Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Apr 13, 2013 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was ok

Shelves: my-library-catalogue

I think I have a “read only the first book of every urban fantasy series you come across” problem, and Magic Bites is just one more victim in a long line of my series ADD. My intention is to continue on in all of them eventually, but unfortunately this one is pretty low on that list.

It started out with such a bang, too: a strong female protagonists who totally handles her shit against an ugly vampire (a small, misshapen creature that had me celebrating a grittier take on supernatural beings). It I think I have a “read only the first book of every urban fantasy series you come across” problem, and Magic Bites is just one more victim in a long line of my series ADD. My intention is to continue on in all of them eventually, but unfortunately this one is pretty low on that list.

It started out with such a bang, too: a strong female protagonists who totally handles her shit against an ugly vampire (a small, misshapen creature that had me celebrating a grittier take on supernatural beings). It even had a compelling mystery to get the story started. These attributes remain in place throughout the novel, so it’s fair to say my disappointment comes down to a specific issue: the development of the love story (or lack thereof).

Frankly, for the first half of the book, I wasn’t sure who the love interest was supposed to be, which is just fine with me because the protagonist had a few viable options and I was actually looking forward to seeing how (and if) the sparks would begin to generate. Then, all of a sudden, she was in LOVE with one of them, and I’m over here reeling in my recliner wondering “did I miss something??!” No joke, I flipped back and skimmed the previous few chapters and even checked page numbers to make sure I wasn’t the victim of a misprint. Nope… It really happened that fast.

It’s probably because I’ve tried so many urban fantasies that I’ve come to expect strong relationship development within them, even if it’s not the main focus of the story. I also received oodles of positive feedback on this series from customers and fellow bloggers, so I definitely expected more right from the start.

Going forward, I have high hopes. I mean, people love these authors for a reason, and there were so many other things that showed promise that I’m willing to give it another go eventually… I just want to delve a little deeper into the other handful of series that hits bullseyes on all accounts first.

5/8/17 Update: I've since read beyond the first book, and the series is now in contention to be one of my favorites. It gets waaaaaaayy better! :)

Via the Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Bradley rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy, 2016-shelf, urban-fantasy

Honestly, as long as I'm just focusing on the Urban Fantasy Romance angle of the tale, it's fine, but when it comes right down to all the weres and the types of vamps, it's all pretty much old hat.

So What's really good about the series? The character development. So far it's a pretty solid introduction and the meet-cute is pretty funny. Our MC is kind of a mess with her magic and her sword, but that's okay when the big bad kitty decides he likes her and wants to "help" her.

The vamps do have an ...more

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Apr 30, 2016 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, post-apocalypse, shapeshifters, fantasy, magic, re-read, found-family, vampires

Reread August 2020
I was paying more attention this time to the start of Curran and Kate. I would definitely rate it slightly higher this time, maybe 4.25 stars.

May 2016
Highly enjoyable and easy to read urban fantasy in the vein of Harry Dresden but set in post apocalyptic Atlanta. I was surprised it was so good. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Made for an excellent palate cleanser between larger tomes!

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Jun 25, 2017 Veronique rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2017, read2020

3.5

“You know anything about investigative work?"
"Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilt party tries to make you go away.”

Giving this series another go, as it happens, especially since so many people keep recommending it to me.

It is a first instalment, and as I have been warned, not the strongest. We get a first glance at this world where magic and technology alternate, with all matter of shape shifters, vampires, and pretty much everything in between. Kate is a compelling character, f ...more

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Apr 24, 2016 Trish rated it liked it · review of another edition

I saw the light and ... it was a horde of IA fans coming after me with faylanterns and they forced me to read this. *lol* No, in all truth, I got curious after quite a number of people with formidable taste were raving about this series. Also, I'm a sucker for a kick-ass female hero.

So what to say about this book? Well, after having started the Harry Dresden series, I had pretty high expectations although I was told that the first book often is the weakest in such a series. And this definitely d I saw the light and ... it was a horde of IA fans coming after me with faylanterns and they forced me to read this. *lol* No, in all truth, I got curious after quite a number of people with formidable taste were raving about this series. Also, I'm a sucker for a kick-ass female hero.

