to Magic Bites; a few months prior to Kate Daniels' move to Atlanta and her first meeting with the Beast Lord Curran  - so don't expect his Furriness to make an appearance in this one. In the absence of Kate's favorite sparring partner, our fearless mercenary for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid winds up meeting the slippery Saiman for the very first time. After Saiman's original bodyguards bail while still on duty, Kate is called in as a quick replacement and winds up spending one hectic night facing down all sorts of nasties that would like to see Saiman very dead. In the course of the eventful evening, Saiman becomes fascinated with the smart and capable mercenary who is immune to his constant shape-shifting.

Saiman has always been a favorite character for me, so the explanation of how he and Kate first became 'business associates' is truly intriguing. As is her bottomless wealth of knowledge: this time featuring a good deal of Russian folklore which went a long way in making this reader happy. As for Kate herself? Despite it's short format, "A Questionable Client" still contained plenty of Kate's trademark wit and sarcasm as well as her deadly sword-swinging skills. All very good things. But man, how much longer do we have to wait until Magic Slays?

Read an excerpt here.

series reading order:
~ "A Questionable Client" (novella in Dark and Stormy Knights anthology)
~ Magic Bites
~ Magic Burns - my review
~ Magic Strikes - my review
~ "Magic Mourns" (novella in Must Love Hellhounds anthology) - my review
~ Magic Bleeds - my review

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
All Things Urban Fantasy review
Inside of a Dog review
My Book Addiction review

book source: my local library

My inbox overfloweth

I have this friend who really likes fantasy books - especially the Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series - I'm thinking she has good taste. But she'd never heard of the Kate Daniels books and so I have been bugging her for some time to track them down cause I know she'll just love them. I even supplied her with my copy of Magic Bleeds since it hadn't become available on her Kindle yet.

I hadn't heard anything from her for almost a week until yesterday when I got the following texts on my phone:

MARY: Finished the Kate books! I luv Kate and Curran!
ME: yay!
MARY: Curran all growly and protective is  my favorite =)
ME: i know! isn't he just yummy?!
MARY: uh huh
ME: have u read MAGIC BLEEDS yet? it is AMAZING!!! it turned me to goo
MARY: Finished this morning! I luv-luv it! Your furriness! =o) i luv when she says that. i just luv those two crazy luv birds.
ME: Of course u luved it! i'm so happy ;)
MARY: their 'intimate' moments suits their relationship. I'm glad she [Ilona Andrews] wrote it that way. cuz their relationship is so...amazingly crazy.
ME: so happy.


My work here is done.

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

If you've spent much time around this here bloggy, then there's a good chance you've heard about how crazy I am for Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series. The constant back-and-forth between Kate and Curran never fails to entertain me and Andrew's phenomenal world-building of a magic-ravaged Atlanta (my hometown!) always keeps me intrigued. After reading what I shall hereafter refer to as The Goodness - Magic Strikes - I've been on tender-hooks waiting for the sequel ever since.
 
Magic Bleeds opens with what has to be the best prologue of all time - it's that good. There is positively no contest here folks. In the interest of not becoming all spoiler-y, I won't go into details, but just know that after the dust settles, we are left with one mad Kate. Mad with a capital M. And it would be safe to assume that most of that barely controlled animosity is directed firmly at His Fuzziness, The Beast Lord, Curran. Fortunately for us, Kate isn't like the rest of world when she's furious. She's a teeny bit more dangerous since she never goes anywhere without her enchanted sword, Slayer, strapped to her back. That would add a little bit of swagger to any girl's stride.

So Kate's already seeing red when the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid calls upon her to investigate a bar fight turned deadly. Upon her arrival, Kate finds not only an entire bar of spent brawlers who have no idea why they began fighting in the first place, but a man staked to a telephone pole, crawling with what appears to be a fast-multiplying, deadly disease. Kate contains the disease (barely) but then finds herself up against all sorts of obstacles upon discovering that the victim was a shapeshifter and therefore part of Curran's territory. Not someone she really wants to deal with at the moment. But as the plague-spreading culprit strikes again and again, Kate realizes she's gonna have to call in every favor and rely upon every weapon in her arsenal before this newest enemy can wreck complete destruction on the city of Atlanta. And that means working together with the Order, the Guild, the People, and most importantly the Pack to control this centuries-old evil from destroying everything Kate holds close.

