Review of Magic Burns by Ilona andrews (Kate daniels series)

This was among the first of the longer series that I've read and yet now only I am writing the review.
Blame Exam tensions and my own dear laziness for that(the exams went well . Thank god for that).
                                           
                                      Anyway let's talk about katie, shall we.

                Kickass mercenary Kate is back in the second edition to the series Magic Burns.

                  Review of Book 1 of Kate Daniels series

This one is more polished than the previous one. The characters are well developed and world building is rather good.

The problem I had with the last book was it's ambiguous world building.But that world  was supposed to be that way.

But after reading the second edition, which gives concise and interesting explanations, I feel a whole lot better .You see, our human brains can't live without explanations.

I'll give you a rough idea of her world.If you have already read the first book.You can skip this part.

The world alternates between magic and technology.They come and go in waves , but are often adversaries each time.
                   When magic is up tech doesn't work.

That means No computer, No T.V and certainly No phones ( It's too horrible)

And vice-verse.

 That means Magic and Tech don't play nice with each other (they are such babies).

And Kate Daniels is a Mercenary, a person who 'deals' with the paranormal in return for payment, but is currently working as part of the order, where she was appointed to investigate the murder of her guardian Greg (that was the premise book 1).

The Police, the Mercenaries and the Order are the three law agencies, their importance increasing  in the same order as given.

Outside of this there are the pack- formed by shapeshifters and the people- formed by vampire controlling necromancer.
 (I love the originality of the cast. )

The vampires are nothing like you have seen or read.

   And the shapeshifter range from were-rats to were-lions  (cool).

And add to that mix all the Gods, Goddesses and the Demons who come alive if enough people believe in them (magic does that) and you have got a blockbuster of book with enough drama , darkness and humour to tranport us to her world.

That's a very short and unfnished summary of the world.Just to get you started.

But let's see what Book no.2 is about shall we.

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels knows how waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shape shifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug of war between two gods hoping for rebirth, and if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive

This series get's impressive with each book. But the one thing that made me fall in love with Kate and Curran( the handsome alpha) was the slow and touching developement of their relationship. With each book their bond deepens and deepens and at the end ,makes us fall in love with them.

Kate still smartmouths, one of her flaws( although I don't agree on that ) and she still has a natural penchant for attracting trouble and then again overcoming it.

She is not invincible, and she has a soft heart (as seen with julie ), which is why I like her so much.

This is a very interesting series. One I recommend.

                                                                  CLICK TO BUY

         
           But first , if want an appetizer             instead of the whole dinner at once.

Try this, It's a free prequel to her first book.
                                                        Questionable Client

And it features Saiman (I love him).
He is one most interesting and at times hatable character in the entire series , right next to Roland.

           So, my final verdict is.

                                                                   RATING : 4/5

I'VE ALREADY READ THE REST OF THE BOOKS  THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT GETTING A 5.

So,tell me which are your favourite characters,  besides the obvious.  i would love to hear from you.

Review of Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews ( Book 1 of Kate Daniels series)

Magic Bites in a fantasy book that won't quite fall into the category of romance.It has got a a lot of gore and fights and takes place in an awesome world.

I love a good kickass heroine especially if she is a sword wielding one and has a good sense of humour.
And Kate Daniels fits the bill.She is very independent and fights the bad guys on her own.
That's the one thing I admire the most in her.She is no damsel in distress.

But before analyzing her character further let's hear what Ilona Andrews says about the magical city of Atlanta.

The world has suffered a magic apocalypse. We pushed the technological progress too far, and now magic returned with a vengeance. It comes in waves, without warning, and vanishes as suddenly as it appears. When magic is up, planes drop out of the sky, cars stall, electricity dies. When magic is down, guns work and spells fail.

It’s a volatile, screwed-up world. Magic feeds on technology, gnawing down on skyscrapers until most of them topple and fall, leaving only skeletal husks behind. Monsters prowl the ruined streets, werebears and werehyenas stalk their prey; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight.  But sometimes even trained killers make friends and fall in love, and when the universe tries to kick them in the face, they kick back.

Her world building is quite good but many people doesn't like it because it's not very rich in details ,like how exactly it came to be and how it can be predicted.

