Gunmetal Magic: A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels

By Ilona Andrews

Includes a free bonus: a Kate Daniels novella, "Magic Gifts"

The New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels novels have been hailed as “top-notch urban fantasy” (Monsters and Critics). Now, Ilona Andrews delves deeper into Kate’s world, and reveals its untold stories…
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…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Jul 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781101585191

Ilona Andrews

“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian, and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.) They have co-authored four New York Times and USA Today bestselling series: the urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, rustic fantasy of the Edge, paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and Innkeeper Chronicles. They live in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.

Reviews for Gunmetal Magic

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gods aren't what they used to be. This can annoy them and cause inconvenience or worse, to the shapeshifters and magical practitioners. Andrea is having enough difficulties with her relationship or lack of it with Raphael and then things get weirder.

[devilwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise: ganked from BN.com: Includes a free bonus: a Kate Daniels novella, "Magic Gifts."The New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels novels have been hailed as “top-notch urban fantasy” (Monsters and Critics). Now, Ilona Andrews delves deeper into Kate’s world, and reveals its untold stories…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 Rating: Worth Reading, with ReservationsIt's not much of a reservation, mind you. It's just that Andrea and her relationship with Raphael sometimes rubbed me the wrong way, and I'm still wrapping my head around Andrea and her beastkin attributes. She can be hyper-violent in a way that feels over-the-top, which I know is hysterical when you compare her to Kate Daniels, but still. This book pretty much is everything that some people don't like about urban fantasy, so if you're looking for a refreshing take on the genre, this isn't it. Honestly, unless you're a Kate Daniels fan who's read through Magic Slays, I don't recommend picking this up, because you're going to feel a little lost. Honestly, if you haven't read Magic Gifts, the free novella in the back of this book? You may even want to read it FIRST before reading Gunmetal Magic, because Andrea's story overlaps with Magic Gifts and continues it in ways I wasn't expecting. So there's that.For fans of the series, and fans of the world, it is an enjoyable read. Once I got used to Andrea's voice and her character, I really came to enjoy the read, especially once she started growing a little bit. The ending is a wee bit predictable, but it's still quite satisfying for fans of the series. I'm looking forward to seeing where Andrews takes this character next, be it in another book of her own, or just popping up regularly in the Kate Daniels books. Either way, I'm happy.Random aside: I love the title. It doesn't really relate to the plot of the book itself, so much as it's a cute nod to Andrea's character, but I love the title.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. It's one of those stories where readers familiar with the genre can figure out how it ends, but it's enjoyable learning how that ending happens. The full review can be found at my blog, and I've linked to the review below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Ilona Andrews' GUNMETAL MAGICHappy Reading!

[rabidreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsI’ve always enjoyed Andrea’s character in the Kate Daniels series but other than her gun fetish she comes across as being a little too tame to be able to be a bona fide Urban Fantasy heroine. In Gunmetal Magic, we see an entirely different side to her because now she’s free from The Order’s rules and trying to embrace her beastkin blood. I loved watching Andrea come to terms with her new life while in the midst of an impossible battle against a God and a hilariously crazy hyena courtship with Raphael. Ilona Andrews’ remarkable storytelling and trademark sense of humour are out in full force which pretty much guarantees that readers are going to enjoy the Kate Daniels World spin-off series just as much, if not more, than the original.Even though I’ve been following Andrea’s story for quite a while now in the Kate Daniels books I still felt like I was meeting her for the very first time. Her new found freedom from The Order definitely agrees with her and the fact that she’s also finally accepting her Bouda half helped too. I loved everything about this new and improved Andrea, from her Texan drawl right down to her f#@k it attitude about sporting fur in public. I was also happy to see that in spite of her willingness to now use her claws in a fight; her weapons of choice were still her guns. Andrea undergoes a remarkable amount of personal growth in this first installment and I enjoyed watching her work through her issues with The Pack, Raphael and her past.I won’t even bother trying to attempt to explain the explosive, action-y side to this novel’s plot line; for those of you who are familiar with Andrews’ writing, you know that us mere mortals can’t possibly do it justice with words. Just know that it was epic. Amidst all of the bloodshed, creative insults and one-liners fly, which makes this book as comical as it is entertaining. I loved Roman, the supposedly evil yet hysterically funny volhv who has a crush on Andrea. Raphael’s mating frenzy definitely doesn’t help matters either but the best by far was the purple shag carpet incident. Payback is a b*tch but payback hyena-style is something else entirely!I’d recommend reading the Kate Daniels books before diving into this one in order to get the full experience but rest assured that once you visit Ilona Andrews’ Atlanta you’ll never want to leave. In Gunmetal Magic Andrea makes her debut as a full blown Urban Fantasy heroine in and it is something truly awesome to behold.