So what to say about this book? Well, after having started the Harry Dresden series, I had pretty high expectations although I was told that the first book often is the weakest in such a series. And this definitely didn't convince me the way Storm Front did. BUT Kate definitely is snarky and strong and intelligent, the world-building is VERY interesting what with the battle between magic and technology and hey - there's a giant lion. :D

This first book introduces us to an Atlanta probably from the not-so-distant future where a sort of magical tidal wave fried life as we know it, toppled a number of buildings and crippled the infrastructure. No idea if it's like that everywhere. There are regular intervals where either technology or magic dominate, rendering this or that tool useless. In this environment we start with a murder and Kate has to investigate (or, rather, she wants to since it's personal). That way we're also introduced to different factions and institutions. Since not even Kate can do everything alone, she kind of teams up with the Pack (community of shapechangers). The rest is a typical quest to find the culprit with some battles thrown in for good measure.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of elements that were awfully familiar. I don't know if it's always like this with UF (having no experience past Harry Dresden) or if it's just a problem of this novel.
However, what convinced me to give this a shot and what also convinced me to keep reading (apart from a knife to my throat from other IA fans), is the banter. Seriously, Kate in general but especially with Curran ... too good to miss. Curran CAN be a complete asshole which usually is a dealbreaker for me. But he can be sweet, owns up to his mistakes and something tells me that he will learn and be more careful not to hurt the feelings of a certain mysterious kick-ass young lady (his reaction (view spoiler) was NOT OK at all). Yeah, yeah, I'm aware I'm making excuses but hey - did I mention he's a giant lion?! HOW THE HELL IS THIS KITTIE-LOVER SUPPOSED NOT TO TAKE HIS SIDE?! ;P

There are lots of comical situations as well. Not laugh-out-loud fun (yet), but enough to let the reader see that there is a lot of potential, maybe even greatness to come (so yeah, even without the knife to my throat I would have decided to read at least the next one in the series too).

To conclude, for all the Curran-fans like me, I googled memes. Have fun, kiddies!

...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2024

2nd re-read. Time flies. Apparently I left it too long. I remember the highlights and some of the snarkiest and funniest bits. But large parts of the plot were totally gone from my memory. For example the identity of the bad guy, what he was and why he did his evil deeds. I guess another re-read of the whole series is in order, whenever I can squeeze them in.

*~*~*~*
April 2016:

Rereading this and the rest of the series with the Ilona Andrews Addicts, before Magic Binds comes out in September... 1 2nd re-read. Time flies. Apparently I left it too long. I remember the highlights and some of the snarkiest and funniest bits. But large parts of the plot were totally gone from my memory. For example the identity of the bad guy, what he was and why he did his evil deeds. I guess another re-read of the whole series is in order, whenever I can squeeze them in.

*~*~*~*
April 2016:

Rereading this and the rest of the series with the Ilona Andrews Addicts, before Magic Binds comes out in September... 1st re-read finished April 30, 2016.

Still like it a lot. Stumbled across many things that I had forgotten. Love the magic system. Great world building, good action. Curran is much more of an asshole that I remembered.

There were some hick-ups in the later chapters, that had me going back and forth, wondering if I had accidentally skipped some pages or maybe read something wrong. But all things considered great entertainment.

*~*~*~*
First read August 2 to 17, 2011:

Kate is a strong and fairly badass heroine. A bit of an underdog and she's hiding some secrets. That, unfortunately, were not lifted in this book. That right there means that I will have to keep reading this series. Plus one of her adversaries and unhappy brother-in-arms against evil is very interesting and trips all her triggers. I predict lots of sex between those two in one of the future books. Don't tell me, if you've read this and know...
There is some interesting world-building going on in this book. The world keeps switching between magic and tech, making it possible to use magic in one period and preventing any man-made technology from working and vice-versa in the other period. The breakdown of technology and violent magical fluctuation have pretty much lead to a breakdown and shift of modern civilisation and the setting is almost apocalyptic. At first the idea felt a little silly to me, but I came to like it and I would love to have that explored a little more. I feel a bit as if I have been throw into the middle of the series instead of into the first book. It definitely feels as if I've missed a book. I hope Andrews will explore this a little more in the later books. ...more

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Aug 03, 2015 Robyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015

Super duper urban fantasy. I will read more of them - loved the inventive world (can't wait to learn more about it) and the characters. Slightly gross fight scenes, but that's to be expected! ...more

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Mar 25, 2021 Di Maitland rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-books-series, fantasy, buddy-reads, action-girl, fantasy-romance, magic, swords, non-humans, titled-characters, urban-fantasy

This was just amazing as I imagined it would be. I'd worried that, because I'd started with the Mercy Thompson novels, I'd like this less but, although its similar, it's very much its own story and I'm swooning just as hard for Kate and Curran as I ever was/am for Mercy and Adam.

'If you could pay, they would charge you; and if you couldn't, they would kill shit on your behalf pro-bono.'