But,magic can't be predicted. If it can be then the abilities acquired by the people have to be explained in a whole different way. I love the secondary characters who are very likable and intriguing at the same time.

The main characters Curran, who himself is quite bad-ass and no less smart mouthed than Kate and Kate herself makes for a formidable pair.Kate is stupid sometimes but it's great flow and makes the character more real and Curran has got flaws of his own.

Like I said before it's not a paranormal romance book.The book contains vampires but are not the ones you will fantasize about.That I can guarantee.

The book in itself is a murder mystery which is solved in this book itself but we are provided an overarching plot line.

 I really hate the cover art.That's why even though many times I had thought buying it, I didn't.It was the sixth book's cover that had got me hooked.Otherwise I would've missed this wonderful series.

See the difference for yourself.

click to buy

Click to Buy

But there was one place this book definitely falls behind.It's in showing the emotional connection between the murdered person( who Kate considered as family) and Kate. It was a huge minus point for me.

And I reduced a point for that.

So, my rating is

RATING : 4/5

If you are looking to start a series .I recommend this because it get's better with each book.
Hey, why don't you check out this free prequel. It's one of the best out there.
Questionable client-prequel to Kate Daniels series.

Click on the covers to get to their amazon pages.

Hope you enjoy it.

Review of A Murder Is Announced By Agatha Christie

                      A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED

                                                    AUTHOR:AGATHA CHRISTIE

                                                     GENRE:CRIME FICTION

AGATHA CHRISTIE IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS QUEEN OF CRIME.

A TITLE SHE RIGHTLY DESERVES. 

BUT FRANKLY SAYING, 'A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED' DISSAPOINTED ME. 

 IT IS ONE OF THE BOOKS YOU WILL LIKE IF YOU READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Click to Buy

'MISS MARPLE' THE DETECTIVE DOESN'T GET MUCH ROLE IN THE BOOK ALTHOUGH SHE IS THE ONE WHO SOLVES THE CASE AT THE END. 

THE MODE OF NARRATION IS QUITE DRY ALTHOUGH THE PLOT IS A GOOD ONE.

CLEARLY THIS IS NOT ONE OF HER BEST WORKS.

A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED IN  THE NEWSPAPER. THIS GAME IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE IN LETITIA BLACKLOCKS HOUSE
. BUT THINGS GO HORRIBLY WRONG WHEN WHAT STARTED OUT AS A MURDER GAME, SOON TURNS OUT TO BE A REAL MURDER.

THE POLICE ARRIVE AT THE SCENE BUT IS BAFFLED BY THE CASE AND FINALLY THEY TOOK MISS MARPLE'S HELP TO SOLVE THE CASE.AND SHE SOLVES It.

SO HERE IS THE BLURB

The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to Harper Paperbacks. A Murder is Announced in a small town newspaper advertisement—and Miss Marple must unravel the fiendish puzzle when a crime does indeed occur.

IT IS NOT A GREAT BOOK. BUT IF YOU ARE A DIEHARD AGATHA CHRISTIE FAN YOU MAY READ IT.

I ONLY CAME TO LIKE IT ONLY AFTER I READ IT TWO OR THREE TIMES. SO, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR OWN TIME.

RATING : 3/5.

P.S  FEEL FREE TO EXPRESS YOU VIEWS BELOW.

Review of Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp

                             CLUNY BROWN

                                         AUTHOR: MARGERY SHARP

                           GENRE:FICTION

Click to Buy

THE STORY IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE USUAL ROMANTIC STORIES.SO IS THE HEROINE CLUNY BROWN.
HERE IS THE BLURB, WHICH IS PRETTY LONG.

From the dust jacket: Colonel Duff-Graham, in his innocence, fondly believed he was doing his neighbors at Friars Carmel a favor in delivering their new parlor maid. Ensconced in the back seat of his Rolls-Royce, Cluny Brown viewed her new role as a parlor maid cheerfully, if not with resignation. At least something was happening to her. It was Cluny's prime object in life to keep something happening, and something happening to Cluny usually meant trouble for everyone else concerned, as Uncle Arn, a highly respectable London plumber, could have told her waiting employers. "The trouble with young Cluny," Uncle Arn frequently pointed out, "is she don't know her place." 
As though Cluny's debut as a maid were not enough for Friars Carmel to absorb, two guests arrived immediately. One was Betty Cream, lovely London debutante, currently pursued in vain by Andrew, the Carmel son and heir. The other was none other than the distinguished Adam Belinski, well-known author, lecturer, and Polish politician in exile. 

