Review - Steel’s Edge (The Edge, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 400 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: November 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-1937007829
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in The Edge series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


This is the fourth, and final planned, book in The Edge series by Andrews. It was an excellent conclusion to the series and I really really enjoyed it.

Charlotte is the Healer, the top healer in the Weird. When her husband divorces her because she is barren she decides to leave the Weird and start a new life in the Edge. After years of living there peacefully, the wounded Richard is brought to her doorstep to be healed. Slavers are after Richard and destroy Charlotte’s home in pursuit of him. Now Charlotte has decided to dedicate herself to Richard’s cause and hunt down the slavers that have destroyed her home. Charlotte will have to find a balance between healing and killing with her magic.

I enjoyed this book. Charlotte is a very likable, if older (in her 30’s) heroine. She’s dealing with some emotional baggage involving the jerkiness of her former husband. At times she comes off as a bit naive as well because of her secluded upbringing at the Healer’s school. Still she does what needs to be done.

At the center of the story is Charlotte’s struggle to balance healing and harming with her magic. Harming people with her magic is highly addictive and can turn her into a Plague Bearer.

Richard comes with his own set of baggage. We have seen him off and on throughout the other novels. He is an excellent character; a tough fighter who doesn’t take any crap from Charlotte...yet he is always respectful and supportive of her.

The two characters have excellent chemistry and the scenes between the two of them really sizzle.

We also see all the other characters we have come to love; George and Jack are along for most of the story and I absolutely love them. Sophie is also in the story a lot more and it was wonderful to see the tough young woman she is growing into. I really do hope we see future books featuring this younger set of characters....maybe a YA spinoff of this series??

There is a ton of action in this story. Also some medical terminology since Charlotte fights with disease. The plot revolving around the slavers is neatly resolved, with some interesting twists and turns.

Overall an excellent conclusion to this series. This book has well done characters who have excellent chemistry and are easy to engage with combined with a well done storyline and excellent action scenes which make this a joy to read. This is a bit more paranormal romance than urban fantasy. I don’t like these book quite as much as the Kate Daniels books, but they are still very well done and highly recommended to paranormal fans.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels World, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-0425256138
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Kate Daniels World, 5.5 book in Kate Daniels series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the 5.5th book in the Kate Daniels series and the 1st book in the Kate Daniels World series which features side characters from the Kate Daniels series. This book features Andrea Nash. It was a very well done book and it was good to hear Andrea’s back story and get more insight into her character.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was a very well done audiobook. It is read by the same lady who narrates the Kate Daniels series. She does an excellent job capturing the characters’ moods and voices.

Andrea is recovering from her expulsion from the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid and working at Cutting Edge (Kate’s investigative firm). She is hired by the Pack to look into a strange incident that happened at reclamation site of her ex-boyfriend Raphael. Four Bouda clan members were murdered near a vault at the reclamation site and it is up to Andrea to figure out who did it, why, and how. Of course she has to work with Raphael, who she is not on good terms with and has an extremely explosive relationship with.

The book starts a bit slow...first we have to get into Andrea’s story and then she spends a lot of time whining and avoiding Raphael. In the beginning of the book there are places where I wanted to smack Andrea and tell her to her stuff together. Things really pick up about 25% in though, as Andrea gets deeper into investigating the death of four Boudas.

Andrea is a good character, but she is definitely more of sidekick. She’s just too melodramatic and not witty enough to make her as fun to read about as Kate. Everything is black and white, life or death with her. She does change as the book goes on, but I still rolled my eyes at her drama at points. While this was an interesting book and I am glad it was written, I am also hoping this will be the only book from Andrea’s POV.

Raphael is kind of jerk for large portions of the book. Him and Andrea have a very on again, off again type of thing going on that was a bit frustrating and annoying to read about. He wasn’t my favorite male lead. Him and Andrea definitely have good chemistry though.

I loved the addition of Rowan (the black mage) to the story. He is quirky and funny and has some awesome powers. I really hope we see more of him in future books. He is what really made this book a fun and interesting read for me. We also meet some excellent new magical baddies in this book as well...love the crazy snake people!

