Magic Slays (Kate Daniels)

Excellent continuation of Kate and Curran's story! The ending left a good cliff hanger. Already wanting the next book to be written and published. The series is full of suspense, humor, action, love. Read this book, you won't be disappointed!

This book was so satisfying. I practically ate it up! Very true to the characters that we've grown to love so much. And the plot was excellent. Loved it! Highly recommended! (Caution: Read the books in order. Not stand alone.). 5 stars!

I really like this series and was happy to see that the new book FINALLY got released. Loved the book, with my only negative comment - it ended too soon! I need the next book to see what happens next. I can hardly wait.

A book worth the wait since we've last seen Kate!

Funny, snarky, loyal and smart: I LOVE Kate's development in this book. She is growing into herself and into her and Curran being a couple. The story is well written, humorous and action packed. More story than you can actually believe! There are so many more stories to be told about all these characters.

As an aside::::::I so totally disagree with the reviewer "katiebabs". Kate and Curran as a couple have SO MUCH potential for further adventures. Like Frost's Cat and Bones and Robb's Eve and Roarke, stories can abound. Being in a "couple" in no way hinders the action and adventure. Look at the mess Chloe Neill made with her latest Chicagoland book. Fans are revolting left and right and if she doesnt pull out a grade A miracle she's going to lose everything FAST!!

This series gets better with each new book. I love the way Kate and Curran interact. I'm also addicted to other characters in this series and hope to see more of their stories soon. I never take the time to review books - I read a lot! but this series is my favorite of all time.

I didn't get very far into the book before I gave up. There are sections MISSING. In the middle of a sentence flip the page to find myself in the middle of a totally different as sentence. After the second or third time I gave up. I REALLY want to read this book but will try to return it. HUGELY disappointed! If I actually get to read the book will change number is stars.

Kate finally has her own business, Cutting Edge, and while people know who she is, she isn't getting any work due to the Order dragging her name through the dirt.

That all changes when Ghastek calls saying a vampire is on the loose and running towards her building, a vampire not even one of the Master of the Dead himself can hold.
Seemingly unrelated is a case from Rene, a Red Guard. The man they were protecting and the prototype he was building mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind area's fully devoid of magic.

Will Kate, Andrea (she's back yay), Curran and their allies get to the bottom of the peculiar happenings before shit really hits the fan or is this the end of Kate's new family and the whole supernatural community?

My take on the book:

Wow... this one is a solid 5 stars. I loved it!!! Whyyyyyyyyy did I wait so long to read this book???
The first part of the book was a nice and slow setting of the stage, a bit of a recap of the former instalment. But the second part... what... the... hell! It was a rollercoaster of action and emotion.
Up till now, this is my favourite one! Promising for the next parts :D

World-building is good, we move about the same locations as previous books, but for example, when Kate is following the duck turned rabbit into the forest, the author describes it so well it's so easy to imagine and as such very immersive.

Character building is excellent! Kate and Curran's relationship is in a bit of an 'in-between stages' sort of awkwardness. How does Curran really feel about Kate? Did he know she was Roland's daughter before taking her as his mate? On top of all the things Kate needs to handle in this instalment, this is always in the back of her mind, whispering, making her doubt their feelings. Really well done.

Pacing and flow were great, as stated before, the start was setting the stage, pointing out the difficulties of her new business. But the second half, well... you wont be able (or want to) put the book down!

The book in itself is really well written, I have found no (noticeable) errors and there is no sex described in the book (even though we know the characters do get their freak on), if that is important to you.

All in all, yeah... this one is up till now my favourite of the series. Read it now, you wont be disappointed!

4.5-5 stars

This was another great story and addition to the series. Kate and Curran are together and doing well but unfortunately, others aren't willing to let peace reign.

Kate's new business hasn't been getting much business but she does get an offer for a job from the Red Guard, who she encountered during the Midnight Games (from [book:Magic Strikes|4345498]). The job is to find a man and a device he was making that were both stolen out from under the Red Guard's protection. As Kate starts investigating the kidnapping, she gets embroiled in something much more serious than expected...something that threatens the whole city and takes the combined efforts of the magical community to combat.

On a more personal side, Kate finds some of her relations on her mother's side and gains an unexpected (if rather unwilling) ally. Julie hasn't been happy at the school Kate sent her too and sneaks back to Atlanta...just in time to get caught in the cross-fire. Unfortunately, this forces Kate to take extreme measures to save her, some of which will have lasting consequences.

There's some drama and major danger but Kate & Curran and their friends/allies manage to get through it. Overall, I love the characters and the story was exciting and engaging from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this series. :)

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a great job.

4.25 stars!

Book 5 in the Kate Daniels series and I'm still loving it! This was the book I never made it to the first time I was reading the series, so I'm glad I got to it and finished it! In this installment, Kate must find a missing scientist who has created a new device that has the potential to do massive harm. It becomes a race against time to save thousands of lives and Kate has the help of the pack.

“Did he just rip out the engine?" I asked.
"Yes", Saiman said. "And now he is demolishing the Maserati with it."
Ten seconds later Curran hurled the twisted wreck of black and orange that used to be the Maserati into the wall.
The first melodic notes of an old song came from the computer. I glanced at Saiman.
He shrugged. "It begged for a soundtrack.”

One of the best things about this series is the sense of humor surrounding it. Yes there are serious parts, but the quips thrown in just make it so so good. As always, I love Kate and Curran. I loved seeing all my favorite characters return and some new ones thrown in. A truly wonderful PNR series, and urban fantasy series. I highly recommend you start reading them asap!

“Yes I can,” Curran snarled. “Listen: this is me telling you what you will not do.”
I raised the cookbook and tapped him on the nose. Bad cat.”

Yeesh! These books keep getting better and better! Just when I thought there were no more big revelations to come, this book totally surprised me.

We join Kate as she is working on making her own business. Sure, the pack has fronted the money to set it up, but she’s also determined not to be some sort of “kept woman.” Getting called “consort” is certainly not helping matters, either. Her first real client comes around the same time as she gets some employees, which is a good thing. The guards we previously met at the Midnight Games end up calling her up for help. Turns out, some big bad magical thing is missing and so is the inventory. This throws Kate firmly into some magical drama between factions that mostly hate each other.

On the relationship front, it was nice to see a mostly stable Kate and Curran. If you’re hoping for some of your other favorite couples showing up, don’t hold your breath. I’m sure those will be further handled in separate books or stories. While all this is going on, Kate is also struggling to be a stern but still awesome guardian to Julie. Some horrible things happen. I’m still not over it.

We get your typical ending from Kate Daniels – lots of destruction, some maiming, but this time she actually comes out slightly less damaged than usual. Maybe this time we were focusing more on the emotional and mental trauma, of which there was tons. I’m a little happy for a bit of a break from Kate after this (the next book is an Andrea one) so I can decompress from this one.

I was already head over heels in love with this series, and somehow this book managed to be bigger, badder, and better than everything that has come before it. Kate’s finally made the decision to commit herself to Curran, though their relationship remains ‘complicated’. And it’s a good thing she has the pack behind her, because the forces she comes against in this book would have eaten her alive if she didn’t have allies. We also get to learn more about her messed up childhood and twisted family dynamics. These revelations alone are worth the price of admission. I could gush for hours about how much I loved this book and how much more I want to know about everything in this world, but if I did that I’d start getting all spoiler-y and that would ruin the enjoyment of anyone else just discovering this series. So, I’ll leave it at “I highly recommend reading this book and the series as a whole”.

MAGIC SLAYS is the fifth book in the Kate Daniels series. I say this every review, but the books in this series just keep getting better and better! I’m a latecomer to this amazing urban fantasy series, but that’s good in a way, because I can’t imagine waiting a year between installments.

If you thought Erra was bad in the previous book, MAGIC BLEEDS, the bad guys in MAGIC SLAYS are even worse. Kate’s case this time spotlights a danger to the entire city of Atlanta. It’s something she can’t handle herself, even though she’s quit the Order and doesn’t have them holding her back anymore. I really liked the big fight in MAGIC SLAYS, because lots of different groups come and fight together — it felt epic in scope.

My favorite things about this series include Kate, Kate and Curran, the Pack, and the other characters. The author continues to deliver on all of those points.

♥ Kate has grown so much from the first book in the series while staying true to herself that it’s incredible. She’s still snarky and bad ass, but now more vulnerable because she’s formed attachments and friendships with people.

♥ Kate and Curran — their relationship has become one of my favorite in an urban fantasy series. They bicker and have to work to develop their relationship and support each other. It’s realistic, which is always important to me.

♥ I do so enjoy the Pack. It’s great to see Kate act as the Alpha, showing the shapeshifters that she can act like them without going furry, and that she’ll protect them just as much as Curran does.

♥ I love Kate and Curran, but I also love all the other characters in this series. The author’s really good at making you feel for everybody, if they’re in one scene or multiple books. Andrea is back, which was great, since I like her friendship with Kate. Julie’s also back, yay! Although maybe not yay, because the poor kid goes through some rough stuff. The new bouda Ascanio’s a hoot, and the attack poodle Grendel is back. Seriously, there are some great characters in this series, and I’m greedy enough to want novellas about all of them.

MAGIC SLAYS slays it.

The Kate Daniels series has become one of my favorites because it has a great heroine, lots of action, is fast-paced with no dull moments, I also love Kate's mate Curran (finally! they're a couple, after so much sexual tension between them), and it has great secondary characters that are easy to like, such as Derek, Julie, Jim and Andrea.

The main plot is very interesting, there is a new threat that could endanger the entire magical world and Kate is in the middle of it, but there are also other subplots such as Kate's and Curran's relationship as mates because there are still some details to work out between them. And there is also Julie, Kate's ward that continues to cause problems like any other teenager.

But in the midst of dealing with all this, Kate discovers new information about Voron, her adoptive father and his relationship with her mother, something that affects her balance and cast doubt on everything she though she knew until then.

Magic Slays was a really great read, it has lots of action and the plot does not stop at any time, the story flows well and it has its funny moments that make me laugh out loud and I also enjoyed Kate's sarcasm.

The Kate Daniels series is a MUST READ (it's an amazing series) .... I highly recommend it.

Kate Daniels is struggling to keep her fledging business, The Cutting Edge, afloat so when a former acquaintance, Renee from the Midnight Games, appears in her office with a potential job, Kate is secretly thrilled. Renee asks Kate and Andrea to help track down a scientist, Adam, who invented a top secret device that Renee isn't at liberty to discuss. Something about Renee's demeanor alarms Kate, she appears to be terrified but of what? Kate and Andrea take on the job because they need the work. The more Kate digs, the more frightened she becomes. Adam was making a weapon, one that could potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people. Can Kate and Andrea track it down and prevent a disaster?
What I Liked:
*I feel like a broken record writing reviews for this series, so I am going to keep this review short and simple. Read the Kate Daniels Series because it is epic and awesome. If you don't, you will be kicking yourself.
*I thought I had become acclimated to all the danger in action in this series, but with this book, I literally hit a point when I couldn't stop listening because I just had to know what was going to happen next. This one totally sucked me in. The best yet ( I think I say that with every book, but this one was my favorite so far).
*The romance continues to strengthen, and I am loving how it is playing out. I like that this a romance between two head strong people, neither willing to bend to other, but it works. There was a moment when I wanted to strangle Kate when she started hesitating again, but thankfully, she gets her head on straight. This is a steamy and impressive romance that doesn't delve into the too much area. It is just perfect.
*The humor in this one is even better. Some of the dialogue between Andrea and Kate made me actually laugh out loud. I love the snark.
*The plot continues to be intricate and interesting. As with each and every book, there is always a new conflict as well as new information for the ongoing series story arc. We learn even more about Kate and her past, some startling new details in fact. I love the depth and detail of this series.
*The action in this one is intense. Without going into too many details, there was a big moment when the fate of one the characters was hanging in the balance, and I just had to know what was going to happen. Of course, there is another epic battle, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat at the end as Kate and company fight in a life and death clash. I love that these books are never boring.
*The end draws to a stunning conclusion as most of the main story threads are concluded, but there is a bit of a cliffhanger too with the inclusion of a startling new thread. I am ready for more, good thing I am reading these back to back. I can dive right into the next one.
*I am continuing to listen to this series on audiobook and I can't recommend it enough. Renee Raudman is the voice of Kate Daniels for me. I love how she nails the emotion properly and how she makes me laugh. Her male voices are solid as well. It ins't often you run across a narrator who can do both male and female voices well. Raudman is top notch, and she has quickly landed on my all time favorite narrator list.
And The Not So Much:
*As I mentioned earlier, I had a moment in the book where I wanted to throw up my hands in frustration when it comes to the romance. I thought that Kate was going to backpedal and I wanted to bang me head against the wall. Luckily, it worked out. I hope the romance continues to move forward without further drama.
*This one in comparison had a bit of a slow start. I found myself not invested in the whole plot with the missing scientist and his weapon. It takes awhile to get going, but the reader isn't bored with all the revelations regarding Kate and her history. Everything does culminate into a big action scene, so it's worth the wait.

Magic Slays was another exciting and thrilling installment in one of the best Urban Fantasy series out there. I am tired of telling you all how awesome this series is. Just read it.

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

~ 5 Magic Slays Stars ~
(Some Spoilers) – tried to keep it minimal 

Another winner in the Kate Daniels series. WOW just WOW!

Magic Slays brings us a new threat that threatens the very fabric of magic, alliances will be made, people will die, lives will be change forever, and no one will be left without scares.

Lordy, so much is going on in Magic Slays. I just love this series to death and once I pick up any book in it I can’t put it down until the very end. Re-reading this book over still had the same affect as it did when I first read it. Mind Blowing! 

(Possible Spoilers Ahead)

Kate is now mated and living with The Best Lord (Curran), but many of the shifters manly the Wolf Clan still don’t like her. This is partly because she is human (little do they know what she truly is), but also because some bad s*** happened in Magic Bleeds that affected the Wolf Alpha pair. Kate now has her own PI business that will benefit her and the Pack. Andrea returns from being MIA and we learn where she has been, what happened to her, and that she no longer has a job with the Order. These two have a good friendship and they work well together. Julie also makes more of an appearance in Magic Slays and we see the relationship she has with Kate. Something very bad happens to Julie and Kate must make a very big and hard decision that could kill Julie or both of them.

Our heroine learns some disturbing news about her step-father Vorn. The past is not as rosy as she thought and what she learns affects her deeply. Her world view tumbles downhill and what she thought she new was not true. With this new information about her step-dad and mom, she will question herself about why Curran is with her? I absolutely love that Curran lays it all out for Kate and chooses her over the Pack. He will stick by her through think or thin, run with her if that is what she wants, and will do anything for her.

Magic Slays is another fabulous read in the Kate Daniels series and fans will enjoy the new twists, turns, and action-packed adventure.

Some of you maybe looking at the three-star review, and shaking your heads. I just felt like the emotional connection that I usually get with Ilona Andrews' books didn't happen in this book. Some parts even reminded me of the Laurell K. Hamilton series, which is cool, but I was hooked on this series because it was so unlike any other vampire and shapeshifter books that I've read. Oh well. Book 5 is still a "slammin" read. Three-stars for a great book! Thanks, again, Andrews.

Yes, I enjoy the Kate Daniels universe and love the dialog between Curran and Kate. However, up front I am going to say that as Urban Fantasy plots go the books are pretty predictable. Magic Slays was well, very predictable! I had the plot figured out from the first introduction of the “machine”. It was time for the cult crazy magic hating humans . . . it was just time. They show up in every paranormal title at some point. Especially Urban Fantasy. Oh, and a certain character getting messed up . . . boy wonder already got smacked down hard. It was time that someone else was on the chopping block. That whole Julie plot from start to resolution was there with glaring neon lights. It's the curse of reading too many books! (Or maybe overthinking plot points once things are introduced.)

The true enjoyment of Magic Slays is the character development. Curran and Kate are together now, and I had some reservations about how the series would go on from the last book. Gosh, I shouldn't have worried. Kate will never be a damsel. She might accept help from her mate, but she is not a damsel. The way Kate reacts to being in love is so realistic that I can't believe it! Curran and Kate save each other. What's more is that Curran really proves the depth of his love and commitment to Kate here. Be prepared to swoon.

The side characters are totally awesome! Nothing makes me happier then witty dialogue, except maybe realistic dialogue between characters. Their interactions just send my head into a spin of fan-freaking! New characters are introduced effortlessly, friends become enemies, and nothing felt forced. That is the real magic of Andrews for me. Characters and their development. Yes I can see the plot coming, you can in a lot of books, the saving factor for me is always the characters.

And of course world building. Which is still as epic as ever! Political workings of Kate as mate to the Beast King is amazing, and I love how it ticks. Even more is how the witches and sorcerers are so connected in Atlanta and how they function, or dysfunction. The overall Daniels' universe came together beautifully here. Blending in the plot to some big reveals that left this reader very happy.

Don't worry this series is not losing any steam, it's a juggernaut of awesomeness and now that I've read this entry I have total faith in the Andrews writing team. Gunmetal may not be another Kate Daniels book, but now I have the faith to trust Andrews in their decision to “step out” of the series to help it along. Magic Slays is a feast for world and character building. Curran and Kate are more then just a good idea, they're epic. No burn out after the hookup, maybe that's the magic of having a wife and husband write the couple getting together? Usually the realistic qualities of the relationship die out after the couple finally gets together in Urban Fantasy. Finally after the last book and this one, I am now reborn as a diehard Kate Daniels fan.

Sexual Content: Mild sex scenes, plenty of sexual humor!

4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

Orginally reviewed at Book Whispers.

It funny how you know a series is a favorite and you know there is a reason for it being so but with a long absence you tend to forget all the details of they why, that is until you pick one up again and realize, holy cow! This is awesome and why have I waited so long between books?

The Kate Daniels series is that series for me right now. I waited way too long between books and because of it, forgot the awesomeness that is Curran and Kate and numerous other secondary characters that are every bit as much fun to read about as they are.

I forgot about the kick butt fighting scenes, non stop action, slow burning romance and the humor, oh my goodness the humor. I forgot the sarcasm and witty one liners. How could I forget what made this series be in my top 10 to begin with? Silly girl, it won't happen again.

Oh how I have missed this series.

The writing duo that is Ilona Andrews knows their stuff and they not only know it but they always manage to exceed all my expectations with how well they know and execute it.

I love that I can pick up the next book, jump right in and not be lost but not be bogged down by a complete recap of all the events in the last book. The attention to detail without being overly so it amazing and the world they have created, even more so.

With magic having a mind of it's own and where the creatures that roam freely are as predictable and they are unpredictable.

This was a fabulous addition to the series and I can't wait for more and I can promise I won't be going as long as I have in between reads.

it was amazing!. if you want to see Kate kick some *ss again, look no further.
Kate is trying to make a name for herself herself as a PI with the backing of The Pack, but things aren't going too well since the order has soiled her reputation.
when a case comes through the door with a pretty pay check and a serious case of "don't touch me" she has two choices: take the risk clearly attached to it and gamble a chance a getting back in the game, or send the client packing with their problems and risk asking the pack for more money.
We know Kate, so you know where this is going.....

Kate finds herself once again waist deep in doomsday and the people closest to her could be dropping like flies at any given second.

Alliances are formed, truths are told, and the past is split open like a watermelon. All while chaos throws a party in Atlanta.
I'll spare you the gory details so you can get the full impact of it when you turn the page.

