Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Title: Gunmetal Magic
Author:Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels World- Book 1
Release Date: July 31st 2012
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 Hoots
Reviewer: Krystal
Buy From: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

Sum It Up! As usual, Ilona Andrews captures and holds the readers' attention to create a fantastic book.

Some people have everything figured out — Andrea Nash is not one of those people. After being kicked out of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend, Kate Daniels.

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano — the male alpha of Clan Bouda and Andrea's former lover — die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate ... and must work with Raphael. As her search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, Andrea knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a backseat to saving the world… (Goodreads)

Review:

Fans of Kate Daniels may have mixed emotions about Andrea getting her own book. On the one hand, the reader may enjoy getting to know her character more, but on the other hand-we want more Kate! Andrea's character drives the plot. She is smart, brave, and has a will of steel. She faces numerous challenges and put-downs and comes up swinging.

Her sassy demeanor hides a slightly hurt interior; Raphael, her former lover, tears her heart to pieces in the beginning of the novel. Raphael will come off as abrasive and curt at times. However, he seems to genuinely care for Andrea and is very possessive of her later on in the novel. Will things straighten out for Andrea and Raphael? This facet of the plot will leave romance readers very happy, Ilona Andrews manages to make the reader invest a great deal into Raphael and Andrea's relationship, and it is almost too easy to get attached. The other characters are more of what the reader might expect to find in a thriller, one of the stand-outs was Asciano. Asciano is almost a mini-Raphael; he is never afraid to share his opinion and articulates himself well.

The plot itself will likely keep the readers' attention. Several shapeshifters die of unknown causes and Andrea must discover the cause. She is joined by Raphael, which causes an underlying tension throughout the novel. As usual, Ilona Andrews captures and holds the readers' attention to create a fantastic book.