Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Diana, Iain and I are planning to read through the entire Kate Daniels series (including novellas and spin-off). The plan is to binge-read 2-3 books at a time, when we can squeeze it between BRs. All are, of course, welcome to join us but please be aware that we might move at a fast pace.

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Currently reading:
Curran POV Collection
#6 Magic Rises
#6.5 Magic Steals
#7 Magic Breaks

Up next: September 13th
Prequel to Magic Shifts
#8 Magic Shifts
#8.5 Magic Stars
#9 Magic Binds

READING ORDER:

Kate Daniels: novels
#1 Magic Bites
#2 Magic Burns
#3 Magic Strikes
#4 Magic Bleeds
#5 Magic Slays
#6 Magic Rises
#7 Magic Breaks
#8 Magic Shifts
#9 Magic Binds
#10 Magic Triumphs

Kate Daniels: novellas/extended world
#0.5 A Questionable Client (available in Small Magics)
#3.5 Magic Mourns (available in Must Love Hellhounds)
#4.5 Magic Dreams (available in Hexed)
#5.3 Magic Tests (available in Small Magics)
#5.5 Gunmetal Magic (full-length novel, includes Magic Gifts)
#5.6 Retribution Clause (available in Small Magics)
#6.5 Magic Steals (available in Night Shift)
#8.5 Magic Stars
#9.5 Iron and Magic (full-length novel, Iron Covenant #1)
#10.1. Untitled (full-length novel, Iron Covenant #2)
#10.2 Untitled (full-length novel, Iron Covenant #3)

Curran POV (available for free here)
Unicorn Lane (during #1)
Fernando's (during #1)
Soup (during #2)
Midnight Games (during #3)
Hot Tub (during #3)
Kate's Origin (between #3 and #4)
Naked Dinner (between #3 and #4)
Conclave (during #4)
Awake (end of #4)
Prequel to Magic Shifts (before #8)

Curran POV Collection includes the first nine.

italics: not yet published

reserved (I don't know why I reserved this comment but it's there! :p)

Ok, found some use for this comment! :)
Tentative 'binge sessions':

#1, 0.5, 2
#3, 3.5, 4, 4.5
#5, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
#6, Curran POVs, 6.5, 7
last Curran POV, #8, 8.5, 9
#9.5, 10

*silently judging* >:)

It's so pretty seeing it all lined up there and ready to be read :-)

Technically, I guess it should be:

#5.6 Magic Gifts (included in Gunmetal Magic... explains where Kate is during Gunmetal Magic... tricked me on my first read into thinking there was 20% more book left in Gunmetal Magic... nope, this is the Final Boss Battle...)
#5.7 Retribution Clause

I want to keep the GR numbering. Magic Gifts is listed as 5.4 by Goodreads, I modified my post to show it's included in Gunmetal Magic :)

Thanks Iain :)

Yea... I noticed that when I did a book search... it's apparently been re-printed... but I didn't see it in your list at all before... I might just be blind... numbering gets weird when timelines overlap...

You didn't see it 'cause I didn't list it at first hehe. I saw it was included in Gunmetal Magic and decided not to add it to the list, thinking no one would notice. But you did. Oops x)

I detailed the Curran POV, labeling which book they take place in; do you guys think we should read 'em right after the relevant book? Or are there spoilers in them for later books?

I think the Kate's Origin one is the most important one to avoid until book 5/6... the others are mostly safe, I think...

Let's play it safe and read the Curran POV #1-9 after book 5/6 then? It's only 160 pages total anyway :)

Me, me, me! :D

Can I get in on this? This is my joint favourite urban fantasy series.

Yes! The more the merrier!

I finished my other fav PNR series, The Hallows, tonight, so I'm already going through PNR withdrawal and am ready to start this one at any time. Just putting that out there ;-)

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "I finished my other fav PNR series, The Hallows, tonight, so I'm already going through PNR withdrawal and am ready to start this one at any time. Just putting that out there ;-)"

Hahaha. I tentatively put July 28th - August 4th to read the first two books + prequel short story. Hopefully, I'll manage to get started before that :)

Good to know! I'll start this weekend than.

I'm soooooo excited about this, it's ridiculous. Having the entire list should scare me but nope! I'm fully embracing the fact I overbooked myself for the next few months xD

Iain wrote: "*silently judging* >:)"

Just saw this comment 😂 😂 😂

Virginie wrote: "Iain wrote: "*silently judging* >:)"

Just saw this comment 😂 😂 😂"

Your first 3 posts were still blank at that point :D

Yea... Kate Daniels is why I'm taking a weekend off from my romance reads... that and I'm still behind...

Virginie wrote: "I'm soooooo excited about this, it's ridiculous. Having the entire list should scare me but nope! I'm fully embracing the fact I overbooked myself for the next few months xD"

You should be excited... one of the best series in the genre, in my/our opinion...

Iain wrote: "Virginie wrote: "Iain wrote: "*silently judging* >:)"

Just saw this comment 😂 😂 😂"

Your first 3 posts were still blank at that point :D"

Heh, I thought it was refering to my third post (which is still blank xD)

I picked up Small Magics, and that got me most of the short stories I was missing... already had the Night Shift anthology with Magic Steals inside... I'm Ready :D

Starting! I plan to read #1, #0.5 (prequel short) and #2 before the next week-end. It's 585 pages total, so that shouldn't be too hard. Everyone OK with that schedule? :D

Yep...

