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kikiandarrowsfishshelf 's review for:
Magic Bites
by Ilona Andrews
I've rounded up the rating. The reason is that I know I am jaded, very jaded, about the current crop of Urban Fantasy novels, and this feeling influences me when I read them.
I'm torn about this book. There is much to like and much, sadly, to give one pause. Since I always tell my students to end with the positive, I'll start with the negative.
The major problem with this book is that Kate Daniels is Anita Blake before Anita Blake made porn boring. Now this is also a good point because it is the good Anita Blake instead of the bad Anita Blake. It does make one ask the following question, however.
What is it with all these first person point of view female characters with tragic pasts, missing one or both parents, who have a chip on thier shoulder and act in a way that would not be tolerated by anyone? This cliched character is what makes Kitty Norville, the Women of the Otherworld, and Harry Dresden stand out. Some of them might have tragic pasts, but they don't walk around with huge chips on thier shoulders. (And how these women can walk with that big of a chip, I don't know). Don't they realize this chip always makes them do the wrong thing? It makes them look stupid!
Kate Daniels has the required attitude and tattoo. And because she is in many ways Anita Blake, if you have read the early Anita Blake books, you can figure out what is going to happen here. Kate is skilled, powerful, hangs out with men who know what they are doing, and is attractive, though she doesn't know it.
Additionally, I have to ask - why make the werelion a nordic looking handsome dude? Wouldn't it be more likely to be Africian? Why not a wer panther to fit in with setting? How come everyone in a position of power, except for Kate, is male?
Okay, enough nitpicking.
What saves this book are several things.
One, there are some really funny scenes, and while Kate has a chip, she also has a very funny sense of humor. The dinner date scene was really, really funny.
Two, while Daniels doesn't give quite enough description to make the world truly live (and this could be the publisher, not her), it is a very interesting world. I like the idea of the world and Andrews' ideas of magic.
Three, while men hold the positions of power in this book, the female characters outside of Kate are still strong, in particular Maxine, who is awesome. Kate doesn't seem to hate her sex the way that Anita Blake did.
In short, while I'm not going to rush out and buy the series, I will most likely read the second book.
I'm torn about this book. There is much to like and much, sadly, to give one pause. Since I always tell my students to end with the positive, I'll start with the negative.
The major problem with this book is that Kate Daniels is Anita Blake before Anita Blake made porn boring. Now this is also a good point because it is the good Anita Blake instead of the bad Anita Blake. It does make one ask the following question, however.
What is it with all these first person point of view female characters with tragic pasts, missing one or both parents, who have a chip on thier shoulder and act in a way that would not be tolerated by anyone? This cliched character is what makes Kitty Norville, the Women of the Otherworld, and Harry Dresden stand out. Some of them might have tragic pasts, but they don't walk around with huge chips on thier shoulders. (And how these women can walk with that big of a chip, I don't know). Don't they realize this chip always makes them do the wrong thing? It makes them look stupid!
Kate Daniels has the required attitude and tattoo. And because she is in many ways Anita Blake, if you have read the early Anita Blake books, you can figure out what is going to happen here. Kate is skilled, powerful, hangs out with men who know what they are doing, and is attractive, though she doesn't know it.
Additionally, I have to ask - why make the werelion a nordic looking handsome dude? Wouldn't it be more likely to be Africian? Why not a wer panther to fit in with setting? How come everyone in a position of power, except for Kate, is male?
Okay, enough nitpicking.
What saves this book are several things.
One, there are some really funny scenes, and while Kate has a chip, she also has a very funny sense of humor. The dinner date scene was really, really funny.
Two, while Daniels doesn't give quite enough description to make the world truly live (and this could be the publisher, not her), it is a very interesting world. I like the idea of the world and Andrews' ideas of magic.
Three, while men hold the positions of power in this book, the female characters outside of Kate are still strong, in particular Maxine, who is awesome. Kate doesn't seem to hate her sex the way that Anita Blake did.
In short, while I'm not going to rush out and buy the series, I will most likely read the second book.