The book is full of some absolutely wonderful action scenes. There is also the whole mating tradition going on between Andrea and Raphael where they see who can play the biggest practical joke on the other. Some of these scenes were hilarious and all I have to say is...purple shag carpet...enough said.

The story ties up nicely and the book is well written.

Overall this is a good addition to the Kate Daniels world. It was nice to hear Andrea’s full background and watch her transition from a Knight of Mericful Aid, to something not quite as law-abiding and a lot more dangerous. Andrea doesn’t have the humor and wit Kate has and she is a bit too melodramatic for my liking; so I didn’t like her as much as Kate in the role of heroine. Andrea and Raphael have great chemistry but their on again off again relationship bugged me a bit.

There are some very funny scenes in here, we get to spend more time with Rowan, and we meet some wonderful new magical baddies. Definitely not my favorite book in this series, but it’s still a good urban fantasy read. I definitely recommend this book if you love urban fantasy or if you are a fan of the Kate Daniels series in general. I would recommend the Kate Daniels books over this one though if you are a first time reader of the Andrews.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - Fate's Edge (The Edge, Book 3) by Ilona Andrews (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: November 29, 2011
ISBN: 978-0441020867
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in The Edge series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Edge series by Andrews. I really enjoyed this book it was full of action, thieving, crazy magic, and some romance. A strong installment in this series I really loved reading it.

Audrey is from an Edge family of grifters and is trying to leave her family and their life of crime behind by working a legit job in the Broken. Of course just when things are looking up for her her dad begs her to help them on a job to save her brother. Audrey agrees as long as her dad agrees to break ties with her after the job. So Audrey steals something very important. Kaldar Mar is told by the Mirror to find the stole item and return it; only he finds that he is going to need Audrey's help. Now Audrey is helping to hunt down the very item she initially stole.

This was a wonderful story and tied in some of the characters that we know and love form the previous books in this series. George and Jack play a fairly large role in the book and it was wonderful to see the two brothers coping with their magic powers and growing into more responsible characters. I can see the brothers being the feature in a future book.

Audrey is an excellent character. She has a very specific type of magic; she can open doors. It seems like a small magic, but it is very useful for a thief. Audrey is tough and capable, but really wants to make an honest living. She struggles with being able to use her powers and do what she is good at or doing something that is legit.

Kaldar was a wonderful character too, he changes personalities like cloths and is excellent at what he does. It was fun to see him grow to respect Audrey and to watch him fall in love with her. As a couple Audrey and Kaldar dance around each other a lot, but it is a wonderful dance full of tension and it was fun to read about.

I am still absolutely loving this world of the Broken, Edge, and the Weird. We get to learn a lot more about the balance of power in the Weird and both the Mirror and the Hand groups play a large role in the story. There was action in here, humor, politics, romance...just a little bit of everything. Everything was well balanced and the book was hard to put down.

Overall I just loved this book. I love the characters and the wonderfully creative world. I loved the twisting plot and the fast-paced action. Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy. It has a bit more romance than the Kate Daniels series but not a ton. I can't wait to see what the Andrews come up with next in the Edge series.

Novella Review - Silver Shark (A Kinsmen Novella) by Ilona Andrews (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Size: 242 KB
Publisher: NYLA
Release Date: September 14th, 2011
ASIN: B0005N9FPOO
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd Kinsmen Novella
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the second novella in the Kinsmen series by husband and wife writing team Ilona Andrews. This was another fast-paced science fiction story laced with romance. I really enjoyed reading it. I didn't like it quite as much as the first Kinsmen novel,Silent Blade, but it was still a great read.

Claire Shannon is a psycher, she's been trained to wage war with her mind. When the decades long war on her home planet ends Claire is deported and forced to hide her psychic abilities to survive. She arrives at a new beautiful planet and interviews for a job as an admin with the handsome Venturo Escana. Venturo is as deadly as he is handsome and Claire is drawn to his powerful psycher skills even as she is forced to hide her own psycher talents. When Claire tries to help out some people from her home planet she finds that she hasn't completely left war behind.