With Belinski there, Cluny could not justly be held responsible for all the upheaval that shook Friars Carmel harder than any blow dealt since the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some of the time she wasn't even around. 

She was walking out with Titus Wilson, village chemist like any proper parlor maid. Belinski, on the other hand, was always around until Andrew began to fear that he was a permanent fixture. This combination of circumstances went from bad to worse until it managed to drive Betty into hysteria, drive the amiable Titus into a shell, and provoke the gentlemanly Andrew to great wrath. T
he sudden solution for the havoc which Cluny and Belinski produced is not only an astonishment to all concerned but also a source of amazement to themselves. Cluny Brown is the humorous, warmly moving story of a love between a girl who didn't know her place and a man who had none.

THE STORY REALLY STARTS WHEN THE PROTAGONIST CLUNY BROWN  STARTS WORKING AT 'FRIARS CAMELS' MANSION AS A MAID.

THEN THE STORY STARTS REVOLVING AROUND  ANDREW, HIS LOVER AND THE POLISH PROFESSOR WHO HE BRINGS ALONG WITH HIM.

CLUNY TAKES A LIKING TO THE LOCAL DOCTOR, WHO AS WE CAN SEE IN THE BOOK IS A PERFECT GENTLEMAN. 
AS TIME ADVANCES WE CAN SEE ALL THE LOVE STORIES FALLING IN PLACES AND CLUNY GETS READY TO MARY THE DOCTOR.

THIS IS WHERE THE PLOT STARTS TO TURN.

NO! I AM NOT GOING TO SAY THE CLIMAX. YOU CAN GET THE BOOK FROM A NEARBY  STORE AND READ OR DOWNLOAD IT ONLINE.

THE AUTHOR HAS IMPRESSED ME WITH HER CHARACTERISATION OF CLUNY BROWN.SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE HEROINES THAT I HAVE HAD THE HONOUR TO READ.

 ALSO THE BOOK IS WRITTEN FROM A GOD LIKE PERSPECTIVE i.e we can see what all the main characters are doing. 

  

RATING : 4/5.

SO TRY TO GET A COPY  AND READ IT TODAY ITSELF.

FEEL FREE TO WRITE YOUR COMMENTS.

                           

Review of Looking At The Moon by Kit Pearson

                        LOOKING AT THE MOON

                        AUTHOR:KIT PEARSON

                            GENRE:FICTION

THIS BOOK IS ONE THIRD OF THE TRILOGY BY KIT PEARSON.THE OTHER TWO PARTS ARE FORMED BY  THE SKY IS FALLING AND THE LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN .

  Click To Buy Looking At The Moon By Kit Pearson.

          THIS NOVEL TAKES US THROUGH THE LIVES OF TWO SIBLINGS NORAH AND GAVIN SEPARATED FROM HOME DUE TO THE WAR. THEY ARE SPENDING THEIR HOLIDAYS IN THE OGILVIES'S COTTAGE IN MUSKOSKA WITH MOST OF THEIR COUSINS, CLOSE AS WELL AS DISTANT ONES.ONE DAY SHE HEARS THAT A DISTANT COUSIN,  ANDREW OF THE OGILVIES FAMILY IS ARRIVING.AT FIRST SHE DOESNT MIND BUT NORAH WHO IS TURNING 13 FINDS THAT SHE IS IN LOVE WITH ANDREW . BUT ANDREW IS 19 AND ALL READY HE HAS A GIRL FRIEND. HE IS ALSO FACING A DILEMMA WHETHER HE SHOULD PART IN THE ONGOING WAR. THIS STORY DOES NOT CREATE A MENTAL STRESS FOR THE READERS IN TERMS OF VIOLENCE WHICH  IT LACKS.

