Magic Steals

by Ilona Andrews

[EBookObsessed]

This story, when it was released in the anthology Night Shift, was my first introduction to the world of Kate Daniels.

I loved this story but was slightly disappointed when I finished. I really liked Ilona Andrews’ writing style and I really enjoyed Dali and Jim. I was disappointed to find out that Dali and Jim are part of the Kate Daniels series, not the main characters. They were featured in another novella, Magic Dreams, which I am going to try to find.

In the Kate Daniels’ world, magic flows like a tide and is changing our world. When Magic is up, electricity and combustion cars don’t work, so you need a car that also runs on magic. Magic doesn’t like tall buildings so skyscrapers are tumbling down. A sorcerer is powerful when the magic is up, but he is weak and helpless when the tide stops. I found this a very interesting premise for a series and can see where it makes things very complex and interesting at the same time.

Dali is Indonesian and has a white magic to balance out any black magic. She is also a vegetarian who turns into a white tiger. Depending on the type of black magic being used whether it is Asian, Western or European, depends on how she needs to fight it. I like when she was writing spells out in calligraphy on post it notes and attaching them to the aberration to dispel it. The ancient spells and the use of modern post its was quite clever. Again, it was a very interesting concept in a story.

Dali is scrawny, average looking and severely near-sighted. Dali is in love with Jim and they just started dating after they met in Magic Dreams but Jim is strong, gorgeous, and the local alpha of all the different type of cats. Dali is afraid that she is not pretty enough or strong enough to be an alpha’s mate, and fears that she will lose her heart to Jim when he has to walk away from her.

The writing here is very lighthearted and fun at times. “Every time he says he was my boyfriend, I had to fight the need to go, “Wheee! he said he was my boyfriend.”

Dali is sent to find out why a neighbor has gone missing and Jim goes with her to protect her. Their investigation leads to the strip mall where the neighbor’s business was located to find that all of the owners have been cursed. Jim and Dali need to find out what is so special about this property that someone would kill for it.

I have picked up the audiobook for Book #1 of the Kate Daniels series and although I am disappointed that Dali and Jim are not the main characters of the series, the world building and writing-style are interesting enough for me to give it a try.