Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Title: In the Shadow of Blackbirds

Author: Cat Winters

Rating: 4.5 Stars

"The road ahead may be rather upsetting for a sixteen-year-old girl. I'm afraid your delicate female eyes and ears will experience some ugliness." 

"Oh, you silly, naive men." I shook my weary head and genuinely pitied their ignorance. "You've clearly never been a sixteen-year-old girl in the fall of 1918."

And thank god for that. In the Shadows of Blackbirds is historical fiction at its best - so richly atmospheric and full of true accounts that it leaves you chilled to the bone. It is often difficult to imagine that our world could be as scary or frightening as an alien planet, but it was, it is, and it will continue to be. World War I especially, though, was a frightful time. Granted, there was no threat of nuclear warfare, but trench warfare was just as deadly and the image of poison gas, giant rats, and infection still plagues my mind when I think back to that time period in history. Now, undoubtedly, the image of white masked faces and black feet, carts carrying the dead as if it were the Bubonic Plague, will haunt me too.

Cat Winters picks a time period of deep loss, fatigue, and fear to place her debut novel in, but it works perfectly. Although the aura is one of fear, for people are hiding away not just from officers determined to arrest any and all who seem pro-German, but they are hiding away from Death himself. Mary Shelley Black, the headstrong protagonist of our tale, has arrived in San Diego to live with her recently widowed aunt. Since her mother died during child birth and her father has been deemed a traitor, Mary is alone in the world but for her aunt and childhood sweetheart, Stephan, who is now fighting in the war. In San Diego, though, the people are slowly going mad, both from fear of the plague - eating nothing but onions and clutching their gauze masks to their faces - but also from the hope of seeing their deceased ones in spirit images. Julian, the older step-brother of Stephan, specializes in such images and Mary, ever a girl of practical knowledge and scientific learning, is skeptical of his claims. When Mary begins to see the spirit of Stephan, her first love, though, she turns her eye to the spiritual - and to the question of why Stephan can't find peace in the afterlife.

"Why can't a girl be smart without it being explained away as a rare supernatural phenomenon?"

From the first page itself, Mary Shelley Black is the type of protagonist I love. Not only is she fiercely independent and practical, but as the daughter of a female physician, she is intensely curious in how things work. Mary is, quite simply put, the beginning of women engineers in our world. While she remains skeptical of Julian, though, she never relinquishes her strength in helping her aunt and maintains her courage during this time of death. Furthermore, and perhaps best of all, Mary is smart enough to realize that seeing the ghost of her first love is not a ticket to happily-ever-after like so many other young adult protagonists seem to think. No, the ending of this story is bittersweet and set in an era of so much death, there really are only a few ways this book can turn out.

"Everyone wants to categorize the world as good or bad, right or wrong. There is nothing 'in between' in their eyes."

In the Shadow of Blackbirds is not a happy novel, but it is beautifully written, managing to transport the reader into a time long-forgotten. Winters uses striking images, buried before and after certain chapters, to drive home the unforgettable era she paints. Not only that, but Cat Winters weaves beautiful love stories within these pages, whether it be the tales of familial love and strength that emerge or the sweet tales of first love. Both these dual - and prominent - relationships that Mary holds with her aunt and Stephan are richly developed and believable. Mary and her Aunt Eva, in particular, become close companions and though they are both very different women, they come to represent the strength of their sex in different ways. With Stephan, the unshakable foundation of their relationship is evident in past letters and ghostly encounters, both terrifying and soothing at the same time. For me, the strength of Winters's skill is shown most evidently in these scenes, both full of real-life horrors while simultaneously displaying an emotion of calm and palpable love.

"Just remember human beings have always managed to find the greatest strength within themselves during the darkest hours."

In nearly every way, In the Shadow of Blackbirds is perfect. Within its pages awaits a seemingly forgotten era - another Lost Generation of souls deceased from infection - along with a remarkable heroine and a blood-curling mystery. And yet, Winters doesn't stop there. In the Shadow of Blackbirds contains some of the most poignant one-liners I've come across, bursting with truth and dripping with wisdom. Furthermore, Winters takes care to explore the shifted dynamic that has emerged among women during this time of war. One of Winters's greatest assets as a writer is her ability to subtly weave in many aspects of this time period, from socially acceptable customs to gender roles to intimate details about warfare, but nothing is over-done. Every subject she touches upon manages to be delved with the perfect balance so that the reader is felt completely satisfied, even on the subject of spiritualism. If Winters did lose me anywhere, it was only that there were one-too-many near-death - or death - experiences to completely sell me, but as this is a novel of fiction that is perfect in every other way, I can easily forgive this. In the Shadow of Blackbirds is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite reads of the year. It is a novel I will return to, certainly, as for me, any book that is a time machine is worth holding on to.

