Gale Reads: Magic Rises [Kate Daniels 6] by Ilona Andrews

Hello! How's everyone's weekend so far? I hope all of you are doing great :)

Guess what?! I was able to get an ebook copy of the newest Kate Daniels book! Yipee! I didn't expect to be able to read it in just 2 days after it got released because Ilona Andrews books don't get released here locally and I need to pre-order it through Powerbooks and then wait for 5 weeks before I can get a hold of the book. I am really so ecstatic about Magic Rises and I have been waiting for this since last year. 

MY REVIEW:

OMG! This book is awesome! It was so full of action and surprises from start to finish that I easily got caught in the Kate Daniel's world and was unable to put the book down. I finished it in one seating and I am planning of re-reading all the books again while waiting for book 7. 

The husband and wife tandem really did a great job in this installment because everything flowed smoothly and all the scenes have an important part in the wholeness of the story. I think this is one of the best book in the series so far because the story itself with all the details involved made the reading experience so good. Everything is well described that I was able to visualize each happening and I also felt I'm part of their post-shift world. There was no dull moment because every time I turn the page something interesting is happening.

Ilona Andrews is so good in writing that I hope they could release more books. I am actually wishing that they could make a whole novel for Derek, Jim and Dali, and the other characters of the Kate Daniels Series because I really enjoyed the one they made for Raphael and Andrea in Gunmetal Magic. 

OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I'm really satisfied with Magic Rises. I can reread this book over and over without getting bored because I love how Ilona Andrews made it relateable even with it being an urban fantasy. I can't wait for the next installment in the series! I really wanted to see where Ilona Andrews will take this series because there's still 4 more books to be written (I think).

P.S. There's another Curran POV on their website and even though the writing is roughly made and in need of a proof reader, it was still a good read. I really hope Ilona Andrews can write more Curran POV because it gave a different view of what really went down and I so love reading Curran's thoughts hehe.

[Spoiler alert]

There were so many twist and turns in the story that I don't know what to expect anymore. I keep on trying to guess what's gonna happen next but I always get it wrong. I also loved the fact that Ilona Andrews showed a different side of the relationship between Kate and Curran. I almost believed that they're gonna separate for good because of what happened. But it made their relationship stronger so it's for the best. But I still got sad that there were casualties and not everyone got a happy ending. I know there will be more surprises for these characters and I am really excited to read them soon.  

Guys, this is a must read so go get a copy and read the whole series. I promise you all, you won't get disappointed because it's full of action and the storyline is great :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Hello everyone! It's Saturday night and I am so happy today because it's our 9th anniversary. I can't believe that me and my bf is already nearing a decade together. It feels so fast, to tell you honestly. I still feel the same way I did when we started eons ago...still giggly and excited for every date ^_^

Anyway, I'll skip all the mushy part haha I don't want to bore you guys. I will do a Gale Reads edition today because I have already finished reading my newly acquired novel. This is my first time ordering through Powerbooks and I am glad it was a success. It is way cheaper and hassle free than if I will order by myself through Amazon and it took around 4 weeks before I got my order.

TITLE: Gunmetal Magic
AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews
GENRE: Action, Paranormal, Dystopian, Romance, Fantasy
SERIES: Kate Daniels 5.5
SYNOPSIS: (from Goodreads)
After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. She tries to put herself back together by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend. When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano--the male alpha of the Clan Bouda, and Andrea's former lover--die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate. Now she must work with Raphael as her search for the killer leads into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta. And dealing with her feelings for him might have to take a back seat to saving the world...



MY THOUGHTS:
I love the Kate Daniels series and I love Andrea there so I was so happy when Ilona Andrews decided to create a whole novel about her and not just an anthology like with Jim and Dali. I was really excited to read about her life and her relationship with Raphael. 

I bought her book because I know that I will love Andrea and I will enjoy reading her adventures. She is as strong willed and spirited as Kate so it was so much fun reading her witty replies. She knows what she wants and she tries her best to get it. She is also not whiny and when she encounters a problem in her life, she faces it head-on.

I was able to finish this in one seating because it was so good and I kept on turning the pages wanting to know what happens next. It has Andrew's trademark of action packed scenes complete with the descriptions of each weapon used. Andrea was such a marksman and she loves guns and bows so it was such a treat to see how she handles them. I really believe Andrews researched a lot to make the descriptions realistic.