[phyllis2779 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable Andrea Nash story in the Kate Daniels world. I very much like the way Ilona Andrews writes strong women. They very strong but they are layered and their weaknesses and backstory. In this one, Andrea and Raphael get back togethher and it makes senses. But there is a lot action and suspense, this is more than a romance.

[jlharmon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gunmetal magic was a book that I wanted to read only because I loved the Kate Daniels books so much. But now that I've read it, I'm sad there's not another Andrea book to read.

It has all the same shapeshifters and vampires and crazy magic stuff as Kate Daniels, but not the frantic epic scale of having to kill your dad at the end. It feels more real. And Andrea is pretty much just as cool as Kate. She's a retired Knight. She can turn into a hyenawere, she is the best at distance weapons.

The world of Kate Daniels has so much in it. It's sad that in the Kate books we are too concerned with the endgame to really explore. And that's what this book does. It let's us explore the parts of the world the Kate just cuts through. It fleshed out the "background characters" who are sometimes more interesting than Kate and Curran because they are not quite so noble.

I hope Ilona Andrews gets around to writing another Andrea book someday! I really enjoyed it.

[pnrlist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I adore this series/world. I love Andrea. Tough and independent. Raphael hurts her and there is angst. Kind of my favorite stuff when it comes to romance. But a solid Urban Fantasy book.

[whatsmacksaid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not QUITE as brilliant as the rest of the Kate Daniels books, but pretty damn close. (Like 3.5/5 stars. Would read again, definitely.) The acknowledgements say they had trouble with this story, and it shows in a few small areas. But! I still recommend this to ANYONE who has enjoyed the Kate Daniels world. It was very enjoyable.

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. This was a re-read for me and I had a lot of fun re-visiting this book since I know what will happen to these wonderful characters as the series moves forward. I do remember being slightly disappointed when this book was first published simply because I wanted another book featuring Kate and Curran and I got Andrea instead. I ended up loving the book though. Andrea and Kate are best friends so their lives overlap in a lot of areas but Andrea does have her own story to tell and I am glad that Ilona Andrews made the decision to let her do just that in this book. Andrea is not in a great place as this book opens. Her relationship with Raphael is over and she has lost her job with the Order. Both of these things meant the world to her and helped shaped her identity. Andrea is working with Kate at their new agency, Cutting Edge, when she gets a call about a new case. This new case just happens to be tied to Raphael which only proves to make things more interesting. Throw in some strange snake people and a complex mystery and you have plenty of excitement. All the action is nicely balanced with a bit of humor and romance.I really enjoyed seeing Kate, Curran, and all of the other characters from a different perspective. I think that Andrea is in a unique position to give that perspective because she is close to a lot of the key characters but she still feels and acts like an outsider. Andrea grows a lot as a character over the course of this book and the insight into her background really helps with understanding some of the ways that she looks at the world.Renee Raudman does a fabulous job with this series. It is funny that I didn't really care for her narration for the first couple of books in the series but now I couldn't imagine anyone else. She really is able to perform a wide range of characters very well and with a lot of emotion. She has a very pleasant voice that is easy to listen to for hours at a time.I highly recommend this series to others. This is a series that you do need to read in order since each book builds on the last. This is a very important book in the overall story arc and should not be missed. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this wonderful series.