ARC Review: The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Title: The Book of Broken Hearts

Author: Sarah Ockler

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: May 21st, 2013

What's left to say about The Book of Broken Hearts? I feel as if all of Ockler's fans have already nit-picked this book apart and proved that it's perfect in every way that counts - and they're right. And yet, while I know for a fact that The Book of Broken Hearts is Ockler's best book by far, I enjoyed Bittersweet much more and there remains that slight troubling fact that there is always something about an Ockler novel that prevents me from giving it a full five stars. Which, admittedly, isn't a big deal but makes me feel really upset anyway.

Anyway, long story short, The Book of Broken Hearts is nothing short of incredible. Jude is spending the summer with her father, whose brain is slowly deteriorating from Alzheimer's. And yet, despite his declining memory, Jude's father remembers every moment spent on his motorcycle with a startling clarity. Inspired by her father's enthusiasm for his old bike and yearning to chase away his dark condition, Jude hires a mechanic to fix up her father's bike - and hopefully fix him in the process. Only, the mechanic winds up being Emilio Vargas, the younger brother of the two boys who broke the hearts of two of her three older sisters. Ever since Jude could remember, the Vargas boys have been off-limits and although Jude tells herself that Emilio is only around to help fix her father's bike, the charm of a Vargas boy is not lost on her. Jude intended to soak up the sun with her father this summer, but her father's condition may be far worse than she thought and before long, the condition of her own heart may be the worse for wear too.

The Book of Broken Hearts has a lot to love, but perhaps my primary reason for falling head-over-heels for this book is the very fact that Sarah Ockler explored the life of an immigrant family. One of the best aspects of this, though, is that it is never over-done. Instead, Jude's heritage feels natural and the brief glimpses into a past in Central America and the struggle of learning English in a new country is enough to cement the diversity this novel provides. Furthermore, Ockler perfectly proves the utter inevitability of morphing friendships. Jude is going through a difficult time in her life, but that doesn't always mean that the rest of her life doesn't change. While she is focused on her father, her friends grow and change into different people just as she does, and this is so beautifully conveyed through Ockler's writing. I seem to be constantly on the look out for books that push the boundaries of YA and deliver more, so I am thrilled that The Book of Broken Hearts satisfies my thirsts.

And yet, despite its originality, this book never breaks away from the standard necessities of any strong novel. For one, this novel is just heart-breaking. I guess that is only to be expected from the title, but I found myself surprised by the depth of emotion that was conveyed through small scenes as Jude watched her father slowly lose his memory. Moreover, the strong bond between these four sisters is even more bittersweet in a way. For one, Jude feels helpless as the youngest. In fact, she calls her three older sisters The Holy Trinity and obviously feels divided from them and their wisdom. Not only has she always heeded the advice of her older sisters, but for the first time, she feels as if their advice may not be the right course. Emilio is nothing like his heart-breaker older brothers and to push away his sincerity because of his family seems ridiculous to Jude - and rightly so. And yet, despite that evident conclusion, truly breaking away from her role as the baby sister and embracing a greater role of independence is difficult for Jude, which makes her journey all the more poignant. With The Book of Broken Hearts, Ockler truly strips away so many pillar-like foundations that Jude holds onto - her father's memory, her mother's dependability, the wisdom of her older sisters - and forces Jude to find herself amidst the confusion in her life. And this, this I love.

Emilio Vargas, however, is what I suspect most readers will love the most. While the swoon-worthy hero of Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere is notorious for his eyelashes (Bat. Bat. Bat.), Emilio will undoubtedly become notorious for those knee-weakening dimples. Wink. Wink. Although Emilio and I got off to a rough start, mostly because his teasing can come across as arrogant at times, he is easily one of the sweetest and most understanding male protagonists I've met. Ockler steers clear of the ridiculous "forbidden romance" route with this one and allows Emilio to prove himself worthy of Jude, which wins her over completely. Not only is her immensely caring of her father and her situation in life, but he never gives up on her either. And although I craved for more of a back story with Emilio, for more of his problems and his musings, and often even wondered why he found Jude so appealing when he himself was so perfect and patient and far too good for her, I did enjoy their romance immensely.

