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. 

Finished my re-read last night. One of favorite offshoots because we get Andrea and Raphael as the main focus and then we find out about what Kate and Curran were up to when the events of Gunmetal Magic were going on.

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I enjoyed this book. This was a re-read for me and I had a lot of fun re-visiting this book since I know what will happen to these wonderful characters as the series moves forward. I do remember being slightly disappointed when this book was first published simply because I wanted another book featuring Kate and Curran and I got Andrea instead. I ended up loving the book though. 

Andrea and Kate are best friends so their lives overlap in a lot of areas but Andrea does have her own story to tell and I am glad that Ilona Andrews made the decision to let her do just that in this book. Andrea is not in a great place as this book opens. Her relationship with Raphael is over and she has lost her job with the Order. Both of these things meant the world to her and helped shaped her identity. 

Andrea is working with Kate at their new agency, Cutting Edge, when she gets a call about a new case. This new case just happens to be tied to Raphael which only proves to make things more interesting. Throw in some strange snake people and a complex mystery and you have plenty of excitement. All the action is nicely balanced with a bit of humor and romance.

I really enjoyed seeing Kate, Curran, and all of the other characters from a different perspective. I think that Andrea is in a unique position to give that perspective because she is close to a lot of the key characters but she still feels and acts like an outsider. Andrea grows a lot as a character over the course of this book and the insight into her background really helps with understanding some of the ways that she looks at the world.

Renee Raudman does a fabulous job with this series. It is funny that I didn't really care for her narration for the first couple of books in the series but now I couldn't imagine anyone else. She really is able to perform a wide range of characters very well and with a lot of emotion. She has a very pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I highly recommend this series to others. This is a series that you do need to read in order since each book builds on the last. This is a very important book in the overall story arc and should not be missed. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this wonderful series.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed watching Andrea figure out her place in the world. There were some really exciting moments. All of the characters that I know and love played an important role but Andrea still isn't Kate. 

Source: Audible purchase

Drat, barely a vampire cameo. Will need another book. No matter.

I'm not as invested in Andrea, much less in her hit-me/kiss-me relationship with Raphael, but I had fun. It's inevitable with any of Andrews' books. Fast pace, mythology tie ins, and badass characters all around are always good. And I'm closer in filling in the bits of Kate Daniel's world.

To say that Beau Clayton was a good old Southern Boy would be an understatement. The man kept a can of green boiled peanuts on his desk, for crying out loud. For some reason, it was half-filled with bullet casings.

I think I can see where this one is going...

“May I ask why you have bullet casings in that can, Sheriff?”
“Every time someone shoots at me, I put the casings into the can,” he said.

Yeap, lol. Beau Clayton is likely my most favorite normal badass of all badasses. The guy is surrounded by monsters and magic power-houses, and he still ends up being the solution for averting a war by sheer aplomb alone later.