...these just downloaded magically from library ebook waitlist.

 

Change of weekend reading plans!

Note: This series does need to be read in order!

~ 5 Magic Slays Stars ~
(Possible Spoilers Of Previous Books Ahead) - tried to keep it minimal

Another winner in the Kate Daniels series. WOW just WOW!

Magic Slays brings us a new threat that threatens the very fabric of magic, alliances will be made, people will die, lives will be change forever, and no one will be left without scares.

Lordy, so much is going on in Magic Slays. I just love this series to death and once I pick up any book in it I can’t put it down until the very end. Re-reading this book over still had the same affect as it did when I first read it. Mind Blowing!


Kate is now mated and living with The Best Lord (Curran), but many of the shifters manly the Wolf Clan still don’t like her. This is partly because she is human (little do they know what she truly is), but also because some bad shit happened in Magic Bleeds that affected the Wolf Alpha pair. Kate now has her own PI business that will benefit her and the Pack. Andrea returns from being MIA and we learn where she has been, what happened to her, and that she no longer has a job with the Order. These two have a good friendship and they work well together. Julie also makes more of an appearance in Magic Slays and we see the relationship she has with Kate. Something very bad happens to Julie and Kate must make a very big and hard decision that could kill Julie or both of them.

Our heroine learns some disturbing news about her step-father Vorn. The past is not as rosy as she thought and what she learns affects her deeply. Her world view tumbles downhill and what she thought she new was not true. With this new information about her step-dad and mom, she will question herself about why Curran is with her? I absolutely love that Curran lays it all out for Kate and chooses her over the Pack. He will stick by her through think or thin, run with her if that is what she wants, and will do anything for her.


Magic Slays is another fabulous read in the Kate Daniels series and fans will enjoy the new twists, turns, and action-packed adventure.

***Updated Nov. 2017: Listen to the Audiobook. LOVED IT! Narrator Renée Raudman did a wonderful job. The voices are distinct and clear. The audio grabs you at the start. I felt like I was reading the book for the first time. I had such a fabulous time listening to Magic Slays. I highly recommend this series, either or both reading and/or listening. 

4.5 stars

May Contain Spoilers

This volume of the Kate Daniels series started with a huge bang. After a navigator loses control of a vampire, Kate has to head off a blood-thirsty vampire before it wreaks havoc near her office. This adventure will seem tame after she’s hired by the Red Guard to locate a missing inventor that they had snatched from their protection. They don’t know what he working on, but the proto-type was stolen too. Oh, and can Kate keep a lid on her investigation? If word gets out that the Red Guard had a client kidnapped out from under their noses, they will obviously lose face – and lots of business.


I am addicted to this series. I enjoy all of the characters, and look forward to making new acquaintances. Since Kate is no longer part of the Order, she has a tougher time taking care of business. Without her Order credentials to force doors open for her, she has to do things by the book, and that’s not always easy. Especially after the Order tarnished her rep after the fight with Erra. She doesn’t really want to take the Red Guard job, but since it’s her first case in a month, she doesn’t have much choice.

Turns out that the missing inventor was working on a machine that obliterates magic – and kills everyone with magic within its operational radius. Desperate to find the machine before the terrorist group who have stolen it can wipe out Atlanta, as well as the Keep, Kate grabs at any lead she can find, but they always turn up empty. When Julie is attacked by a shifter and starts going loup, the case takes an even more personal turn.

I liked getting an inside glimpse at the People, and would like to know even more about them. As Kate’s powers are revealed, little by little, I wonder what else she can do. She takes several emotional blows in Magic Slays. She discovers that her mother might not have been the loving, compassionate woman she thought she was, and that Voron may not have had her best interests at heart. Voron’s true intentions for her struck a stinging blow that I don’t know if she can overcome. He set up her greatest weaknesses, the inability to trust others or ask for help, and I don’t know if it’s possible to forgive him the final endgame he had in store for her.

Book 6 is on my hold list at the library. Hopefully it comes in quickly!

I always worry when a series goes longer than four books. In my experience, very few can go past that point and still keep the magic that made the first books so incredible. Characters lose their edge, relationships lose their spark, and the plot runs around in circles.

 

This series definitely doesn’t have any of those problems and can handle at least two more books, if not many, many more. Kate is as hilarious and kick-ass as ever. Curran is as possessive, adorable, and of course kick-ass as ever, and their relationship is certainly not losing any sparks. The plot is progressing nicely and I am SO excited for Book 6.

 

Book 4, Magic Bleeds, was a tipping point for this series. Kate’s secret about her parentage is being revealed to more and more people, and the danger for her is building up. I like that the confrontation between her and Roland doesn’t occur in Magic Slays, because the authors are really building up the pressure and suspense. The break from all the Roland stuff is nice, and we get a deeper look into the world Kate is living in and other dangers she has to face besides those from her father.

All the characters are showing amazing growth, and I’m still as fascinated by them as I was in the beginning of the series. Also, the writing is still edgy and spot-on. Despite all the crap she’s dealt with, Kate certainly has kept her sense of humor.

I only have one minor complaint, and it’s that this book was a little difficult to get into. There is a lot of build-up and background and we don’t get to the really good stuff until the last third of the book. But that last third certainly makes up for the beginning two-thirds.

 

I highly recommend this book to fans of this series, and for those of you who haven’t started reading these books yet, what are you waiting for?!

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

Anyone who has followed my reviews knows that I am in love with this series. Seriously....it is just the best. I loved this book when I read it over 4 years ago and I loved it during this re-read. I probably liked it even more the second time around because I know how some things are going to work out and it is really interesting to see some of the ground work being laid. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent listening to this book.

This book starts with a lot of excitement. Kate gets a call that there is a loose vampire heading her way. She acts quickly and is able to capture the vampire but then everything falls apart fast. With Andrea's help, Kate works her way through the situation. Andrea accepts Kate's offer to join her business and they get their first client. The case turns out to be a very serious one that could put everyone with magic in danger.

All of the characters that I have grown to love over the course of the series make an appearance in this book. Kate and Curran are now officially a couple and I have to say that I like them both a bit more together. They still speak their mind with each other but there are plenty of more tender moments that melted my heart. I was glad to see Andrea play an important role in this story. Julie has some serious life changing events happen in this installment. Derek was awesome as always and Ascanio proved how awesome he can really be.

I enjoyed the narration. After a rough start with the audio for this series, I have come to really appreciate Rene Raudman's performance of these books. She handles a wide variety of character voices with ease. The emotions that she is able to convey during the story really take the book to a whole new level. The pacing was perfectly done. This was an audiobook that I didn't want to put down and was able to listen to for hours at a time.

I would highly recommend this series to others. This is the fifth book in the series and I really do feel that this is a series that needs to be read in order. I loved this book even though it wasn't quite my favorite in the series it was really close. I can't wait to continue with my re-read!

Initial Thoughts
So good! Everything I love in a book.