This was a very good novella. I really enjoy the Kinsmen world and wish that Andrews would do a full length Kinsmen novel so that we could learn even more about this world. I love reading about the psychers and their powers and enjoy reading about all the worlds where the characters come from.

As with all of the Andrews books, the characters were wonderful and absolutely sucked me into the story. The romance between Venturo and Claire is perfectly balanced; they have wonderful chemistry together.

The plot was fast-paced and I never found it to be boring or too predictable. The story was wrapped up nicely too.

Overall I really enjoyed this novella and am glad that I bought it. If you enjoyed the previous novel, Silent Blade, then I think you will enjoy this one as well. If you enjoy the Kate Daniels book, you will probably enjoy this too. There is a good mix here of science fiction, action, and romance. Can't wait to see what the next Kinsmen novella brings.

Waiting on Wednesday - 9/21

Okay "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my Waiting on Wednesday book is Fate's Edge (The Edge, Book 3) by Ilona Andrews.  Just like Andrews Kate Daniels series I love The Edge series.  I am really looking forward to reading this next Edge book!

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

• Length: 480 pages
• Publisher: Ace
• Release Date: November 29th, 2011
• ISBN-13: 978-0441020867
• 
  

Synopsis from GoodReads.com:

"The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where magic is a fairy tale, and the Weird, where the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Audrey Callahan may come from a family of thieves and con men, but she left that life in the Edge behind and has gone straight with a legitimate—and thoroughly unmagical—job in the Broken. Then her brother gets in trouble, and her father cajoles her into helping out on one last heist.

But Audrey is about to meet her match in Kaldar Mar, an Edger who has been on the wrong side of the law himself. Kaldar, a sometimes gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy with some unusual talents of his own, is assigned to track down a stolen item... and the trail leads him to Audrey.

Forced to work together, Kaldar and Audrey discover that the missing item has made its way into the hands of a dangerous criminal organization—one they will have to outsmart if they want to live ."

Short Story Review - Fathers and Sons (Curran POV 2) by Ilona Andrews (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 98 KB

Publisher:  Ilona Andrews, Inc
Release Date: May 19, 2011
ASIN: B0051VHMGI
Stand Alone or Series: Short Story from Kate Daniels series
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is another Curran point of view short story.  I love these and love hearing from Curran's point of view.  This Curran POV was different from the first one in that it tells one short story and not a whole bunch of snippets from Curran's POV.  It is pretty short, but I had fun reading it and thought it was worth the read.

This story takes place after the events that happen in Magic Slays.  Curran has awoken from his injuries and is pissed at how the pack treated Kate while he was unconscious.  Almost all of the story is from Curran's point of view; there are a couple small snippets told from Kate's POV though.

I enjoyed the story.  It was fun to have the events that take place after Magic Slays filled out some.  Curran is hilarious and hearing how much he both loves Kate and is frustrated by her is endearing.  There are some great action scenes in this short story too.

Overall definitely worth the read if you are a big Kate Daniels fan.  Written in the same high quality, humorous, action-packed style as the books.  It is pretty short though, if you don't want to pay for it the same POV story was released for free on Ilona Andrew's blog in all formats (kindle, epub, and pdf).   

Review - Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5) by Ilona Andrews (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult 
Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Size: 320 pages 
Publisher: Ace 
Release Date: May 31, 2011 
ISBN-13: 978-0441020423 
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Kate Daniels series 
Source: Bought 
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Kate Daniels series by the writing team that is Ilona Andrews.   I pre-ordered it because I had to read it right away!  I just love this series so much.  This was a great book with a lot going on in it; we even get to learn more about Kate's elusive mother.  This is definitely not a stand alone book, so go back and read the previous books in the series first if you haven't.

After being booted from the Order, Kate is trying to set up her own investigation company...but business isn't exactly booming.  Then suddenly Kate gets a call from Atlanta's Master of the Dead that a rogue vampire is headed her way.  Kate races to assist but things aren't happening like they should; something is nullifying the Master's control over his vamps.  On the heels of this she gets another call from the Red Guard they want her to chase down a researcher and his experimental device.  The catch is this device is somehow wrapped up with a secret cult and could possibly destroy Atlanta.  To add to the mess Kate is trying to keep her relationship with Curran working and then finds out that her ward, Julie, has run away from school...again.