I loved it and if you've come this far, I know you will too

What sucked is it was over so soon. I swear these books go too quick and it seemed shorter than 308 pages.

This is one for the series that holds MIXED reviews; personally, I adored it. Some people are complaining Kate is not like herself and is too passive, and Curran too controlling. Frankly I don't see it. She's compromising some to make it work but still as assertive, independent, and strong as ever. Curran's actions and reactions once the relationship has furthered doesn't surprise me, as it matches everything about him that the authors have developed up to this point. I especially dug the warning video tape with the destruction of the cars, yikes. Currans heartfelt speech to Kate about the pack and safe houses to Kate shows a softer side of him to prove how much he really cares for and loves her for who she is and not just what she can do for the pack.

Character wise I also dug having so much of Andrea, Derek, and the new addition with the witches and teenage bouda (however his odd name is spelled...) I was ticked off about a certain death of a secondary character, however - it was depressing.

A bit more Ghastek and the "People" in this one --- they are rarely in the books, which is a shame. I'm sure with what happened with Rowena we'll see more of it in the future, here's hoping. THAT was a development I didn't see, and now that it's here it's amusing and opens up a new ballgame for all kinds of possibilities. And the very ending with the flowers? Brutal cliffhanger here, not a cliffhanger-in-books fan but it's not so bad it can be griped at.

I was especially intrigued with the scene where Kate "saves" Julie. It was surreal and powerful. Shows stepping on the edge of a cliff with great power, to where if you step off that fragile edge you could be in serious trouble. There are of course many debates on who the voice was. My fiance thinks it was herself, a darker version in the future. I personally think it was Roland. We won't know I guess until the later books.

I've rambled on in this review about the characters so much I didn't even touch upon the plot. Again, great. It's really the characters that keep a reader mesmerized with this series, but the plots alone are mentally magnetic. The stakes are as high as ever - total world anarchy, citywide destruction, and many deaths. There's plenty of brutality, violence, icky scenes, and a good dose of hot sex thrown in the mix. Humor is present, as always, it's a natural.

Excellent book, loved it and can't wait for 2013. I was bummed to hear there wouldn't be a new one in 2012, instead a book for the series with Andrea. I like Andrea well enough, but was itching for more Kate/Curran/pack world.

This series is getting better, I am completely addicted and can't drop it.
In this book we get to know the maternal lineage of Kate and how the magic of her blood works. The main theme is about a cult that wants to destroy the magic once and for all.

I loved the new characters, the Kate's aunt (good this time) is a special witch, new bouda Ascanio is something worth reading, but I think he learned from his mistakes and I really hope he will appear in the next books.

I still like the previous characters, Derek and Jim appear, Julie appears to make some stupid things again, I love the girl :) but things are getting complicated for her.

The relationship between Curran and Kate remains firm and ready to resist everything, although they still have their moments of "hostility" and Kate is still learning the laws / rules / pack customs which is funny. It's becoming a stable relationship and I love watching the scenes between those two, they are really good together. They are one of my favorite literary couples.

The story itself is very good, I couldn't let go from the beginning, as has happened with all this books. Kate has the first job for her firm and she has recruited Andrea. In this job they have to find out where a scientist and his work are because someone took them from a highly guarded house. In between, strange things begin to happen, some places run out of magic and vampires' navigators fail to get control of them. From all these situations we came to this cult that wants to eradicate magic in the world. From here we have a wild race against time to discover where they are and try to stop them.

I recommend this book to those who follow the series and advise those who have never picked this author to do so because it's worth it.

Please excuse me a moment while I pick my jaw up off the floor so that I can write yet another glowing review for the Kate Daniels series. Magic Slays packs one heck of a punch with so much action, intrigue and comedy that you'll be strongly tempted to do it all over again when you're done. I'm not exactly sure which is more addictive, Ilona Andrews' writing or Renée Raudman's narration but when these two get together I become putty in their hands. I'm thrilled that I'm finally caught up in this series but also a little sad because I don't think that the Magic Rises audiobook is scheduled to release on July 30th alongside the paperback and I'm not sure if I can bring myself to read it instead.

Andrews adds even more fuel to Kate's angry bonfire by dropping a doozy on the poor girl about the darker side of Voron and her mother's relationship. Talk about kicking a girl when she's down! Aside from Curran and Julie, the only other good thing Daniels had in her life was the knowledge that her parents had loved her. Fortunately for Kate (or maybe it's unfortunate, depends on how you look at it), she's very good at compartmentalizing her emotions. On the flip side, I think that Ilona is a believer in karma because throughout this series good and bad go hand-in-hand. The relationship talk Kate has with Curran injects enough good vibes into Daniels' life and really goes a long way towards reestablishing some semblance of balance. I could barely hold back my tears while I read the Beast Lord's heartfelt admission. After this book there's not a doubt left in my mind as to where Kate and The Pack rank in Curran's life.

The main plot of this story is the standard life-or-death type deal that I've come to expect from Andrews. Kate must once again save Atlanta from itself but this time the culprits are even more unexpected than ever before; conspiracies abound, lines are drawn and friends turn into enemies. The body count in this installment is staggering but as much as I enjoy swordfights, I love the author's dark sense of humour even more. Some of my favourite scenes include Saiman's music video of Curran "playing" with his luxury cars, Kate hearing Pack petitions and the witch's duck-rabbit-cat is just plain adorable! It's unusual for a book to make me feel such a large range of emotions while reading but Magic Slays is just as bloody as it is funny.

The ending of this novel felt like a kick in the nuts (or so I've been told). All I can say is that I'm not sure I'll be able to resist buying the paperback and reading it while the audiobook takes its sweet time coming out. After listening to the last 5 installments back-to-back I think waiting for the 6th book might just kill me.

Kate is trying to maintain her independence from Curan by opening up her own agency, but she's getting no work. Suddenly her best friend, Andrea, shows up who'se been incommunicado for a while. She's been ousted from the guard because it was discovered she's a shape shifter. Kate hires her - her skills with guns far surpasses Kate's who is a sword wielder. They suddenly find themselves hired to find a machine that, when activated, kills anything that has magic, putting all the paranormals in jeopardy. In addition, Her daughter runs away from school again and becomes fatally injured when Kate's office is attacked. Now Kate has to save her life because if she is allowed to wake from a coma mid-change she will go mad and Kate will have to kill her. In addition,she has doubts about Curan's reasons for making her his mate. Lots of action. This series has it all.

Magic Slays is the fifth installment in the Kate Daniels series. Can I just tell you that I am completely obsessed with Kate and Curran's story? As soon as I finished MS, I wanted to pick up the next one immediately. My brain was trying to remind me that I have so many other books that I need to read first but my heart just wanted more Magic. Happy sigh...

If you read this review, it will contain spoilers for the prior books. Be warned!

Kate and Curran are mated and attempting to live together at the Keep. Kate also now has her own a business which is starting slowly, to say the least. So, when she gets a call from Ghastek asking for her assistance catching a loose vamp, she takes the job. While she quickly catches her prey, she soon finds that there is much more going on here.

We are seeing the effects of a world where humans, vamps, shifters and mages try to live together. As in real life different groups are not always tolerant of each other. Some simply want to wipe out those that they see as a risk because they aren't like themselves. Other, especially new, authors should take note - this is why the Kate Daniels series is so effective. Yes, yes...we all love the Kate and Curran relationship. But, there is a STORY to back it up. It even makes sense. Humans are afraid of those with special abilities. The people (who control the vamps) and the shifters don't trust each other. Everyone uses everyone else to get what they want.

This is the world that Kate lives in. As I mentioned in a prior review, she's trying to learn to trust. There is a wonderful conversation between Kate and Curran where she asks him some of the questions that are haunting her about their relationship. Her growth over the last five books is shown in her willingness to take the leap and ask those questions instead of just running away and assuming that she cannot trust him. But, I do love that she will still kick him in the head when she needs to.

My favorite quote: "No, it's not the beast in us that makes us lose our balance. It's the man. Of all the animals, we're the most aggressive and the most predatory."

5/5 stars for my favorite Urban Fantasy series.

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

Wow these stories just keep getting better.

I love when authors can prove that characters can be together as a couple and still have awesome storylines! I think Magic Slays just may be my favourite book yet and with Kate and Curran's private moments in their Keep apartment being my favourite part of the story. I just want to clarify here; I don't mean sex. I just mean the two of them joking around and being together unguarded and relaxed. No kick ass, Kate or bossy alpha man, Curran.

There are a lot of background stories revealed in Magic Slays. The readers learn some more insight into Kate's childhood and her fabled thoughts towards her parents are crushed. We also experience what happens when technology and magic go head to head as extremists try to swing the pendulum all the way over to one direction. There is a lot of hate with these extremists. So much hate that they don't mind having children and innocent adults (normal humans) just like themsleves be murdered for their cause. Its always a low part of humanity when groups ignore death and destruction just to meet their goals. You can feel the hatred drip off the pages and you just want to punch them. Lots of emotions surface in Magic Slays.

Kate gets her first real case at her new Pack sponsored business, Cutting Edge Investigations. With no real solid leads I was amazed on just how smart Kate and her best friend Andrea are with the breadcrumbs of clues. (Yes Andrea comes back!) Ilona Andrews effectively writes how all of the clues slowly fit together as the story enfolds. I know that I was half way through the book and I was astounded how far the investigation came with just the tidbits of information.

Magic Slays was a great title for this book because it was a real insight on how the magical community (for once) had to come together and actually work together to eradicate the enemy. That was a tough go for some of those powerful closely knit groups who prefer isolation and deep secrets.

Another story within Magic Slays is Kate's acceptance within the Pack and her role as the alpha mate. That has got to be a hard job to be the alpha mate of a community of shapeshifters and you aren't even a shapeshifter yourself. Not to mention, her entire life Kate has avoided having friends and being responsible for anyone but herself. Now she finds that she in charge of massive group of powerful and sneaky clans who are constantly trying to be thwart and challenge her.

Kate does some wicked cool magic in this story too. I won't release spoilers but lets just say that she may kick ass in a fight but she is really starting to kiss ass with the magics. Through it all, she somehow remains so grounded and real.

Teasers: Andrea comes back from the Order and stays, the truth of Kate's dad & mom, volhvs & the witches (they're related! who knew?), weapon of mass destruction that started with good intentions

I went into the 5th book thinking it was the last book in the series, and its NOT! Oh man that makes me so much more excited. I have not been author stalking like I should have or else I would know this.

This series is addicting. When I started it in November I was thinking I would read one book a month, you know make it last longer... but I couldn't do it. I had to get my hands on the next book. This series has so many amazingly awesome things about it that you will want to devour it. The characters rock. I feel so close to almost everyone. Of coarse I am in love with Kate and Curran but also the side characters from Andrea to Derek to Julie and a whole bunch of them. The world building is off the charts unique. There is never a dull moment in these action packed books.

And even though Kate and Curran are officially mated their spark is still there. I know it was torture to get us here and I am always afraid once I get my way with a couple that spark might fizzle but that is just not the case here. If they aren't getting naked, or beating each others asses they are least bantering back and forth and always making me smile.

Magic Slays was just packed with non stop action. Kate is finally mated to Curran and she is out of the Order. Of coarse her first case is something that could tear the world apart. Not only does it effect Kate but it could effect every magic user. Lots of lives are lost and some near and dear to us lives are hanging on by a thread.

I can't even begin to get into the plot. Its just freaking awesome. Kate Daniels series is seriously one of the best ever Urban Fantasy series ever. I am so happy I read them.

After being blown away by the first four books in this series, I was anxious for my purchase of Magic Slays to arrive so I could step back into the urban fantasy world created by author Ilona Andrews. I needed more of Curran and Kate along with the other characters involved in the Kate Daniels series.

I had heard so many great reviews on this book that I think I set my expectations a little too high. For me this book didn't wow me as much as the others. Yes, the relationship between Curran and Kate has matured and has become one of those super couples I love to read about, but for me this book was more of a filler and fluff book. It did have a bunch of action and some great scenes that leaves the reader blown away, but it also has spots in the book that became repetitive and not necessarily needed to keep the story moving. I also felt the ending was a little too abrupt and easy. It felt like the author(s) gave up for the last few chapters of the book and just wanted to hurry and finish it to get it out to the readers.

With that being said above, I still enjoyed the book. Anyone who has invested in the journey that Kate has been on will love the dialogue, plot and sexy scenes between Kate and Curran. I was also disappointed in the small amount of page time that Curran had. If the two were going to be a mated couple, you would think we would get to see them work together a little bit more than what was offered. Again, the writing was great and the witty writing that the author(s) come up with left me laughing out loud several times. It is one of the main reasons I love this series. I can't wait to see what comes next for Kate and Curran!

I have been absolutely devouring this series over the last couple of weeks, every single book has had me hooked from the first page and Magic Slays was no exception to that. I love everything about these books - the characters, the action, the world building, everything! - it just all comes together to create what has fast become my favourite urban fantasy series. I think all of my reviews for this series tend to me doing a lot of fan girl squeeing and I'm afraid this one will probably be no different but I'll try to be at least a little objective.

The pace of Magic Slays starts out a little slower than the previous books, that isn't a negative because it means the authors are giving more focus to developing the various characters and their relationships. Of course Kate and Curran have always captured my full attention, I love the way their relationship has grown throughout the series and there are some wonderfully poignant moments between them in this book. They still have their ups and downs and there are definitely issues that they need to work on but they're both prepared to put the effort in and you just know they're going to make it. I just can't get enough of seeing them together, their banter always makes me smile and I definitely spend a lot of time swooning over Curran. Kate is facing some interesting challenges from the rest of the shapeshifers now that she is Curran's mate, she is having to learn pack politics and she is constantly being tested by the other alphas who make up Curran's council but she handles everything they throw at her and puts them back in their place with ease. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching Kate kick ass and she does that quite a lot in this book!

It isn't just Kate's relationship with Curran that is the focus of this story though. We learn more about Kate's background and my heart just broke for her when her world is turned upside down. I think we're going to be in for some interesting new developments once she has had time to digest everything. We also get to see a lot more of her friendship with Andrea and I'm so happy that the pair of them are now working together because they are a lot of fun to spend time with. We're also getting to know the new Derek, he has changed a lot from the young man that Kate first met, everything he has been through has left him with physical and emotional scars but he is a fighter and he refuses to give up.

Although the pace is slower in the first half of the book the action is off the charts towards the end. Kate and Curran are literally facing the end of the world as they know it - you know it's got to be bad if the shapeshifters and the People are prepared to work together against a common threat! Anyone who hasn't already started this series really doesn't know what they are missing, trust me once you've read the first book there will be no going back and you'll fall just as madly in love with these books (and Curran!) as I have.

Fifth in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series in a dystopian Atlanta where magic wars with tech and revolves around Kate Daniels and Curran.

My Take
There's a tiny bit of tension lacking now that Kate and Curran are together but the series will never be tension-less: Curran is too caught up in his possessiveness and fears for a Kate who is herself fearless with a knack for getting herself into humongous trouble. I do love how Andrews keeps the humor in!

Kate does crack me up...and she's cracking herself up what with falling out of bed, his bed, I mean, our bed. The Beast Lord's. Yes, the one that's four-feet high that Curran is offering to install a child playground slide for her... Then there are all his people, the Pack, trying out different terms of address for her: Consort, Alpha, Lady, and Mate. None of which Kate likes. She does, however, pay Curran back with Your Fluffiness, His Furriness, His Fussiness, and more.

And Julie. Kate wanted her in boarding school, learning how to use her own magic, where she'd be safe from the drama of Kate's own life. Instead Curran suggests she'll be safer at the Keep. You know, where there are all these "homicidal maniacs who grew teeth the size of switchblades and erupted into a violent frenzy when threatened", LOL.

The question is, where ever would Kate find the time to spend with Julie, as her new business is "going so well" that Kate is worried she'll start running down the street screaming, "We kill things for money!"

I want to say that Magic Slays is a bridge novel but it's not really. There's too much independent action even though all the action surrounding the main event is setting us up for the next novel. Curran and Kate's relationship has mellowed in that Kate knows how much she loves Curran---a weakness that could have repercussions. We learn of the strictures that affect Kate's relationships with other groups around the city now that she's the Beast Lord's lady. Saiman's fears are addressed although we still don't know what Curran will do to him...personally. Kate's relationships within the Keep seem to be in a state of flux although that one particular kill Kate makes has Curran pretty confident. I'm anxious to see what the results of that particular fight have for her with the other weres. Her newly-found family with the promise of what they can teach her to enable her to survive Roland has, well, promise.

Kate is also fairly forthcoming in what she tells Curran about her past and her true abilities.

It's a story that focuses on love:
* that flush of heat when you hear, touch, or see the one you desire
* the worry for one important to you (a horny fifteen-year-old clueless Bouda whom nobody wants and Julie's escape)
* the worry if their love is true (a combination of what Kate learns about her mother---it's enough to make you weep along with why the very possessive Curran wants her---it's the Alice-in-Wonderland vibe of visiting Evdokia and her revelations that combine with Derin's manipulations that find Kate questioning Curran's love for her.)
* the misperception (just wait till you read the case between the lovelorn Kenneth and the defensive Sandra! Too funny, and too idiotic. And Kate slams the wolf alphas...YES!)
* the manipulation of love as Kate learned with her first boyfriend, Derin
* the desire for it
* the compromises one makes for love (hearing those whiny petitions, LOL)

Then there's the love for power, for one's work, a love without thought as in a brilliant scientist creating destruction simply because it's there.

Awww...
"Curran wasn't handling this whole mating thing any better. Yesterday he'd called me at the office claiming that he couldn't find his socks. We talked for two hours."

I did enjoy the breakdown Kate and Andrea did on why Rene wants to hire them---very smart.

And there are the gems in amongst the snark...
"Humans tend to segregate the world: enemies on one side, friends on the other. Friends are people we know. Enemies are the Other. It doesn't matter if this Other is actually guilty of any crimes ... people ... just want an excuse to vent their rage. ... [Other becomes] an idea, an abstraction of everything that's wrong with their world. ... the easiest way for them to target you as this Other is to find something that's different about you. Color of your skin. The way you speak. THe place you're from."

Oh, Curran's words towards the end, his promise just makes me want to cry.

The Story
Trouble never does come in dribs and drabs for Kate, and her first case since opening her own investigative agency turns into a whopper. One where magic could indeed be slain. Still, it's better than going into her lonely new office where the only requests that pile up are the bills.

It may be the job from hell, but there aren't many choices, and now that Andrea has shown up, Kate's own chances have improved. Until she learns of that package that got mailed. Yep, just when Kate thinks school and Julie are settled...she would never have thought working in the mailroom would be a bad idea.

Now magical anomalies are occurring all over town. At least, they're only deviations until Kate discovers the pattern.

Then there's the hassle Jennifer constantly puts her through...until Kate's brilliant decision at petitions court...snicker... And Curran has saddled her with bodyguards but at least Derek is competent. This scrappy little, oversexed 15-year-old bouda is just a pain but she did promise Aunt B...sigh... But it's an Aunt B who makes Julie vulnerable, wide open...

...but not as wide open as the magic-users of Atlanta.

The Characters
Kate Daniels is mated to Curran, and she's hoping that more business will show up on the doorstep of her new business, Cutting Edge Investigations. Slayer is the name of her almost-sentient saber. Julie, her ward for the past nine months since Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2), hates her school. Betsi and the Karmelion are history now---the Beast Lord vetoed Kate ever driving them again. As for the blood manipulation, so far Kate can only do it when she's near death. Voron was Roland's Warlord before he became her stepfather. Grendel, Kate's poodle/Black Dog. Andrea Nash is a now-retired knight.