Nevertheless, I found that despite the fact that Jude was a dynamic character, there remained a palpable distance. I couldn't always understand her on the level I wanted to and while I did really like her, at other times I felt as if her growth was almost prolonged in parts. Now, that's not to say that the plot of this story suffered - because it didn't - but it did feel as if the same idea needed to be repeated so many times before Jude understood what she needed to do with her life. Which is realistic, guaranteed, but this wasn't written in a way that truly enabled me to understand Jude. Additionally, a lot of this story is told in flashbacks, which both worked and didn't. For the most part, this transition was seamless but in some areas, it was wholly unnecessary. In my opinion, to end off a chapter with an event and begin the next one the next day and go back and recount what happened in the previous night's event is a little excessive. Still, despite these qualms, The Book of Broken Hearts is a solid read. Although I suspect Bittersweet is still my favorite of Ockler's work - not to mention the most light-hearted too - there is no denying that Ockler has grown immensely and her next novel promises to be even better than this one.

Aussie Reviews: Creepy and Maud by Dianne Touchell & Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Title: Creepy and Maud

Author: Dianne Touchell

Rating: 3 Stars

Creepy and Maud is a strange book. A really strange book. On one hand, I really do have to give Touchell props for creating a contemporary novel that is original and unique in nearly every way that counts. It quite honestly seems impossible to find another novel that is similar to this in any way. Yet, ironically enough, I think it was this very same originality that I'm always running towards that managed to make this book not work for me as much as I may have wanted it to.

I find it difficult to explain Touchell's debut. Very loosely, it's the story of two children who are neighbors and fall in love through their window conversations. From the surface, it seems very cute and sweet, but don't let that fool you. In actuality, Creepy and Maud is a very dark tale. Creepy narrates the majority of the story with a few perspective shifts to Maud, the girl next door, who constantly pulls her hair out. Whether it be the hair on her head, the hair on her eyelashes, or her pubic hair, Maud just can't seem to stop.

At the same time, though, Maud has a volatile relationship with her parents with her father occasionally abusing her and her parents stuck in a terrible marriage. Creepy understands this perfect as his own parents share a bad marriage - one so bad that his father has trained their dog to bite his wife. If that wasn't strange enough, Creepy has his nose stuck in books all day, denied the access of any technology and both him and Maud attend a religious school.

Now, first and foremost, I have to admit that it was simultaneously really easy and really hard for me to connect with this story. On one hand, Creepy's narration reads very intelligently and is extremely witty, keeping your attention. Yet, at the same time, so many of the instances in this novel seem exaggerated to the point where they come across as unbelievable. For me, this novel felt like a classic situation where I sympathized with the characters and for their dire situations, but never really empathized with them.

Furthermore, Maud was very tough for me to get a grasp on. I suspect this has to do with the fact that her narration lacks contractions, making it a little irritating to read through and, as such, I will admit to skimming through a lot of her story. Yet, in my defense, this book lacks a conclusive plot line. Dianne Touchell pushes her characters to the limits of their endurance, but almost not enough. Granted, they both have bad backgrounds and go to a ridiculous school that continually censors any mention of sex (which is impossible since teenagers will find out about sex one way or the other) and on top of that, their parents don't understand them and they've grown up believing that love can never really last, as evidenced by their parents marriage.

Yet, into this is thrown the weirdest romance/friendship/love story imaginable. Creepy's narration is dispersed with paragraphs dedicated to random observations, his friendship with Maud grows through words scribbled on paper and shown through a window, and all in all, this was just so...strange. Weird. Unusual. I know I'm always harping about books being too typical, too standard, too much like everything else out there, but I think this one was a little too out there for me. I simply could not completely understand the characters. I wasn't in their heads enough. I didn't even find the ending to be all that powerful. If anything, it just seemed kind of inevitable.

Creepy and Maud, though, is a book I still recommend, although with reservations. I know plenty of my friends have loved it, which clearly means there is something in this book that I am just not seeing. It's written very well, clever and witty while still managing to paint a picture of depression and reality. Perhaps the best part of it, though, is that Touchell never sugar coats life. Instead, she keeps everything very realistic, which I truly appreciated. Sometimes, people just aren't meant to be parents and that is felt so palpably with this novel. Although I'll be wary about picking up another Touchell novel in the future, I know she's an author I'll be too curious to resist. If nothing else, you can be sure that she'll make you think and, sometimes, what more can you ask for?

A huge thank you to my friend Mandee at Vegan YA Nerds for sending me a copy of this book to read and review since it isn't available in the US. You're the best, dear! :) 

Title: Life in Outer Space 

Author: Melissa Keil 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Life in Outer Space has got to be the cutest book I've read this year. As a fan of films, Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings, and most nerdy things, I thoroughly enjoyed Keil's debut, devouring it over a weekend - one where I was frantically cramming for exams. Although Life in Outer Space seems like a rather standard romantic comedy novel, told from a guy's PoV, Keil manages to introduce many original aspects to it and, frankly speaking, it's worth the few hours of time it takes up. You'll come away from this novel feeling lighter, happier, and grinning like a fool. I don't know about you, but amidst all the depressing novels on my list, not many books that successfully accomplish that.

