Goldilox and the Three Weres: Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Magic Slays
(Kate Daniels #5)
Ilona Andrews
Release: May 1, 2011
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Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she's still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate's mate.

So when Atlanta's premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price.

Review by Rose Red:

Kate Daniels' life has changed a lot in the last year. Her and Curran are now officially mated and Kate is struggling not only with her new responsibilities as Consort but also with getting her new PI business up and running. The action picks up almost immediately when Ghastek calls on Kate to detain a vampire that has slipped out of its navigator's grasp. In the confusion of the vampire take down, Kate ends up in a stand-off and we see the return of Andrea, who has undergone some major life changes. After the vampire debacle, Kate gets her first real case. She has to track down a kidnapped scientist. And like everything in her life, the case turns out to have a much larger issue at the heart of it. An issue that has the power to affect the entire magic community.

I'm so pleased to have Andrea (and Grendel the attack poodle) back 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 overshadowing the protagonist. The banter between Kate and Andrea is funny and flows so naturally. I always look forward to their scenes as much as I do the Kate and Curran ones. This book left me hoping that we'll see Andrea become more integrated into the series in the future.

I've always loved the outstanding world building and heart stopping action of this series. Magic Slays certainly does not disappoint in that department. But we get to see more of Kate and Curran's relationship in this one. Seriously. Ilona Andrews really brought the romance this time. Now that Kate and Curran are mated I thought I'd miss the tension but it turns out that they still have a lot to work out in their relationship. Everything is not all smooth sailing for them now that they're mated. There's still problems and I loved watching them have to confront the issues and work through them. Kate still has to stand up to "His Furriness" and Curran is still trying to assert his dominance every chance he gets. Despite the problems, it was really nice to see Kate finally settling into her relationship with Curran. In fact, how they confront the problems made me love their relationship more. Kate is head over heels in a more down to earth way with Curran and Curran leaves no room for doubt about his feelings for Kate and the lengths he's willing to go for her. Seriously. These two are one of my most favorite couples ever!

Kate is usually being fed through the physical wringer, but the pain she endures in this book is more emotional. 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. She discovers some cruel lies about her childhood, doubts her relationship with Curran, and is faced with (possibly) having to kill someone she loves. She's been stripped of the emotional armor Voron spent so much time having her build and has allowed others into her life and into her heart. This new found closeness makes these events are all the more painful for her to deal with. My heart broke while reading certain parts of this book.

From the first page, I was enthralled with the story and the mystery. The final action scene was so intense that I was getting anxious about how everything was going to pan out! Everything comes together in the end for a one-of-a-kind story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For this reason, Magic Slays is probably my most favorite book in the series with its brilliant world building, heart stopping action, and the unconventional romance. I can not begin to describe just how much I adore this series.