I'm also happy that this has a good ending for everyone. It is a finished story and you don't have anything hanging or questions left unanswered. This is definitely a very well written book and I have no complaints whatsoever.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5 

I definitely recommend this book! I cannot find any problem with this one and I am so excited for the release of Kate Daniels #6 ^_^



Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: Kate Daniels Series (#1-5) by Ilona Andrews

Happy Monday everyone! You might be wondering why I had gone underground again this past week so I will tell you a secret. Here are some of the reasons why I usually disappears for a couple of days: (1) super busy at work (2) personal problems/ a relative is visiting and we're always out, (3) I am busy watching a drama and I've decided to do a marathon run or (4) I am reading a series of books and I can't stop until I'm finished with everything. For this past week, it's been reason #4. I have been reading a lot lately because my sister let me borrowed her IPAD 2 and it's so easy to read my ebooks using that instead of my Ipod Touch. I really wish I could have an ebook reader soon coz it is lighter than and Ipad and less stressful for the eye plus a longer battery life.

This week, I have finished a very famous series called Kate Daniels. It is written by Ilona Andrews (which is actually a pen name for 2 people...a husband and wife tandem. They are writing 2 series at the moment: Kate Daniels and On Edge.) The Kate Daniels Series currently have 5 books under it and a couple of novellas...It is still ongoing and it is said that book 6 will come out in 2013.

Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal, Fantasy

Status of Series: On-going

Author: Ilona Andrews

   

Summary from Ilona Andrews Website:

The world has suffered a magic apocalypse. We pushed the technological progress too far, and now magic returned with a vengeance. It comes in waves, without warning, and vanishes as suddenly as it appears. When magic is up, planes drop out of the sky, cars stall, electricity dies. When magic is down, guns work and spells fail.

It’s a volatile, screwed-up world. Magic feeds on technology, gnawing down on skyscrappers until most of them topple and fall, leaving only skeletal husks behind. Monsters prowl the ruined streets, werebears and werehyenas stalk their prey; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

MY REVIEW:

COVER TALK:  I'm not that fond of the covers. I think it's a little tacky and have not done justice to the content. I would have liked it better if the illustration itself was drawn beautifully but these just looks sloppy to me. Also, I think having the lion out of the picture would be better and just focused on the drawing of Kate just like what Nalini Sighn did on her Guild Hunter Series. So I am giving 2/5 stars for the covers.

STORY:

This series is really awesome! I can't put it down and I had this feeling that I needed to read everything in one seating. I read one title per night so I ended up sleeping just a couple of hours this last week so that I can finish this. It's really a page turner and I can't help myself but be sucked into the world of Kate Daniels. I even sometimes dream about being one of the characters in the story hehe ^_^

I super duper love the lead character Kate Daniels. She's one tough cookie to break. She's a trained killer, very smart, learns through her mistakes, loyal, honest, has a very witty mouth and had a very strong will to fight for something she believes in. She's also very powerful because of her magic and skills. I also love the fact that she's not a whiny love-crossed heroine. Oh, I'm really so happy that being in her mind doesn't consist of pinning for her love life. Actually, it even made me wish there's a lot more Curran interaction in the story because I won't categorize this series as a romance novel as it lacks a romantic angle.

The whole series evolves around Kate's fights against the different forces in her world who plans to wreak havoc in their lives in Atlanta. There's a lot of ass kicking, sword wielding and magic powers involved. The way Andrews wrote the scenes is really awesome because I was able to picture everything in my head clearly as if I was there and watching it like an spectator. I applaud Ilona Andrews for being able to use different mythology (Greek, Norwegian, Latin, etc), history, and a lot of magical being (witches, shammans, etc) and melding them together to create a world full of magic and knowledge. 

Having novellas every now and then is fun coz I could read about certain characters from Kate Daniel's world and also reading about Curran's point of view even though they are short are nice.

I really hoped they showed a lot of love and interaction between Curran and Kate because this book needs more loving between them. Curran is rarely on the events and it would be nicer if I could feel a connection that they love each other.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5

I definitely recommend this book! There's never a dull moment and it is full of twists and turns so you'll be kept on your toes every time. I can't wait for book 6 to be released but it is stated in Goodreads that the expected release would be on 2013...Waah, it's too far!

RECOMMENDED FOR: Readers who like action-packed stories and kick-ass female heroine. Readers who loves dystopian, fantasy and paranormal genre and wants to experience a world full of magical creatures and powers.

Will I buy these books in the bookstore? Definitely! I am planning on going to Powerbooks to get my hands on the paperbacks version because I want to be able to reread them again in book form. As I've said, reading a physical book is way better than reading an electronic version and it's easier to go back to the parts I wanted to read again.

What about you? Have you read this series already? If yes, are you excited for the next installment too? Share your opinions in the comment section below...I would love to hear from you.

Till next time, bye! ^_^