[stacyatufi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't planning on reading GUNMETAL MAGIC because I thought it was just a novella but thankfully I got a copy in the mail to review from the publisher, found out that I was wrong and dove right in. Not only did I really enjoy getting to know Andrea better but I loved seeing Kate, Curran and some other characters through someone else's eyes. I love the Kate Daniels world and I love Ilona Andrews writing style. I vow never to NOT read one of their books again. Andrea is bad ass and It was great watching her grow and change in the book. I have always liked her but now I can't imagine not having her involved in this series. We learn so much about Andrea as well as Raphael throughout GUNMETAL MAGIC and I enjoyed every moment of it. There were a ton of great action packed scenes spread out throughout the novel. The scenes with Andrea and Raphael were pleasantly awkward, frustrating and down right naughty at times. I laughed a lot, was super pissed off along with Andrea at some points and got a bit teary eyed in other moments. One of my favorite scenes was towards the front when Andrea lays the smack down on some Bouda's that were sent to talk to her, she really knows how to hold her own.I highly recommend the Kate Daniel series as well as The Edge Series by Ilona Andrews . They are both fantastic and will knock your socks off.

[cynical_ames · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"It says here Jamar bought a toilet seat for fifty thousand dollars," Ascanio said.
I looked at the screen. "It says it's from Amarna, from the eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt."
"It's a toilet seat," Ascanio said.
"It's four thousand years old."
He looked at me incredulous. "Some ancient Egyptians sat on it and took a dump."
"I assume so."
"He paid fifty thousand dollars for a used toilet seat."
[...]
"You could buy a car for fifty thousand dollars. A really nice car." Ascanio's eyes lit up. "A Hummer. You could buy a converted Hummer."
"You don't need a Hummer," I said.
"Chicks dig the Hummer."
"You don't need any chicks either."
"He gave me an injured look. "I have needs."

[glennis.leblanc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is set in an established universe but with a new main viewpoint character. Kate is still in the story but is not not in the spotlight much. What I found interesting there is a novella after the story that features what Kate is doing before the main story starts and ends when you first see Kate in the main story. Andrea is trying to get over being dumped by the Order of Knights and then because she retreated into herself she alienated her boyfriend so of course the story has a b plot of dealing with that while she is trying to solve a murder at her ex boyfriends work site. Of course everything works out in the end and the mystery gets solved as well. I'm just glad the romance is fixed by the end of the book and not dragged out over several books.

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A pleasure as always to visit Kate Daniels's world, I've been excited about Angela's story for so long. For a he said/she said, both characters get by with a minimum of childishness (and as responses go, turning into a hyena/human hybrid and telling your ex-boyfriend to stuff it is just about the best thing I've ever seen).

12/17/12 - Ilona's blog post discussing the characterization of her books as "romance" or "fantasy" reminded me of the many character moments I enjoyed between Andrea and Raphael. Though the plot of these books totally holds up for re-reads, what truely draws me back is always the character moments. Andrea bursting into beastkin when initially confronting Raphael, her faithful sidekick Ascanio, and the pleasant diversion of Roman were all great the second time around.

[tivonut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in the dystopian future of Atlanta, where magic comes and goes with tech taking over during down times. This is the story of Kate Daniels' best friend Andrea, told in her point of view. She is no longer connected to the order and is working as a P.I. for Kate and the pack. She is hired to investigate a break in and the deaths of shape shifter guards working for her ex-boyfriend. It leads to the big bad trying to get power and Andrea and her group of friends working to thwart this from happening. Very Kate Daniel like.

Still the background story of her trying to come to terms with who she is and where she fits in, gives this a special flair. It is not just her ex-boyfriend, Rafael and her figuring out where they stand, but her figuring out where she stands with the pack. And now the she is not defined by the Order, how she can define herself.

Different than Kate yet many of the same elements. This definitely was a romance whereas I don't consider Kate Daniels a romance though a romance happens in one of her books. Still the story holds the major part of the story at least 1/2 of the time. The romance part was a bit silly but also a bit fun. Her figuring out where she belongs, very good story there. And the story of the Big bad trying to get power, as always, exciting, engaging, and well told.

Great read. Don't know if I like it better than a Kate story or not, excellent. I really liked Roman and want more of him, perhaps and novella or book?

[mlsimmons-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Andrews never fail to write a great story and this is no exception. I've always liked Andrea and it was great to see things from her point of view. I felt really bad for her with her history (which we learn a lot about in this book) and everything going on between her a Raphael. We get to see several of our old favorite characters, Beast Lord and Kate (nice to see them from a different perspective), Jim, Derek, Doolittle. We also get to see some minor characters take on a larger roll with Asciano and Roman. I really loved both of these two and hope to continue to see them in the Kate Daniels books.