The Pack
The Pack is 1,500 shapeshifters-strong in the Atlanta area and a bit beyond, and Curran Lennart, a lionshifter, is their leader. There are seven clans: bouda (Aunt B); wolves (Daniel and Jennifer); Clan Cat; rats (Robert and Thomas Lonesco); Clan Heavy are the BIG boys; Clan Nimble; and, Clan Jackal. The Pack's central headquarters is the Keep.

Jim Shrapshire is a jaguar shapeshifter in charge of the Pack's security. Derek Gaunt, a wolfshifter (Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3)), works directly for and is completely loyal to Curran. Dr. Doolittle, a medmage badger, keeps on bringing Kate and Curran back to health. Maddie is Doolittle's niece, and she's right around Julie's age. Sander is one of Doolittle's medics. Mahon is the Kodiak bearshifter and the Pack Executioner; he's married to Martha. Part of Aunt B's deal with Kate includes Barabas, a mongoose and Pack lawyer, and Jezebel, a bouda. Eduardo is a werebuffalo.

Raphael, Aunt B's son wants nothing to do with Andrea after she chooses the wrong side. Ascanio Ferara is a fifteen-year-old Bouda with whacked-out hormones, and Curran thinks bodyguarding Kate will help him out. Leslie Wren is a render, a specialized warrior. Georgetta's (just call her George) dad is Mahon; she's also the neutral third party who prepares summaries of cases and runs hearings for the Pack.

The Lycos Virus, a.k.a., Lyc-V for short, changes a human into a shapeshifter, leading to the individual's battle between mind and body. If the mind wins, they join the Pack.

Adam Kamen is a brilliant engineer/genius-applied-magic theorist working on a special project for some investors. Saiman is a very self-absorbed polymorph who concentrates on acquiring secrets and information for money. He's Kate's last-ditch resource for information, and now he's moving out of the city---it's gotten too hot for him on too many levels. Rabbi Peter helps with one of the tales Elijah the Unbeliever told.

The three legal enforcement divisions are the Paranormal Activity Police Division (PAD), which is like a magic SWAT unit; the Military Supernatural Defense Units (MSDU); and, the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid will help you and only charge what you can afford. Reckon ya better not be a shapeshifter, either.

Knights of the Order
Ted Moynohan is the knight-protector and the definition of bigoted jerk. Shane Andersen is in charge at the armory now, and he refuses to return some of Andrea's weapons. Maxine is the telepathic secretary with cookies!

The Mercenary Guild is hired when it's magic that the police can't or won't handle. Mark is the Guild secretary and now its overseer. Bob is one of the mercs. Luther Dillon is a wizard who used to moonlight for the Guild. Blaine "the Blade" Simmons is an independent mercenary with a love for wetwork.

Conclave started as a quarterly meeting between Pack and People; now Curran wants a Conclave of all magic users. Ragnvald is part of the Norse Heritage. Amadahy is one of the Cherokee shamans. Cadeyrn leads the Druids.

The People
The People are necromancers, Masters of the Dead, who navigate the vampires with the Casino as their headquarters. Ghastek Stefanoff (his ambitions become more obvious which should get interesting in future stories!), Rowena, Mulradin, and Filipa are Masters of the Dead who show up for Conclave along with a journeyman, Bozydar. Emily is one of the journeymen shot by the overly enthusiastic PAD.

Assistant Principal Parker works at Julie's school.

Rene, last seen in Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3), has worked for Red Guard, an elite security agency, for the past 12 years and wants to hire Kate. Laurent de Harven is the dead guard; Shohan Henderson is the guard in charge; Debra Abrams is the shift supervisor; Julio Rivera was the shift sergeant; and, Mason Vaughn and Rig Devar are other guards at the Sibley Forest location.

Grigorii Semionovich and his son, Roman, are Volhvs, Slavic pagan priests with broad powers in service to Chernobog. His opposite is Belobog, and his brother, Vasiliy Evgenievich, is his priest. Evdokia Ivanovna is Grigorii's wife and a Slavic witch, a Baba Yaga with a chicken-footed house and part of the Witch Oracle with secrets from Kate's past; Slava, one of their sons, is a "harmless" nutcase with a bow and arrow.

Lighthouse Keepers
Lighthouse Keepers is a secret terrorist organization which hates magic users, magic creatures, and wants to exterminate 'em all. Having created sleepers who have penetrated the People, the Pack, and the Order makes the Keepers a very strong enemy. Hunter Becker was a knight of the Order and a Keeper.

The Cover
The cover is fuchsia-hued with a full moon illuminating the ruins of Atlanta's high-rises with a watchful Curran behind a crouching Kate holding Slayer.

The title can be taken two ways: Magic Slays when the magic-users of Atlanta must do battle against the anti-magic bigots who want to take them down.

Man, oh man...you can never go wrong with a Kate Daniels novel. Magic Slays, the fifth book in the Kate Daniels series just keeps getting better and better. Kate has left the Order and is now running her own business The Cutting Edge. Kate's first big assignment involves tracking down a device that obliterates all magic, meaning if you have an ounce of magic you're dead (The People, The Pack, or Kate herself). If Kate hopes to track down the device and the mad-man that created it, she's going to need help from all the supernaturals of Atlanta.

There was a lot going on in this book. Kate and Curran are officially mated, so readers see how their relationship is adjusting. Kate and Curran's relationship is still strong but kind of lost its flirty-sizzling banter thing they had going on before they got together. As the book progress you can see their relationship grow, and they're still learning things about one another. I love seeing Kate in alpha mode in front of the pack. The pack thinks they can give her a hard time, but we know Kate...she's never one to back down from a fight. The readers also learn more about Kate's past, family, and the ugly truth about her mother and Voron (the man that raised and trained her). There were plenty of Kate and Curran throughout the book, with my other favorite characters like Derek, Andrea, Julie, getting their page time. Sadly, no Raphael in the book (but don't worry that's what Gunmetal Magic is for LOL) but we did meet a new bouda character, Ascanio...and I hope we get to see more of him in the future books.

Magic Slays is a great addition to the series; it's everything you expect from an Ilona Andrews novel. This book, and its predecessors before it is full of Kate's trademark snark, an emotional rollercoaster on every page, and nonstop action. The world-building is always expanding, with complex and multilayered characters that grow with each book making it one of the best urban fantasy series around. I can't wait till Magic Rises; book 6 in the series comes out! I highly recommend this series to everyone, definitely a series that will stay with for a long time and a series that never get tiring. Book five...still going strong!

Still reeling from her deadly insane Aunt Erra's destruction that included her Atlanta apartment, Kate Daniels left the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid. She has become the Mate (some say lady or Alpha) of Curran the Beast Lord. . Now the Mate of the Beast Lord Curran, she opens up Cutting Edge Investigations.

However, clients are few as the Order spreads nasty commentary about her and many fear hiring her as they do not want to alienate her mate. Ghastek the Master of the Dead navigator, who works for the People cult-corporation, asks for help as he hunts down a loose vampire; she chains the deadly predator, but all hell breaks loose with the Atlanta Police Department PAD unit firing at everyone. Kate's BFF Andrea Nash the Beaskin Order of Knights comes to her rescue and joins the firm. Soon after that debacle, The Red Guard asks her to find missing engineer Adam Kamen, a brilliant applied magic theorist, and the device he was working on. They promise Rene of the Guard it will be done subtly, but nothing goes right especially when they learn the capability of Kamen's gizmo.

This is a superb urban fantasy that grips the reader from the moment all hell breaks loose on the street outside of and in Kate's office, and never slows down as her BFF joins her with the missing person's search and much more. Kate is terrific and the return of Andrea will be appreciated by fans of the magical series. This fresh entry is also a nice place for newcomers to take the dive.

Harriet Klausner

Publisher Promo:

Kate Daniels has quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but starting her own business isn't easy when the Order starts disparaging her good name. And being the mate of the Beast Lord doesn't bring in the customers, either. So when Atlanta's premier Master of the Dead asks for help with a vampire, Kate jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, this is one case where Kate should have looked before she leapt.

Magic Slays is the highly anticipated 5th outing in the Kate Daniels universe, created by wife and husband writing team Ilona and Gordon Andrews writing under Ilona's name. In the alternative Atlanta, Georgia that Kate Daniels lives in, Magic and technology battle it out. In the overcrowded field of Urban Fantasy kick-ass heroes, Kate Daniels stands out. She's smart, she brave, she's brilliant at solving problems, and she's terrifying in battle. As a child she was taught to be an assassin, leading understandably to her being extremely emotionally repressed, and a deeply flawed character. She's trying to learn how trust Curran, who runs the largest pack of were animals in America at over 1000 strong.

I am grateful to the writers for not jerking us around emotionally as far as the relationship angle. You've probably read my posts about how I feel about authors who think they can't have a couple get together until the last chapter of the last book, or else all chemistry is gone and damn that pisses me off. So to see Kate and Curran continue to be exciting, frustrating, and leaving the reader filled with tension despite the fact that they have made a commitment to each other is really gratifying. Being with Curran has changed everything, Kate and Curran have to learn how to adapt and negotiate. Not all the changes are for the good and they have to learn to trust each other but also to make concessions and compromises. They still fight (a lot!) and make up, now it is about different things and they are still just as fun to watch. It reminds me of that scene from my husband's favorite movie, The Thomas Crown Affair (surprisinly, the remake is better than the original in my opinion.) Thomas Crown is seeing his therapist and telling her about the woman who is trying to frame him for a theft from an art gallery. The therapist realizes (way before he does) that he's falling in love with the very woman who is trying to put him in jail, and she says something on the order of, "You know how Porcupines mate? Very carefully." It reminds me of these two.

Curran is a busy guy. Kate's got her hands full too, but they still have to find time for each other and work to build a future together. I know I keep going on and on about the relationship and for that I apologize. Just to be clear, this isn't a Paranormal Romance. Magic Slays is a gritty, violent, action packed, intensely written, smartly thought out urban fantasy, that happens to have one of the best love stories in genre fiction layered through it. So for guys, don't be afraid to pick this up and think it is all mushy. Kate and Curran are basically killing machines who happened to fall in love.

There is a lot going on in Magic Slays, which seems to take up very shortly (perhaps a few weeks) after Magic Burns left off. In fact, I would venture to say there are at least three A plots, and a couple B's. It is a busy book and it never feels that way.

1. Ghastek's Vamp drivers seem to be having difficulty controlling their vampires, leading to some serious carnage. The fight ends up on Kate's doorstep and she gets involved, but the question is, what is causing the Vampire's controllers to lose control? The excuses Kate is given don't make sense to her.

2. A scientist who was working on a deadly weapon has gone missing along with his device. Kate gets her first job as she is hired to find him and his box of death. This plotline has ramifications that shake up the entire community of magic users and devastates Kate and Curran, leaving them on a warpath of revenge.

3. Kate learns something shocking about her family that she never knew and it throws her for a loop, as it possibly calls into question Curran's motivation for taking up with her in the first place.

All the major cast of characters that we have grown to love so much make appearances. Andrea is back after a self imposed exile, with Grendel the attack poodle. Julie has run away from school and is moving home to the Keep. Kate has a new bodyguard, a 15 year old who is causing so much trouble Curran gives him to Kate to keep an eye on. This means Derek now has to deal with him, something neither Derek nor Kate are thrilled about.

Aunt B is stirring up all kinds of trouble as per usual. Jennifer the Alpha of the Wolves is still trying to think up ways to kill Kate off and Saiman makes a great appearance, filling in some holes of from Magic Burns. He shows Kate a delicious security camera filmed scene of Curran taking revenge on Saiman in a way that terrifies him so much he put it to music to try to make it less frightening. When a frost giant is terrified and packing to leave town, you know you have a bad ass boyfriend. With action scenes that take your breath away and tension that just keep ratcheting up as a countdown ticks down, this is the kind of book that will make your hands sweat.

If you have never read The Kate Daniels books, what are you waiting for? Start right now so you can be caught up by the time Magic Slays comes out MAY 31st. Buy all four at once at your bookstore, and put book five on order. You'll thank me later.

This series has been such an amazing ride you do not want to start half way in. Could you keep up if you started with Magic Slays? Maybe... but you wouldn't want to as you'd miss all the wonderful fun of watching Kate and Curran get to where they are now, and where they are now is just as exciting as it was watching them get here.

Going into Magic Slays, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew that it wasn't the final showdown. I knew it wasn't even what I am assuming will be the next to the final showdown...so where was it going to go after the intensity that was Magic Bleeds? Well, the answer to that, my friends, is in a completely different direction. You know how in a season of of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural there is the overarching plot, but then, every once in a while there's a seemingly random episode that has very little to do with said plot? Well, that's pretty much what Magic Slays was-one of those fun, filler episodes, that somehow always end up being my favorite despite their obvious filler qualities. As such, I'm going to come out and say that Magic Slays is second only to Magic Strikes for me in terms of Kate Daniels love.

Kate's come a long way from the very stand alone mercenary that we first saw in Magic Bites. As we go along, Kate forges more connections and stronger relationships, and through these we get more interaction. As enjoyable as it can be to dwell in the head of Kate Daniels: master of quippy wit and biting snark, it is her ever developing relationships that make each book more and more enjoyable. In Magic Slays, I was constantly laughing at her interactions with Andrea, brought to tears by Julie, pumping my fist with Ascanio and Jennifer, and wanting to gather her and Curran into a big group hug (and yes, imagining the looks those two would give me if I did this gives me no end of entertainment). I was a little put out that there wasn't more (or any) of some of my favorite characters like Jim, Dali, and Rafael, but I know Ilona Andrews has my back and will be including them in the future.

I felt like Magic Slays provided some much more philosophical content than the previous books in the series with its examination of the potential for inhumanity in humans. The exploration of fanaticism was fairly potent in this regard, and personally I find nothing more frustratingly terrifying than fanatics. They cannot possibly be reasoned with, and their willingness to do anything to meet their goals makes them an unflinching opposition. As such, the focus on mythology waned somewhat in this installment, which I'll admit was a bit of a disappointment. This husband and wife dou's inclusion of a wide variety of mythologies is one of my favorite aspect of these books, but Magic Slays has a focus on more of an anti-mythology. There is, of course, enough to keep me satiated (more Russian folklore this time, with touches of Judaism), with a big ol' Hobbit style showdown at the end, so I can hardly complain overly much.

Magic Slays is also the first of these books where I felt there were a lot of emotions involved other than humor and lust. Sure, those were still there, but the fear was more palpable, and the heartbreak evident. I'm continually in awe of Kate (and the rest of the crew) who instead of falling apart when their world crumbles around them rally to get the job done. Kate doesn't let herself fall apart because she truly can't afford to, but her ability to push on will forever boggle the mind.

This installment was far from perfect, there were some inconsistencies that seemed like they should have been edited out, and it tended to get a bit bogged down in descriptions at times, but the action, pacing, and plot were so on for me that the weaknesses hardly affected my enjoyment of the overall book. I dream of the day when I'll be able to chew someone out like Kate, but until it arrives, I'll just have to look forward to reading more of her story.

It's been two months since Kate's Aunt attack on the city. Before the crack of dawn Kate receives a phone call from Julie's school. She's run away, again, and now they agree since she doesn't want to be there they won't take her back, for her own safety. Curran believes Julie will be safe staying with them and with three hundred shafters ready to protect her, Kate has agreed but teaches Julie a little lesson in the way she comes home. Kate has opened Cutting Edge Investigations, only a month ago and no ones called to hire her thanks to The Order has been bad mouthed her name, just bills piling up. Even through the Pack is paying the bills, for a short time, she wants to stand on her own two feet. Her first call, Ghastek with a lose vampire heading her direction, the journeyman had fainted while navigating. Finally when the vampire is under control and Ghastek shows, he passes out himself, of all people to lose control. Something is up. Kate's second call, is Rene from the Red Guard, she was the woman at the guard of Midnight Games, wants to hire her to find her charge and his magical device that was taken from her protection. Even though no useful information is available to find this man, the twenty grand and an endorsement for Cutting Edge Investigation from the Red Guard convinces Kate to take the job. This man and his device could end up being very dangerous to Kate, all her friends and family, and even the whole magical city.

Even though this is two months later, I feel as we are right where we left off from Magic Bleeds. This book makes me smile on the first page, and so happy to see the fun jabs between Curran and Kate are not lost with the love they share.

Kate's family heritage is growing. She learns more of her mother through others here. I found it interesting what Kate learns from the witches.

Andrea is ever present in this book as well, and with her own personal issues. Andrea had left with Grendel, Kate's attack poodle which was in Andrea's care, after the fight with Kate's Aunt. But she's back, and been through a mess with The Order. Saiman is present for a scene as well. We get to see him in his true form, again, and learn of what Curran inflicted upon him after what happened in Magic Bleeds. Oh I am really enjoying Saiman, and his true form. Oh Julie...I love this girl. Kate is raising her to be one strong woman, and had taught her to fight. We get to see Julie and enjoy her humor for a few before we worry greatly for her.

This book didn't hit me as hard as Magic Bleeds. Magic Bleeds was one that hit me all at once with a high point that ran full throttle to the end, and I couldn't stop. Magic Slays was one that kept going. There was so many great scenes and so many different people being affected. Each scene was non-stop. This book was the high hit all the way through. No low. I eat up the action, the happenings, and worries like crazy. All from Andrea to Julie to Kate and Curran, the magic, death, the pack, family, and so many more!

This book has so many balls flying through the air and none are falling flat. One amazing read from the start to the finish.

Spoiler Alert!
Magic Slays has the whole magical community in danger. Someone has figured out how to create a device that takes out everyone who has any type of magic. That includes shapeshifters, mages, the People, and many many more. So now Kate is going to do everything she can to help. However, Kate's life isn't getting any easy she and Curran are still trying to get used to being mated. And Kate is also trying to make her buisness function with out more help from the pack. She wants to stand on her own two feet. Not only that but we have old friends coming back. And some very important people to Kate end up getting hurt.

This one was good. And I was glad we got to see more of Kate, and Curran's relationship ship. But I'm kind of frustrated with what happened to Julie. I'm not really sure I like the kid, and I don't know if I agree with what Kate did. Also it seems like everyone seems to know everything about who she is, and where she came from. Also Kate found out a whole lot more about the man who raised her, and the woman who gave birth to her. This one had a whole lot going on, but it was still very interesting.

See more reviews at Shooting Stars Reviews, [...]

Magic Slays is the fifth installment in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.

After events in Magic Bleeds Kate has resigned to her position with the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid and has accepted Curran as his mate. Now, with the financial support of the Pack, she is starting her own business, called Cutting Edge Investigations. Things have been very slow thanks to the bad reputation the order and others had created for her, in the month she has been opened not one client has cross her threshold.
Kate is approached by members of the Red Guard; they want to hire her to find and rescue a kidnapped scientist and his invention. Kate knows there is more to the story but with her current situation she cannot be too choosy and accepts the job.
During her investigation Kate learns the invention she has been looking for is a powerful device that destroys magic, including beings who posses magic like shifters, witches, vampires (The People), mages... She also discovers that a cult type group called Lighthouse Keepers is behind all this. Their only purpose is to eliminate magic from the world. This might be the biggest treat Kate has ever encounter because now she has a lot to lose, she has a family and friends.
And if this was not enough, Kate as Curran's Consort (Kate doesn't like to be call mate) has to deal with Pack business and their schemes.