The very first line of the blurb reads: 'The world has suffered a magic apocalypse.' Somehow I missed this and This was just amazing as I imagined it would be. I'd worried that, because I'd started with the Mercy Thompson novels, I'd like this less but, although its similar, it's very much its own story and I'm swooning just as hard for Kate and Curran as I ever was/am for Mercy and Adam.

'If you could pay, they would charge you; and if you couldn't, they would kill shit on your behalf pro-bono.'

The very first line of the blurb reads: 'The world has suffered a magic apocalypse.' Somehow I missed this and was surprised to find myself in a near-future Atlanta where buildings (and normal) society have partially crumbled under the brunt of magic, reappearing in a big way for the first time in four thousand years. Vampires, shapeshifters, witches, wizards and necromancers all walk the streets with barely an eye batted. So far, Andrews has drawn less inspiration from fairytale than Patricia Briggs but its still early days in the series yet.

"One last thing, Your Majesty. I'd like a name I can put into my report, something shorter than typing out 'The Leader of the Southern Shapechanger Faction.' What should I call you?" "Lord." I rolled my eyes. He shrugged. "It's short."

Kate is a magically-talented, sword-wielding mercenary whose family are long dead and whose power has mysterious origins. She lives hand to mouth, battling monsters for pay and trying to keep out of the public eye. That is, until her guardian, a Knight-Diviner for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, is brutally murdered. Kate will do anything to find his killer, even if it means partnering with the Order and working with Curran, the infuriating Lord of the Beasts. (If you're chuckling over those awful titles, so was I!)

"It's a reflex. Hear a bell, eat food. See an undead, throw a knife. Sam thing, really."

Like Mercy, Kate is kick-ass and confident but also has a tendency to put her foot in her mouth #herekittykitty. Like Adam, Curran is swoon-worthy but has some serious alpha issues. Kate both infuriates him and fascinates him and he can't stay away. They're still at the love-hate stage at the moment but I can't wait to see how this develops (because there's really no doubt it will).

'To think that I had found a kindred spirit in the Beast Lord. How touching.'

In terms of side characters, we've been given tasty morsels to whet our appetites for the upcoming books: there's Saiman who can somehow metamorphose into almost anyone; Anna, Greg's ex-wife and a clairvoyant; Ghastek, a necromancer who may not be as bad as he first appeared; Roland, the elusive head of the People; Greg, the cute shapeshifting kid; and more.

"You know anything about investigative work?" "Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilty party tries to make you go away."

As in most of these sorts of urban fantasies, each book takes a different mystery and revolves it, whilst the world-building and the relationships develop over the series. Almost from the start, I was 100% sure I knew whodunnit. In fact, I rolled my eyes that the clues were so clunky and so obvious. I was so wrong. On the one hand, Andrews should get a round of applause for that; on the other hand, the hints were still clunky in their delivery, even if they were only leading me astray.

"You may call me Dr. Doolittle," he said. "I've sailed through the night and day, in and out of weeks, to where the wild things are and now I'm their private physician." "That was Max."

If you've read the Mercy Thompson series and loved it, I still recommend reading this - the first will not spoil your enjoyment of the second. If you've not read Mercy Thompson or this, I recommend both and don't think it matters which you start with. If you've read this and Mercy Thompson and are looking for something similar, I recommend Storm Front, House of Earth and Blood and Rosemary and Rue. If you've never read any Urban Fantasy and think it's all just like Twilight, I promise you it's not; give it a go. It's got action and romance, knights and monsters, and it'll give you a fun few hours of reading, brains not necessary. ...more

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Feb 04, 2016 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, dislike-the-narrator

I think that if I read this it would have been 3 stars and if I was an Urban Fantasy fan it would have been an easy 4. Sadly, I'm not a UF fan and I was foolish enough to listen to the audio. Majorly bad idea. I really didn't like the narrator.

The first half is fairly boring but it does pick up in the second half. I think in the first half she seemed like she was finding her footing. I can see a completely solid basis for a great series here and someday I may be tempted to try more. Just not on ...more

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Aug 09, 2014 Carrie rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 1st-in-a-series, supernatural, magic, shifters, empath, psychic-ability, kickass-spirited-strong, animals, kidnapping

I wanted to read this book for forever, I'm glad I finally got around to it. Fantastic characters, most interesting world. Looking forward to book 2. ...more

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Aug 07, 2015 Scott rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Very much enjoyed this and look forward to another series that I can devour like a werespeedreader

Love this world and the fluctuations between Tech and Magic. A very cool take on a UF world

Kate is a great narrator. I especially like her combination of sass and ass kicking. It's enjoyable to read ...more

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