Gollancz
9780575093935
$22.99
Paperback - B Format
November 2010
288 pages
Fantasy
Kate Daniels is about to enter a new world of gritty magic and dangerous mystery!
Future Atlanta is an interesting place to live: one moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters.Here skyscrapers topple under the onslaught of magic; the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst for knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.Kate Daniels likes her sword a little too much and she has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target and she's spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe, or to risk her life by pursuing his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ilona Andrews is the New York Times bestselling writing team of Ilona and Andrew Gordon. Ilona was born in Russia and came to the USA as a child. At university she met her husband, who helped her write and submit her first novel, MAGIC BITES. They live in Georgia, USA.
Previous Books:
Magic Burns (Bfmt 9780575093942 Dec 10);
Magic Bites
Review
This is the first book in a new series set in a futuristic world Atlanta, but it alternates between 'tech' and 'magic'. The authors' world is original and quite different. For a first time fantasy world, the writer has done a great job in creating a complex yet interesting backdrop to set a well written story against.
The cover does not do the story justice and even lead me to believe that it was going to be another conflicted, paranormal romance story. So let me state that if you are a paranormal romance reader, this book may not be for you. Despite its title, Magic Bites falls strongly on the fantasy end of the genre. Magic Bites is both a very good fantasy and mystery and you can get easily drawn in--as long as you are not too disappointed there is not a strong romance line in the novel.
Another warning, if you are someone who thinks vampires are dead sexy, this book does not ascribe to this point of view. Vampires are nobody's erotic fantasy in this novel and that makes them particularly interesting. Back to the traditional style view of these blood suckers rather than the modern fascination with being their meal/love interest.
Kate Daniels is the main character in a novel where magic has erupted and eaten away normal life, but it seems humans and beasts have adapted and make an uneasy go of it. Kate is a mercenary who hunts down "problems". She's sucked back into the world of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid when her guardian is murdered.
The marketing of this book is really going to make it sink or swim. It looks like a paranormal romance but is really a great fantasy novel. If it’s not sold to the right reader it’s not going to be as successful as it should be as the demographic that would enjoy it would not pick it up if it’s put in the wrong section of the bookshop. That may sound obvious, but it is really a hard book to classify correctly. To be honest, the title and cover art needs to be reworked so the right market will pick it up.
I’m looking forward to reading the next books in this series.
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