Kate has come a long way since we met her in Magic Bites. She has grown and changed becoming a better person, but in essence Kate is still the same kick ass, snarky, witty heroine we adore (I think she is my favorite UF heroine). Now she has opened her heart to others and with that came more responsibilities for her.
I loved how she is a badass when she needs to be, despite feeling insecure deep inside her. She knows she can't show any sign of weakness and does her best to keep the façade up for others even though inside she is breaking apart.
In this book Kate learns hard truths about her mother (Kalina) and her stepfather (Voron). My heart broke for Kate when she learns about these revelations.

Curran or as Kate calls him His Furriness is still the same Alpha male, overprotective, controlling and now more in love with Kate than ever. I love him so much, he is one of my favorite UF heroes, he even purrs so what is not to like about him.

When Kate and Curran became an item I got worried about the future of this series, I didn't know how Ilona Andrews was going to do to keep this couple going and interesting now that they were together, but after reading the great job they did with Magic Slays my worries are a thing of the past. Now Kate and Curran are together but there relationship is never dull. They are learning to live together, they still fight, their banter is endless and their attraction is ever present as was during their courtship.
I loved how Curran is always there for her, how he knows her and understands her needs. They are perfect for each other. I loved and laugh at their endearments, Kate calls Curran sugar woogums and Curran calls Kate babycakes. LOL

We also see some of our favorite supporting characters but not all of them. The ones I loved the most were Andrea, she is another one that has come a long way. She has always been the perfect and best friend for Kate and I loved her for that. I was expecting to see Raphael but he doesn't make an appearance in this installment, we just heard about him.
Another important character was Julie. She has become an important part in Kate's life. One of my favorite scenes was when Julie is having a fight with a young shifter and Kate is secretly watching them. Kate was a very proud mama, that scene was hilariously cute. Something big happens with Julie in this book, I won't tell you what because I don't want to give too much away in a manner of spoilers. But I think this situation with Julie will be of great importance in the books to come, I think it might be even crucial in the fight with Roland.
I also loved Doolittle, I loved his conversations with Kate, he is always very calm and composed, additionally to this he is a very wise man and always gives Kate great advice.

The world in this series is top notch, is one of the most originals worlds I've seen in UF, and the world in this installment keeps the same quality as previous books, bringing even new things making it better and more interesting.

The duo of Ilona Andrews has done again. Magic Slays is an action packed, page-turner, impossible to put down book. The narrative is spotless, the plot interesting and enthralling. And the characters are so good is impossible to categorized them.
I didn't read Magic Slays, I devoured it, and as always with this series it let me wanting for more.
Kate Daniels is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) UF series. If you haven't read it you don't know how much you are missing out. Magic Slays is not a stand-alone book; these books should be read in order. I don't have enough words to recommend you this book and this series in general. Just let me tell you that these books are magnificent.

5 stars.

This installment is fantastic!

**************Spoilers Ahead**************

I know I say this in almost every review but I love Kate and I love the characters that make up this world. Kate is one of my favorite female characters, she is so willing to put herself out there for the people she loves and cares about and the lengths she is willing to go just makes me love her even more. Curran melts my heart, the dinner scene, about 40 or so pages from the end of the book made me, as I said with Kate, love him more. The conversation between him and Kate was so sweet and showed me (and Kate) how much Curran loves her.

As always, loved Andrea, Derek, Aunt B, Doolittle, Grendel, Ascanio, and Julie. Honestly my only complaint in this whole novel is that we only heard Raphael mentioned but we never saw him. But with Gunmetal Magic coming out at the end of July it doesn't bother me much.

So many scenes in this installment were wonderful and it's hard to pick my favorites but I'll just put up my top 4.

Fav Scene 1: Curran and Kate's dinner and their conversation during that dinner. As mentioned above it melted my heart big time.

Fav Scene 2: Kate during the hearings, especially that last hearing dealing with the issue between Ken and Sandra. It was a great moment and even though I understand Jennifer's anger toward Kate, I still loved that Kate kind of put her in her place with this scene.

Fav Scene 3: When Kate sliced Shane up and left him there to bleed to death. I truly hated this guy, he was Andrea's friend and then the second he found that she was a shifter he turned his back on her and refused to speak to her. Also keeping her weapons are a big no-no. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Andrea did the slicing.

Fav Scene 4: When Kate & Derek went to see Saiman and Saiman showed them the video footage. I was laughing my butt off.

This was a great book and I can hardly wait for the next installments.

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This story is great for those who enjoy loads of sarcasm with their kick-butt heroines!

Opening Sentence: The ringing of the phone jerked me from my sleep.

The Review:

In the fifth installment of this series, Magic Slays starts out where most stories end; the girl gets her guy and they live happily ever after. Lots of stories are completed this way but for those who know Kate and Curran, they don't DO happily ever after. I'm not entirely sure they would know what to do with themselves if they got it.

Now the proud owner of her own investigation firm and the Alpha of fifteen hundred shapeshifters, Kate is busy juggling her new responsibilities. Being Roland's daughter has kept her running under the radar until now. Hired by the Red Guard, Kate's first job is to find a missing inventor and his "device." In typical Kate flare, this seemingly easy assignment turns into a colossal manhunt and the device in question puts everyone Kate loves in danger. But in the world of post-shift Atlanta, where magic's ebb and flow crash over like a tsunami, survival is always the name of the game.

There are some new factions in this book, including one introduced in the short story found in the Dark and Stormy Knights anthology. The witches, Red Guard, and the PDA, better known as the sane-optional police, get more face time. We are also introduced to Ascanio Ferara, a fifteen-year-old bouda and the newest contributor of headaches for Kate. As a werehyena and teenager, his sexual antics and lack of respect for authority has landed him in trouble time and again. Using his boyish charm gets the females of his clan to be lenient on his behalf; he is constantly getting into hot water with the Beast Lord, Alpha of the Pack. Ascanio was raised in a religious compound that is predominately female and didn't have a male role model to style himself after. He runs around, thinking predominately with his "other" head, without a care for the consequences. Curran assigns Ascanio to Kate as a bodyguard for two reasons; to soften him up for the alpha male bouda to take over as mentor and for Kate to watch out for him. The consensus is that Kate is the least likely to kill the boy if he gets out of hand again. Living in the Pack requires all its members to be in control at all times. Can Ascanio rise up and meet the challenge or is he going to find himself between Aunt B's, his alpha's, claws?

Along with the main plot, we learn more about Kate's heritage and her mother's people. Mostly, we watch Kate and her struggles dealing with her relationships and all the emotions attached to them. The relationship between her stepfather and mother are no longer seen through the rose-tinted glasses of innocence. Though this is hard for any adult to come to terms with, Kate's feelings make her re-evaluate her own relationship with Curran, her mate. Does he love her for who she is or what she can bring to the fight for his people's safety? Does it matter the reasons that brought them to together or should Kate just appreciate the fact that they are together and just move forward? Julie, her ward, is now living in the Keep with Kate instead of away at school. She is learning how to handle a more hands-on approach to parenting than in the past. Kate struggles throughout the book, dealing with feelings and situations that cannot be solved with her sword.

Full of great comebacks typical to Andrews' style, I am extremely pleased to see the direction of this series. They have taken what should have been a HEA and created the need for fans everywhere to see what is in store for this powerful duo. I find this book MORE in every sense of the word: more danger, more fighting, more suspense, and more "aha" lines than ever before!

The Kate Daniels Series:

1. Magic Bites

2. Magic Burns

3. Magic Strikes

4. Magic Bleeds

5. Magic Slays

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Ace Books provided me with a copy of Magic Slays. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Yes it can!

SYNOPSIS:
Kate Daniels and Curran, Beast Lord of Atlanta, are now mated and living happily ever after in the Keep. Well, sort of. You had to know something weird would come along to mess up the honeymoon. This weird comes in the form of a fanatical group known as The Lighthouse Keepers who want the world to go back to being completely devoid of magic. They even have a scientist building a device for them which will get rid of any speck of magical or supernatural power within a prescribed geographic area. Then they can move on to the next geographical area. Naturally, this will also get rid of any person or being made by or using that magic.

OPINION:
Every time I start reading one of these Kate Daniel books I start out holding my breath. After I get going really strong with the pages simply flying by I relax into the book and understand this one is going to be another amazing experience. Not a stinker in the bunch. That's saying something too, because sustaining this high level of intensity while inventing believable urban fantasy must be quite an undertaking. Or not? When I read these books I feel like I can actually hear the bantering going on back and forth between this husband and wife writing team. They must get quite a kick out of talking through all these scenes and ideas. They have kept Kate fresh and "human". They have put her and the entire population of Atlanta into such surreal conditions and surroundings that it should take a huge amount of gullibility to keep reading. But here is the great part, it all feels so perfectly possible that I take every fantastic step as if it were perfectly logical to do so. Adventure follows adventure at break-neck speed and yet it doesn't feel rushed. How DO they do that?

RECOMMENDATION:
Okay, so a five star rating means that I highly recommend this book for readers of urban fantasy. Even though this is book five in the series it has been written in such a smooth transitional style that you can begin here, get yourself completely hooked, then go back to the beginning and read forward. Unfortunately, unless the pattern changes, you will have time to do that before book six makes it to the stores. In some ways I feel so totally selfish. I wait and wait, I pine, I grumble, waiting for the next book to be released. As soon as it is I sit down and devour it from cover to cover. Then I begin all over again with the waiting, the pining, and the grumbling. I'm just never satisfied, right? Why don't you come join me in this little habit of mine. I'll gladly be your enabler and we can whine away together.

4.5stars actually.
This episode takes place shortly after Magic Bleeds ends and starts right off answering those questions that were left hanging. We find out right away how business is going and where and why Andrea disappeared after the fight. Just in case we forgot or didn't know what kind of hole Ted actually is, he reminds us loud and clear.

There are so many things for me to like in this series that are highlighted once again in this book. Kate & Curran together they are so passionate with their feelings for each other, whether it is love or anger that they have at the moment. I liked having more Andrea this time around, I wanted more of her from the previous books and this is one of the few series that is okay with the warrior heroine having friends beyond the other half of the star couple destined for HEA. Lucky Kate she gets both female & male friends. The friction in the keep and parenting issues along with newlywed/mating "pains" help get Kate the overwhelmed state she functions in so well. As usual there were logic gaps but I still enjoyed it and thought I was a fun read. Given the engaging plot and the exciting climax made me think of Kate as a super-hero while Curran throughout kept the Lion as my favorite animal. A distracting item was my book wasn't quite typeset correctly even after multiple downloads which made my pages a bit off.

It took a couple of books for this series to find its footing but now that it has each installment is becoming a must read/auto-buy. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next episode in the adventures of Kate & Company.

I always worry when a series goes longer than four books. In my experience, very few can go past that point and still keep the magic that made the first books so incredible. Characters lose their edge, relationships lose their spark, and the plot runs around in circles.

This series definitely doesn't have any of those problems and can handle at least two more books, if not many, many more. Kate is as hilarious and kick-ass as ever. Curran is as possessive, adorable, and of course kick-ass as ever, and their relationship is certainly not losing any sparks. The plot is progressing nicely and I am SO excited for Book 6.

Book 4, Magic Bleeds, was a tipping point for this series. Kate's secret about her parentage is being revealed to more and more people, and the danger for her is building up. I like that the confrontation between her and Roland doesn't occur in Magic Slays, because the authors are really building up the pressure and suspense. The break from all the Roland stuff is nice, and we get a deeper look into the world Kate is living in and other dangers she has to face besides those from her father.

All the characters are showing amazing growth, and I'm still as fascinated by them as I was in the beginning of the series. Also, the writing is still edgy and spot-on. Despite all the crap she's dealt with, Kate certainly has kept her sense of humor.

I only have one minor complaint, and it's that this book was a little difficult to get into. There is a lot of build-up and background and we don't get to the really good stuff until the last third of the book. But that last third certainly makes up for the beginning two-thirds.

I highly recommend this book to fans of this series, and for those of you who haven't started reading these books yet, what are you waiting for?!

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews is another home run and then some. The plot in this book out does the previous books in this series. You will be on the edge of your seat while you read this book. I will spare you a detailed review if this book and give the "cliff notes" version. There are a lot reviews out there that do an outstanding job of relating the details of the book.

Kate Daniels has started her own business since she left the Order. Things are kind of slow at the office until Gastek, Master of the Dead, calls and asks her for a favor which leads to a bloody altercation in front of her office. Then her first client shows up who is from the Red Guard, an elite body guarding company. Next, Andrea - her best friend shows back up after being gone for months with no communication.

From there, a mystery unravels that will leave you guessing as to what will happen next. The crux of the mystery is that he Magic users' lives are being threatened by a magic-sucking device that they need to contain before it causes catastrophic damage to the magic community of Atlanta.

Curran and Kate are going strong. There is a little hiccup; but, they get through it, of course. I love these two together. Their relationship gets stronger, deeper, and more meaningful with each book. They are the perfect paranormal couple: strong alpha male paired with a strong alpha female with a lot of soul-searing love to share between them.

This book is the best in the series. Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance enthusiasts will, no doubt, love this book as much as I did.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

Be sure to read the first four Kate Daniels books because this one deserves the full preamble. If you are a woman who loves Magic, Swords and Sorcery fantasy novels this is for you, complete with a unique take on royalty. If you are a man or woman who loves sexy interludes and great dynamics, this is a fun read. The authors show a lot of respect for the reader by struggling with the things their characters go through to form realistic relationships in an unreal world. Highly recommended!

Admittedly this wasn't the easiest book of the series to read. It's not that the book wasn't good. Trust me it was... It's just that it wasn't what I expected. I had a hard time getting into it because it felt different. The best way for me to explain is that it read more like the beginning of a new series rather than the continuation of an old one.
When I first started reading it I hoped (expected) it to pick up where the last one left off with Curran and Kate. To some extent it did pick up where it left off, but more with the start of Kate's new business. Curran doesn't play a prominent role until well into the book. I must insert here, that when Curran does come into the book it's exactly what I hoped for.
The problem that Kate faces this time is well developed and once you start putting all the pieces together it's almost impossible to put the book down (at least it was for me). As always the amazing author duo keeps the action going until the end and even then it's not done. I look forward to reading the next book.
Everyone is still around: Derek, Andrea, Saiman, Aunt B, and a few others. I did forget a couple of the characters, so if it's been a while since you've read the previous books I suggest you reread them before you read this one. I do have one plea...can Andrea have a happy ending??
Overall this is a great book for this series. I felt like this was a new beginning for Kate, but it still fit with the other books. Things changed at the end of the last one and the series adjusted and kept up. I'd definitely recommend this book!

Review posted here: [...]

One of my favorite series in the world, the Kate Daniels series, has a new addition. And guess what? I loved it! Husband-and-wife writing duo Ilona Andrews have done it again. Another book full of mystery, horror, laughs, and unique villains. I can't say it enough; this is a series that must be read. Whenever there is a list great Urban Fantasy books, there is a reason this series will most likely be found on it. Yeah, it is that incredible.

Magic Slays starts off tough for our amazing heroine, Kate Daniels. She has left The Order after her boss basically told her to sit back and let her friends die because they were nothing but monsters. But because she is mated to one of my favorite book-boyfriends, Curran, he gives her her own building to start her own work. Problem is, she is not getting any calls. Things take a turn when Ghastek, Master of the Dead and Kate's pain in the ass, asks her to take down a vampire. Things turn sour and something happens to Ghastek that no one saw coming.

If that wasn't enough, Kate gets a visit from Rene (who played bodyguard at the illegal Midnight Games in Magic Strikes). Rene informs Kate that an item was stolen from under their noses while they were guarding a house and the person who making that item was kidnapped. Kate soon finds out that the item in question will put everyone in the city of Atlanta is danger.

This is a series I can't see myself turning away from. In Magic Slays, things become more dangerous on a grander scale. I thought Magic Slays was the most emotional book yet in the series. Given all that has happened and whose lives are on the line, it almost brought a tear to my eye. But don't let that fool you, this book still holds all the action and laughs we are used to. I love how Andrews brings in everything we love about this series and it just gets better and better. With the world future Atlanta and what is happening in it, this book felt bigger somehow. Can't explain it, but that is how I felt. Andrews world building is one of the many reasons this series should be on your bookshelf.

Our favorite couple, Kate and Curran, is finally official after their constant and funny bickering. I like that Andrews wrote it to where they don't change necessarily, that you really see more of how well they play off each other when they are together. I love that Curran is willing to do anything for Kate; he really puts her above everyone else. We find out more about Kate and her heritage. What we find out is quite cruel and devastating. This makes Kate a bit lost and suspicious about everything and everyone. This includes our amazing and gorgeous Curran. This brought even more tension between them, but it sort of brings them closer together. This is why they are one of the greatest couples.

All of our other favorite characters are back as well. We got our crazy gunslinger Andrea and we find out what she has been up to after the Kate-Order situation. Her and Raphael are on the rocks and Andrea needs help from her best friend Kate. We get more of Julie who seems to be becoming more like Kate everyday. Doesn't listen to the rules and stubborn as hell. We also have a new kid named Ascanio who is fifteen and can't seem to keep his clothes on; I can't wait to see what is to become of him. What I love most is how much Derek has grown. He is learning a lot from Blade lookalike Jim and he is becoming quite the badass.

Overall, this is a series I rave about and will continue to rave about. There is so much action (especially at the end, it was crazy). The world is so unique and out of the box, it is impossible to not get engulfed in a world of technology and magic. And once again, the characters are to die for. You get so much from everyone in the book; they all add something to the series and make you want even more from them. Definitely have more quotes to add to my favorites list, as always.

Andrea raised her hand. "This is the hand that slapped Aunt B."
"Maybe you should have it gold-plated."
"Here, you can touch it, since you're my best friend."

"Help me, I can't breathe, your ego is pushing all the air out of the room"

"What's with the beard and the horse mane? You look like Rent-a-Villain."
The volhv's eyes widened. He raised his hand at me. "Well you don't look... female... in your pants."
"That's a hell of an insult. Did you think of it all by yourself or did you ask your god for help?"

Man I love it! If this is not on your must-read list, I will send Kate after you.

I just finished Magic Slays, and I am amazed at how very good it was. I shouldn't be surprised. I expected to like the book. But it was so much more than it could have been had it been written by anyone else, I suspect. The character growth throughout the series has been steady, and that continues here.

As the story has been recapped many times by those more capable than me, I will go straight to my impressions:

Kate has changed. Oh, she is still a killing machine. Kate would still rather fight than have to sit through the petitions of the court of which she is now Consort. She still has limited patience and honed paranoia. She still tends to leap before she looks at all of the angles when she is cornered. However, Kate is really beginning to trust and believe in her relationship with Curran. For me, that maturity and the subsequent willingness to stay and ask questions rather than run off due to misunderstandings allowed me to lose myself in the story. I say that because I absolutely despise misunderstandings being used as a plot device. If I feel like an author is going to pull such a manipulative, immature, flimsy move, I can never relax enough to get into the story. I am constantly waiting for that boot to drop out of the clear, blue sky. No worries here. Both Curran and Kate went to great lengths to devote time for themselves to reconnect, and iron out their differences. They have many confrontations; they haven't changed THAT much! The difference is, they are both willing to compromise to get what they want or need.

