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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
It wasn't a Kate Daniels novel but I enjoyed it a little, read slow, but I will still be buying the next in the Kate Daniels world.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Yeahhhh this book didn't do much for me. It took me forever to finish listening to it. I like Andrea better as a side character and not in the forefront. I will admit that I zoned out a lot while listening to Gunmetal Magic thru no fault of the narrator since it's the same narrator for all of the KD books. I wasn't invested in Andrea and Raphael. Their novella was more than enough for me.
Now onto Magic Rises!
Now onto Magic Rises!
Originally posted at http://www.fictionvixen.com/review-gunmetal-magic-ilona-andrews/
As a huge fangirl of the husband and wife writing team that is Ilona Andrews, I must say I was both excited and not excited when I heard the next book in their Kate Daniels series wasn't going to be about Kate Daniels, but about her best friend Andrea Nash. Excited because, hey, this IS in the Kate Daniels series, which in my opinion is probably the best Urban Fantasy series out there. Not excited because, in my expirience when an author starts to branch out and tell the secondary characters stories I tend to find those tales not as good as the original storyline. In this case there should have been no worries, Andrea Nash is just as kick ass of a character as Kate Daniels is.
Andrea has been the best friend, a kind of side kick if you will, of Kate Daniels through out the series. In Gunmetal Magic we get to see her in action, all by herself, told from her POV. This book has, of course, a mystery to be solved. Four shapeshifters who work for Raphael have been murdered while guarding a jobsite. Jim has asked for Andrea's help to find out what happened. While working the case Andrea finally has to deal with Raphael, an ex-lover whom she parted with on bad terms, but, for Andrea to deal with Raphael, she must also deal with her painful past and come to terms, once and for all, with who she is and who she wants to be.
For me the storyline of Andrea accepting herself and her and Raphael coming to terms with who they are to each other was the meat of the story. The reader finally gets a glimpse of Andrea's childhood and let me tell you, it is not pretty. I got this huge, painful feeling in my chest when Andrea is remembering some of the uglier aspects of her childhood. When she finally tells Ascanio the whole story of her life my heart hurt for her. What I loved about her though, is that when she comes to the realization that she has to deal with her shapeshifter side and accept that as a positive part of herself, she doesn't waver. Once she has made the descision to let the part of herself she has been holding back come to the forefront she moves forward and embraces herself. Of course, we learn that part of the problem between Andrea and Raphael has been her accepting herself as a shapeshifter and entering into the Pack. The push and pull between two people who love each other, but who come from two different life expiriences, while being interwoven with shifter mating rituals was lovely to read about. I LOVE shifter mating rituals, OMG, how I love shifter mating rituals. All I can say is.... purple shag carpeting. On everything...
One of the best parts of this series is the secondary characters and the dialouge between them. There is never a dull moment and often I find myself chuckling out loud at their banter. Every character is so unique and interesting that I always want to know more about each and every one of them. It's always a good thing when I am just as invested in say, Derek or Ascanio or Jim as I am with the supposed main characters. Even though the storylines tend to be heavy on some type of mythology it never overshadows the characters. The way this team writes lets the characters be in control and the main focus at all times. I like the reliance on each other's strengths and the willingness to work together to overcome the odds.
We get to see Kate, Curren and other beloved characters throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing them through Andrea's eyes. I have always loved Kate and Curren together but the reader actually gets a little different take on them as a couple when told from a different POV. Ascanio cracks me up and the back and forth between him and Julie kind of made me go.. "hmmmm...". Might there be something there between them in the future? I would love that. Roman plays a much bigger role than in the previous book and to be honest, I found him to be an awesome character. I even had a few, aha, moments when Andrea and Aunt B were interacting with each other.
Overall, this continues to be, in my humble opinion, the best Urban Fantasy series out there. From the rich world building, to the witty, sarcastic dialouge to the original takes on mythology and folklore.... there are no rivals. Ilona Andrews has managed to weave all the parts I like best about reading into one series and continue to improve with every single new addition. The writing is always seemless, the storylines are always action packed and interesting , and I honestly care about what happens to the characters they have created. I'm hoping that they decide to include more books about other secondary characters into their writing schedule.
Favorite Quote:
"You mean you showed her your guns and she didn't faint?"
Ha-ha-ha. "No , honey, you're the only one who does that."
"As I recall, it was usually the other way around."
"I've seen plenty of guns. You have a nice one, but it didn't make me faint."
"That's what you say now."
"Raphael, I don't own this phone. Don't make me break it, because I just gave up my last ten bucks to use it."
