Gunmetal Magic Review

Gunmetal Magic (World of Kate Daniels #1)

Ilona Andrews

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

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...

Can these couple write a bad book? Thankfully for fans, the answer seems to be a resounding NO. When I heard they were going to write a book for Andrea I was so excited as I always loved her in Kate’s books and seeing her from the inside out was an intriguing proposition. I wasn’t disappointed. Andrea’s had a hard upbringing with her Bouda pack she was born to tormenting and abusing her. As such it she struggles to trust others – especially other were-hyenas. She created a life for herself outside The Pack and now that has come tumbling down. Andrea now has to make some decisions and rebuild her life.

I love the world that has been created with magic and tech battling each other with Atlanta both thriving and falling apart. Andrea has some similar characteristics as Kate Daniels (one reason why they’re such good friends!) in that she is physically capable, has a temper and is fiercely loyal to those she cares for. However, in some ways she is more damaged than Kate. Kate has always been closed off and careful because of the way she was raised, while Andrea is one of those who has seen the worst of people and fought against it. It takes a lot for her to trust but when she does she gives herself completely. Gunmetal Magic focuses on her relationship with Raphael, the bouda alpha and someone she had hurt with her decisions in the past and who had hurt her. Their relationship is not simple and while they work well together there are a lot of confused and hurt feelings. I loved how they tackled these issues, avoided them and tried to work through them all at the same time. They aren’t perfect, but it just makes them feel more realistic.

There are some great action scenes, some big emotional scenes and tension both romantic and story-wise which make this an exciting and fun read. I had a blast reading it. I enjoyed seeing Kate and Curran from a different perspective – and I loved that they seemed happy at the moment (I doubt that will last for very long!). I’m happy to have a story from a different perspective in the same world (an element I loved in Kelley Amrstrong’s Otherworld series) and would love to see other characters like Julie get their own books as well!

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher. 9 out of 10