[tam2603 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another really great one, this one first person POV Andrea Nash. Great story, great characters, humor, love, drama, fights. At the end there was a short story with Kate & Curran, which I also enjoyed very much.
The only bad thing: Now it will be hard to wait for the next one...

[sharrow_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

41/2 stars. I really enjoyed the book and think it was super cool to have a full length novel for Andrea. Her passion for guns cracks me up. I guess one thing I did miss was the trademark humor of the last few books. Although there were a few laugh out loud moments, it was a little more grim. Not that this stopped me from devouring the book in two evenings.

There were two other characters that I sincerely hope get books, short stories or whatever. Barabas(I LOVED his character) and a chap called Ethan is mentioned. I really have my fingers crossed this will be explored more. That weremongoose is feisty and he bites snake heads off. Rawr. And Roman? What is not to like. He made me laugh, snarky and sexy.

Cool book.

Re read March 2013.

[becky_mckenna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gunmetal Magic is a book in the Kate Daniels series, told from the prospect of Andrea Nash, former member of the Order and best friend to Kate. She's coming to terms with the loss of here beloved career and what that means for her. At the same time, she's nursing a broken heart, having split with boyfriend, Raphael. When four shifters are killed at a reclamation sight run by Raphael's company, she's brought in to investigate and track down the killers. This had all the flare and wit I expected of the author and the action scenes were amazing as usual. You just can't beat flying snakes, magic, and a Russian volhv with an angry staff fighting in the middle of dystopian Atlanta.

I really liked getting the inside story on Andrea's childhood and parents. She certainly had a rough upbringing, which explains why she saw the Order as her family. Losing her job was like losing her family. Since she lost Raphael in the process, she's hesitant to join the pack, unsure if Aunt B's pack will be any better in the long run than the abusive pack she grew up in. Pack law requires a decisions within three days, so now Andrea is up against a wall.

The way the story came together was exciting and full of action. We get glimpses of our favorite characters along the way; Kate, Curran, Jim, Aunt B. and a few others. I also enjoyed the laugh out loud moments and will snicker every time I look at a toilet paper roll holder, at least for the near future. The resolution was an adrenaline rush and extremely well done. I really enjoyed Roman in this, too. He certainly got under Raphael's skin and I liked his "live-life-to-the-fullest" attitude. It was a fun book to read.

[cmlloyd67 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as the previous novels in the series, but worth a look. The mythology this time around is Egyptian with a touch of Russian. And we get an in-depth exploration of Andrea Nash, Kate Daniels best friend - along with a bit more information on Raphael, the head of the bouda clan and Andrea's romantic interest...and as a bonus, information on Curran, Kate's romantic love interest and what he is exactly.

The writing style is suitably snarky and provides interesting information on Egyptian mythology, including a rather cool explanation of fractal mathematics and how that relates to religion, gods, and mythology.

[sadiesforsythe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as well layered as the main books in the series, but still and enjoyable read. I do have to ask though, what was with all of the owl similes? In both the main story and the novella, everything was like an owl. I'm not alone in noticing that, am I?

[aoibhealfae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gunmetal Magic is the novel set right around Magic Dreams and is one of the spin-off from Kate Daniels series about her Cutting Edge's partner, Andrea Nash who is an ex-knight who got forcibly retired after the order found out that she's in fact a bouda (werehyena). Andrea carried a horrible past where she spent 11 years being abused by a bouda clan and after she and her mother ran away, she became highly efficient gunfighter who hid her identity until she was forced to reveal her true self. Her abuse were mostly centered on the fact that she's a beastkin, her father is actually a hyena who was infected by Lyc-v which changed it into a male human and Andrea's abusive clan forced him to rape her mother and hence she was born out of it.

Now, she's working as a highly trained private investigator for the Cutting Edge along with Kate Daniels, the skilled mercenary who is secretly a powerful mage and a consort for the Beast Lord, Curran. In the couple novels before this, Andrea was involved with the Atlanta pack's bouda clan's Raphael Medrano, who is her mate but after being faced to choose between the pack and her life-long career in the order, Raphael left her when she decided wrongly and neither of them parted their ways peacefully.

