Review: Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Series: Kate Daniels #3

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace (March 31, 2009)
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle

Source: Library

Amazon / Goodreads

 

When magic strikes and Atlanta goes to pieces, it’s a job for Kate Daniels…

 

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

 

But when Kate's werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games—an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament—she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta's shapeshifting community…

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It

Thoughts: I was in need of my Curran fix and I got just that. If read this book then I think you all know what certain scene I am talking about. I found how the packs mate interesting and fun. The Midnight games were crazy good. Really liking Andrea and Kates friendship. Learning more about Kate and even Jim was good. The ending was my 2nd favorite part of the book. Can not tell you the first do not want to spoil anything.

 

I could not remember if I read book 2 as it has been awhile. The Midnight Games sounded interesting so went with Magic Strikes #3. I was not lost at all and did not feel like I missed anything huge. As I enjoyed Kate and a few of the secondary characters and Andrea and Raphael I feel like they were in the previous book. Easy for me to get a feel what is going on but I am sure it would of been nice to see how they got to where they are now.

 

Sweet Temptation: Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

Sweet Temptation is a feature on Wickedly Delicious Book Blog. That centers around books that have caught my attention. Whether it be a quote, snippet, teaser, excerpt, synopsis or a review.

Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

Series: Heirs Of Chicagoland #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Berkley On August 14, 2018

Goodreads

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she's a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he's prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of an ambassador brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever. 

Thoughts: I have seen Chicagoland Vampires series around but have yet to read them. This seems to be a spin off from that series. I am liking the idea of a Vampire heroine and a Shifter hero. I read the prologue on Chloe Neill website and thought it was adorable. 

Are You Fan Of Chicagoland series? Are you eagerly waiting for the first Heirs Of Chicagoland?
 

Reviews: Darkfever and Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Rating: 3 Stars - Liked It

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Series: Fever #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Delacorte Press on October 31, 2006

Format: Kindle

Pages: 382

Source: Bought

Amazon / Goodreads

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

Thoughts: I knew going into Darkfever there would be no romance. I actually bought this book seems like ages ago in paperback when Borders Book Store was still open. At the time I was really into romance and this series was in the romance section. Well I did not know this was not a PNR till I tried reading it and was not able to get into it. Now many years later was looking for something different to read and this came to mind. Bummer as I already swapped by PB. A hold was on it for the Library thank goodness I got it on sale for 99 cents.

 

The format of the book is different than I have ever read. It is so hard to explain. Mac had a way at times getting ahead of her self. It is like she is talking about stuff that happened in the future and next in the present. But the kicker is she would stop and let readers know she got ahead of herself. So some good stuff I wanted to know what the heck she was talking about because it would be interesting. Never did find out and hoping in future books I do.

 

As for  MacKayla "Mac" the heroine. I was not too impressed with her character. She kind of got on my nerves at times. Just silly and immature. I know she is in her early twenties and her mom was not a fan of cussing. So Mac and her sister came up with regular words to use instead of cuss words. I do not know if  it was to bring some humor to the story but it just bugged me.

 

Jericho Barrons I am not sure about. I am curious to know more.

 

As for the plot I really was curious who killed her sister. I still feel like there is more to that part of the story. Nothing wowed me. But I was unable to put the book down and wanted to know more about Barrons so of course had to get book 2.

Rating: 3 Stars - Liked It

Series: Fever #2

Publisher: Delacorte Press on October 16, 2007

Format: Kindle

Pages: 337

Source: Bought

Amazon / Goodreads

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.  

Thoughts: Bloodfever was a little better than Darkfever but not enough to give a higher rating.  Karen Marie Moning did great with the prologue, catching up with what happened in book 1.

 

Mac still annoyed me but not as much. I wanted more character growth then what I got. Plot wise I also I wanted more. I felt there was just more revealing of bad guys/monsters. I still feel that there is more about her sisters death. Again this book did not wow me but still was unable to put down. I am just waiting for something to shock me, I did not see coming. I know the plot has a lot to do with finding the Sinsar Dubh (black magic book) but for some reason I am more interested in her sisters death.

 

Again no romance but I am starting to see Barrons and V'lane showing signs of interest in her. This is not a love triangle. They both have their reasons for needing her help. V'lane I am starting to get a little curious about. Barrons really caught my attention more in this book. I know there is so much more to him. I really need to know who and what is in his garage basement, who does the second phone number belong too if can not get in touch with Barrons. I am loving their banter and bickering. They have a good like/hate relationship.

 

Hopefully I will get more in book 3.
 

ARC Review: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1)

by Amanda Carlson

Publisher by Hachette Book Group 

Purchase Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble   

 

Blurb by Goodreads

 

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life. 

 

     

Wow! Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1) by Amanda Carlson is fan-freakin-tastic! Just what I needed to get back into the Urban Fantasy world.

 

Jessica has a serious problem. Female wolves are unheard of. Since she was born it was fine because she never shifted and everyone included her thought she never would. Her wolf has decided now to come to the surface and her biggest problem is she can do things no others wolves can. Not only now does other wolves want her but a higher supernatural being is interested in her. I loved Jessica’s character. She is kick butt, but not over the top. She has feelings and is confused as anyone would be since she never thought she would ever shift. She is witty and can hold her own in a fight. I loved how she can picture her wolf in her head and actually see what her wolf is doing. Her wolf gets agitated easy, wants let loose at the worst possible moments to fight and even mate a certain someone. This leads to some great moments when Jessica has to try to reason with and talk down her wolf in her head. I love Jessica’s relationship with her father who is Alpha of their pack and her brother. Since she shifted she can now mind talk with her dad and brother. Love those times as they are personal and poor Jessica can now get a good butt chewing not coming from her Alpha but as her father.

 

Loving those yummy alpha male secondary characters. You got her brother, best friend, a few pack mates on her side, James who is her dads right hand wolf and of course the sexy Werecat Rourke. James still do not know much about him but from the little I found out I think he is safe. Now Rourke.. oh my he is delicious and mysterious. There is more to Rourke then what he portrays and the rumors about him being dangerous and do not tick him off is just a front. Why correct rumors when they make everyone scared of him. Did not get all the goods on Rourke but just enough to where I can not wait to read more novels to unravel his mysterious side. At one point before Jessica meets Rourke he says some sexy graphic stuff to her in her mind. But we never know what he say’s, just a little bit of what she is repeating out loud. I do want to know what he was saying to her.

 

The plot was good and the world building was done just right. Amanda Carlson nailed it with just the right amount of world building. It is not over done and little by little she gives you a little more of this amazing world she has created. The ending left me wanting more. There is still so much we do not know about Jessica. I look forward to reading Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2)

 

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review