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booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kate is a loner by necessity who finds herself getting more entangled than she intended when she investigates her mentor's murder. She has a sword that's excellent at killing undead and needs to be fed if it doesn't get the opportunity often enough.
I wish we had a bit more of her dynamic with Jim, though maybe that's me thinking they were closer than they actually are when this starts out. If the point is that she's kept even her most frequent battle partner at a distance, this conveys that pretty well by treating him as an afterthought except when necessary. Her dynamic with Curran, Jim, and the Pack lays the foundation for many things later on in the series, but, focusing on this book specifically, I like how both she and Curran are so wrapped up in violence as a language that their every interaction is tense and has the possibility of blood, even things that ought to be innocuous.
When starting out a series that seems to be mostly the contemplation of violence, actual violence, and then some romance, it's still a bracing start to kick things off with cannibalism, necrophilia, bestiality, and a murder dungeon. These are balanced with less stressful elements in the narrative, with the most upsetting topics tending to get the barest descriptions, but in combination they make it clear that this city isn't kind to its residents, and Kate will have plenty of things to stab even when this particular murder spree is (hopefully) halted.
MAGIC BITES is a book I've read and re-read for years; it's the start of one of my favorite urban fantasy series, and I enjoy it tremendously. Reading it for this review, I'm impressed with how it holds up for me, but it was never my favorite book in the series. Every time I read it I intensely dislike what happens with Crest. It mostly fits the plot, it enables a truly fantastic related plot beat, but the moment where Kate shows up at his apartment always devastates me because I just wish she'd put other things together earlier. I don't think it breaks the book or anything, it's just a very stressful scene that serves to change who Crest is and can be in the series to make room for someone else.
I love the twist itself, and I appreciate how the groundwork is laid from the very start of the book. The plot works well (even that one scene I don't like has a pretty important purpose), and this sets up a lot for the series to draw upon as it gets going.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Murder, Death of parent, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, and Mental illness
raen99's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Gore, and Body horror
Minor: Kidnapping, Torture, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury
sophia02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Blood, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Alcohol
livinginlibros's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Kate is low key reckless but somehow ends up getting herself out of every sticky situation she puts herself in. I really liked her dynamic with Derek and I'm eager to see more of their friendship
I I felt that this story was very similar to the Nevada Baylor books. Kate and Nevada are both very stubborn and end up attracting the attention of a powerful baddie, Conner and Curran. I'll probably keep reading this series because I like the characters and I want to see Kate and Curran's relationship develop.
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Sexual harassment, Violence, Cursing, and Murder
nofixedaddress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
angelareads's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Medical trauma
krisztiina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence