Fantasy Novel

5 Responses to “Magic Bites”

1. 
   R. Kyle Says:
   April 10th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

   This is one of the best-realized fantasy worlds I’ve encountered in a debut novel. Our heroine, Kate, lives in an alternate Atlanta, where magic and technology come in unpredictable waves. When her guardian is killed, she seeks out the murderer using some hilarious concepts of investigation.

   If you are a paranormal romance reader, this book may not be for you. Despite its title, “Magic Bites” falls strongly on the fantasy end of the continuum. “Magic Bites” is both a very good fantasy and mystery and you can get easily drawn in–as long as you are not too disappointed there is not a strong romance line in the novel.

   Another warning, if you are someone who thinks vampires are dead sexy, this book does not ascribe to this point of view. Vampires are nobody’s erotic fantasy in this novel and that makes them particularly interesting.

   World building is critical to the fantasy genre and Ms. Andrews has earned a 5 star rating just for that. The rules for her world are pretty clear and she sticks to them. She’s obviously carefully considered the eventualities of phases where magic and technology rule the city and keeps things interesting with the changes she puts her characters through.

   Kate is a well-realized and interesting character. She’s someone you can empathize with and she’s got a pretty darn good sense of humor. I see shades of Raymond Chandler in this book in the humor.

   Also, Andrews resolves her mystery in this book, but leaves you with enough questions to want to read her next novel in this series. I, for one, hope the novel comes soon, but I think she will be well worth the wait.
   Rating: 5 / 5

2. 
   Deborah Wiley Says:
   April 10th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

   Kate Daniels lives in a world in which magic fluctuations are an everyday occurrence. In fact, she makes her living off of these disruptions. However, her world is turned upside down when a vampire delivers a message about her guardian. Kate agrees to work for the Order to avenge the death of her guardian and soon finds herself in the midst of an ongoing conflict between the two major supernatural groups, the People and the Pack. Kate is in for some unpleasant surprises as she delves deeply into Atlanta’s magical world.

   MAGIC BITES is what urban fantasy is all about! Ilona Andrews has written a tale that is not for the faint of heart as she is not afraid to take risks. There is little, if any, romance in this tale and the gore level is high. However, it is the phenomenal world building that makes MAGIC BITES such a success. Ilona Andrews takes a darker approach to vampires and shape shifters and the complexity of her world is astounding.

   Kate Daniels is a great lead female character. She is the ultimate action heroine as she charges right into the thick of things. She is a bit brusque at times but Ilona Andrews does an excellent job at making Kate likeable in spite of her attitude. There is also a bit of a mystery surrounding Kate as tantalizing hints are dropped throughout the novel.

   MAGIC BITES is a welcome entry to the urban fantasy genre. It is easy to forget that this is a first novel by Ilona Andrews as the tale is so well done. I can’t wait for the sequel as MAGIC BITES is easily recommended!

   COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
   Rating: 5 / 5

3. 
   J. J. Thomas Says:
   April 10th, 2010 at 6:20 pm

   Usually in fantasy books magic is a force within a person to be used, good or bad, at will. In this book it’s an exterior force that is fighting, and winning, against technology, but also useable by those who know how. Usually werewolves are depicted as aloof creatures involved in their own pack lives; the top of the shape-shifting hierarchy. In this book they are just one of many shape-shifters all living in The Pack, led by a fierce were-lion. Usually vampires are dark and dangerous, powerful, totally amoral blood-thirsty creatures, flashy dressers and sexy, to the non-vamp, as all get out. These vampires, most not even creatures of their own volitions, take the Nosferatu model and degenerate it even more. Ugly, near-skeletal monsters who give true meaning to the term “undead” controlled by Masters of the Dead.

   This is the world that Kate, a magic-using mercenary, lives, in the former vibrant, now crumbling under the onslaught of magic, city of Atlanta Georgia. One of these “undead” creatures visits her, and through its master finds out that her mentor/father figure has been murdered. With the unofficial blessing of The Guild, the official fighters against evil magic, she sets out to investigate the murder.