I can feel myself starting to grin like a idiot right now because I've just got to say it: This. Book. Is. Awesome. And then some. Like if Awesome and Mind-Blowing went and had a love child it would be called Magic Bleeds. It's been obvious since day one that husband and wife writer duo Ilona Andrews has had a plan in store for Kate (and us), but Magic Bleeds just went and and blew all my expectations right out of the park. Weighing in as one of my top picks of 2009, Magic Strikes set the bar pretty dang high as far as impressive books go: we finally got to know Kate's Big Secret and saw some very nice relationship development between her and Curran (roar). I wasn't sure it would be possible but it's like Magic Bleeds took those eye-popping elements and then ramped up the intensity, the action, and the sizzle (whoa baby) one-hundred fold. Magic Bleeds simply delivers.

And dang it, but every time I'm enjoying watching Kate kick some serious butt, I end up forgetting just how frightfully brilliant she is. The girl is a total sword-swinging killing machine; too often taken for a simple mercenary with nothing much going on upstairs. Not so. Kate is infinitely more capable - and deadly. Sometimes it's hard to remember that not only has Kate been training as a warrior since age two (or earlier), she's also been getting a comprehensive education in mythology, history, and magic at the same time. It's not until she rattles off the minutiae of some obscure, ancient belief system at the drop of a hat to stunned audiences that I remind myself to pick my jaw up off the floor and just turn the page. She's just that good and I cannot even begin to explain how skillfully her story has been crafted. It's okay, we all want to be Kate. Go ahead and admit it. You'll feel much better after you do.

series reading order:
~ Magic Bites
~ Magic Burns - my review
~ Magic Strikes - my review
~ Magic Mourns (novella in Must Love Hellhounds anthology) - my review
~ Magic Bleeds

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Book Harbinger review
Lurv a la Mode review
Smexy Books review
That's Queen Bitch to You review

book source: purchased

The Fabulous, Marvelous, Wonderful Day of Books

Yesterday was a Red Letter Day book-wise. I got no less than TWO special bookish deliveries.

Package #1:  

The Road Home & Welcome to Vietnam by Ellen Emerson White

Another, wholly unexpected, Mother's Day gift from the Hubby - the shipping just took forever. After seeing how well his Anniversary Present was recieved, he's decided he can't go wrong with Ellen Emerson White. I agree.

Package #2 (one of my most anticipated reads of the 2010):

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

 !!!!

Someone needs to come and scrape me off the floor, because I am basically a puddle of goo at the moment. *dies*

Literary Love: Urban Fantasy Couples

Today Literary Love will turn it's microscopic eye to the couples of Urban Fantasy. Long known for their kick-butt heroines and fast-paced action sequences, Urban Fantasy books are steadily gaining a reputation in the romantic department as well. More of often than not, since most UF novels are written as a series, relationships are not resolved or even remotely cemented in the first book. Or the second. Sometimes onto the fourth or fifth book, the reader is still left wondering if those two will ever stop butting heads and just admit they are completely over the moon about each other already. Although the author usually does throw in some nice make-out scenes along the way that go far in keeping the masses happy. But why the long, drawn-out courtship you ask? Well, I'll give you a couple of reasons:

1. UF heroines are usually out saving the world (or at least their city) on a daily basis. They don't have time for all that flowers and dating stuff. Sometimes they don't even have time for a shower - which can be a downer in any budding relationship.

2. UF heroines also tend to be classified as 'smart alecks;' women who have trouble keeping their mouth shut even in the face of extreme I-am-going-to-die-horribly-if-I-say-anything-else situations. This doesn't often go over too well with the macho man who is currently pursuing them. The two end up butting heads and much snarky dialogue ensues (my personal favorite).

3. People want to kill UF heroines. Usually because they are in possession of a secret/skill set that makes world domination for said evil doers impossible. Or because they trash talk too much. It's a toss up but either way it can put a mighty strain on the night-life.

Frankly, I am a huge fan of this long courtship trend. It generates lots of sexual tension, plenty of snark, and ample opportunities for the heroine to show off her wicked fighting abilities so that the man in question can properly appreciate her Skillz. So by the time they do finally hook up, the reader is practically on pins and needles from all the building tension and the result is usually nothing short of a Fourth of July fireworks display.

I bet you're wondering who my favorite UF couple is by now aren't you?

Although there are many such series floating about, my top UF couple has to be Kate and Curran from Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series (Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds).

photos courtesy of author's website

What began as a promising UF set in a magic-ravaged Atlanta has turned into one of my favorite series to date. Kate is a knight who fights bad magic with some serious sword skills and Curran is the Beast Lord himself (be very afraid). Kate is good at talking trash and annoying Curran to no end and Curran particularly enjoys sneaking up on Kate and breaking into her apartment. For a prime example of their working relationship, let me direct you to a scene between Kate and Curran from Magic Strikes:

“Can I fetch you your food, Your Majesty? Can I tell you how strong and mighty you are, Your Majesty? Can I pick out your fleas, Your Majesty? Can I kiss your ass, Your Majesty? Can I . . .”