Curran is the ultimate Alpha. I love how he tries to be reasonable, then sees someone standing too close to Kate and just can't quite control his reaction. He is so good at being possessive yet he gives Kate the space she requires. There is just nothing about Curran that I don't love. He can be so snarky, like when he asks Kate if she needs a child's slide to get out of the 4 foot high bed. He can be high handed, he can be destructive and he is definitely arrogant.***SMALL SPOILER*** But when he asks Kate if she wants them to just leave, run away from the threat, and leave everything behind because all he needs is her...well, how can you not just melt?***END SPOILER***

***MORE SPOILERS***
While Kate and Curran's relationship is a big part of the story, there is a whole lot more going on. Anti-magic people have stolen a doomsday type machine that guarantees death to all magic holders within a certain radius. Kind of like an anti-magic nuclear bomb. All of the magical folks are forced to work together (you can just imagine how well that goes...)to neutralize the threat. There is betrayal from within, there is loss of a couple of minor secondary characters and Kate learns some unsettling information about her mother and Voron. That's another thing I admire about the Kate Daniels series...Sometimes, the good guys die. I always question how, in other series, hundreds of the bad guys go down, but the 5 heroes all escape unscathed. It's not realistic. While I don't necessarily like it when characters of whom I am semi-fond perish, I think it adds depth to the story.
****END SPOILERS****

We get a lot of Andrea and Derek in Magic Slays. Andrea is full of anger, having been forced to retire from the Guild, and lashes out at a variety of targets. While there is a morbid kind of humor in watching her break bad, her pain radiates off the page. I am so hoping one of the anticipated spinoffs will be Andrea/Raphael. I hope the other is about Derek/Julie. Derek is an Alpha in the making, and he is so protective of Julie. Love Derek.

Ghastek, Saiman, the witches, Aunt B...they all have guest appearances. The overall arc of the series, concerning Kate's father, is well advanced. The confrontation is getting closer. The tension is building.

There is a whole lot of funny in Magic Slays. It's a great tension breaker, a much needed levity to balance the stark circumstances our heroes find themselves in. Of course, we have all come to expect those laugh out loud moments from this series, and this one hits the humor ball out of the park.

I would not recommend starting the series with this entry. I don't think you can appreciate the book fully without the layers already built in the previous 4 novels. And really, why would you want to deprive yourself? This series is just excellent.

I am not an Urban Fantasy fan. I have tried to like the genre, I want to like the genre, but I just don't. Out of the 14 kajillion UF series out there, only 3 have managed to snag my interest. Kate Daniels tops that list. Each Kate Daniels book seems to be exponentially better. And since they have all been stellar, that's really a high bar to jump. Waiting anxiously for the next installment.

Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 5.00 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Other than the unnecessary relationship drama in Kate's head (at least she calls herself on it) Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews was another KICK ASS addition to the series. I am just plowing through these (I am going to regret it when I have to wait with everyone else). Loved the fighting and the detective agency. Can't wait to see where the story goes now!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Renée Raudman / Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Broken Record Alert: Love Renee's narration of this series. It is a MUST LISTEN!

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews

Once again a great edition to Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series!

Kate Daniels world is almost post apocalyptic- okay it is post-apocalyptic but not because two enemies dropped bombs and ravaged the planet. Nope, for thousands of years magic was repressed and technology ruled. Then magic came back- with a vengeance and now it hits in waves taking out tech with it. So when a wave of magic hits, cars stop running, buildings crumble, and forests take over. Along with the first wave of magic supernatural beings came to the forefront- Hence we have vamps (but different then we're used to) wizards and shifters running all over the place. (Think of it like the time of the world of Merlin suddenly taking over - violently.)

Now that Kate has quit her job with the ambiguously good Order of the Merciful Aid she's having a difficult time acquiring clients for her new investigative agency, Cutting Edge. So when Master of the Dead (one who can control vampires), Ghastik, asks her assistance in capturing a rogue vamp- she jumps on it.

Bad enough a vamp is running around out of control- even worse the reason behind it. A new order is behind it and its fanatical about its mission. If Kate cant stop them now, many lives will be at stake- those of complete strangers, but also of every one she's come to care about, including her mate. It will take the combined effort of magic and beast and an uneasy alliance to pull it off. But is this battle the signal of an even bigger war?

Although not my favorite in the series- I loved Magic Slays, because finally this world is starting to make sense! What's carried the Kate Daniels Series thus far has been the fantastic characters and now that they are established, the world building can coalesce. As I've mentioned before on discussion threads, it took awhile to grasp what all was happening because the first book was so vague about its world- building. (However, I sense that it had more to do with word count than any fault of the writers' craft. My guess is publishers idea of how big the book should be to make more sales caused some excising at the expense of explaining what all was going on.)

Yep, I get it now and it's making the series even more enjoyable!

Not as good as the last but it still deserves all the praise. My favorite Urban Fantasy series for one reason: Andrews figured out it's not about the Urban in the genre, it's about the Fantasy. Yes, it has many of the same plot lines as the other novels in the genre. Romance plot with a big tough Were, far too many men interested in the main character, younger plucky ward/apprentice, character never having enough money. It has all that...

But where Andrews succeeds to rise above is in the world-building. This isn't a series about a city, it's a series about a world changed, a world switching between magical and normal life. It has thousands of years of history. It has vampires as necro-mobiles not the boring old bloodsuckers, it has complex Were-societies, and it has Roland...

"Magic Slays" itself, I'm not as much of a fan of it as the last. It had good moments, but the single book plot was stymied by the fact that we know the big scary bomb won't kill every single character in the series. The minute you put Kate and Curran in a situation with a countdown you know everything will mostly work out. Bestselling authors don't kill ALL their characters. Only Richard Castle can get away with that...because he's fake.

As for the over-arching plot of Kate and Roland...that was still great stuff. Can't wait to see where this goes in the next one. Read the series: read THEE Urban Fantasy series.

4 Stars.

Holy WOW! This book was amazing! Up until now, this series has just been ok for me. It felt and read slow for me, had so much world building going on (and yet not answering anything about that world!) and was something I read only because my friends were reading it. I kept waiting for Kate to start using some of that amazing ability she has, to get her life together and just do something really cool. Boy, did she deliver on all counts in this book! Kate seems to have grown up quite a bit with this one. She is referring to Julie as "her kid" which I just find quite admirable because it's not like they are related, but yet Kate feels a certain motherly instinct towards her; and her's and Curran's relationship is quite solid. I also like that she is learning a lot about her heritage, her parents, and we also learn just how strong Kate is in comparison to others with similar magical talents. I also thoroughly enjoyed how snarky and sarcastic she is to Curran, Andrea and Ghastek. Just hilarious! I just could not turn the pages fast enough, and enjoyed all the action and suspense packed into every page. The ending was such a mind-blowing cliffhanger, that I can't help but wish that I had waited to read this one so I wouldn't have to wait so long for book 6! I am definitely hooked for the long haul now!

Life is hard as the Beast Lord's mate. Yeah, no sarcasm there (so jealous!). Actually, life is proving rather difficult for Kate Daniels. Yes, she and Curran are mated, and in that, she couldn't be happier (and neither could I!!!). However, her professional life is in shambles, after the Knights of the Order did their best to ruin her reputation. She's started her own PI business, but clients aren't biting, and she'd rather fall on her own sword then ask the Pack for more financial help. When Ghastek, a powerful Master of the Dead, calls Kate to warn her that an out of control vamp is headed her way, all hell breaks loose, in more ways than one! Kate's first client wants her to track down an inventor that was kidnapped under her watch, along with the mysterious device he was creating. When she visits the scene and realizes that some seriously powerful magic has been used, she'll have to gather all of her resources to find this inventor and the device, which is more powerful than anyone could have imagined, and could destroy everything Kate loves the most!

I'm always happy to return to this alternate Atlanta and ride along with Kate and Co. on their adventures, and Magic Slays is one of the best of the series so far! Poor Kate really can't catch a break in this one. Along with the kidnap victim she's hired to find, she also discovers her teenage ward, Julie, has run away from boarding school, for what seems like the millionth time, and is heading her way. Her best friend (and shifter), Andrea is back after a self- imposed exile with vengeance on her mind (with vomiting, smelly, monster dog Grendel in tow), and Kate discovers some secrets about her family that will make her question Curran's love, and his motives for making her his mate. Then there's that mystery device...

If you're already a fan of this series, this one will knock you over, and if you haven't discovered it yet, run, don't walk, to the bookstore or download Book 1 (Magic Bites) ASAP! The authors ratchet up the intensity and the emotion in Magic Slays and I think readers will be very satisfied with how things tie up with plenty of new material for future novels. Highly recommended!

Ilona Andrews has come out with another great book! It was phenomenal. I love getting wrapped up in Kate's life as she tries to save Atlanta. Again. There is so much packed into this story; action, adventure, vengeance, love, sorrow, magic, and a looming apocalypse. But not the zombie kind.

I can't express just how much I love Kate. She's great. In the world that Andrews sets up, I love when tech hits, or magic hits, and it brings on a whole new meaning of shenanigans. It seems to get Kate in trouble quite a bit. What I love most though, is it lets the event go awry without leaving the reader feeling like the author is reaching too far out there. And the best part? It never gets old. Poor Kate. And through it all, we get her snarky comments. Which are hilarious. But also a bit of a tension breaker without being too much to where it disrupts the story.

Kate has a great supporting cast. In the beginning, we read about another (exasperating) phone call about Julie running away. I love this kid. I like to imagine her as a mini Kate. And by the end of the book, I was feeling this was a highly appropriate way of seeing her.

What I love about Ilona Andrews is the way she can take her readers from one emotion to the next. She gets the blood pumping and pulls the floor out from underneath you at the same time. The way she builds up for the next book is always entertaining. With this book, it was no exception. It was bloody brilliant and it leaves plenty of room for us readers to speculate about what the next might hold for Kate.

The book was amazing. Pure and simple. I'm not sure how Ilona does it, but each book continues to build and build, the pressure keeping the reader glued to the pages. And I'm sure Curran doesn't help the matters either. Fantastic book. Fantastic series. This is one of the best series I have read and will continue to be a favorite with promises of more great stories.

The Kate Daniels series is urban fantasy at its best. Magic slays combines truly talented world-building, an impressive array of mythological knowledge, character growth and development, and movement forward in the plot arc of the series. Oh. And it has a bunny that's a cat in it too.
This book was a fun read. It took up pretty much where Magic Bleeds left off and addresses the changes that Kate has to deal with after the fallout of killing her aunt and becoming Curran's official mate. Fielding those curveballs along with some baggage from her past we also deal with a threat to all things magic, and Julie being in danger to an extreme made for a fast pace in this book. It is not a volume I would suggest to start with, as at this point in the series it really is necessary to have the back-story from books one through four.
I'll be honest, this probably wasn't my favorite Kate book; it seemed like for every step forward there were several more back, and the action was bread-crumbed a bit much for me. However getting to see all of the magical factions interact and have Kate and Curran get both of their heads on straight was more than worth it to me. Add that to some kick-butt side scenes, new characters to play with and enough Russian mythology to roll in, and even without being the best Kate book, it is still an example of urban fantasy as it should be written.
I give this book a loving four stars

The fifth book in the Kate Daniels' series has hit streets and readers want to know: Can Kate adjust to her new life as female alpha of the pack and mate to the Beast Lord (a werelion) of Atlanta? And after fighting gods, rabid werewolves and family, where can Andrews take readers now?
In Magic Slays Kate, trying to establish her own merch/PI business after quitting the Order of the Merciful Aid when she found out about their anti-supernatural stance, takes a case to find a lost inventor and a lost machine from the Red Guard (and elite group of ex-military and ex-cop merchs) instead Kate finds out disturbing details about her own past that make her question her relationship with Curran, when she's not too busy trying to find out why vampires and werecritters are going rogue, wards to keep bridge trolls from rampaging are vanishing, and why no one knows what the missing invention did.

Despite Kate finally jumping into real personal connections Andrews keeps true to both the action-packed reputation of the series, and Kate's combination of total combat prowess, but completely scarred emotions. Readers will be pleased to find that love doesn't magically make either Curran or Kate completely open and trusting people and their lives without self-induced complications. Andrews' prose sizzles and her plots keeps readers glued to the pages. Highly recommended for public collections as a representation of some of the best writing modern UF has to offer.

Contains: sex, violence, language

Just when you think, "they can't top the last one", oh yes they can! This was so full of action from woah to go, (although the Beast Lord needs a good kick up the arse, just saying, apart from that), a great book. Honestly, I struggled when I absolutely had to put it down (you know, to like work and sleep and s***. Eating was easy, I'm a women, I can multi-task).

I must admit that I haven't read any of the Novellas, so I was a little lost with some of the content that seemed to have made a pretty big leap from the last. Checking the readings list still left me slightly confused also. Novellas will be the death of me!

One of the many highlights in this novel involves the relationship between Kate, The Black Magic Woman, and her husband/mate, Curran, the shapeshifter who would level a city to save his wife. The authors do not offer a fairy-tale depiction of marriage, but they redefine the word "commitment". There are so many old characters and a few new ones; enough to make your head spin. There are numerous groups of beings, all with fantastical powers and they are defined well enough to be intriguing enough for any reader. A casual reader of the 'Kate Daniels' series wouldn't be remiss in updating themselves by reading the previous novels. Very clever, Ilona Andrews.
The novel received four stars, because the plot was less than stellar. According to the plot, magic conquers all and regular humans are petty, weak and unorganized. Perhaps the authors could have written a more well-rounded view of humans. Some of the battle scenes were hard to follow, example: Why would a shapeshifting buffalo or boar not fight alongside other shapeshifters? Note to the casual reader, vampires in the world of magic are gross in appearance and character. This is a satisfying novel.

I absolutely love this series My favourite author is Patricia Briggs and while I don't like this series quite as much, it comes pretty darn close.

Having read the last book I see terrible things happening in the future and so I am hoping that the author won't do it

What is that?

SPOILER ALERT
Well in the last book Kate saved Julie by enslaving her and while Curran and Kate have agreed never to tell Julie of the cost of saving her life you can see that in the heat of the moment Kate will order Julie to do somthing (eg Run! or Get Down!)and it will all come out. My fear is therefore that as a result Julie will end up hating Kate and as it is such a special relationship that I take a great bit of delight in I obviously don't want that to happen. I also hope that Julie doesn't then try to kill Kate for being a "slave owner" or herself because Julie just can't live with the idea that she is enslaved. This relationship, like that with Curran is special and needs to continue even if it does inevitably have to go through some bumpy bits. So please writing team, if you are going to mess with the relationship in the next book, please let it be resolved happily.

The Kate Daniels series has quickly become one of my favorite urban fantasy series! This fifth installment continues on in the well-crafted world that this husband-and-wife writing duo have so skillfully created. This urban fantasy realm is so realistically detailed, and peopled with such terrific characters. Readers run through the full scale of emotions in this one - there's plenty of humour, but also a lot of tension, moments of panic, genuine fear, pure bliss, fury... It is their talent for creating dynamic characters that really captures readers - Kate Daniels herself is such a likable and strong heroine. The relationships between each character provide the real backbone to the series. The central relationship between Kate and Curran certainly has not lost any of its intensity - and I am looking forward to seeing it continue to develop.

Truly, the only disappointing thing about this addition to the series, is that now that it's finished, it will be at least another year before the sixth book is available!

I haven't read one Kate Daniels book that I did not enjoy. This series is one of my favorite along with Mercy Thompson and Meg & Simon, The Others. The thing that strikes me about all these books is the imagination. And the dialogue.
Keep writing Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop.
I'll keep buying!

Kate and Curran's relationship marches on and their seemingly inevitable confrontation with Roland comes ever closer. In this book, a mad scientist makes a device that can absorb magic, and in doing so, kills all creatures who are "magical," specifically most of mankind in this newly magical world.

Naturally, our heroes are up to the task. The dialogue is witty, the characterizations excellent and distinctive, and the plot moves briskly along. Kate's growing powers are featured prominently, along with their limits. She has the same basic powers as her father, but at a much lower level, which is certainly reasonable. Roland is 6000 years old. This is a lot of time in which to grow stronger.

In the end, Kate undergoes a ritual in order to save someone near and dear to her. My only complaint with this book is that she is unexpectedly aided in this task by an unknown entity. I've always resented the Deus ex Machina element in fiction. It seems too much like cheating. Still, another strong outing from the husband and wife writing team that comprises Ilona Andrews. I'm looking forward to the next, already.

Hands down, no mistaking it, this is the BEST Kate Daniels' book yet!!! The urban fantasy world combined with the romance between Curran & Kate is simply phenomenal. Kate has such a badass persona and I love it! She is protective, strong, and a warrior and she has finally let herself love '. The man, Beast Lord, she has chosen is absolutely perfect for her. He isn't scared or intimidated by her power, strength or independant nature. However, he is also not afraid to speak his mind where she is concerned or to meet her head on. Curran is FIERCE! He loves & fights with everything that he is and won't back down from anyone. Simply put, one of my top 5 male book heros!

I cannot express enough, to anyone who hasn't read this series, how truly incredible it is. Move it to the top of your TBR list, go to the store and buy every book, download the e-books from your favorite retailer, order from eBay or go to your favorite UBS. I don't care how you obtain your copies to read...Just Do It!

This was my least favorite of this series. It was still better than most with a tying up of characters and defining of groups. It was action from start to finish but it lacked something the others had. It may have been the shear number of groups and characters to keep track of and remember ; or the deception of members seen as friends; or the single minded pursuit to prevent death in a loved one and the price to be paid in the process. It also sets up the next book and maybe it is a transition book needed to move the story forward. For whatever reason something was missing that was in the writing of the other books. I look forward to the next and hope it returns to a warmer or more character driven story with more warmth.

In the last book before this one, Curran set Kate up as a PI in her own practice. In this book Andrea comes back to Atlanta and Kate, of course, hires her. As Kate's first case, she is hired to find out happened to an inventor, and how and why he could be kidnapped out from under 12 highly trained bodyguards. Also, she is asked to stop a vampire who has gone lose. (That shouldn't happen in this universe.) Then all sorts of other stuff keeps happening. It turns out there's a group of humans, and not so much humans, who are determined to end all magic by any means. This does not go over well with Kate, Curran, the vampires and witches they know and others. This was fun! Definately an "E" ticket!

What is neat about this book is that we finally find out why Kate has been so paranoid to collect all her blood and other secretions in the previous novels. We finally find out who her parents were and who raised her and what that has made her. It was worth waiting for!

There are many wonderful moments in this fifth book about Kate and Curran and the fabulous new volhv characters. I am especially happy about seeing the return of characters Hugh, Samhain and Andrea. Ghastek is filling out as a likeable chap. I love the Temple rabbi. I am sorry that The Order appears to be meeting its implosion, because it offers a service that the Guild and the PAD do not and I like to see Atlanta power and authority in more hands rather than fewer. Andrea is correct -- The Order is an honorable institution with some bad apples (now purged). I would be sorry not to see the telepathic receptionist again! What has become of Kate's trashed apartment? Would Kate spiffing it up be threatening to Curran? Also, Curran refers to Kate as his wife. Not so much (no ring, no ceremony) or the pack would not insist on the slightly derogatory term of Consort for her.