His voice was sweet as honey. "Darling, do you need me to loan you some money?"
"I have never in my life needed you to loan me money. If I was dead, and the ferryman needed a coin to take me across the river to the afterlife, and you had the only quarter in existence, I'd tell you to stick it up your ass."
People looked at me, This wasn't going well.
As a huge fangirl of the husband and wife writing team that is Ilona Andrews, I must say I was both excited and not excited when I heard the next book in their Kate Daniels series wasn't going to be about Kate Daniels, but about her best friend Andrea Nash. Excited because, hey, this IS in the Kate Daniels series, which in my opinion is probably the best Urban Fantasy series out there. Not excited because, in my expirience when an author starts to branch out and tell the secondary characters stories I tend to find those tales not as good as the original storyline. In this case there should have been no worries, Andrea Nash is just as kick ass of a character as Kate Daniels is.
Andrea has been the best friend, a kind of side kick if you will, of Kate Daniels through out the series. In Gunmetal Magic we get to see her in action, all by herself, told from her POV. This book has, of course, a mystery to be solved. Four shapeshifters who work for Raphael have been murdered while guarding a jobsite. Jim has asked for Andrea's help to find out what happened. While working the case Andrea finally has to deal with Raphael, an ex-lover whom she parted with on bad terms, but, for Andrea to deal with Raphael, she must also deal with her painful past and come to terms, once and for all, with who she is and who she wants to be.
For me the storyline of Andrea accepting herself and her and Raphael coming to terms with who they are to each other was the meat of the story. The reader finally gets a glimpse of Andrea's childhood and let me tell you, it is not pretty. I got this huge, painful feeling in my chest when Andrea is remembering some of the uglier aspects of her childhood. When she finally tells Ascanio the whole story of her life my heart hurt for her. What I loved about her though, is that when she comes to the realization that she has to deal with her shapeshifter side and accept that as a positive part of herself, she doesn't waver. Once she has made the descision to let the part of herself she has been holding back come to the forefront she moves forward and embraces herself. Of course, we learn that part of the problem between Andrea and Raphael has been her accepting herself as a shapeshifter and entering into the Pack. The push and pull between two people who love each other, but who come from two different life expiriences, while being interwoven with shifter mating rituals was lovely to read about. I LOVE shifter mating rituals, OMG, how I love shifter mating rituals. All I can say is.... purple shag carpeting. On everything...
One of the best parts of this series is the secondary characters and the dialouge between them. There is never a dull moment and often I find myself chuckling out loud at their banter. Every character is so unique and interesting that I always want to know more about each and every one of them. It's always a good thing when I am just as invested in say, Derek or Ascanio or Jim as I am with the supposed main characters. Even though the storylines tend to be heavy on some type of mythology it never overshadows the characters. The way this team writes lets the characters be in control and the main focus at all times. I like the reliance on each other's strengths and the willingness to work together to overcome the odds.
We get to see Kate, Curren and other beloved characters throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing them through Andrea's eyes. I have always loved Kate and Curren together but the reader actually gets a little different take on them as a couple when told from a different POV. Ascanio cracks me up and the back and forth between him and Julie kind of made me go.. "hmmmm...". Might there be something there between them in the future? I would love that. Roman plays a much bigger role than in the previous book and to be honest, I found him to be an awesome character. I even had a few, aha, moments when Andrea and Aunt B were interacting with each other.
Overall, this continues to be, in my humble opinion, the best Urban Fantasy series out there. From the rich world building, to the witty, sarcastic dialouge to the original takes on mythology and folklore.... there are no rivals. Ilona Andrews has managed to weave all the parts I like best about reading into one series and continue to improve with every single new addition. The writing is always seemless, the storylines are always action packed and interesting , and I honestly care about what happens to the characters they have created. I'm hoping that they decide to include more books about other secondary characters into their writing schedule.
Favorite Quote:
"You mean you showed her your guns and she didn't faint?"
Ha-ha-ha. "No , honey, you're the only one who does that."
"As I recall, it was usually the other way around."
"I've seen plenty of guns. You have a nice one, but it didn't make me faint."
"That's what you say now."
"Raphael, I don't own this phone. Don't make me break it, because I just gave up my last ten bucks to use it."
His voice was sweet as honey. "Darling, do you need me to loan you some money?"
"I have never in my life needed you to loan me money. If I was dead, and the ferryman needed a coin to take me across the river to the afterlife, and you had the only quarter in existence, I'd tell you to stick it up your ass."
People looked at me, This wasn't going well.