“Technically it should be ‘may I,’ since you’re asking permission. To answer your question, yes, you may kiss my ass. Normally I prefer to maintain my personal space, but you’re a Friend of the Pack and your services have proven useful once or twice. I strive to accommodate the wishes of persons friendly to my people. My only question is, would your kissing my ass be obeisance, grooming, or foreplay?”

These two practically have 'Happily Ever After' in sparkly ink written all over them, don't they? All fun and games aside, these two really are the perfect match. And although they haven't quite agreed to a long walk down the aisle together, Kate and Curran have gone through several intense encounters which have only brought them closer. So far, Kate and Curran have enjoyed some very nice scenes together but their sexual tension level basically skyrocketed to code red in Magic Strikes - leaving me on tender-hooks waiting for the upcoming sequel Magic Bleeds. I just know it's gonna be a kicker.

Who is your favorite Urban Fantasy duo? Nominate your favorite Literary Love couple here or in the comments.

Must Love Hellhounds: Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews

I'm not really one to pick up anthologies but seeing as though I have to wait at least until June for the next Kate Daniels book, Magic Bleeds, I made a special exception in the case of Ilona Andrews novella Magic Mourns in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology. Usually I'm not a huge novella fan simply because I don't think the format can adequately give an author the time or space needed to truly maneuver characters into an engrossing story. Inevitably, letdown occurs and I'm left dissatisfied. But knowing I'd get a chance to spend more time with Kate's friend and co-worker Andrea and her gung-ho suitor Raphael, whose antics I laughed myself silly over in Magic Strikes, I succumbed (hint: I wasn't disappointed).

Like Kate, Andrea is also a Knight but instead of magic Andrea specializes in tech. Her focus? Guns, baby. The woman could probably load, fire, hit a bulls-eye, and reload before anyone else could even draw their weapon. Handy that. In Kate's absence Andrea is taking over her cases (come on, we all want to be Kate, just admit it) when she gets a strange call asking for someone to rescue a shapeshifter who has run into a dog the size of a house in magic stricken Atlanta. Said shapeshifter turns out to be the one and only Raphael. The man who has been doggedly pursing Andrea for the last six months and whose idea of wooing happens to include breaking and entering. Although Andrea is convinced she can remain professional in the face of Raphael's Casanova charm, figuring out how to tame a dog the size of a house just might get her a little nervous. But that's what the big guns are for.

Magic Mourns wasn't Kate but frankly, I'm okay with that. I couldn't help but be lured in by Andrea's candid honesty and fierce arsenal. I also couldn't help but love her bald description of Atlanta:

I liked the city. I wasn't born here, nor did I come to Atlanta by choice, but now the city was my territory. I walked its streets, sampled its scents, and listened to it breathe. Atlanta wasn't sure about me. It tried to kill me every now and then, but I was confident we'd come to an understanding eventually.

Not one to mince words or make any excuses for herself, Andrea effortlessly grabbed me from the get-go. Magic Mourns was fast, fun and just might have changed my opinion regarding novellas. Maybe. I still haven't read the other three stories yet. But I might.

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Darque Reviews
Errant Dreams Reviews
Janicu's Book Blog review
Literary Escapism review

book source: my local library

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Rose Drayton has lived all her life in the Edge - a small strip of land stretching between the Broken (the world as we know it and completely non magical) and the Weird (magic, magic everywhere). Edgers usually possess a little magic and can travel freely between both worlds, but usually stick to themselves. Living in the Edge will make you tough all by itself without compounding the fact that Rose has had to raise her two younger brothers all alone while defending herself from bride-hunting bluebloods and Edgers alike who simply would like her as a brood mare due to her impressive magical abilities. To say she has some trust issues with males and outsiders in general would be an understatement. So when an imposing blueblood Lord Declan Camarine shows up on her land declaring Rose to be 'his' and demanding three challenges to win her hand, Rose is less than enthusiastic. Her response is to shoot Declan with a cross-bow. Not that she hits him, but still, my kind of girl. Rose is already feeling a little out of her league, when some truly nasty creatures begin showing up in the Edge and fighting them off might become the hardest thing she's had to do yet...besides accepting Declan's help.

Out of all the characters in this novel, Rose's two younger brothers, Jack (a shape shifter) and Georgie (a boy who can raise the dead), were obvious standouts. They trust Rose implicitly and even though they sometimes don't follow instructions explicitly (they are boys) they stole my heart. Both Rose and Declan are fighters and their relationship morphed into something very believable even if I sometimes found myself giggling over Rose's effusive descriptions of Declan's rippling abs since it reminded me so much of Hugh Jackman's 'shower' in Australia. Other than that, Rose is smart and knows how to take care of those she loves which totally rocks in my book. To be honest, I'm not really sure where Ilona Andrews is planning on heading with the next installment, but my hopes firmly rest on a story for William, Declan's shape shifter army buddy. The man has Potential in spades.