I think it's the humor and humanity in Kate and her supporting characters that sets these stories apart and above all the others in the genre. Most of these types of series get by on the UST between the heroine and her enigmatic/sexy/brooding/irresistable leading man, to the point where the characters become stereotypes and the plot deteriorates into a tired cycle of 'will they or won't they?' I'm thrilled that Ilona Andrews doesn't sink to that level. Instead in book 5, we see Kate and Curran's fledgling romance grow into a true relationship...squabbling, sex, and rare glimpses of profound love in between. Kate's friendships with Andrea and Derek get good screen time here. Her big sister/maternal bonding with Julie factors in a big way at the end and neatly ties it to the overall arc in the series involving Kate's bloodlines and her good ol' dad Roland. I also got a good chuckle out of Saiman's little cameo...hoping we see more of him in the next book now that things have been hopefully resolved between him and Curran. In all, a solid addition to the series. Now I'll need to re-read another of my favorite Andrews book, Bayou Moon, so I can be ready for the next Edge entry coming out this fall.

Coming off the high of the spectacular ending of Magic Slays, I've been staring at the computer for 10 minutes, trying to figure out why it took me a little while to really get into this book. And I think I've finally come up with the answer.

As the story begins, Kate is running the new agency that Curran set up for her since she has left the Order. Despite her competence and reputation, she doesn't have any clients. But just as her best friend Andrea returns from a two month absence, Kate is hired to find a missing man and the mysterious device he has built. She investigates; she is snarky; she is magic and bad-ass. But (insert light bulb here) I wasn't very invested in any of it, because Kate seemed to have no stake in it all, beyond completing a job. No justice mission like she had when searching for Greg's killer; no revenge for a brutal attack on a friend; no saving the world from a deranged aunt. Just a job.

It was when Kate realized what the device could do and what it would mean to her world, that I began to perk up. And then we were off and running. Without spoiling too much, I'll say that the device could have huge ramifications on Kate and all those she loves, if it is activated. And as we get into the second half of the book, Kate encounters a personal crisis, that makes her willing to risk everything to fix it. It's when Kate is desperate and loyal and determined that she is at her best. And here she shines, a heroine in the greatest sense.

Curran is back as Kate's mate, and I was worried that some of the spark would be missing from their relationship, now that it's more permanent. But Kate's paranoia keeps them from falling into the old-married couple routine. She still has questions about whether things can work for them long-term. But as the story progresses, he proves himself to be an utterly worthy hero. And I still enjoyed the fire between them.

For the last third of the book, I was completely unable to put it down. The ending was utterly fantastic and sets up even more drama for the next installment. I can't imagine that Kate is keeping her secret for much longer. 4 1/2 stars.

S-O-L-I-D. Since the very 1st book. Could this possibly be the best series b'c it has an unerring groundedness to it? The story, the characters, the tone, the action, the dialog's...all very sure-footed in how the author's keep it real. Finger's crossed they keep taking whatever writing juice they seem to be taking b'c the mojo it creates, works. I love the consistency. Even as the characters change & grow there is a consistency & authenticity.

I don't know how they do it when it seems to be a feat many authors lose the battle with..maybe b'c they stay away from their own reviews? Maybe they stay away from their own boards & therefore, they don't get caught up in their growing popularity so it allows them their creative freedom? Maybe it's b'c they have one another to lean on & b'c of the nature of the relationship, ego's & insecurities are kept in check so the feedback & criticism they give one another is truly listened too & ultimately heeded making them a true lean, mean writing machine? Whatever it is, I hope it endures.

I'm not going to talk too much about plot since, if reading this, it's redundant, but I'll discuss what I love overall at this point & why I think this series is tops & worth the time.

*** SEMI-SPOILERS ***

So 1st off, so flipping relieved they didn't have Andrea turn into a backstabbing best friend (or so it seems, there's actually still room for that but I really hope it doesn't go there). After the last book, I felt they were setting her up to double cross Kate b'c of all of her own personal issues. Thank you, thank you team Andrews for not sabotaging yet another female friendship which seems to be the norm.

In fact, not only did they not sabotage but I almost felt that every scene Andrea was in, she stole. She had the two lines in the book which made me laugh the hardest. I loved her deadpan delivery when she told Kate she thought Grendel might be 'retarded' & when she explained the showdown with Aunt B; "So I slapped her" & "She's F-ing strong" & "This is the hand that slapped Aunt B." I can completely see how & why she & Kate are besties.

I'm kinda in awe over how the authors are able to write action sequences. Since they never waste words, they're often fairly short but even so, they are pretty epic battle scenes. Very cool.

Here's what I love most, more than any other series (I've thought about it & can categorically say this) - I am truly interested in pretty much all the other characters separately. Except Ted & maybe Mahon.

- I was dying to see Andrea & Raphael confront one another (where the hell was he????)

- I was wishing we got to see the sit down between Andrea & Aunt B

- Can't wait to see Roman pursue Andrea & the dynamic with R

- Julie & Derrick are meant to be. I cannot wait for that to start to unfold & Julie to start really coming into her own esp. now that she truly has Kate's blood! Some great stuff to explore here.

- Loved Ascanio & can't wait to see more from his character.

- I was shocked when Daniel died & really interested to see how Jennifer handles being a mother when she has faced so much intimate loss. Actually, hope that Kate makes another new friend. There's an interesting dynamic there.
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Would love to see more side snippets of Barbaras & Jezebel.

The list goes on. Here's the thing though - usually, I'm interested in the other characters but only to see them with the MC. Not so much in their stories individually. There are a few but generally - authors create secondary characters to be such an extension of the MC I'm not too bothered in the spin off. Bare with me while I explain.

- It hasn't worked for me & Frost's spin-offs. I wasn't interested in Denise, Mancheres & Spade only marginally & in the end their execution failed for me so I only trust in reading Cat & Bones.

- Although I'll read KMM's spin-off, in truth, what will truly lure me to pick them up is more Mac & Barrons. I'm not that interested in Dani, esp. after the last book.

- LKH has connected everyone to Anita sexually & metaphysically so much so that I feel they're pretty much lobotomized drones, so what's so interesting about them anymore, esp w/out Anita playing puppet master?

- Ward has a pretty successful formula in how she ties the individual's together, however her writing is inconsistent for me & I could do w/out 1/2 the stories I've read b'c I wasn't all the interested in the characters.

- CH has botched her own MC's short stories so badly in having them be so contradictory & unreliable...they matter so much, then saying they don't & then providing one that is sooo out of character & timeline that It's pretty much killed my interest in the other characters. Why should I care about the others if my fave one is being tossed around cavalierly? So I'll just stick to the main SVM universe. Not only that, but in the main story there are many characters haven't been interested in, that even when they matter I've skimmed or skipped.

- I really like almost every secondary in Mead's Georgina series but would I read any spin-offs? Probably not after recently realizing Mead is very formulaic & tends to dumb down her MC's. Previously potentially likable characters facing complex, emotional situations who end up making truly inexplicably dumb choices without regard for any repercussions...why the hell would I endure more books like that? I'll finish out GK but depending on the outcome, we'll see if it would be enough to entice me to try another Mead book.

So see......I've thought about the series in context & this is why I have ended up loving the Kate Daniels series most. I don't know how they do it, but they've made all the secondary characters (thus far) so independently interesting in their own right, not only would I read any shorts or books w/out Kate or Curran present, but they've made it so I am wholly interested at all times when reading this series. I don't skip or skim when another character appears on page. I'm 100% intrigued & invested. There's a sense of confidence I feel when reading. I know there is a real sense of purpose when someone is introduced or appears & there is no waffling or meandering as the story is being relayed.

I feel what's here, in this series that makes it such a standout more than any other I've read thus far, is the fact that there's a real balance which leads to a very cohesive feel.

Add to which it has a thinking person's MC. Although confident there's no arrogance so a nice lack of ego there. She takes her responsibilities seriously. She is loyal. Funny. Strong. She has humility. She tries...every single time, she tries. She also owns her vulnerabilities & insecurities & confronts them head on thereby allowing herself to LIVE in spite of what's probably coming down the pike. I think the closest she's come to angst is asking herself "why me?" and drum roll.....they've yet to have her make truly inexplicably stupid choices just to move the story along or prolong the story to drag it out. I guess she really is the definition of a soldier in many, many ways.

Lastly, they're genuinely enjoyable b'c they read at a great lick & winds up being FUN, fun, fun.

So uh, yeah, you could say I love this series.

This is a short review inspired by the reviewers Jen M "Red Hot Books" and A Book A Day. I agree with their well written reviews.

"On The Edge" and "Magic Slays" are the only 2 Ilona Andrews books with a slow start IMHO. First half of Magic Slays was filled with interesting events but as the reviewer Jen M "Red Hot Books" pointed out, there was no strong driving purpose to Kate's story at this point. All the other Kate Daniel stories have strong linear plot/action developments. Magic Slays has more tangential plot movements especially in the first half. Hence this book has a different feel to the previous Kate Daniel books, as mentioned by the reviewer A Book A Day.

On this point, I think partly it is due to the big transitions Kate has undergone in her work and personal life. In the previous books, Kate has been more or less "independent". She was a freelance merc for the Guild and become an agent of The Order of Merciful Aid. As an agent of the Order and not in the capacity of a full-fledge knight, it felt like she had more leeway for her actions. No one breathing down her neck every step of the way. In this book, she suddenly owns her own firm, has been joined by Andrea as business partner, has the Beast Lord Curran as her mate and also cope with new role as Pack Consort. Furthermore in the second half of the book, there was a strong sense the authors are changing gears in preparation towards the series culmination. The Ilona Andrews website says 2 more books have been contracted for this series.

A minor gripe for Magic Slays. The final battle and the Julie sections felt slightly truncated. As if portions were edited out, or written with less time/fewer words to meet print deadline. Resulting in a slightly uneven pace of the book - interesting but tangential first half, good middle, compressed final.

The husband & wife writing team Ilona Andrews is the top writer on my list, beating even Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher**. Ilona Andrews' amazing character- & world-building creativity, combined with an interesting eye for detail in the telling is absolutely top notch. I am such a huge fan of everything written by them!!!!!! I find that the older I get, the fewer books I wish to re-read. Ilona Andrews books are so riveting I re-read most of them - Kate Daniels books in particular stood up amazingly well to multiple re-reading without losing the kick.

Kate Daniels is simply the all time best.

Btw I think this series would be great to translate as a manga-style book.

[** an aside: IMO author Larry Correia of Monster Hunter and Grimnoir series is the heavy-weight relative "newcomer" close on the heals of Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher if he continues his output. Close, coming very close...]

4.5 stars really!

What was sooo good?
- Kate and Curran are together and they didn't get boring. They are officially mated, living together and ruling the pack. He is Beast Lord and she is Consort (much to her dismay)

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"Why is everyone calling me consort?"
"Jim designated you as Consort in official papers. You didn't want to be called Mate, calling you Alpha is confusing, and 'Beast Lady' just makes people laugh."
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- They have believable growing pains with each other. Kate learns some stuff about her mother and Voron that leaves her reeling and questioning her relationship with Curran. She is so paranoid about everything that she begins to allow Voron's teachings on not forming attachments to implant in her head. But Curran manages to unwittingly and definitively crush all of Kate's paranoiac fears in a scene that is at once intensely romantic and deeply satisfying. It is also a good callback to the events at the end of Magic Bleeds. Curran hasn't forgotten what happened when he was out for eleven days and he hasn't forgiven. And I love the author for remembering this.

- The snarky one liners and (sometime) sarcastic humor is still there. There were a ton of times that I smiled and even laughed at some dialogue:

------
"My lord, my lady, may I say that I am delighted that my favorite alpha is feeling better. Why you'll be running recklessly into danger against overwhelming odds anytime now."

------

- Curran and Kate are still the baddest bad-a$$es in the business! Seriously. I respect that the authors have established they have power and they use it. Curran is a scary guy and Kate is no slouch either. I also love the fact that Curran isn't a weenie about using his power either. He understands that in a position as a leader you have to make hard, unpopular and sometimes heart wrenching decisions. But when it comes to Kate, all bets are off!

------
Curran leaned forward."You are sheltering a man whose machine caused hundreds of deaths....one of my people is dead;two are critically injured. Your volhv attacked my mate. Before we go any further, we require a show of good faith. You will give us access to Kamen now."

Vasiliy's white eyebrows rose "Or?"

"Or this meeting is over. We will consider your actions to be a declaration of war...You're free to leave. Go home, kiss your wives, hug your children, and put your affairs in order, because tomorrow I will burn your neighborhood to the ground. We will kill you, your families, your neighbors, your pets, and anyone who will stand in our path. An attack on my family will not go unpunished."

That was the best smackdown I'd ever seen.

------

I know, Kate, I know! And Curran is the good guy.

- There was a lot of great storytelling, continuity plotting, and best of all Ilona Andrews' trademark exciting ending.

So why not 5 stars?
Well I wasn't as bowled over by the big bad in this book as I was in past books. A doomsday machine should have had me feeling a lot more anxious than I did. But I just wasn't. I found Erra from Magic Bleeds so much scarier, I had a lot of anxiety about her. And the more-awesome-than-the-last series of pit fights in Magic Strikes were just so darned fun! I think I've read that final fight scene about 10 times.

So the...I dunno...lack of real anxiety made me lose 1/2 a star.

But that is minor. This book simply solidifies why the Kate Daniels series reigns supreme as my favorite UF series ever!

So a human terrorist group is out to destroy magic in this one. Kate examined her relationship with Curran. There was a lot of interesting world-building (as usual). We find out more about Kate's past. This book sort of felt like a transitional book (Kate is in the beginning of a serious relationship, she just started a business, etc.) It was fairly slow paced, but I liked how all the magical groups/creatures had to team up at the end. This wasn't my favorite in the series, but it was still pretty good.

I can't believe it's been three years since I first discovered this fabulous series. So much has happened in those three years. Kate and Co. have had five seriously awesome adventures and the series has skyrocketed to the top of my favorite urban fantasy series ever. I look forward all year long to the new Kate Daniels book and after the excellence that was the last book, I was positively giddy with delight to get a hold of MAGIC SLAYS. The fifth book in as solid a series as this one is a delicate matter, I think. You're all in as far as the characters go. Their history is mapped out and complex. At the same time, it can be difficult to take them new places and maintain tension and reader interest without compromising the integrity of the plot and multiple character arcs. I'm happy to say this entry in the series is a worthy one and I didn't look up once after setting my eyes on that first page.

A word of warning: This is the fifth book in the series, and there are going to be some inherent spoilers in this review as a matter of course. I do apologize, but it's basically unavoidable at this point. Go grab yourself a copy of Magic Bites and discover the crunchy Kate goodness for yourself!

Kate's all set up at Cutting Edge Investigations. She's got an office building, courtesy of the Pack. She's got her trusty attack poodle Grendel at her side. But the population of Atlanta hasn't exactly been knocking down her door lately in need of investigating. Doesn't help that she's an ex-member of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid. Doesn't help that her mate just happens to be the Beast Lord himself. What does help is her friend and fellow ex-Knight Andrea is back in town and looking for something to shoot. Fortunately, the newly minted partners don't have to wait long for a target. Paying work arrives literally on their doorstep in the form of an escaped vampire. Ghastek, Kate's contact and sometime nemesis with the People, enlists Kate's help in rooting out the cause behind the rogue vamp. But before she can get too far on that case, Kate receives a visit from one of the elite Red Guard, a force she reckoned with once before in the course of her role in the Midnight Games. Desperate to locate a kidnapped charge, the Guard offer a sweaty wad of cash in exchange for Kate's services tracking down the missing scientist and the even more mysterious contraption he was working on. Hoping to establish her business and herself independent of the Pack and her high-ranking role in it, Kate takes on both cases and, in true Kate fashion, cuts a swath through magic-torched Atlanta in her quest to solve them.

I was so very happy to have Andrea back in this installment! I love that woman and I love the prickly but deep friendship she shares with Kate. With Andrea's guns and Kate's sword, these two warriors pack a serious punch when it comes to hunting down the bad guys. And, boy, are the bad guys big in this one. Which brings me to the second thing I love about this book (and the series in general). Ilona Andrews continues to play with world mythology in such interesting and fresh ways. The gods and legends from all over the globe, from so many different cultures, come into play in this series and the tradition continues in MAGIC SLAYS, with awesome results. We also get more insight than I was expecting into the other side of Kate's heritage--her mother and the man she called father. Not a little of it is painful, sometimes devastating, and I am vastly interested to see how Kate deals with her newfound knowledge. To balance the weighty, there is quite a bit of excellent banter between Kate and the people who love her. A favorite passage between Andrea and Kate:

***

"This is the hand I slapped Aunt B with."

"Maybe you should have it gold plated."

"Here, you can touch it, since you're my best friend."

***

And another between Kate and Curran (taken from one of my very favorite scenes in the book):

***

"You can't tell me what to do."

"Yes I can. Listen, this is me telling you what you will not do."

I raised the cookbook and tapped him on the nose. Bad cat.

***

Hehe. I could listen to them spar all day long. The relationship between Kate and Curran grows in this book, and interestingly, it's mostly through the conversations they have. Both of their first instincts is to settle arguments with a nice fight until, bruised and bloody, one or the other is forced to call Uncle. But somehow they manage to actually talk here. I love it when they do that. I love the sure sense I get when reading these books that the authors know exactly where it's going. Amid each individual mystery and/or crisis, we never lose sight of the overarching issue, of the inevitable showdown Kate's been preparing for her entire life. This is especially evident in the heart-palpating conclusion. I didn't see it coming. And it has me thirsting for more. MAGIC SLAYS is a rocking good time. Crunchy Kate goodness at its best.

Well, I am a fan of this series, but books 4 & 5 don't seem as good as the first 3. First, there's a lot of explanation of things it seems. The first three books you picked up the world of Kate just by reading the story. Now, there's alot more background and explanation and world building going on, and less person to person interaction, unless Kate's killing or beating up someone. And in this book almost all of the humor Kate displays, in the first three books, is missing. She seems more in her own head over-analyzing everything and less about helping people, unless she has some personal motive, like revenge and anger. And even though Kate & Curran are finally together, there's hardly any love scenes between them, unless you count sex and anger. Also, it seems there is a lot more swearing, violence, and perversion. And all the tragic back stories, to make characters seem interesting, is getting old. But the story did keep me engaged and there is some of the older characters in there, that I like, so I gave this 3 stars.

I loved Magic Slays! It was another fab book in this equally fab series.
It was great to read about Kate and Curran and see how their relationship developes now that they live together. Kate still has a hard time to be "The Beast Lady" but I think she's doing a great job!

In Magic Slays Kate is trying to get her new bussiness going, but it's hard The Order is discrediting you. So when she finally gets a client with a mysterious and what seems a difficult case, but will be very good for her bussiness reputation, Kate agrees to take the case.
Unfortunately she doesn't know that this case is more than a missing person and object and that it might be very dangerous for everyone she knows.

In a lot of ways, MAGIC SLAYS is like a new beginning for Kate. It feels almost like a fresh start for her (and potentially a starting point for new readers). She's cut ties with the Order of Merciful Aid (good riddance) and started Cutting Edge Investigations with her best friend and fellow former Knight Andrea Nash. The showdown with her father is still looming, but in the background. This time we learn several vital things about Kate's mother. Things that rattle Kate to her bones and force her to question the love of the two most important men in her life.

The action is intense and relentless from the first page. From a savage vampire attack, shifters gone Loupe (wild), assassins, you name it and they probably tried to kill Kate in MAGIC SLAYS. Seriously I don't think she stopped bleeding the entire book. But the scenes are handled each time with a fresh energy so that they never feel stale.