I didn't mean to just do my re-read in the middle like this, but I was stuck somewhere with barely any Wi-Fi and this book was already downloaded to my Kindle so I decided to re-read "Gunmetal Magic."
"Gunmetal Magic" follows Kate Daniels best friend Andrea Nash. This book follows the events of "Magic Slays." Andrea used to be a Knight of Merciful Aid. When it came out that she was a shapeshifter she was kicked out and left without a purpose. She also lost her boyfriend, Raphael Medrano when she chose the Knights over the shapeshifters. Andrea is now working with Kate at her investigative firm, Cutting Edge. Andrea still feels a bit adrift, but having a purpose is helping her feel more grounded. When some shapeshifters working at a dig site die, Andrea is called in to investigate. Too bad the dig site belongs to her ex-boyfriend. Ilona Andrews manages to make the overall mystery of who is killing the shapeshifters and why really well done. This book totally stands on it own.
Andrea has a lot of ambivalence about the Pack that the Beast Lord leads (Curran) and Raphael being the mother of the Alpha of Clan Bouda. Readers already know that Andrea was abused severely as a child since she was a "beast skin." Andrews gets into that a little bit more and you get to see a different side of a clan in this one which gave me the shivers. I can see why Andrea balked about joining any clan and why she was so focused on staying a Knight.
Andrea still has feelings for Raphael, but it looks like that bridge may be burned. We get a lot of scenes between the two and they finally have things out, it was really good and I always liked Raphael, but this book made me adore him a bit more.
We get some familiar character sightings, Kate, Curran, Derek, Julie, Aunt B, Jim, etc. What I thought was great though is that since the action is not focused on Kate and Curran, we are able to get more into the clan mindset in this one with their structure and purpose. We also get more commentary about what shapeshifter animals mean more too.
The writing and the flow was fantastic. The story felt a bit short though to me, I think though that is because we get a standalone Kate and Curran story. We get to follow these two who were up to their own adventure during the events of "Gunmetal Magic." And these two together always sing to me.
The world building was really good. We get another big bad in this one and we get to read about Egyptian mythology as well as some Norse and I think Native American as well.
The ending with Andrea was perfect and the Kate and Curran one finished with a nice punch as well.
"Gunmetal Magic" follows Kate Daniels best friend Andrea Nash. This book follows the events of "Magic Slays." Andrea used to be a Knight of Merciful Aid. When it came out that she was a shapeshifter she was kicked out and left without a purpose. She also lost her boyfriend, Raphael Medrano when she chose the Knights over the shapeshifters. Andrea is now working with Kate at her investigative firm, Cutting Edge. Andrea still feels a bit adrift, but having a purpose is helping her feel more grounded. When some shapeshifters working at a dig site die, Andrea is called in to investigate. Too bad the dig site belongs to her ex-boyfriend. Ilona Andrews manages to make the overall mystery of who is killing the shapeshifters and why really well done. This book totally stands on it own.
Andrea has a lot of ambivalence about the Pack that the Beast Lord leads (Curran) and Raphael being the mother of the Alpha of Clan Bouda. Readers already know that Andrea was abused severely as a child since she was a "beast skin." Andrews gets into that a little bit more and you get to see a different side of a clan in this one which gave me the shivers. I can see why Andrea balked about joining any clan and why she was so focused on staying a Knight.
Andrea still has feelings for Raphael, but it looks like that bridge may be burned. We get a lot of scenes between the two and they finally have things out, it was really good and I always liked Raphael, but this book made me adore him a bit more.
We get some familiar character sightings, Kate, Curran, Derek, Julie, Aunt B, Jim, etc. What I thought was great though is that since the action is not focused on Kate and Curran, we are able to get more into the clan mindset in this one with their structure and purpose. We also get more commentary about what shapeshifter animals mean more too.
The writing and the flow was fantastic. The story felt a bit short though to me, I think though that is because we get a standalone Kate and Curran story. We get to follow these two who were up to their own adventure during the events of "Gunmetal Magic." And these two together always sing to me.
The world building was really good. We get another big bad in this one and we get to read about Egyptian mythology as well as some Norse and I think Native American as well.
The ending with Andrea was perfect and the Kate and Curran one finished with a nice punch as well.
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed the insight into what makes Andrea tick and the growing friendship between her and Roman (who really needs his own book! I realized at times I was more interested in him than in Raphael!) Ilona Andrews has (have?) a way with words and a manner of shaping characters and relationships through calm and through conflict that makes you eager to hang on for the ride.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I pretty much love everything by Ilona Andrews, and especially her Kate Daniels Series, so when I saw she had released this companion novel with MC Andrea, I just had to have it.