Can I talk about the cover a moment here? If they had left off the Highland Warrior (he is SO not Declan) I would have totally dug it. Rose against the old truck with a rifle slung carelessly over her shoulder and magic swirling around? Super. But Mr. Piercing Gaze just ruins it for me. This was a fun book, but I'm not going to lie that the teaser for Magic Bleeds, the much anticipated fourth Kate Daniels book, had me squealing for joy.

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Beside the Norm review
Bibleeohfile review
Book Love Affair review
Book Pushers Anonymous review
Lurv a la Mode review

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Coming back from a long-awaited trip to Atlanta (it's been almost two years since I went home!), I settled into the third installment of Ilona Andrew's much loved Kate Daniel's series with more than a little excitement. With the series set in a futuristic Atlanta that has been ravaged by magic, I felt like I was getting to extend my vacation a few more days as Kate described tromping around Buckhead and other notable downtown spots. Also, I've been waiting all summer to snag a copy of this one and the anticipation may have made me a tiny bit antsy. What started off as a pretty good series has now turned into one of my top three current fantasy series, the stories have literally gotten so much better with each book.

Kate is back to her usual Order of Knights of Merciful Aid day job after the massive magical flare that rocked the city of Atlanta. She's still trying to figure out how to support Julie - the orphan she adopted in the magical aftermath - and most of all how to avoid His Royal Fussiness or Curran, the Beast Lord. Needless to say, she isn't exactly pleased when the ucky Saiman calls her up to say he's got one of Curran's shifters, Derek, captive in his apartment. Derek makes Kate swear not to tell Curran the reason he's broken into Saiman's apartment - to steal tickets to an extremely illegal, extremely dangerous gladiator-type tournament - which leaves her in a place she does not want to be. But when things with Derek go south in a hurry, Kate throws herself in a deadly struggle to save her friends without revealing her true identity (which she actually finally divulges to the reader! FINALLY).

What I think makes me keeping coming back for more in this series is its constant humor. Kate is a smart-mouth and I love her. I guess I just have a thing for girls who can't keep their mouth shut even to the detriment of their health. Sometimes I would completely bust up while reading and just couldn't wait to see what would happen next. This humor element is especially important to me since there is so much darkness that Kate faces. For starters, her whole life has been centered around killing one big, bad guy for goodness sakes. So, Ilona Andrews strikes a nice balance for me. Another reason I love it is becuase of the relationships between the characters: Kate and Curran, Kate and her 'ward' Julie, Kate and Derek, they are all so real and constantly changing, leaving me breathless with anticipation for what will happen next.

Does anyone else totally dig this cover? Okay, I know they all have been quite similar: Kate with a sword and Curran as his furry self - but until I saw this book up close and personal and realized that Kate is sporting a set of very colorful bruises along her arms did I think: "Yeah! That's my girl who doesn't know how to stay out of trouble!"

series reading order:
~ Magic Bites
~ Magic Burns - my review
~ Magic Strikes

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels is back and she's better than ever. No, really, I mean it. What to know why?

While investigating a crime, Kate stumbles across a street urchin who has lost her mother. The mom had been part of a coven trying to raise a Celtic god to give them more power but that plan sort of backfired and they ended up releasing another power bent on complete destruction. What makes it worse is that Atlanta is currently caught in the middle of a magic flare - a time every few years that magic runs rampant and intensifies. So, releasing bad gods in highly magic time = bad news. Add in the fact that the local Pack has had a very valuable set of maps stolen and we've got ourselves a rockin' good time.

Now onto the good stuff: Kate really shows her mettle in this installment. She willingly takes in a young girl even as she proclaims she's not really the mothering type, more the 'cool aunt' type. What's more she expresses her humanity that almost surprised me in her willingness to save one girl from evil that might end up slaughtering hundreds of people in the process. Her explanations to Bran on the subject were most enlightening.

I'm not usually one for battle scenes but the big fight scene in this book truly caught my attention. Kate is powerful and no one really understands how much. Maybe becuase the battle was told from her point of view or maybe it was because she totally kicked-butt and wasn't sorry about it in the least. I'm not sure, but I liked seeing a woman who could bring an entire hoard of bad guys to their knees (literally). I felt so much more connected to all the characters in this one and can't wait for more.

reading order:
~ Magic Bites
~ Magic Burns
~ Magic Strikes