When not kicking some serious butt, Kate's personal life never slows down. She and Curran are still adjusting to being mated. It's always a gamble when two characters finally get together. Will they loose their romantic tension? Will they become boring? Not possible for Kate and Curran. They fight and make up with the same raw intensity as always, still verbally spare with the same flirtatious wit, still clash and argue with the same finesse. But there is a new understanding, a new vulnerability that we see in Kate. Intimacy and giving oneself completely to another person is still so alien to her that she has real moments of panic. I loved that there were still new sides of Kate for me to see.

I did notice one annoying thing throughout MAGIC SLAYS, the word `Aha.' Everyone said it. A lot. Maybe that's something they fixed in the final version, but in my ARC, it was everywhere. I've never noticed it in the previous books either. It did become very distracting and unfortunately it caused me to drop a rating in this otherwise outstanding book.

The Kate Daniels series has always defined what urban fantasy should be. And with every new book, it becomes that much harder for all the other urban fantasy series to keep up. No one is cooler than Kate, no one is fiercer than Curran, and no world more magically mucked up than Atlanta. If I could only read one urban fantasy series for the rest of my life, it would be the Kate Daniels series. No contest.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. A brief sex scene.

Kate Daniels has opened her new business, Cutting Edge Investigations, but there's just one problem: no clients. "If things kept going this way," she muses, "I would be forced to run up and down the street screaming `We kill things for money.'" It's not that she needs the money, really; it's more that she wants to be a successful, independent businesswoman rather than just Curran's consort.

So when a case comes her way, Kate takes it, even though it's not the sort of mission she's used to. Elite bodyguards were protecting an inventor of magical objects at a remote cabin in the woods. Someone got past the guards, killed one of them, and absconded with the inventor and his dangerous project. Kate must find out where the man and his device have been taken, especially once she uncovers a terrible truth about the device's function.

Meanwhile, Kate and Curran are together now, but this is not a couple whose relationship was ever going to be all hearts and flowers. These two hard-headed people, both accustomed to living alone and to growling (literally for Curran, figuratively for Kate) at anyone who gets in their way, now have to figure out how to live together and make compromises. Then, while investigating her case, Kate is told something that casts the entire relationship into doubt.

In a third plot strand, Kate's adopted daughter Julie has run away from boarding school and is missing.

The three plotlines become intertwined, of course, so Kate ends up racing against time to save Atlanta while struggling with relationship issues and trying to protect her kid. The authors weave an intense story filled with action, horror, emotion, and Kate's snarky sense of humor. And I haven't even mentioned Andrea yet, or the new information Kate learns about her mother and Voron. Suffice it to say that if you've been following Kate Daniels, you can't miss _Magic Slays_ -- and if you haven't been reading the series, you should!

I did have questions about the chronology of the kidnapping. The sequence of events is a little confusing and seems to require a lot of coincidence, in terms of when the magic was up, when the tech was up, when the wards stopped working, who got there when, and so on. We do eventually meet a character who was there that night, and I wish he'd given us a brief "Definitive Version of What Happened" so it would stop niggling at my brain. But other than that, the book is darn near perfect.

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

I actually am giving the book 3 1/2 stars rather than four but I'd rather round up then down.

I was a bit nervous reading number 5, we are getting well into the series and the relationship with Curran has been resolved, this is usually where the quality of a series takes a nose dive. I'm happy to say it hasn't happened with this book. It certainly wasn't as good as the others (and I will go into why in a moment) but I finished it with a sense of relief.

What I liked:
- Kate's history with the Ukrainian witches and the glimpse into what Voron and her mother were really like
- The way Andrea was returned
- The addition of new characters (I didn't have a problem with it like others did)

What I didn't like:
- The occasional slightly awkward (and at times perplexing pointless) dialogue between Curran and Kate
- I thought it odd that there wasn't a mention of why Raphael wasn't in the fight at the end (isn't he the male alphas of the bouda's?) I realise later after reading that there will be an Andrea and Raphael spin off (HURRAH!!)and so I understand the authors wouldn't want to spike their guns by putting too much about Andrea/Raphael but it would have been nice to have an "excuse" as to why he wasn't there
- My major disklike and why I think its the weakest of the series was the lighthouse plot. It was almost handled as an afterthought and almost just an excuse for a final fight. I think that more time should have gone into fleshing it out a bit more or it should have been made less important (ie not everyone in Atlanta would die if Curran and Kate didn't save the day).

But overall its good bordering on great and can't wait for more

I'm late to this series, but I've loved all four of the novels I've read. The action keeps me turning pages, but the characters keep me buying the next book. I enjoy watching Kate and Curran's relationship deepen and grow. I especially liked Curran's unwavering love for Kate in this book. I'm a myth and legend fan, so it was a fun surprise to have some Russian myths and Biblical legends mixed together. A few plot points and supernatural rules got a little complicated, but the twists and turns were worth it. A great read.

Kate Daniels' life has changed a lot in the last year -- she's now living at the shapeshifters' keep, and is the Consort of the Beast Lord. But the really dangerous stuff is still the same. "Magic Slays" is a brilliant fifth chapter in Kate's story, revealing a new and potent threat against EVERYONE in Atlanta, as well as blood, sorrow, ancient Russian magic, and knitting vampires.

After months of inactivity, Kate's little agency is suddenly beset with problems -- navigators are losing control of their vampires, wards are being eaten, and a heavily-guarded inventor (and his mysterious invention) have gone missing. Kate isn't sure what is going on with the first two incidents, and she suspects evil Russian magic for the third.

But the truth is actually a lot more complicated -- especially when Kate discovers the true purpose of the device, and how it can kill the majority of Atlanta's population. And now it's in the hands of a fanatical cabal devoted to wiping out magic. To save all their lives, the different supernatural factions must put aside their differences and work together...

"Magic Slays" is the sort of book that Ilona Andrews seems to write almost effortlessly -- a rich, earthy plot full of magic, blood, fur and animalistic power. This particular one also has Andrews using Russian folklore for her story, by introducing some dangerous Russian witches (including a very familiar one) and the volvhs (both dark and light).

In fact, the only real flaw in the book is the depiction of the witches and volvhs -- they start off sinister, powerful and eerie, and then we get a goofy family feud ("We're lucky the mag­ic isn't up. At the last New Year's they set the house on fire. There was al­cohol involved").

But the rest of the time, Andrews spins up an elaborate, well-written tale full of dark, grimy atmosphere and rip-and-tear action, as well as a tart sense of humor ("I'm in­ves­ti­gat­ing peo­ple who sac­ri­fice trained killers to dark gods." "Per­fect. It will keep him occupied"). She also juggles important plot threads from previous books, ranging from Andrea's career to the looming threat of Roland.

Kate is usually being fed through the physical wringer, but the torture she endures in "Magic Slays" is more emotional -- she discovers the cruel lies of her childhood, doubts Curran's love for her, and is faced with (possibly) having to kill someone she loves. She's stripped off some of her emotional armor and allowed others into her heart, and so these events are all the more painful for her to deal with.

"Magic Slays" is a rollercoaster ride of magic, action and the occasional shaved poodle. It stirs the blood and leaves you craving more.

I am sure it is the combination of the male/female duo writing couple that make this series of books so good. The fifth book in the Kate Daniels series is once again funny, exciting and a page turner. Kate and Curran succeed in making the pages bristle with electricity. I love the devil may care attitude the main character has, the "yeh I have a big mouth, so what are you gonna do about it?" lifestyle. The complicated rules and regulations of the various shifter breeds amongst the pack and the way Kate always attracts the most trouble with the least possible effort. I hope there will be more books in this series. I highly recommend the author.Magic Slays

First of all, this Ilona Andrews series is one of my very favorites. I have never been disappointed. Ilona Andrews (a husband/wife team) has a writing style I love with witty dialogue and a way of making the characters seem real. The characters become people you care about and miss when they are not around. EVERY book is a 5 star as far as I am concerned.
If you are purchasing this book and it is the first one you have purchased in this series--STOP!
Go back to the beginning book and start reading from there because they are all related and you should read them in order. I just know you will fall in love with them like I did.
In this book Kate has started her own investigative agency. She has been hired to find out who kidnapped a scientist and what he was working on. Sounds like a typical scenerio right? Wrong! With Kate--nothing is ever typical. The more she and her partner dig into the mystery the more danger lurks ahead--big time. All through the book, besides Kate trying to solve this case, is her relationship with Curran--her mate, members of his Pack, her Ward...and also her finding out more about who she really is. I will not say more than this---you need to read the book yourself and love it as much as I did.

This book started out alright, it didn't impress me as much as the last one, but that ending when they stormed the airport totally made up for it! The strategy and organization and how everything just flowed together was amazing, and what truly boggles my mind is that someone actually sat there and thought about all this, about how each shapeshifter clan would work, what they would do, when they would do it and how, it was all just so perfectly coordinated. It was awesome.
We also got to see a lot more interaction between Kate and Curran, loved it. Oh and Kate's actual name, makes her even more of a badass to me xD
Excellent book!

Another great Kate Daniels novel! And once again, our favorite couple saves Atlanta just in the nick of time. I have to be honest about one thing though. While I love almost all of the characters in this series, I don't really like Julie much. I rarely like some of the kids in the series I read for some reason. Otherwise, awesome!

This author had a good idea about magic, it comes and goes. What happens to modern civilization when that happens? well, his guess is as good as yours, probably better, and he knows it. His heroine is a bit much, though, she is so good at everything that she should be shot. ok she's the daughter of a demon and another demon like thing. Just how these two could produced a daughter that could pass for human, I don't know. As you can tell, I am having a little trouble suspending my disbelief at some portions of this book.

I have faithfully read all the Kate Daniels series (as well as the Edge books)and, as always, the writing is incredible. I have to say that I enjoy the Edge books more, because they are stand alone books that begin and end in one book. I would hate to see the Kate Daniels series drag and drag into infinity and it is book 37 before we have a confrontation between Kate and her father. That said, it is just my personal preference to not have a series featuring one couple over and over and over. Hopefully, Kate and Curran can take a back seat at some point and let the other characters that we care about have their own story to tell.

I have a feeling that because more and more people are learning of Kate's abilities, it won't be TOO long before she gets into it with her father.

I can't say enough good things about the writing and, personal preference of series lengths aside, this book is great and I can't wait for the next one in the series. I strongly recommend that you read the books in order so you can understand the personalities and motivations of all the characters.

Honestly, I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. This book is a great follow up to Magic Bleeds. Kate and Curran are hilarious: they deeply care about each other, but struggle to meet the other halfway. The plot is complex and intriguing, though I'm still curious what (if at all) the information revealed in this book means to the overall plot regarding Roland. We learn more about Kate's past, which gives us some definite insight into her magical background, as well as why she is the way she is. Really, the only thing that ISN'T awesome about this book is that it eventually ends.

The husband & wife team of Illona Andrews can do no wrong with their Kate Daniels series! I am amazed at the high quality of all 5 books - very few authors manage to keep a series great past book 4. I love love love Kate (and Curran) (and Derek) (and Andrea). Ooooh the action! and the snark! and the romance! I was a bit worried about the awesomeness that is Kate & Curran now that they are mated... but their relationship continues to grow and strengthen.

One of my favorite things about this series is that all of the secondary characters are well-developed and provide meaningful contributions to the story. Curran is delicious, Derek and Julie continue to evolve, Aunt B is a hoot, Ghastek and Saiman continue to please (Saiman providing possibly the best line of the book: "It begged for a soundtrack").

This series just keeps getting better!

Enough gushing. Just buy it and read it. You wont be disappointed.

I've read what I thought were pretty good urban fantasy books lately, and then I read this and the world building and attention to details are so incredible that everything else pales in comparison to Magic Slays.

Example- When Ilona Andrews writes about spells everything is so meticulous and explained so well, that there is a part of me that believes that those spells could really work. It is as if these authors go above and beyond where research is concerned but then they take the knowledge gained from all that research and then apply it to their imagination resulting in a truly original story. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I am always awed by the Kate Daniels world.

I love that we continue to discover more about Kate's heritage and that it is given to fans in small doses that we can savor and ponder. This go around it involves more about her mother and the man that raised her, this new information has the potential to shake Kate's world if she allows. The revelation could be used to only create conflict, but instead it showcases the character and her growth throughout the series. Kate still has issues, but she also has more responsibility than ever before and this impacts her at the very core.

I am always excited to read another installment in the Kate Daniels series, they never disappoint and have the magic ability to transport me to another world for 300 or so pages. Ilona Andrews is one of the most consistently great authors. Everything this writing duo writes is incredible!

Full review: [...]

I bought the book, read it and liked it alot. I would give it 4 - 4.5 stars. I liked it enough to get the audiobook. I didn't like the narrator. Her Kate's tone and delivery were kind of old womanish. Currant sounded like a pack a day smoker. And her other voices were uninspired and in 1 case unpleasant. She brought the whole book down for me. In summary, buy the book. Pet peeve. I wish they would improve the cover art. This is a popular series, it deserves something nicer.

As always Ilona Andrew does not disappoint. I have read all of the Kate Daniels series, and The Edge series. Her books are so good that I get so engrossed that I have to read from cover to cover in one sitting. Kate and Curran's relationship progressed in this book, which hit the spot through the series. If it was left hanging in the balance for another book I would have been sorely disappointed.

The Andrew's team are A++++ writers and will look forward to all of their upcoming books.

Recommend as a great read.

The Kate Daniels series has to be my favorite. There is just a rawness and humor to her that you can't find in any other UF heroine. A big plus is also Curran and her relationship. Finally we get to see what happens after the I love you's and sometimes like in real life it's not pretty and there's alot of insecurities, but they work through them. I'm just glad she has a core relationship instead of jumping from guy to guy in an effort to keep the reader titillated, that type of plot is cliched and played out. Magic Slays is interesting, there is action, philosophy, and definite angst. The plot adds to the continuing story that is Kate's life. And there are some shocking revelations about Kate's mother. There is not much more I can say, this is an awesome book, in an awesome series.

***Possible Spoilers if you are not up to date on the series***

Kate and Curran are now officially mated, and Kate is struggling to get her new business running after her former employer has bad mouthed her and stained her reputation. The action picks up quickly when Ghastek calls on Kate to track down a vampire on the loose. In the confusion of the vampire take down mission Kate ends up in a stand-off and we see the return of her friend Andrea who has undergone some major life changes. She is now a working with Kate as her partner. Their first case tracking down a kidnapped scientist turns into much more than they bargained for. The entire magic community is at risk of being destroyed unless Kate can get to the bottom of the mystery.

I'm so pleased to have Andrea (and Grendal the attack poodle) band and working side by side with Kate as she's one of my favorite secondary characters in this series. I always appreciate it when an author can write a good, convincing best friend for a lead character that can command attention and entertain without showboating and overshadowing the protagonist. The banter between Kate and Andrea is funny and flows so naturally. I always look forward to scenes with Andrea and Kate and this book left me hoping that we'll see Andrea integrated into the series even more in the future.

While I've always loved the romantic story arc in this series it really is the outstanding world building and heart stopping action that draws me in and keeps me eagerly anticipating the next release. Magic Slays certainly does not disappoint in that department but I'll get to that in a minute. Ilona Andrews really brought the romance this time. Now that Kate and Curran are mated I thought I'd miss the tension and unknown in their relationship but they still have so much to work out. Although they are mated all is not smooth sailing for them. Kate still stands up to "His Furriness" and although it's clear Curran would not have it any other way he's still asserting his "alpha-ness" every chance he gets. It was really nice to see Kate finally settling into her relationship with Curran. In Magic Slays Curran leaves no room for doubt about his feelings for Kate and the lengths he's willing to go for her. *swoon*

We get to know a little more about Kate's background and her history. While we've known bits and pieces about Kate's past, we get a good look back into just how crazy and messed up it all is. Kate faces even more betrayal and my heart really went out to her this time. The tension continues to build toward the final showdown with her father.

Julie, Kate's adopted daughter hasn't always been my favorite character with her rebellious nature and teenage angst. But, Kate has always believed in her and I can sympathize since she has not had it easy in life. Julie gets some good page time this time and she seems to be really coming into her own. We see a little less teen-age angst and more potential bad ass with a nice little fight scene and I'm really looking forward to whatever is coming next for her. As do many teens, she gives her mom plenty to worry about.

As I said, the action and the world in which this series is built did not disappoint in any way. From beginning to end Ilona Andrews kept me riveted with a tight story, and an amazingly vivid setting. The final action scene was so intense and once it was over I was actually exhausted! Everything comes together perfectly in the end for a well rounded story and the final line in the book left me eagerly anticipating the next book. I think I might have even heard music in the background....dun, dun dunnnn.

Magic Slays is my favorite book in the series so far with its brilliant world building, heart stopping action and romance that made me swoon.

Like a lot of folks, I was worried that the tension of Kate and Curran would be lost, but it's not- their relationship continues to grow and deepen and is still having growing pains here and there. I don't trust these authors not to kill off important characters (that's a good thing!) so I was honestly terrified on behalf of a few of the wounded souls in this one. I loved the further development of Kate's back story, and can't wait to see how it affects her down the road.

The only downside to the intensity of the action scenes was that I *knew* that they'd win. Just because they had to win. The terrorists they're dealing with and their motivations are believable and even predictable reactions to the shift in the way the world works. I couldn't guess the outcome of the other gut wrenching plotline, which had me in tears several times throughout the book. This team really knows how to grab onto heartstrings and wrench.

Overall it was a really wild ride, and I thought it was one of the stronger books of the series (I found the villainess of the last book a little over the top for belief). The only major disappointment is having to wait a year for the next installment.

For me, this series has become one of quite a few urban fantasy series with Buffy syndrome overdone into extreme overdrive. An unrealistic and over-tough loner heroine who relies on fighting and extreme sarcasm. And of course, happens to be unique from the rest of the population in some way she is unaware of until either the beginning, the middle, the end, or 2 books later. I, for one, just can't relate to a heroine who never feels fear and never meets an impossible end of the world situation she didn't just blindly jump into.
This book had an especially rough start with a beginning I just couldn't get into. The details were boring and over-detailed. The technical terms were hard to picture and I was left with the worst thing -not being able to picture what was going on. There were so many new characters that once we got to the volhv family, they started to blur together.
The biggest issue I had with this book was Chapter 18 when they discover WHY the current end of the world disaster is happening
SPOILER
The most irksome thing is that this war was started because non-magically gifted humans are second class citizens in this world, peasants. All the power, money, and jobs go to the magically gifted or shape-shifters. And you can't learn magic unless you are born with the gift. Ordinary humans banded together to form an organization that wanted to wipe out magic. Magic is what destroyed the world in th e first place. This progressed to wiping out magic users as well.
The man Kate is assigned to find built such a machine to wipe out magic when his wife was killed by machine's inability to function during magic. They treat him as if he is an evil, hateful man, and talk about him deserving to die. They go on to torture three members of the group carrying the device for information. After they get what they want, they brutally execute them. Including one woman who never fought back. In effect, they become the barbarians that the humans think they are and vow to kill every single member of this group, even if they have not hurt anyone. It essentially becomes a slaughter of one group by another and extremely hypocritical.
I am curious to know how the story will continue in regards to Roland, but I am sick of hypocritical killer Kate and her band of savage killers that obey her only because she is sleeping with their king.
I gave this review an extra star for keeping the "book porn" down to two incidents that each spanned less than a page each to skim.