The novel started directly from Magic Dreams with Jim calling Andrea for help about the murder in one of the pack's establishment which is unfortunately owned by Raphael. Still hurt from their separation, she decided to take on the case even knowing that she will be facing her former beau and soulmate. The establishment is actually a ruin from a skyscraper after being felled by the magic waves and Raphael's team was working to excavate the area looking for precious metals like copper. The team found a vault in the underground with its items intact but all the shapeshifters guarding the site were killed by a multiple snake bites. Since venoms are biological matter, the Lyc-V were unable to differentiate the poison until its too late, hence a powerful snake venom would kill any shapeshifter. Andrea decided to investigate the motives surrounding the buyout of the properties and found out more than what she had bargain for.

I was highly entertained by this book. The reactions and relationships between the side characters in Kate Daniels were further enhanced in these spin offs. Raphael is initially a cocky jerk in the beginning of this novel and reacted childishly as one would expect from someone being hurt until he came back to her in full vengeance. I hate him and love him in this book and the banter between Andrea and him was unexpected but it does bring back pre-Consort Kate Daniels vs Curran motion that I enjoyed in the last several books of series. The dynamic between the characters are fascinating as with the action packed drama surrounding more death and near death experiences by the main character.

Surprisingly, although there was an overwhelming heat between Andrea and Raphael in this book, it doesn't shake the fact that this book was exclusively an urban fantasy since it was without the unnecessary ten pages of smut. The action are unpredictable, the mystery are intriguing, the suffering and the torture within the psychology of these characters are the things that made the series fantastically a class of its own.

If you are new to this series, I would recommend reading the whole series because nothing is better than guns and supernatural violence in this detective-like drama series. So far, its still one of the guy-friendly novel I've ever read and all the hype surrounded this series are true, and its a fine book at its start but it definitely does get a lot better (read: guns and gore and mythological lore) as you go through the books.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gunmetal Magic
4 Stars

Series Note: This book cannot be read as a standalone. It is necessary to read the first 5 Kate Daniels books in order to get a feel for the world Andrews has created as well as important background detail on the characters.

Kate and Curran are a hard act to follow. It is difficult to become as immersed and involved in Andrea and Raphael's relationship following Kate and Curran's romance in the first 5 books.

Andrea has made some questionable choices in the past and as such, it is difficult to completely take her side in her clash of wills with Raphael. That said, this installment provides some much needed background on her childhood and succeeds in making her decisions more tenable.

Raphael is no saint and his actions at the beginning of the book made me want to strangle him. Thankfully, he and Andrea come to their senses without too much angst and their make-up scenes are really cute. It also helps that Ilona and Gordon are so skilled in the witty banter and snappy, snarky comebacks department.

As in the Kate Daniels books, the plot once again centers on a particular mythology and this time it is Egypt's turn. The details are well-researched and the action scenes exciting. However, the storyline is quite convoluted and there are times when it is difficult to determine who the actual villains are and precisely what they want.

The best aspect of the book is the family dynamic established by the secondary characters. Ascanio, Roman, Aunt B, Doolittle, and of course, Kate and Curran, all come together to bully, pester, tease, encourage and support Andrea thereby making Gunmetal Magic a worthy addition to the series.

While all threads are neatly tied up by the end, some unanswered questions remain Is the Witch Oracle's prophecy related to the events in this book or not? What exactly is a First and how did Curran become one? and I can't wait for Magic Rises to come out.

[newskepticx · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

You know what? I get why I was supposed to like this book. The heroine is smart and occasionally funny. It's urban fantasy. The romance isn't overdone--although I'm getting super tired of the ultra-alpha protective jealous tall dark type. I really love Kelley Armstrong. But I struggled to like this book even as a guilty pleasure. It was okay, I guess

[snownsew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked Andrea while reading the Kate books. I liked her strength of character. I liked her attitude.

I really like to dream that happily ever after really means happily ever after. And, I really like to think that when one has found his/her soulmate, it is really his/her soulmate. Which means forever. Not that there are not hazards along the way - but that you get through them together. Of, at least fight your way back to together.

I know this is a dream. And, it rarely happens except in a dream world. But, the sure way to ruin fiction for me is to have me root for a couple and break them up just so you can sell more media while you put them back together. (Don't think this is this case here. This was more of a journey.)

The plot of this book was totally immaterial to me. All I cared about was the soulmates remembering they were soulmates. I was completely satisfied.

