Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book five in the Kate Daniels series
Publication Date: May 31, 2011
ISBN: 0441020429
Page Count: 304
My Rating: ★★★★★

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 change 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 may pay the ultimate price...

REVIEW

This fifth instalment of the Kate Daniels series has to be the best yet. The other books have had plenty of laugh-out-loud lines and hilarious scenarios, but this one just takes the cake. I'm pretty sure I read the whole thing with a huge, cheesy grin on my face. This may be partly due to the fact that the storyline itself was slightly simpler. We've had all sorts of bad guys in the previous four novels: monsters, mythical creatures, gods, deities. But this one was mostly based on humankind and its ever expanding propensity for prejudice and hatred. As you'll know if you've read other books in this series, the world is filled with tech or magic that flows in and out in waves and has affected only some of the populous. Well, it seems some people aren't too happy with the outcome of this magical lottery.

Also, the relationships are evolving beautifully. I loved every single scene with Kate and Curran; very intimate and real. There were a couple of new characters introduced which I'm looking forward to seeing more of. My only slight complaint was that there was no Raphael, because I do have a wee soft spot for him, too :)

All in all, this book was excellent.
5 stars all round!
★★★★★