Ilona Andrews invites you to experience the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring the intriguing fantasy world of mercenary Kate Daniels…
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...
Imagine that when there is a blackout, when no electricity is working, it’s caused by a rise in magic. That’s the world Kate Daniels lives in, a mercenary who cleans up the problems magic leaves behind when it recedes and technology returns. When her guardian is murdered, she is determined to get justice for his death, and finds herself caught in the middle between the Pack, the shapeshifters, and The Masters of the Dead, those who control the vampires. Both factions blame the other for a series of mysterious deaths that have happened on both sides, and Kate’s guardian’s death is somehow involved. Both want the killer found, and want Kate to do the finding.
This was a really good book! I loved the mythology for the vampires and the weres; so different to anything else I’ve read, and very original! And I loved the story! It’s very much a fantasy mystery, and you’re kept guessing all the way through. I have to admit, I normally pride myself in working out what’s going to happen in a book – not that the books are predictable, it’s just something I’m normally able to do – but even I got it wrong with this book! So totally surprised, but it does make sense at the end.
I loved the characters, especially Curran, Beast King of the Pack. He was just so cool, and not as nearly as annoying as Kate makes him out to be, in my opinion. Actually, most of the awesome characters were pack members; Mahon, DooLittle and Derek. Kate was cool, though a little too quick to dislike everyone. And Saiman! Oh, I love him! I’m not exactly sure what he is, but he can change what he looks like completely, but he is cool as a person too.
The story is resolved by the end of the book, but there are other questions that aren’t answered that will flow easily into the next book, with the set up of the next storyline. Over all, this book is pretty awesome, and I can’t wait for the next one. A definite must read for fantasy fans!