I enjoyed the fact that Raphael would not let Andrea kill Michelle. For her own sake. I liked that he devised a plan to keep her from Anapa. I did not like the 'non' fiance . . . but I understood it. Neither Andrea nor Raphael was blameless here - they both screwed up. I *loved* the purple carpet. And, I *loved* Curran's arrival.

Relationships are work. Always. There are good times and there are bad times. Some times it seems there are more of the latter than the former. We have the good times so that we can remember them during the bad times. But, we have to be willing to remember and not look for the next best thing. I think this book teaches us a lot about what to do and what not to do to keep our relationships strong.

[camibrite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Super, as usual! This world is always addictive, and the characters never disappoint. Andrea has different problems and perspective than Kate, but she's entertaining and loveable. Former minor characters like Ascanio and Roman jumped off the page, and Raphael was charming as usual. Loved it.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels" is a bit misleading. And I'd have rather read these in reverse order, but what you're actually getting is a recounting of the events of the same pair of days in the life of the Cutting Edge agency. In Gunmetal Magic Andrea Nash has issues. Not the least of which is being asked to investigate the mysterious deaths of four employees at her ex's reclamation company. Then there's getting in touch with her furry side, facing down the embodiment of an Egyptian death god, and of course, Aunt B. Good thing Andrea knows how to accessorize.In Magic Gifts, date night at a Korean barbecue takes a wrong turn when two vamps go on a killing spree. In the bloody aftermath, Kate Daniels and Curran track down the origins of a mysterious necklace. My recommendation? Read Magic Gifts first and the timeline will make a lot more sense.

[pacey1927 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Its not a secret that I adore Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels novels. Her best friend Andrea Nash hasn't really been a very important character to me. I was happy enough to read ANY other Ilona Andrews book but I wasn't expecting to enjoy the story as much as I did. Andi made a very strong heroine and I enjoyed her story a great deal. She and Kate's stories both had some similarities of course. Their world is the same, post-turn Atlanta. They are co-owners of the same business. Their supporting casts are made of the same characters. I will admit that occasionally the narrator blurred in my mind a little...she could have been Kate or Andrea. Except Andrea is a shapeshifter and she can heal extremely quickly. She is also fighting against joining the local bouda pack ran by Aunt B. Andrea's relationship with Raphael was also similar to Kate and Curran's but in a pretty great way. The tension and sarcastic interplay between both couples makes for a great reading experience. It also allows the reader to really feel like they know these characters. I have to say that I wasn't the biggest fan of the actual shapeshifter murder storyline here. It just wasn't as interesting as most of Andrew's other books. I actually couldn't wait for non-action scenes because I liked them more than the action ones which is very unusual for me. I did end the book with a big old smile on my face and I would definitely be excited for more books about Andrea and Raphael."Gunmetal Magic" came with a hundred page novella "Magic Gifts" told from Kate's perspective. Now this story was an absolutely five star treat. The plotline is more intriguing in this short that I thought the plotline was in "Gunmetal Magic". Here a young boy gets bound by a magic necklace that is slowly choking the life from him. Add in some side drama involving the Order and we have a very exciting novella to finish out this offering from Ilona Andrews. Andrea is fine, but Kate just sparks. Kate remains one of the strongest, most entertaining heroines in urban fantasy today.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is another powerful entry into Andrews' Kate Daniels' World. Andrea has been a side character for a while. She is Kate's best friend. After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid after being outed as a shapeshifter, Andrea is at loose ends. She isworking with Kate at Cutting Edge and trying to figure out what she wants from life. Andrea was raised in a bouda group - werehyenas - but she is beastkin - her father was a hyena turned human. Beastkin are despised by most shifters who were human first and then animal. Her bouda group systematically abused her and her mother until her mother finally found the courage to run away. Andrea has spent years denying her werehyena side. Now she has to come to terms with it. She is also on the outs with her werehyena boyfriend Raphael who can't understand why Andrea would be reluctant to swear allegiance to his mother and join another bouda pack. He hurts her very badly when he seems to have taken up with a beautiful but brainless human and flaunts her in front of Andrea.Besides this personal turmoil, Andrea has a case to investigate which involves huge venomous snake shifters and ancient Egytian gods. There is a lot of adventure and excitement as she and Raphael need to work together to prevent the world from falling into chaos.Andrea is as strong and as kickass as Kate Daniels. She makes a great lead character. Her bad childhood and determination to make her own decisions and choose her own path make her a character we can really care about. Cameos from favorite characters from the Kate Daniel's series add to the richness of this story. Fans of urban fantasy with really kickass heroines will not want to miss this story.

