Bending the Spine: Review: Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5) by Ilona Andrews

Description

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . . (Goodreads)

Book Details

  Genre: Urban Fantasy
                                             Paperback: 320 pages
                                             Publisher: Ace
                                             Published: May 31, 2011
                                             ISBN-10: 0441020429
                                             ISBN-13: 978-0441020423

Author’s Website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/

Review

After all that happened in Magic Bleeds I knew that Magic Slays would be a new beginning to the Kate Daniels Series. For starters Kate and Curran aren't chasing after each other any more, they are a mated pair living together at the keep. Then there is the fact that Kate is no longer working with the order, but has her own business to build. Even through these changes in the series, I didn’t once want to put this book down.

Magic Slays takes place two months after Magic Bleeds. Kate’s best friend Andrea is back and together they are one snarky, sarcastic, “Cutting Edge” duo. Now in business together they have taken on a case that, if they can’t solve, not only will they die, but everyone they care about will as well. Even though Magic Slays is action packed I surprisingly never felt rushed. I felt the flow from scene to scene was wonderful.

My biggest worry about Magic Slays was that I would miss the old Kate and Curran from the previous books, with all their yummy sexual tension and games. Now having read the book I know it was just dumb prejudgment on my part. They may live together but Curran is still the Beast Lord, and Kate is extremely powerful and no one can change her mind once it is set on something. One of my favorite quotes in the book is said just after Kate has gotten out of some trouble. “I am delighted that my favorite alpha is feeling better. Why, you’ll be running recklessly into danger against overwhelming odds anytime now.”

With each book there is great growth and Magic Slays is no exception. Kate finds out that everything she held dear about her past was a lie, and it hurts her greatly and the author Ilana Andrews did a great job at making me feel that pain. Through that pain her relation with Curran is strengthened. I don’t think I would change one thing about this book. I’m so sad I have to wait so long for the next in the series.

Happy Reading,

Rebecca