Believe it or not, this one sat on my shelf for a bit, collecting dust until I picked up the audiobook during one of Audible’s sales, and I hopped on it right away. BEWARE!!! SPOILERS AHEAD…….
It’s told from the POV of Andrea, the gun toting ex Agent of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid right after she’s been “retired” and right after the stuff with Raphael went down the tubes. She’s trying to get her life back together, but when she’s called to help with a pack issue that deals with Raphael, they’re forced to cooperate with each other, and what results is explosive.
Though the events in this story directly coincide with events in the other Kate Daniels novels, it’s a completely different story, and Andrea is working on a completely different case. I enjoyed the fact that it was a completely new story, and that we weren’t merely seeing things from someone else’s perspective. It gave everything a fresh, new feel and I loved it. As for the narration, it was great as the same narrator for the entire Kate Daniels Series also narrated this.
I don’t want to give too much away, so all I’ll say is that this is intense and wonderful and action packed. A bit of it is predictable, but most of it isn’t and the ending is absolutely perfect. We learn a bit more about Andrea and the reason she is the way that she is, and we grow to love her as a character even more.
I would suggest this book to fans of the Kate Daniels Series. It’s not best for those who haven’t already read the regular Kate Daniels series though because the whole world may be a bit confusing. I give it 5 stars.
Believe it or not, this one sat on my shelf for a bit, collecting dust until I picked up the audiobook during one of Audible’s sales, and I hopped on it right away. BEWARE!!! SPOILERS AHEAD…….
It’s told from the POV of Andrea, the gun toting ex Agent of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid right after she’s been “retired” and right after the stuff with Raphael went down the tubes. She’s trying to get her life back together, but when she’s called to help with a pack issue that deals with Raphael, they’re forced to cooperate with each other, and what results is explosive.
Though the events in this story directly coincide with events in the other Kate Daniels novels, it’s a completely different story, and Andrea is working on a completely different case. I enjoyed the fact that it was a completely new story, and that we weren’t merely seeing things from someone else’s perspective. It gave everything a fresh, new feel and I loved it. As for the narration, it was great as the same narrator for the entire Kate Daniels Series also narrated this.
I don’t want to give too much away, so all I’ll say is that this is intense and wonderful and action packed. A bit of it is predictable, but most of it isn’t and the ending is absolutely perfect. We learn a bit more about Andrea and the reason she is the way that she is, and we grow to love her as a character even more.
I would suggest this book to fans of the Kate Daniels Series. It’s not best for those who haven’t already read the regular Kate Daniels series though because the whole world may be a bit confusing. I give it 5 stars.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I hate to rate an Ilona Andrews book so low, but it was bad, particularly as an audiobook.
Renée read this so melodramatically that I couldn't stand the climactic scenes. She doesn't have the range necessary to pull off this many voices, and the overall experience was worse because of it.
The above coupled with overly dramatic written monologue and dialogue made this a trial to get through.
At several points I wondered how old Andrea was supposed to be. Some of her behavior is privileged teenage/early 20s shit, but she also murders people and had an extremely traumatic childhood.
I wonder how much of this issue is their agent/publisher pushing for drama and how much was Ilona Andrews.
I love all their series, and this felt like a pale reflection of their potential. I'm disappointed. Perhaps if it was a shorter procedural it would have prevented the repetitive whining from Andrea about:
1. Joining the pack
2. Being with Raphael
3. Being beast-kin
4. Childhood trauma
The same exact complaints repeated without progression demonstrated made it a slog to listen to.
All in all, I will never pick this up again unless there's a graphic audio, and I would hesitate even then.
Renée read this so melodramatically that I couldn't stand the climactic scenes. She doesn't have the range necessary to pull off this many voices, and the overall experience was worse because of it.
The above coupled with overly dramatic written monologue and dialogue made this a trial to get through.
At several points I wondered how old Andrea was supposed to be. Some of her behavior is privileged teenage/early 20s shit, but she also murders people and had an extremely traumatic childhood.
I wonder how much of this issue is their agent/publisher pushing for drama and how much was Ilona Andrews.
I love all their series, and this felt like a pale reflection of their potential. I'm disappointed. Perhaps if it was a shorter procedural it would have prevented the repetitive whining from Andrea about:
1. Joining the pack
2. Being with Raphael
3. Being beast-kin
4. Childhood trauma
The same exact complaints repeated without progression demonstrated made it a slog to listen to.
All in all, I will never pick this up again unless there's a graphic audio, and I would hesitate even then.