   “Magic Bites” is an excellent read. It’s fast-paced and all the characters are interesting, regardless of how “fantastic”. There’s almost a romance, but it takes a big hit along the way. I’m hopeful in later books that Kate, who really keeps her emotions under tight control, can repair the nacent relationship, for her own sake, if nothing else.

   Unlike some books which reveal everything in the first volumn, this book leaves many things to learn in future stories, including the mystery of Kate herself.
   Rating: 4 / 5

4. 
   S. Rychnovsky Says:
   April 10th, 2010 at 9:01 pm

   Ilona Andrews is a skilled writer and this is a competent first novel. The main character, Kate, is one of those tough female protagonists who is very good at fighting, somehow never has enough money, and occasionally manages to piss off everyone around her. This is a detective story set in a supernatural future Atlanta with were beasts, vampires, and magic users. There are a few aspects to the story that bothered me:

   (a) Why make the bad guy so completely nasty? There is a lot of gratuitous ugliness (rape, cannibalism, many dead bodies) in the story that does nothing to strengthen the plot.

   (b) Men whose actions are ruled by excess testosterone come off as idiots in my book. Kate has a serious case of testosterone poisoning. Why go around picking fights with every other character in the book? A male character would look stupid with such behavior, and I am afraid Kate looks dumb when she behaves that way.

   (c) There is an important fight between Kate and a female character that is central to the story. Kate should find the whole thing very traumatic, but she just cruises through the action. I think the book could be improved if the author took more care to show us how the action affected Kate in this scene and similarly improved the characterization in a few other emotionally charged scenes.

   I would recommend the book, but only if you have a high tolerance for violence and gore.
   Rating: 3 / 5

5. 
   Jane Litte Says:
   April 10th, 2010 at 11:12 pm

   Kate Daniels is a member of the Mercenary Guild. She hires out her sword and her magical talents to suppress those who are misusing their power. This is a world where tech and magic are competing for control. When the tech wave rises, magic subsides and vice versa. The fantasy construct is detailed and original. It’s a bit Renaissance society meets futuristic. Each City is assigned a group of knights from the Order of Knights of Magical Aid. In this world, there are also shapeshifters and The People (vampires) and humans.

   Kate is a reluctant heroine. She is powerful, due to her lineage, but she doesn’t work well with others. She choose to be a Mercenary instead of part of the Order as her guardian and knight-diviner, Greg, wanted. But then someone starts killing different members of each group, including Greg. Before a full scale war breaks out between the Pack and the People and to avenge her loss, Kate Daniels must discover who is behind the murders and she must learn to work with others. One of those “others” is the powerful, sexy and merciless Lord of the Beasts, Curran.

   I am first and foremost a romance reader. It takes a really good book to make me enjoy a story with no romance. While there is a slight tickle there between Kate and Curran, the story focused on the fantasy construct, the plot, and Kate’s destiny in this world. The fantasy construct was something very original; very fresh. There are knights, protectors, crusaders, mercenaries, the Lord of the Beasts and vampires as I haven’t read in other books. The imagery is vivid; the dialogue smart.
   
   ****

   I glanced around the room. The mood had changed. The game had ended, and their eyes burned like fire. The hair on their heads bristled, and the smell of murder was in the air.
   
   “This is Slayer,” I said, holding the saber so they could see it clearly. The saber seethed, and luminescent tendrils of smoke clung to its blade. “It has had many names. One of them was Wolfripper. Push me and I will show you how it got that one.”
   
   –
   
   Curran turned to me. “Take one of mine again and I’ll kill you.” He said it in a conversational manner, matter-of-fact and flat, but in his eyes I could see a simple certainty. If he had to, he would kill me. He would not lose any sleep over it. He would not give it a second thought. He would do it and move on, untroubled by ending my existence.

   ****
   
   The niggles is that Kate is a smart mouth and at times that gets her into trouble and she doesn’t always learn from this. During an encounter with Curran, Kate acts hastily and suffers a bad consequence from it. But in the very next scene, she is smarting off again which could have easily led her into more trouble. There were also some hiccups in the plot and some character motivations that I couldn’t explain but overall, this was an excellent start to a brand new series. Any fan of Patricia Briggs and Charlaine Harris would enjoy an afternoon with this book. A-
   Rating: 5 / 5

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