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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Sixth in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series based in Atlanta, Georgia. While Kate and Curran make an appearance, the primary focus is on Andrea Nash and Raphael.
Be sure to read Magic Gifts before you read this one! It's about Kate and Curran and explains what they're up to that Kate can't help Andrea during this story.
My Take
We do learn a great deal more about Andrea's childhood. And the effect it has on her still, sending her scrambling in her nightmares to a closet, clutching a knife for protection.
After Raphael's nasty actions and comments in Andrea's office, I loved reading as she got back at him. Time after time. It sure doesn't seem to take long before all kinds of action starts up. Raphael. Anapa.
Snicker, I do love that Clan Bouda likes to play pranks and Raphael gets Andrea good. She turns it around and gets him even better. The description of the toilet paper roll cracked me up!
The Pack is amazing. They step up for anyone they consider a friend and what they do for Andrea...well, it's enough to make her think hard.
Interesting idea for how the first shapeshifters came about. As well as how gods came to be. I do love that ambush!
The Story
Four shifters have been murdered and a robbery committed. Kate is caught up in something with Curran and unable to assist (see Magic Gifts), so it's Andrea who must talk to Raphael. It's his people who have died and he wants vengeance.
Andrea is hoping to finally meet and talk about what happened after Kate's Aunt Erra rampaged through Atlanta in Magic Bleeds, but Raphael seems to prefer a different kind of throwdown. More vicious.
It's nasty enough that good Andrea is gone forever. She figures she has nothing to lose and she just doesn't care anymore. Only...it throws down a different challenge that I don't think Andrea expected. It was one thing to hide and politely avoid the truth of Andrea's shifting ability. But if she is going to flaunt it, Curran can't ignore it any longer. Nor can Aunt B.
The investigation gets more interesting when one of the possible suspects refuses to see her and it just raises the hairs on the back of Andrea's neck. There's more than one way to get info and it seems that Raphael will just have to help Andrea out. If he wants answers...
The crowning touch is the extortive efforts of an Egyptian god who can't resist playing with lives.
The Characters
Andrea Nash is Beastkin. The bouda clan her mother escaped to was ruled by a vicious, sadistic bitch who encouraged the rest into her own ways. Abused horribly, Andrea's life is what resulted from that clan. She is currently employed by Cutting Edge, Kate's detective agency, after the Order kicked her out.
Kate, a.k.a., the Consort, is mated to Curran Lennart, the Beast Lord. They're preoccupied by events in Magic Gifts. Julie is her adopted fourteen-year-old daughter. Grendel is her giganto poodle. Ascanio Ferara is a fifteen-year-old intern at Cutting Edge; Aunt B asked Kate to take him on so she doesn't kill him.
Jim Black (his real name is James Damael Shrapshire) is a werejaguar and the Pack's security chief. Doolittle, a were-honeybadger, is the Pack doctor and he's spent more time patching Kate up. Martina is Ascanio's mother and so very grateful to have found him at last. She's also a licensed therapist with a very useful little recording for Andrea. Sandra and Lucrezia are Clan Bouda and both are combat operatives; Russell and Amanda are from Clan Wolf; and, Derek is also an employee at Cutting Edge.
Raphael Medrano owns Medrano Reclamations and he's coming up in the world, metaphorically. He's also the male alpha to his mother's, Aunt B's alpha for Clan Bouda. Lika is her beta. After events in Magic Bleeds, Andrea and Raphael had a difference of opinion which he refused to understand. They're no longer together. Rebecca is Raphael's dim-witted bimbo fiancée. Carrie and Deb are both boudas Aunt B uses for light enforcement jobs. They screw up big time. Stefan works for Raphael and Raphael heads up a reclamation company whose employees are the ones who were murdered. Nick Moreau and his baby Rory are devastated by his wife's death.
Kyle Bell of Bell Recovery, Jack Anapa of Input Enterprises, and Garcia Construction were the rival bidders for the building that Raphael's company won.
Roman is a volhv, a kind of Russian druid, who worships Chernobog, the god of "Everything Bad and Evil". He takes an interest in Andrea's case although whether it's the case or Andrea… Anyway, he's at the library where Andrea is hoping for access to the Library of Alexandria. This world's answer to the Internet. Coming across him is awfully convenient when his abilities come in so handy as he saves Andrea time and again.
Mrs. Haffey and her husband Darin are very grateful for Andrea's existence. Chief is their bulldog who understands gratitude.
Detectives Collins and Tsoi try just about everything and anything to get Andrea to say the wrong thing so they can arrest her. Barabas Gilliam is a Pack lawyer and a weremongoose who claims to have been hired by Andrea. He's good. Sheriff Beau Clayton from Must Love Hellhounds: Magic Mourns has arrested Ascanio, Kamal, and Ian.
Jamar Groves was a real estate developer who collected art. Gloria is a follower of Apep and she's a snake shifter. Anubis is the god of the dead and knowledge with Ammit as a companion. He makes a very bad move. Håkon has become a draugr.
