Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Ilona Andrews

Narrated by Renee Raudman

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic…

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

“What kind of a woman greets the Beast Lord with 'here, kitty, kitty'?”

Firstly, I think the cover is a misrepresentation of the story. Yes, she's a strong female woman with a sword, and there are shapeshifters, but it doesn't really capture the essence of the story. I love the Ilona Andrews duo, which is what led me to this series after reading their Hidden Legacy books, but I wouldn't have chosen this one on its own. Also, Curran isn't a lion per se... he's much more than that, so I think putting a lion on the cover was a little misleading. The descriptions for his beast form describe him as massive and imposing, and unlike any creature she's ever seen before. I believe she mentions him being gray with faint stripes.

Despite my issues with the cover, I enjoyed this book immensely! Stories like this are my kryptonite -- magic, snarky female characters that kick ass, shifters or shape-changers, and other paranormal creatures. I also really liked the mystery surrounding the Kate, and the subtle threads that were woven into the larger story. Kate is someone or something special, and she is adamant about keeping her blood a secret. If she is injured during a battle, everything has to be destroyed before she can leave. For some reason, Kate cannot leave a single trace of herself behind, and she's also unwilling to share that secret with her companions.

While we don't get definitive answers about Kate and what she is, there are clues and conversations that address the mystery. I'm curious to see what's so special about her, and why her blood is so powerful. Her secret is going to come out eventually, obviously, but I liked that it wasn't the main focus of the book. She's trying to figure out who killed her guardian and friend, which leads her all over the city and puts her in contact with the different factions.

I loved Kate's snarky personality, and that she spoke with bravado even when she was scared. She chose to use sarcasm and humor to get through dicey situations, but she could also back up her words with actions. She might not be as strong as Curran and some of the others, but she could hold her own in a difficult situation. She was such a fun perspective!

I read a few reviews for this one, and I noticed that people didn't like the romance, but I honestly never thought she was romantically interested in anyone. She enjoyed the company and companionship of someone, but he didn't challenge her or understand her world. It was obvious Kate didn't have deep feelings for him, but I'm looking forward to her future possibilities…

Bonus: I wasn't able to solve the mystery before everyone else -- yay!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I wanted, and it took me no time at all to get through the audiobook. I stayed up late and cleaned the house (more than I usually do) just to listen a little longer. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, and I'm happy there are so many!

Question: For those of you that have read this series, are all of the books from Kate's perspective? Do they switch POVs at some point? Thanks in advance!