[literaladdiction · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Associate Reviewer - Mich M:When we first met Andrea in the Kate Daniels books I found it really hard to form an opinion of her, I liked her to an extent but I wasn't really attached to her, now after getting to know her better and spending time with her as the main focus I really like her! I feel like Andrea grew up a little through this journey and it was something she had to do if she wanted a life with Raphael. Which brings me to Raphael... Where oh where do you start with him? He has p*ssed me off through the series and that continued into the beginning of this book, especially their first meeting. If ever I wanted to slap someone silly, that would do it! The little teasers with Kate & Curran made me hungry for their next book. I love Curran, he dominates the page whenever he is around even just for a sentence or two. I miss him. I loved the interactions with Kate & Andrea and I liked Aunt B in this one. LITERAL ADDICTION's Associate Reviewer gives Gunmetal Magic 4 Skulls.

[dearheart_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can the husband and wife writing duo of Ilona Andrews set an entire novel in the Kate Daniels world and make it as enjoyable as the rest of the books in the series even when Kate isn't the main focus of the story? They sure can.This story is told from Andrea's POV as she investigates the murder of four pack members working for Raphael's reclamation company. As followers of the series are aware, he walked away from her in Magic Bleeds when she put the Order before the needs of the Pack, something he couldn't understand. We learn a lot about Andrea in this book and watch her transformation as she finally accepts who and what she is.Most of the major players in the series are on scene at some point in the book. We get to see Kate using her sword, Curran grumping over the fact that she's put herself in danger, Ascanio, the over-sexed teenage bouda, is finally learning to obey, so is being taught how to investigate. Roman has a bigger part in this story and we learn more about him. The more I learn, the more I like him. I would imagine he'll have his own story at some point.There's plenty of action, magic, deities and emotion in this story. If you haven't read the prior books you could get away with reading this one first. There's enough information given for you to appreciate the world that was built. But it would be a great deal more enjoyable if you read the other books first. I eagerly awaited the release of this book, and I loved it!There is one area nearer to the end of the story where it's obvious that something is being described as already happened that we haven't read about. It's a little startling, but enough information is given to make the story work. As it turns out, the novella, Magic Gifts, added to the end of the book, describes that very scene.To those not familiar with the series, a shift happened years ago and magic invaded the world. Magic and technology don't get along (magic destroys technology and buildings) and each hold dominance from hours to a couple of days. The world consists of regular humans, shapeshifters, vampires who are mindless and are "driven" by necromancers, as well as witches, various other magic users, deities, and Kate Daniels, a woman in her twenties with very old blood and a great deal of power who spent her life learning how to fight so that she can eventually have a showdown with her many-thousands-year-old father while keeping who and what she is a secret. She's a kick-butt, very knowledgeable woman who often battles monsters and over the series learns what it's like to have a friend and let others close to her. The series contains plenty of mythology from different pantheons.Magic Gifts takes place during Gunmetal Magic and it deals with a young boy whose life is endangered when his unfeeling mother throws a gold chain on his neck in order to protect her husband after it suffocates the boy's sister. This is witnessed by Kate and Curran, so the story deals with trying to find out what's going on and how to save the boy before the chain suffocates him. It also explains why Kate isn't available to be of much help in Andrea's investigation in Gunmetal Magic. The story also involves picking a leader for the Mercenary Guild, Ghastek and the vampires as well as the Norse Heritage Foundation, first introduced to us in Magic Slays.

[leahsimone_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I should start by saying that I have really enjoyed most of the stories written by Andrews and her husband. I have always liked Andrea as a character and wanted to read her story. This didn't quite live up to my expectations though and I've vacillated between ratings. The crazy mythological smorgasbord couldn't really hold my attention this time. I could overlook that if the characterizations were amazing but this fell short. In the course of their story, some of the decisions Andrea and Rachael make seem ridiculous. Plus, the romantic tension between them came across manufactured. Kate and Curran set a high bar though so that could be my problem. Still, I think this would have worked better as a novella.