Michelle Carver is the only one still alive from that clan of torturers. She's gonna get it good.
The Atlanta Shapeshifter Pack is the strongest in the nation and Curran is its leader. The Pack is similar to a Native American tribe in that it is self-governing and -policing. Their headquarters is the Keep just outside of Atlanta.
Vampires are mindless, ravening beasts controlled by navigators, a.k.a., Masters of the Dead, necromancers. Their headquarters is the Casino in downtown Atlanta. They and the Pack have a very careful truce.
The Cover
The background is oranges and browns with the street and low buildings at the base in browns as the lower rooflines narrow in to create a sense of depth. Above, the range of oranges present a golden city of ruined skyscrapers, smoke billowing from their tops.
Andrea is determined, facing us with a gun drawn from the thigh holster clinging to her jean-clad leg. a tight-fitting burgundy top barely visible under the black flak vest.
I haven't a clue as to what inspired the title.
Be sure to read Magic Gifts before you read this one! It's about Kate and Curran and explains what they're up to that Kate can't help Andrea during this story.
My Take
We do learn a great deal more about Andrea's childhood. And the effect it has on her still, sending her scrambling in her nightmares to a closet, clutching a knife for protection.
After Raphael's nasty actions and comments in Andrea's office, I loved reading as she got back at him. Time after time. It sure doesn't seem to take long before all kinds of action starts up. Raphael. Anapa.
Snicker, I do love that Clan Bouda likes to play pranks and Raphael gets Andrea good. She turns it around and gets him even better. The description of the toilet paper roll cracked me up!
The Pack is amazing. They step up for anyone they consider a friend and what they do for Andrea...well, it's enough to make her think hard.
Interesting idea for how the first shapeshifters came about. As well as how gods came to be. I do love that ambush!
The Story
Four shifters have been murdered and a robbery committed. Kate is caught up in something with Curran and unable to assist (see Magic Gifts), so it's Andrea who must talk to Raphael. It's his people who have died and he wants vengeance.
Andrea is hoping to finally meet and talk about what happened after Kate's Aunt Erra rampaged through Atlanta in Magic Bleeds, but Raphael seems to prefer a different kind of throwdown. More vicious.
It's nasty enough that good Andrea is gone forever. She figures she has nothing to lose and she just doesn't care anymore. Only...it throws down a different challenge that I don't think Andrea expected. It was one thing to hide and politely avoid the truth of Andrea's shifting ability. But if she is going to flaunt it, Curran can't ignore it any longer. Nor can Aunt B.
The investigation gets more interesting when one of the possible suspects refuses to see her and it just raises the hairs on the back of Andrea's neck. There's more than one way to get info and it seems that Raphael will just have to help Andrea out. If he wants answers...
The crowning touch is the extortive efforts of an Egyptian god who can't resist playing with lives.
The Characters
Andrea Nash is Beastkin. The bouda clan her mother escaped to was ruled by a vicious, sadistic bitch who encouraged the rest into her own ways. Abused horribly, Andrea's life is what resulted from that clan. She is currently employed by Cutting Edge, Kate's detective agency, after the Order kicked her out.
Kate, a.k.a., the Consort, is mated to Curran Lennart, the Beast Lord. They're preoccupied by events in Magic Gifts. Julie is her adopted fourteen-year-old daughter. Grendel is her giganto poodle. Ascanio Ferara is a fifteen-year-old intern at Cutting Edge; Aunt B asked Kate to take him on so she doesn't kill him.
Jim Black (his real name is James Damael Shrapshire) is a werejaguar and the Pack's security chief. Doolittle, a were-honeybadger, is the Pack doctor and he's spent more time patching Kate up. Martina is Ascanio's mother and so very grateful to have found him at last. She's also a licensed therapist with a very useful little recording for Andrea. Sandra and Lucrezia are Clan Bouda and both are combat operatives; Russell and Amanda are from Clan Wolf; and, Derek is also an employee at Cutting Edge.
Raphael Medrano owns Medrano Reclamations and he's coming up in the world, metaphorically. He's also the male alpha to his mother's, Aunt B's alpha for Clan Bouda. Lika is her beta. After events in Magic Bleeds, Andrea and Raphael had a difference of opinion which he refused to understand. They're no longer together. Rebecca is Raphael's dim-witted bimbo fiancée. Carrie and Deb are both boudas Aunt B uses for light enforcement jobs. They screw up big time. Stefan works for Raphael and Raphael heads up a reclamation company whose employees are the ones who were murdered. Nick Moreau and his baby Rory are devastated by his wife's death.
Kyle Bell of Bell Recovery, Jack Anapa of Input Enterprises, and Garcia Construction were the rival bidders for the building that Raphael's company won.
Roman is a volhv, a kind of Russian druid, who worships Chernobog, the god of "Everything Bad and Evil". He takes an interest in Andrea's case although whether it's the case or Andrea… Anyway, he's at the library where Andrea is hoping for access to the Library of Alexandria. This world's answer to the Internet. Coming across him is awfully convenient when his abilities come in so handy as he saves Andrea time and again.
