Sunday, January 12, 2014

Can't go wrong with Ilona Andrews! robgirlbooks' Review of Gunmetal Magic!!


4 STARS!! Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels 5.5) by Ilona Andrews is so much fun! I could tag along with Andrea Nash all day every day. The girl is plain awesome. Andrea has had a crap life, I'm talking shapeshifter-style crap life. You know shifters never grow up skipping through daisies or humming lullabies while hanging up the laundry. To survive, Andrea chose a very human existence, but the humans she gave her blood, sweat, and tears to betrayed her and the animal inside found a foothold both in her psyche and in the real world. She can no longer hide behind her pretty face and mad skills with guns. Then throw in Raphael. Oh my goodness, not only is he amazingly hot and lethal, but Andrea loves him like she's never loved anything or anyone in her entire life. Problem is, she messes up, he messes up, and they're both total jerks about it. They threaten and fight, then they're hot for each other, then the day starts over. Throw in a big world ending type catastrophe that must be stopped and you have Gunmetal Magic. I loved this story, but I had a couple issues. One, it felt like a novella despite being over 300 pages long. Two, the timeline threw me for a loop. There's an actual novella (Magic Gifts) that takes place in the middle of this story. You can't read both at the same time and it is cool getting to see a scene from various angles, but I'm just not a fan of splitting stories this way so that one ends up stealing a little bit of the thunder from the other. I will say that the romance in Gunmetal was spot on for me. There is so much tension between Andrea and Raphael that as a reader you growl along with them. You squeal and sigh. In the end, I was exhausted and saying to myself, "It's all good." Can't go wrong with a read that does that.

If you haven't started this series and you're a fan of fantasy, urban fantasy, kick ass heroines, amazing writing, hot shifter men who need to be brought down a notch, uh, what was I saying? Right, read this series! Start with Magic Bites. Keep going. After book 5, read Gunmetal Magic and the novella Magic Gifts. Move on to book 6 and then wait with the rest of us for the next one.

10 comments:

  1. I'm so glad that you're loving this series! I can't believe you've surpassed me though...I need to catch up so bad!! I haven't gotten to this one just yet. I hope you had a wonderful weekend :D Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven.

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    1. Oh, don't worry about me surpassing you in this series. I've only read two books in the Hollows series, 3 in Night Huntress, I haven't read any Moning, J.R. Ward, or ... the list is too long so my brain is shorting out! Oh, I did get The Edge series for Christmas. Yay!

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  2. Woohoo! I'm so happy you love this series, Robyn. I do, too! ;) I haven't read this one yet and I didn't realize that about the other novella happening in the middle of this story, so I'll have to keep that in mind when I do read it. But Andrea and Raphael...yet they sizzle together, don't they?!? The Andrews really know how to write that sort of chemistry, in my opinion. :) Have you read the The Edge series? I really like it as well.

    Happy Monday, girl! I hope everything in your household has calmed down a bit and you have a more relaxed week. Are your sister & mom stoked about the Seahawks?? I'll be rooting for them! *haha* *HUGS*

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    1. Santa (in the form of my sister) gave me The Edge series for Christmas. Yay! I'm on a Charlie Davidson roll right now, but I have a couple of the Kate Daniels novellas lined up. You're so right about the chemistry. I remember the long wait in the Mercy Thompson series, but Kate Daniels made me even more impatient even though the wait wasn't as long!

      I think the week will be crazy! I start volunteering in John's class two days a week teaching the kids computer skills. Preschoolers, little fingers, and chatter. Good thing I have Christmas coffee gift cards (I've been hoarding-hehe).

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  3. I LOVE this series!!! And I agree, with Ilona Andrews, you really can't go wrong :). I enjoyed Andrea's story (and of course, Raphael), but I'm more invested in Kate and Curran and when she'll finally face off with her father lol. Can't wait to see the showdown!
    Ninja Girl

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    1. Even though Ilona Andrews is a husband-wife team, I've combined them in a Power Rangers Megazord kind of way. I just love Kate Daniels. I can't wait for the showdown too!

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  4. Way to twist my arm, Robyn. I haven't started this series yet... and now I really, really feel compelled to! Don't you know my kindle is full of books I haven't read yet? Could I please have an extra day every week - in secret - so that I can read more?

    Great review, Robyn! Thanks for sharing.

    Happy reading.

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Kate Daniels reminds me of Mercy Thompson's strength and wit, and the dark apocalyptic world reminds me of The Hollows. I think it's a win-win for you.

      I'm totally down with an extra day in the week. An extra hour even. I love that we suffer so over all the books we keep adding to our TBR lists.

      Happy hump day!

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  5. I love, love, love this series! Ilona Andrews can do no wrong in my opinion. I haven't started on The Edge series yet though...I need to get off my butt and get to it :) Great review!

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    1. Oh, I haven't started The Edge series yet either! I hear its great, and I totally believe it. It will have to wait until I finish the Charlie Davidson series, oh man, I love it so much!! I can't believe I waited so long to start it. Thanks for stopping by, Traci.

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