Magic Bites is the introductory book in the Kate Daniels series set in a not too distant future Atlanta. In this world, magic and technology can’t coexist at the same time. The world is hit with waves of magic going into overdrive where all tech stops working altogether. To survive, one must know when to use their car and when to hire that horse to get across town to that meeting.
With magic in full swing for years, all sorts of creatures have come out of the woodwork and powerful organizations to bring order to the supernatural world. There’s four big players with Kate belonging to The Guild, magical mercenaries for hire when monsters run amok. Next there’s The Pack, led by a dangerously handsome shapeshifter named Curran. Then, The People of the Dead who control vampires and not the Lestat variety! More like the black court vamps of The Dresden Files who have to be piloted by masters of the dead. They are led by a sly character who runs his empire holed up in a glitzy casino. Lastly, The Order of Merciful Aid who are a group of supernatural knights sworn to help the people, but can be rather ruthless – too much power and authority for Kate’s liking.
Kate learns that her mentor, Greg, a knight-diviner for The Order was horrifically murdered. She worms her way into the official case, so we are quickly introduced to the above players as she attempts to get some answers and find out who to kill ASAP.
I read Magic Bites for the VF September book club. I actually wasn’t that impressed with the first book. Maybe it was the lack of sexy times. But Felicia Day’s enthusiasm for the series convinced me to continue. This urban fantasy series focuses less on romance and more on the action and suspense. So if you’re a fan of kick ass heroines with a penchant for mouthing off to dangerous beings, this series could be for you. I recommend it for fans of The Dresden Files and Buffy.
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