I liked this, but it was the least well put together of the books I’ve read from these authors yet. I would have continued on anyway, but I’m glad for the heads up everyone has given me that this series improves. Mostly, I’m fed up with the alpha dick measuring that Curran and his pack have going on. I find it very irritating and I hope he knocks it off.
So this is the first book in the much beloved Kate Daniels urban fantasy series, which certain friends of mine have been on at me for years to read. And it’s finally time! It takes place in a future world (not sure how far) where technology is being edged out (literally eaten? I think?) by magic. Our main character is a young woman of uncertain origin (hiding great power, of course) whose job it is to clean up magical situations for hire. Basically she’s a mercenary, and a bit of a loner. When her former guardian is murdered, she takes it upon herself to solve the crime and punish those responsible. This brings her into contact with the Pack, a group of shapeshifting humans ruled over by the Pack Lord Curran. (I know they are going to end up together. I defy anyone on this website who has fantasy reading friends not to know that.)
This book hints at a lot of promise in future books. I liked the hints of character development for Kate, and even if the way they went about explaining their worldbuilding was a bit rushed and confusing, I think I liked what I saw of it. At times, I also liked the antagonistic relationship developing between Kate and Curran. As mentioned above, I’m not a huge fan of alpha characters, and definitely not ones who feel the need to assert their power with mindgames like he does here. Hopefully that stops as the series goes on.
I’ve got the sequel penciled in for December, and hopefully I can finish out the series (and it’s sprawling side-books and novellas) in 2022.
[3.5 stars, rounding down to leave room for improvement]