This is the first time I read the book in this series rather than listening to it on audio book.  To be honest I think I like listening to them on audio book a bit better because the audio books are just so well done. 

There is a lot going on throughout this book, more than in previous books.  There are a lot of different storylines pulling Kate in different directions; although by the end of it all the storylines come together nicely, if maybe just a bit too conveniently.  I know previous reviewers have mentioned that the timing of tech and magic waves are just a bit too convinient and maybe a bit contrived, and I have to say I agree.

Kate and Curran are finally sharing their feelings and trying to make their complicated relationship work.  Kate inherits a new minion, a bouda who is causing trouble for Miss Bea is assigned to Kate as punishment, and he is an entertaining character. 

One of the favorite parts of the book is where Kate visits the witch and learns more about her mother, her father, and her past in general.  It was wonderful to learn more about Kate's history.  There were a lot of awesome action scenes throughout the book and they are well done as usual.  There is some humor throughout the book, although not as much as in previous books, still I laughed outloud a few times.

I did miss the fact that Jim wasn't in the book much and Julie, although she is in the story a lot, doesn't get much oppotunity to talk back to Kate.  This book was a bit different than previous books because of all of the twisting and complexity of the plot, it seems like a bit of a transition book...like maybe we are finally gearing up for Kate to take on her father Roland.  The book ends well and completes the story well, but throws another little twist at the reader right at the end.

Overall it was an excellent addition to the series.  I think if you enjoy this series you will love it.  Not a book to start the series on, too many things are happening for that.  I enjoyed learning more about Kate's past and am eager to see what the next installment in this series throws at us.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

 

Short Story Review - Of Swine and Roses by Ilona Andrews (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal
Size:  101 KB
Publisher:  Ilona Andrews, Inc
Release Date: March 4, 2011
ASIN: B004QT6ZPK
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

 
This is a short young adult story by the Ilona Andrews writing team.  It is a very cute and sweet urban fantasy with a romantic twist to it.  Definitely worth the 99 cents to read, especially if you are a fan of the Andrews' writing.

Alena is forced to go on a date with a Thug named Chad.  You see her family is powerful in magic but poor and Chad's family is rich and would be a great fit...politically.  Alena hates the idea but agrees for the good of the family.  To say the date is a disaster is understating things; especially since it ends up with Alena chasing a pig through mud and ruining her favorite shirt.  In the end though things aren't quite what they seem...

This story is very short; took maybe 10-15 minutes to read.  But in that small space the Andrews create an excellent world and vivid characters who you really grow to love.  I am always amazed at how complex a world and characters these authors create in such a small space.  The characters are witches and are part of a complex political structure.

Definitely worth the read if you are a fan.  To be honest I didn't like it quite as much as their adult stuff.  My favorite non-series based short story by them is still The Silent Blade.  Still it was a very fun and cute young adult read and I am glad I read it.

This would be something that could be expanded into a great YA series and hopefully there are plans for that...although I haven't heard anything.

Overall worth the read.  It is a good way to be introduced to the Andrews writing.  A fun, cute, and sweet story full of magic, humor, and irony.  I really enjoyed it.  Hopefully they will start a YA series in this awesome world at some point!

 

News - Cover for Magic Slays (Kate Daniels Book 5)

So the cover for Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5) was released today on the Andrews' blog.  You can see it below!  Enjoy :-)

Review - Bayon Moon (The Edge, Book 2) by Ilona Andrews (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher:Ace
Release Date: September 28th, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0441019458
Stand Alone or Series:Book 2 in The Edge series; 4 books on contract for this series
Source:Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars


I read this book on my Kindle.  It is the second book in The Edge series by husband and wife book writing team, Ilona Andrews.  There are four books contracted for this series.  You don't really have to read the first book, On the Edge, to enjoy this one; although some characters from the first book do make an appearance in this one.