Starting as well. I will read the short before 1. 3 in a week seems perfectly doable.

I went for a run this morning so I started it today. But I'll probably be slow till next week. I started with 1 and will do .5 after. Forgot about that one.

22% (view spoiler)[ She just met the kitty 😻😻😻 (hide spoiler)]

This is my first time listening to the series and the narrator is pronouncing Curran different than I have been. I like my way better.

I will start book 1 today. I am not sure if I will manage to keep up with the group for the rest of the series because August will be a Malazan month for me. I will read your posts later on. :)

I like Kate!

5%, page 10 on Kindle:

(view spoiler)[ "The braid was cumbersome—it slapped my back when I ran and made for an excellent hold in a fight. If I were a little less vain, I would’ve cut it off, but I’ve already sacrificed feminine clothes, makeup, and pretty underwear in the name of functionality. I would be damned if I gave up my hair, too." (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3, 21%:

I want Kate to be my bff.

(view spoiler)[ "Diplomacy was never my strong suit and my patience had run dry. I crouched and called out, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” (hide spoiler)]

😂😂😂

Miche wrote: "Chapter 3, 21%:

I want Kate to be my bff.

😂😂😂"

She's seriously my favorite book heroine. :-)

I am pleasantly surprised how much I am enjoying this. I had the impression that KD was an ya series so I came fully prepared to an eye rolling marathon. I was very wrong! 😁

I'll start this one later tonight... probably read my Bookburners episode first...

I'm planning to follow the schedule ordering... 0.5 after #1... I think the plan is 2 novels per session + any short stories surrounding them, Arkadeb...

Seeing the plans for the NEXT session already, has me curious if you've planned out each session already? Is it going to be:

#1, 0.5, 2
#3, 3.5, 4, 4.5
#5, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
#6, Curran POVs, 6.5, 7
last Curran POV, #8, 8.5, 9
#9.5, 10

Or do you have a different schedule?

EDIT: Forgot Iron & magic is a novel and moved it to last line...

Miche wrote: "I am pleasantly surprised how much I am enjoying this. I had the impression that KD was an ya series so I came fully prepared to an eye rolling marathon. I was very wrong! 😁"

Oh so very not YA! You are in for an awesome ride! And it's so short and easy to get through. The sarcasm alone makes me want to be Kate's bff.

Miche wrote: "I am pleasantly surprised how much I am enjoying this. I had the impression that KD was an ya series so I came fully prepared to an eye rolling marathon. I was very wrong! 😁"

This is your first time?... For some reason I assumed you'd read it before... to think, this is the weakest book in the series...

It is my first time. I avoided this series for a long time because I had thought it was ya and I was burnt out of that genre.

The kitty line never fails to make me laugh.

I just finished reading Kate's interaction with Bono. The part where she just wants to fight and the magic responds - I love moments like that. Kate is not physically intimidating but she is unquestionably a predator. And when that aspect surfaces she is scary.

Also want to note I totally love Derrick and for some reason thought he was introduced in book 2.

I keep trying to push the series on Margret because I think she'd love the sarcasm.

So glad you're liking it Miche! You ain't seen nothin yet. :)

Derek is book 1... Julie is book 2... Andrea is book 2, but their friendship solidifies in 3, I think...
5-10% in: (view spoiler)[That conversation with Greg seems so wierd / stilted to me on reread... am I overthinking it?... I find myself wondering about things nos that I know they didn't shift from a monster-of-the-book format to a more connected story arc until book 3, based on reader feedback... (hide spoiler)]

And I finished Magic Bites!

Page-turner! I read it in one sitting. More! More! More! :D

I am starting to think I am converted to Urban Fantasy.

My main problem with the book is (view spoiler)[Kate shouldn't have been blamed for the raid on the doctor... and she accepts it...

I've heard this is the result of a chapter being cut in editing, and this result was missed, but it's still jarring, every time... (hide spoiler)]

Who all has read October Daye? My #2 fave UF series... has even more short stories than this series...

Well well well, I started yesterday but only got 1 chapter as I was unexpectedly busy because.... People :/ How dare they interrupt my binge-reading week-end ^_^

Time to catch up with you guys :)

Miche wrote: "I will start book 1 today. I am not sure if I will manage to keep up with the group for the rest of the series because August will be a Malazan month for me. I will read your posts later on. :)"

I think you'll be fine :) My August is quite busy as well! Since I am the slowest reader here, I will shamelessly adapt the schedule to my own reading pace xD

(Yup, offering to create/update this thread was not completely altruistic. I control the schedule now muhahahahaha 😈)

Iain wrote: "I'll start this one later tonight... probably read my Bookburners episode first...

I'm planning to follow the schedule ordering... 0.5 after #1... I think the plan is 2 novels per session + any sh..."

I didn't write it down like you just did but yes, that was my intention! I figured that 2 novels + the shorts stories around them for each session would set a good pace.

Just looking at my tracker, I was thinking... Around August 20th for session #2? Something like 2-3 weeks between each session?
I honestly don't think I can read any faster than that, with all the other BR I signed up for :p

Miche wrote: "And I finished Magic Bites!

Page-turner! I read it in one sitting. More! More! More! :D

I am starting to think I am converted to Urban Fantasy."

Ohoh! So you really liked it, huh? I'm even more excited now :D :D :D

Works for me... I had a feeling this would end up taking 3 month... it IS 12 books... maybe you'll get sucked in and binge, tho... things really pick up in books 2-3 tho... this book is positively slow in comparison...