YOU WONT FEEL LIKE ITS A STORY ,ITS MORE LIKE WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES.KIT PEARSON HAS WRITTEN WITH SO MUCH REALITY THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH NORAH AS WELL AS HER OTHER COUSINS AND AUNTS.WE CAN ALSO EXPERIENCE THROUGH HER WRITING THE BOND GALVIN HAS WITH HIS SISTERT

THIS BOOK IS A TEENAGERS PRESENT AND A ADULTS PAST.

RATING : 4/5.

 

THANK YOU FOR READING.

Review of Charleston by John Jakes

                    CHARLESTON

                         AUTHOR:JOHN JAKES
                         GENRE:HISTORICAL FICTION

JOHN JAKES IS FAMOUS FOR THE HISTORICAL ACCURACY IN HIS NOVELS, AND THIS ONE IS NO DIFFERENT. 
THE STORY SPANS OVER

 ALMOST OVER SIX GENERATIONS  BUT THE PROTAGONIST BELONGS TO THREE GENERATIONS ONLY. 

THIS STORY MAINLY DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF' SLAVERY OF BLACK PEOPLE' .JAKES PORTRAYS THE PERSONALITIES OF HIS CHARACTERS STRONGLY AND VERY PRECISELY.

ONE OF THE MERITS OF THE NOVEL ARE THE STRONG WOMAN PROTAGONISTS THAT DISPLAYS GREAT PRACTICALITY AND INDEPENDENCE .JAKES ALSO SKETCHES THE DIFFERENT THINKING PATTERNS OF PEOPLE OVER TIME. 

FORMER PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINKOLN IS ALSO GIVEN A SMALL BUT INFLUENCING ROLE IN THE STORY.

OVERALL ITS A VERY GOOD AND ENGAGING READ.
SO DONT HESITATE IF YOU SEE THIS BOOK ON THE BOOKSTORE.
BUY IT.ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FAN OF HISTORICAL FICTION.I AM NOT BUT I STILL ENJOYED IT.

RATING : 5/5

p.S : CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO BUY.

Review of Critical By Robin Cook

                                                       CRITICAL

                    AUTHOR:ROBIN COOK
                           GENRE:MEDICAL THRILLER

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE MONTGOMERY AND STAPLETON SAGA. AND ITS A PERSONAL FAVOURITE OF MINE.
HERE COOK HAS MANAGED TO INTERTWINE SEEMINGLY UNRELATED PEOPLE INTO ONE HUGE SUSPENSE THRILLER.

THIS NOVEL IS WRITTEN IN THE WAY OF A JIGSAW PUZZLE.

AT FIRST WE  GET A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF DIFFERENT PERSONS WHOSE JOBS RANGE FROM RUNNING THE UNDERWORLD TO MANAGING HOSPITALS TO  DOING POSTMORTEMS IN THE MORTUARY OR  'PIT ' AS THE AUTHOR CALLS IT.
 SO HERE IS THE BLURB:

New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton return in this stunning new novel from the master of the medical thriller (New York Times).A ripped-from-the-headlines tale of an innovative doctors dangerous downward spiral.

AS WE TURN OUR PAGES WE WILL FIND OURSELVES SKIMMING THROUGH PAGES UNABLE TO CONTROL THE EAGERNESS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. BUT I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO CALMLY READ ALL THE WORDS IN THE PAGE BECAUSE HIS LANGUAGE IS ONE OF HIS STRONG POINTS,  HE DOESN'T BORE YOU SAYING  SOMEBODY SAID THIS, THEN SOMEBODY REPLIED THIS, THEN AGAIN SOMEBODY SAID THIS,KIND OF STUFF.

HE IS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE WORDS, AND HE USES IT IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY.

ALSO ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF READING HIS BOOKS HIS YOU GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARTICULAR DISEASE OR SUBJECT HE IS DEALING WITH.

SO GET  A COPY OF CRITICAL TODAY ITSELF AND SIT ON YOUR READING COUCH AND DEVOUR IT.

RATING : 4/5
I have linked the above image to amzon .So you can click to buy.

P.S : I AM STARTING ANOTHER BLOG ALSO . I WILL INFORM  THE DETAILS LATER.