Cerise Mar and her family own tons of land in the Mire, the Edge Swamplands, but they are poor.  When Cerise's parents are captured by a feuding family; she is now the family's leader and will stop at nothing to get her parents back even if it does mean rekindling an ages old feud with the competing Mire family.  But things are more complicated than Cerise could imagine.  William, the changeling from the first book in the series, has been hired by the Mirror to track down an agent of the Hand (both factions represent nations of the Weird) named the Spider.  William and Cerise find that their paths will cross and that Cerise's family feud may be connected to a silent war being waged between the Mirror and the Hand. 

I actually liked this book quite a bit more than On the Edge, and I liked that book a lot.  The plot for this book is a lot more complex, there is more battle and more intrigue.  This book also ties in more of the politics that are happening in the Weird and it was great to see more of the infrastructure that makes up the Wierd; we never got to see much of the Weird in the first book.

William and Cerise are wonderful characters.  Cerise is tough and shoulders her responsibilites to her huge family well; she has some weak moments but that only makes her easier to love as a character.  William is a wonderful match for Cerise, he is just as tough as Cerise and comes with a lot of baggage which makes him a realistic and lovable character as well.   The chemistry between these two characters is amazing; you are really rooting for them the whole book.  Even the side characters are unique and well developed.  There are a number of side characters in the group of the Hand and in Cerise's family that could hold a story all their own; they are wonderfully complex and interesting.

This book is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance.  There are a couple steamy scenes between Cerise and William.  William is one of those "Mate-for-life" alpha males which makes the story lean a little to the romance side at some points.  That being said there is a ton of action and some truly awesome fight scenes  in the book, and it is these type of scenes that make up the majority of the story.  Nothing ever gets overly serious in this book; the characters have a great sense of humor and the dialogue and banter does an excellent job reflecting this.

As with ever other book I have read by the Andrews; the plot is tight, the fight scenes well done, the romance scenes well done, the book very engaging, great world-building, and lovable characters.  Just a great book overall.

Overall this was a wonderful addition to this series.  This book broadens the world we were introduced to in the first book, On the Edge, and has a more complex story than the first book did.  Cerise and William are tough characters who really kick-butt but are at the same time lovable.  I can't wait to read the next book in this series to see what it adds to the story.  Ilona Andrews has quickly become an author who can do no wrong as far as I am concerned...everything I have read by this husband and wife team has been wonderful.  Definitely check out their Kate Daniels series; I love that series just as much as, if not more than, this series.  If you enjoy this series and the Kate Daniel's series I highly recommend the following Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin, Elemental Assassin by Jennifer Estep, Dorina Basarab by Karen Chance, and Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter.  All feature tough female characters and highly developed, creative worlds that lean more towards urban fantasy than paranormal romance.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Curran: Vol. 1 by Ilona Andrews and Gordon Andrews(4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
File Size: 44 KB
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: October 9th, 2010
ASIN: B0046LV7LU
Stand Alone or Series: Companion book to Kate Daniels series
Source: Downloaded from smashwords.com
Rating: 4/5 stars
 

If you love the Kate Daniels series I recommend downloading and reading this novella of short stories which are written from Curran's point of view.  You can also get this on smashwords or off of the Andrews' website for free.  I downloaded it from smashwords a couple months ago. 

The stories are pulled from all different books in this series.  Most of them feature scenes between Kate and Curran, but are done from Curran's point of view.  There are a couple that cover times when Kate wasn't there (one is the conversation that Curran has with Julie when he is trapped in the Loup cage).

I wouldn't recommend downloading this to read if you haven't read the series.  None of these stories really explain much; they just give you some insight to Curran's thought process.  Which if you love the series you will really enjoy.

The stories themselves are well-written and humorous.  It is not a huge collection, takes maybe an hour or so to read.  Originally most of these stories were published on the Andrew's blog.  It is nice to get them all in one place and be able to sit down and read them.  It does give some insight into Curran and fills in a couple spots of the story where there were little gaps.

I really enjoyed reading this and can't wait for the Kate Daniels book to be released!  This is a must read if you love the series.  If you haven't read the series though I would recommend reading that first so you understand what is being covered in these stories.