It really is incredible. Most series run out of steam at the end, but not this one. This team and series is in full swing. Of course, things have changed, Kate and Curran are together now, but nevertheless it's quite interesting to see them manage their everyday life together, since both are such strong and independent characters.
As all the other books I found this one fast-paced and action-packed, and the typical dry sarcasm and wit made for a very entertaining read.
It's a great book!

SPOILER*
My five star rating is for the action, the plot, and the way the authors dealt with Kate and Curran's relationship. I was worried that the book would not keep in line with the rest in the series(seen it before in many series). I was worried it would become more about their inner relationship, and we would lose the edge of your seat novels the authors have built on. I WAS WRONG!! Perfect Balance...I love Kate and Currans dry wit humor. I don't agree with the other readers in that it was too many new characters introduced in this book, although I do feel like they are leaving us readers questioning the absence of some characters(rafael), or explainations(andrea). Great way to set up for potential spin offs though.

Most series became predictable after several books but this is not one of them.
I have fun reading the 'Magic' books from the beginning and the fun has not stopped yet.

Note: Roland reminds me of Samantha's father (Bewitched). Villain but lovable.(sorry I am two books ahead of myself).

I have to say that despite all the true and half-baked folkloric references, I am bothered when reading a passage about Vikings having horned helmets. That is purely a conjuration of modern storytelling. The book was entertaining to read and there are plenty of loose ends to help Kate's story move on in future books.

I must say that when I first picked this book up, I was slightly apprehensive. I simply loved Ilona Andrew's previous book in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Bleeds, so much that I was slightly worried that I might be disappointed with Magic Slays.

I shouldn't have worried, though, because it definitely surpassed my expectations. This book includes the perfect blend of action, drama, worldbuilding, relatonship building, and background filling. You will learn much, much more about Kate's dark past, and it will help open your eyes to why Kate is the badass that she is.

Also, there was plenty of Curran and Kate time to satisfy the roaring romantic inside of me. I must admit that I fell in love with Curran's character early on and I have not been disappointed. In this book, issues will be faced on both sides, and Curran will prove to Kate just how much he cares for her.

Absolutely brillant ride! Left me pining for more, as usual. I promise that you will not be disappointed with this latest installment of the Kate Daniels series.

I am an absolute Ilona and Gordon fan, so of course I was haunting all the bookstores for the hope of early editions. Let's just say that Ilona Andrews is one of the only authors for whom I would go to such extremes. Usually the hype and absolute fanaticism that precedes an anticipated book release creates an expectation that can not easily be satisfied by most authors, but this book totally hit the spot.

We start the book off with a spectacular action scene, which is quickly followed up by the reappearance of Andrea. Kate has been having trouble getting jobs ever since she opened up Cutting Edge and her first major job comes courtesy of the Red Guard, who have misplaced a famous magical theorist and his mysterious invention, and need Kate's help to retrieve them. As stated by other reviewers, the implications of the invention are vast and very bad and Kate is once again caught in a battle to save all she holds dear. This book has it all: revelations about Kate's past, the introduction of new magical factions and the return of some old ones, awesome smackdowns, and, of course, the eternal conflict between two strong-willed individual's who have chosen to make a life with each other.

It was an excellent book but there was several shocking events. Afterall, we can never accuse Ilona and Gordon of going easy on us. The conclusion is satisfying, but there is no question that Kate will back in another situation soon enough, and we draw closer and closer to the confrontation between Roland and Kate.

Good balance of snarky humor and action, with plenty of violence and character development, though minor characters are marginalized mid-book in favor of actual plot. I'll keep it short -- great book in the series and you should buy it!

Small criticism is the acronym MSDU is used fairly often, and I have no idea what it means. It's not a big deal in terms of understanding the story.

I have to say, we have come quite a long way. Let's all take a moment and do a flashback, with the wavy screen and everything. When we met Kate Daniels, sword happy merc and all around trouble magnet, she was half loaded in her kitchen, not doing anything in particular. While we knew she'd have to do something interesting, since there was a whole book that had to happen, she didn't look like much, did she? Then a vampire wandered in and got the whole Red Stalker case going. It sort of snowballed from there.

Fast forward to Magic Slays. Without giving away too much, since spoilers are generally no fun, Kate now would barely recognize Kate then. Kate now has connections, and a family, and responsibility. Voron is turning over in his grave, we all know it. Kate now also owns her own business, which Kate then would have laughed at.

Everything we all love about this series is back in Magic Slays. The easy, hilarious dialogue. The wonderfully awkward moments that make us laugh out loud (anyone who didn't laugh at Grendel and his rat is not human.). The tension between Kate and Curran, which I was a little concerned might vanish. The wonderful writers, however, manage to keep that tension alive while still making the new relationship blossom and grow. Finally, the action is here. Oh my, yes. There is action aplenty. Perhaps not as much as Kate might want, but since she's fought immortal, half undead monsters, hordes of demons, Indian myths, and a 6000 year old legend, perhaps her views are a little skewed.

Honestly, I can find no fault with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would highly recommend it, and the series as whole, to anyone who is waiting for the next Dresden Files or October Daye or Night Huntress or....yeah, you get the idea. This is urban fantasy at its best, and I'm already counting the days until the next one.

I'm new to paranormal romance (and by new, I mean a couple of years) and when I found this series, I was THRILLED! Kate and Curran.... *sigh* I love their chemistry. They fight and they make up...and fight some more. Good book and I can't wait to read book 6.

Kate makes me happy. Curran makes me happy. Kate-and-Curran makes me happy.

Andrea makes me happy. (The thought of Andrea slapping Aunt B makes me smirk with happiness.)

Grendel makes me happy. Derek...Jim...Doolittle...Julie...Jezebel, Barabas, Saimon, Ghastek. Happiness all around!

The wit and snappy comebacks make me happy. The fight scenes make me happy. The way the mystery builds and develops makes me happy. The sheer creativity of the world-building makes me happy. The way Kate and Curran argue and fight and come to a meeting of the minds makes me happy. (Sigh.)

The way the story wraps up nicely but still manages to end on a "Tune in next book!" note makes me happy.

This book makes me happy. This series CONTINUES to make me happy.

Now...time for a re-read. (That will make me happy, too.)

On occasion, the Kate Daniels books became typical. Romance, fighting, supernatural, done. I liked this one, with both Kate and Curran coming to grips a little more with their internal struggle. It even has some consequences of previous books sneaking their way in, rewarding us avid fans. It's a nice mix of witty comebacks and humor with the dark struggle of the world they are in.

I am TOO excited for the Hugh D'Ambrey showdown!

All I can say is that Ilona Andrews leaves me speechless, breathless and downright giddy... This series is my all time favorite urban fantasy series. I Love Kate, Curran and so many other characters in their world it's crazy. I've read the whole series over more than once and can't get enough. Waiting impatiently for the next installment. But when I start feeling withdrawals, you better believe I'm reading series over again! LOL ...

I can't go too much time without my Kate/Curran fix.

*THIS IS MORE OF A SERIES COMMENT, THEN FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL BOOK*
This 5+ STAR books is part of a 10+STAR Series. Each book is fresh and exciting! The imagination of these authors is incredible. The ideas and research seems rare as they apply it to each book. Come on, the use of Slavic folklore in this book and the India Rakshasas in Magic Strikes. Wow, that is Research! And then its application into the book-That is Imagination!
The world building in both their series is remarkable and descriptive. No skimming the surface here, deep in detail, takes you there.
These books do need to come with WARNINGS! CAREFUL if eating or drinking during reading. Laughter hits-choking occurs- and God bless the person sitting across from you- or you will- literally. I LOVE the one liners!
NO NO NO- it can't end in seven books !! This Series NEEDS to continue longer

I'm disappointed with this book.

I've never read such bad sex in my life. There are no emotions, sensations, reactions. The sex scenes are dry and flat, like the piece of toast you accidentally left out overnight.

*Sigh*

The hero is supposed to be sexy, right? Everywhere except in the bedroom. Oh we get all the fighting scenes in full, vivid detail, all the reactions, sensations, thoughts, and it slows down for us all.

The love making is one of the most disappointing things I've ever read.

Needless to say, I won't be reading further. Which is a shame, because this could've been great. There are other things which disappointed me about this book as well. The fact the hero says, "We're done." when the heroine saved her daughter so the heroine wouldn't do the blood thing again.

I feel the same way with this series. Cause the sex and the hero is so awwwweesoooome. Not. We're done.

this book felt like the first half of a larger book that is leading us towards the end of the story arch. I look forward to each book and more so now as promises of great story telling and good character developement continue.
A must buy book.
read the Series if this is yrou first time seeig this author. Time well spent!

I've read the full Kate Daniels series up thru this title, Magic Slays. I loved this one and am not bored at all. The story develops well with each book. If you are a fan of Mercy Thompson or the Cat and Bones series you will enjoy Kate....

I've been a fan since book one of this series. But I have to admit ,I was afraid that this book wouldn't live up to the previous installments.After all, Kate and Curan are now the Alpha couple of the Pack. But they are far from a boring old married couple. The spark that was present the first time they met is still alive and well. This adventure had me wanting to read more.

I won't summarize the book since other readers have already done that much better than I could. I'll just say that this book is definitely worth your time and money.
Anyone new to the series could start with this book and not be too lost. But why would you want to miss out on books 1-4 of this wonderful series??

I really can't believe that I was ever reluctant to get started with the series. I bought it on a whim and then it sat on my shelf forever. Then one night I decided to give it a chance....12 hours later book 1 was finished and I was standing in the check out line at Barnes and Noble with the other books in the series in my hand.

For this to be book 5 it was really, really good. I had no problem getting into the plot. The chemistry between Kate and Curran was still sizzling hot, Julie's back and her storyline had me on the edge of my seat. Kate's business had a decent beginning, I wondered how our dynamic writing duo were going to bring in the action at the same level as it was when Kate and Andrea were part of the Guild. I should have known that it wouldn't be a problem. Kate's magic is getting to be really amazing and she had to use it pretty hard in this book.

I can't wait to see where this series is going to go next!

You can not go wrong with any Kate Daniels book! This is hands-down the best urban fantasy series. Kate Daniels kicks butt first and takes names later. And the humor is spot on. I came upon this series by accident and am soooo glad I did. Start with Magic Bites and enjoy the ride!

Another fantastic installment to the Kate Daniels series. Kate is finally where Ive always wanted her to be. Right next to and leading with Curran. Kate has gone through a lot and has grown a lot in the past 4 books. She is finally able to see what its like to be in a relationship and learning to depend on someone else even if that someone else is an overprotective Alpha. I love Ilona Andrews world building. They really bring everything to life with their explanations. I also love that everything flows fantastically and you cant tell its more then one person writing the story. The characters are always written so well that they stick in my mind from book to book. As with all the other Kate books the action is intense and there is tons of it. There is a new character introduced and it seems as though she will be pretty involved in Kate's training in blood magic as the series continues. If you have been a fan of the series for the past 4 books you wont want to miss this installment.

finally released at decent price, this is the great writing of these authors as Kate and her sidekicks totally kick butt , exchanging quips and dealing with challenging issues along the way. great read.

I am a big fan of the Kate Daniels series. Magic Slays demonstrates how an urban fantasy series can just keep getting better and better while others die a slow, painful death. The author team knows how to create interesting plots, great characters, and memorable dialogue. The craziness in this book is priceless, ex. a magic house picks itself up and turns around on chicken legs to reveal a witch sitting in a rocking chair on the porch in the company of a duck/rabbit/cat pet and the witch is...knitting. I can't wait for the next book...a showdown with Hugh and Roland, finally, maybe?

LOVE all the Magic series, Kate and Curran are so great together they work so hard to get and fight for so long to have a relationship, so now a new wrench is throwing into they relationship it just great to watch it all unfold.

So, this is the tale after the happily ever after. There are trials, hardships, death, and major adjustments. How will the Beast Lord deal with the rolling mayhem that is Kate? The answer? Carefully.... What a journey! I have been an avid follower of the set since i stumbled upon it when the first book was just out. I could not be more pleased with the direction, flow, and pacing of this novel. It was pure Kate Daniels Magic. Although please note, this book will NOT stand alone, so if you are new to set please do yourself the favor of starting at the beginning Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1). The last 6 chapters made the book for me, as there is more background and leg done for remain novels of the set. If you love Urban Fantasy and have not experienced the awesomeness that is Ilona Andrews, DO!

This series just gets better and better. I really enjoyed the further development of her relationship with Curran and her greater involvement with the Pack. The writing is fantastic - I couldn't put the book down. For anyone who has not read this series, it is so much better than others of the same type. The characters are well developed, interesting and likeable.

Ilona Andrews is on FIRE!! A must read for fans of AWESOMENESS! Every time I finish reading a new release in the "Magic" series I think "It can't get better then this." but it does it sooo does. I highly recommend this book.

Magic Slays is an amazing, action packed story with humor, fights, blood and gore, happiness, sadness, and a whole range of other emotions. It is hard to believe that this is the fifth book in the series because the material is so original. Kate has grown to form relationships, but I also saw a different side to her. A side that she may become. I cannot wait for the sixth book! This book is a must read, though the series should be read in order to fully appreciate all of the characters' background. The authors have written an outstanding story with world building that is phenomenal.

I love these books by Ilona Andrews. If you have not tried any of their books, you should do so. This book centers around a terrible device and danger to one of those Kate loves. Pick it up as fast as you can!

Couldn't put it down. It was just a fantastic ride. Love the information about Kate's past. Love how her skills are developing, and are going to be developing further with practice with people who can show her what she needs.

Great and I cannot wait till the next books.

Cheers to the writing team of Gordon and Ilona Andrews. Magic Slays is an exceptional book. I was not sure how they were going to go from Magic Bleeds, but they managed it all flawlessly. The end of the book unleashed quite a few questions and left me wanting to know what will happen with not only Kate/Curran, but quite a few of the support characters: Andrea, Jennifer, Julie, etc. The only complaint I had with this book was the lack of insight into some characters (Derek, Jim, Raphael) I have grown to appreciate. I look forward to the next book in this series and only wish I didn't have to wait a whole year!

The book is fantastic. The writing is wonderful and I love how the story is progressing. Kate's history is unveiling and her relationship with Curran continues to evolve.
Terrific addition to the series.

Book 5, and this is still my favourite series. Kate is a woman with a big sword, lots of magic, and a witty mouth in a world full of monsters, magic, and mayhem. If you've never read this series, you really need to get your hands on it. It just gets better and better.

another great kate daniels book i loved the fact that even though kate and curran are living together its not all suddenly hearts and flowers i would of loved to see something develop for andrea weather she gets back with raphel or the new love intrest but on the whole great book even had me crying at one point cant wait to see kate kicking butt in the next book

This is one exciting and mysterious series. I love how Kate is Ll about standing up for her self and fighting her own battles yet she's mated to the king of the pack. She's independent, brave, stubborn, and most important bad ass..

This is probably my favorite series of books in the genre right now. From the first paragraph of the first book I have been hooked. But I confess to being a bit dissatisfied with Magic Slays.

As always the storytelling is good. But the book begins to bog down under the sheer weight of its cast of characters. We already have a large and diverse cast, and in this book we are introduced to not one, not two, but what seems like a dozen more. It begins to get unwieldy. And unfortunately some of the story lines with both new and old characters seem to be picked up then just kind of dropped; Ascanio is one, Andrea's issues are another. Raphael is completely off stage in this book.

I can say that once again we are treated to a "must defeat this or all around me will die" scenario. And I'm starting to feel that too is a bit tired. How many times will we hear "and a lion boiled forth" etc.

Then, near the ending climax of the book is an entire Curran/Kate discussion that just seems meaningless. I don't want to post spoilers but seriously, the need for this conversation was completely negated in literally the next paragraph. Why was it there?

I would have liked to see less time and energy spent on the Major Huge Dramatic Final Fight Scene and more spent on some of the character threads that were dropped. I am starting to be afraid that like some other authors this series might get so overburdened with different people and plotlines that it crashes under its own weight.

As always the humor is sharp and on target, and I do like what Kate learned about herself. But I hope the next book is a bit tighter.

An amazing 5th book, that wont let the readers of Kate Daniels down. It may be my favorite so far. I loved the plot, the character interactions, the action and the drama. I defenately recommend it. Can't wait for the 6th book. 1 year to go yay...

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5) is book that Ilona Andrews' fans will eat up. There's a great deal of action, awesome Kate snarky insight and nice sexy time with her and Curran. I feel Ilona is tying up loose ends that will lead to the ultimate battle between Kate and her father. Also, as much as Curran and Kate really work well together, I feel because they're now a unit and pretty much dedicated to one another as a mated couple, having this series go on indefinitely is something I can't see. Kate and Curran remind me so much of Eve and Roarke from JD Robb's In Death series. These two are so settled and cozy with one another. Curran looks out for Kate far too often and is almost smothering in his protection toward her, which she can't stand. But we all know they won't get fed up with one another and their HEA is pretty much set in stone. Kate and Curran relationship can be compared to the 1980's TV show Moonlighting and the Maddie and David character story arc (when Maddie and David finally were in a romantic relationship together after years of not acting on their attraction, the show lost viewers and was soon canceled). I believe the same fate lies here with the Kate Daniel series.

I really do love Ilona's world building and the cast of characters she has created. Magic Slays has a great deal of heavy moments, but also some light ones, mainly due to the way Kate reacts to situations. Kate's entire focus has changed. She used to work for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, but after being fired she now has opened her own business calls Cutting Edge Investigations. Business is very slow on her end, mainly because of her reputation and being the female alpha alongside Curran, the Beast Lord. Kate also has an adopted daughter Julie, who causes more problems than Kate can deal with. Plus, she has to put up with dangerous mindless vampires popping up at any moment when their masters can't control them. It's never a dull moment for Kate.

Trouble seems to follow Kate wherever she goes. She takes on a dangerous job of finding a top secret item that was stolen. This stolen item isn't something simple as locating a piece of priceless jewelry or a painting. A device has been created to bring forth destruction to Atlanta. Think of this as magical atomic bomb that in the wrong hands will bring forth a post-apocalypse, and destroy not only humans, but every supernatural creature that comes in contact with. The inventor of this machine is also missing and the only one with the knowledge to destroy the doomsday device. Kate, along with Curran and his pack must stop Armageddon before it's too late.

Magic Slays is a wild ride. Poor Kate gets beaten within an inch of her life. I can't understand how she's still standing and goes back for more. The last 30 pages are intense, where you'll practically be on your feet cheering. And even though there are bleak times ahead for Kate, she is mentally strong. She now has a "family" of her own who would die for her. She is no longer alone and trying to survive day to day. Curran won't let her close herself off, and I'm not just talking about the way they share their bodies with one another. Their tug-o-war is over and they have created a bond that won't be broken. These two are perfect for one another, although again, this outcome between Kate and Curran has come to an end. There's not much more Ilona can do with these two in terms of excitement. Perhaps some readers will find Kate and Curran's relationship like a pair of comfy slippers they can slip their feet into. It's nice to see Kate have some happiness in her life, but when this romantic part of the series has been tied up, what more can happen with them?

Magic Slays is easy reading where you'll gasp in outrage, as well as laugh and sigh (sigh as Kate and Curran share a bath together. Le rowl). I really have enjoyed Kate's take control of the situation attitude, wit and how she keeps getting back up to take down the bad guys whose purpose is to make people suffer. Ilona Andrews fans will not want to miss this one.

Katiebabs