Magic Slays (2011)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #5
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 308 (Paperback)
Publisher: Ace
Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Slays in 2011.
The Premise:
Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.
Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name. Plus, many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.
So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. But it turns out that this is not an isolated incident. Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—and fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price…
Spoiler free for this installment.
A new era of Kate’s life has begun. Her carefully developed sense of independence is fracturing under the weight of bonds of family and friendship she is developing. She’s mated to Curran, the head of the local werecreature pack. She has an adopted kid, Julie. She has a best friend, who works with her at her new business. She even has Grendel, her attack poodle.
This story starts out as more of an old-school mystery. Kate and Andrea are hired to solve a theft, a kidnapping, and a murder, and find how each are connected to the other. Even though the besties do discuss their love lives, this book still passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. They make a great snarky team, and I’d happily read an entire series of them just hanging out together.
But the real world still exists, and Kate’s father is a force she’ll have to face at some point. In this book, however, Kate finally learns details about her mother. The fairy tale she’s believed in since childhood comes crashing down, and while I pity her, it definitely makes for a more interesting story. Kate also makes interesting connections with other forces in Atlanta due to these revelations.
We learn more about how both vampirism and lycanthropy in this world work in this book, but the highly researched mythological flavor of the day is from the Slavic regions. Witches and warlocks abound, complete with Baba Yaga house, chicken legs and all.
A fantastic subplot to this story involves Kate’s evolving status within the werecreature pack, since she is mated to the Beast Lord, and all of the responsibilities that come with it. One scene in particular made me cheer, as it seems that my previous issues with toxic masculinity in these books appear to be on their way out.
So much of the “bad” in this series has involved magic, but this book flips the script. The forces of magic band together to defend themselves from a different sort of evil, reminding us that “humanity” does not necessarily mean human, but instead contains all aspects of what people are capable of.
In conclusion: Kate has leveled up as a character in more ways than one, and we’ve reached a different phase in this series. I’m solidly invested in all of the characters, and even though I technically know what’s coming, these books are good enough that re-reading is a treat rather than a chore.
Featured image via Ilona Andrews
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