Mrs. Haffey and her husband Darin are very grateful for Andrea's existence. Chief is their bulldog who understands gratitude.
Detectives Collins and Tsoi try just about everything and anything to get Andrea to say the wrong thing so they can arrest her. Barabas Gilliam is a Pack lawyer and a weremongoose who claims to have been hired by Andrea. He's good. Sheriff Beau Clayton from Must Love Hellhounds: Magic Mourns has arrested Ascanio, Kamal, and Ian.
Jamar Groves was a real estate developer who collected art. Gloria is a follower of Apep and she's a snake shifter. Anubis is the god of the dead and knowledge with Ammit as a companion. He makes a very bad move. Håkon has become a draugr.
Michelle Carver is the only one still alive from that clan of torturers. She's gonna get it good.
The Atlanta Shapeshifter Pack is the strongest in the nation and Curran is its leader. The Pack is similar to a Native American tribe in that it is self-governing and -policing. Their headquarters is the Keep just outside of Atlanta.
Vampires are mindless, ravening beasts controlled by navigators, a.k.a., Masters of the Dead, necromancers. Their headquarters is the Casino in downtown Atlanta. They and the Pack have a very careful truce.
The Cover
The background is oranges and browns with the street and low buildings at the base in browns as the lower rooflines narrow in to create a sense of depth. Above, the range of oranges present a golden city of ruined skyscrapers, smoke billowing from their tops.
Andrea is determined, facing us with a gun drawn from the thigh holster clinging to her jean-clad leg. a tight-fitting burgundy top barely visible under the black flak vest.
I haven't a clue as to what inspired the title.
yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
I did not want it to be over. I was so disappointed when I had no more pages to read, I was enjoying it so much. What a ride with some crazy Boudas, sexy evil warlock and one sexy too young Bouda boy, and some nasty wicked ancient 'problems'.
I loved Andreas story. She is a feisty, whirling gun toting take no gruff kind of girl. She does not want to be controlled, not even for her chance to have her mate. It's her terms or no terms. Her relationship with Raphael is not happening. Her joining the pack, not happening. Her acceptance of her Beastskin.... ? Perhaps it's time to face the demons both internal and external.
Everything flowed, there was never a dull moment. Well, I did get a bit cross-eyed with all the fractals and chaos explanations. Honestly it was the only blip that I skimmed through. TMI for my wee brain. So, I loved the romantic banter, the carpet, the table art, the joint tearing of flesh..ah, it was all so sweet. LOL
I can't wait to re-read it.
I loved Andreas story. She is a feisty, whirling gun toting take no gruff kind of girl. She does not want to be controlled, not even for her chance to have her mate. It's her terms or no terms. Her relationship with Raphael is not happening. Her joining the pack, not happening. Her acceptance of her Beastskin.... ? Perhaps it's time to face the demons both internal and external.
Everything flowed, there was never a dull moment. Well, I did get a bit cross-eyed with all the fractals and chaos explanations. Honestly it was the only blip that I skimmed through. TMI for my wee brain. So, I loved the romantic banter, the carpet, the table art, the joint tearing of flesh..ah, it was all so sweet. LOL
I can't wait to re-read it.
gspear's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
priya_amrev's review against another edition
3.0
Read in 3 hrs 20 min. Interesting but I like Kate better
tessa_b's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
clairedrinkstea's review against another edition
5.0
It was good to go into the Kate Daniels world but from a different POV.
Andrea is a favourite character and full of diversity and she's proven to be a very good lead character. I really enjoy seeing the tough kick-ass Andrea compared to the vulnerable and it was great to see her gain confidence and acceptance in her Beastkin self.
Her relationship with Rapheal is picked up from what we see in the Kate Daniels books and it doesn't drag on and become annoying as can often happen.
Kate and Curran do turn up but in no way take over, they remain secondary characters an it's enjoyable to see them from a different perspective.
Also included in my copy is Magic Gift. A very good Kate novella - you find find what she and Curran are up to while Andrea is doing her thing in the main book. Enjoyable in its own right.
Neither book or novella needs to be read within the series, but it does help and Kate fans will definitely enjoy this book!
Andrea is a favourite character and full of diversity and she's proven to be a very good lead character. I really enjoy seeing the tough kick-ass Andrea compared to the vulnerable and it was great to see her gain confidence and acceptance in her Beastkin self.
Her relationship with Rapheal is picked up from what we see in the Kate Daniels books and it doesn't drag on and become annoying as can often happen.
Kate and Curran do turn up but in no way take over, they remain secondary characters an it's enjoyable to see them from a different perspective.
Also included in my copy is Magic Gift. A very good Kate novella - you find find what she and Curran are up to while Andrea is doing her thing in the main book. Enjoyable in its own right.
Neither book or novella needs to be read within the series, but it does help and Kate fans will definitely enjoy this book!
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
I love Kate Daniels series, but this book wouldn't be anything without Ascanio and Roman. Andrea and Raphael are cute but nothing more.
shayeantal143's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0