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A review by welshreader
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Hmm, this was fine but I'm a little disappointed that I don't think the execution of the world building held up to the potential. The magic vs technology angle could have been utilised more and I think it would have been way more interesting.
The investigation was okay, it started off strong with the mystery and intrigue but towards the end I felt like a lot of things just swooped in from out of the blue. It didn't help that a lot of the side/minor characters were pretty forgettable with little personality so when they popped up again I had already forgotten who they were.
I would have liked more explanation of how exactly magic works or the significance of some rituals, because a few things seemed a bit convenient.
I liked Kate well enough. She was capable with a zingy one-liner sarcastic humour and some okay chemistry with a few of the other secondary characters. I did like one of the twists, it made the plot less predictable, but then the reveal of the bad guy was like... wait, who are you? I prefer my villains with more substance beyond terrible person does heinous acts of physical and sexual violence just because. The reveal really wasn't that satisfying of a moment within the story for me.
The action was enjoyable and I did like where the story ends off and the potential relationships and friendships that could be developed further. I'm tempted to carry on in the series, or at least read the next instalment.
The investigation was okay, it started off strong with the mystery and intrigue but towards the end I felt like a lot of things just swooped in from out of the blue. It didn't help that a lot of the side/minor characters were pretty forgettable with little personality so when they popped up again I had already forgotten who they were.
I would have liked more explanation of how exactly magic works or the significance of some rituals, because a few things seemed a bit convenient.
I liked Kate well enough. She was capable with a zingy one-liner sarcastic humour and some okay chemistry with a few of the other secondary characters. I did like one of the twists, it made the plot less predictable, but then the reveal of the bad guy was like... wait, who are you? I prefer my villains with more substance beyond terrible person does heinous acts of physical and sexual violence just because. The reveal really wasn't that satisfying of a moment within the story for me.
The action was enjoyable and I did like where the story ends off and the potential relationships and friendships that could be developed further. I'm tempted to carry on in the series, or at least read the next instalment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, and Sexism
Maybe I'm alone in this but honestly, Alpha Male macho bullshit can be left behind in Urban Fantasy going forward. This giant homo is so over the posturing and toxic masculinity but I'm afraid it's a staple of the genre.