From first glance, Life in Outer Space is a book we all know well. We have our standard group of misfits who is content with their avoiding-the-bully-at-all-costs lifestyle until the new girl walks in, dazzles the entire school, but somehow joins the group of misfits. Who are not-so-misfit anymore. And, what do you know, we have our classic tale of a best friend romance. I know it's been done before, but it works every time. What makes Life in Outer Space so remarkable, though, is that it is a story of friendship far before it is a story of love. Camilla is the type of girl who fits in like a glove, but underneath her cheerful exterior is a girl who wants to find a place to belong. Stuck with her dad, who constantly moves, Camilla has never had a close group of friends who have lasted for very long - until now. In Sam, movie nerd 101; Adrian, socially awkward but without inhibitions; Allison, obsessed with anime; and Mike, silent, gay, and dedicated to karate, Camilla finds a group of friends who have each others backs and are ready to have hers too.

As the narrator of the tale, Sam is delightful. One of my favorite aspects of his tale is the fact that he must come to realize that just as he doesn't have everything figured out in life, his parents often don't have everything figured out either. When his parents finally get divorced and are faced with a fresh plate, he is surprised at their indecision. And yet, this is what I love about this genre and age group - this is when we all realize that our parents are not God and nor are they perfect human beings. In fact, they are still finding themselves and sometimes, that is a very scary realization. And when this crisis hits Sam, he has his friends to fall back upon. Seriously, the dynamics between this group is so realistic and palpable that I feel as if I could hug them all. Although they are all concerned for one another, especially Mike who mysteriously quits karate, they are often too engrossed with their own lives to prod too deeply into each others. And I feel as if this is another classic friendship crisis - which, by the way, Keil deals with beautifully. As this book came to and end, I wanted to pump my fist and cry with happiness because the friendships in this are so, so lovely.

Not to be outdone, though, the romance is slow and sizzling, perfect and awkward. Sam doesn't even realize the depth of his feelings for Camilla until he is barreled over with them all at once along with the admission that someone like Camilla could never go for movie-obsessed him. Sam's passion for movies, though, is what makes this book such a delight to read. Life in Outer Space is riddled with movie references and allusions and while we can see that Camilla is besotted by Sam's passions, he - obviously - can't. And watching these two grow from friends to something more and witnessing the trust and understanding they share is wonderful. It's so rare to find love stories that are based heavily upon strong friendships, so in all counts, this book is a definite winner. Strong, lively, and endearing characters make Life in Outer Space the sheer delight it in and as far as rom coms go, this is one of the good ones.

THANK YOU Mandee for allowing me to be part of this blog tour and THANK YOU Flann for sending this to me along with The Bitter Kingdom! You ladies rock! :D 

ARC Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Siege and Storm (Grisha, #2)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: June 4th, 2013

While Shadow and Bone was the debut of a magical new realm, of a complex villain impossible to fully understand, of new power, of old allegiances, of politics and confusion, all mixed together with a gentle, calming love, Siege and Storm is the aftermath of all well-intended decisions, the destruction of formerly stable relationships and the creeping movement of darkness, not light. Like any strong sequel, Siege and Storm is as far removed from its predecessor as is possible. Although I loved Shadow and Bone, its sequel is far more mature, unpredictable, and thrilling as a whole. In other words, Leigh Bardugo has surpassed my wildest expectations and if this is any indication, Ruin and Rising will promise to be the best novel in this trilogy by far.

Siege and Storm picks up promptly where Shadow and Bone left off with Mal and Alina on the run from the Darkling. As you can imagine, their freedom is short-lived and they are soon back to being puppets, operating only by the choking hold of the Darkling himself. Yet, not all is the same. Alina’s previous battle with the Darkling left him with scars, but also with an ancient, more evil power than before. Now, the Darkling can create shadow creatures of his own and to combat him, Alina will need more power than one amplifier can give her. In the midst of this battle enters Sturmhond, the captain of the ship that the Darkling hires to sail after Mal and Alina. Sturmhond, however, has plans of his own and as Alina will soon learn, she has friends in the unlikeliest of places…if only they don’t turn into her enemies too.

Siege and Storm is a stronger novel that Shadow and Bone merely because of its maturity. With Shadow and Bone, Alina was insecure, constantly fearing the Grisha she was newly surrounded by. Now, however, Alina is forced to accept her power. Although she starts out running away from her past, she quickly realizes that she must embrace her abilities and join the throng of politics that will enable her to become a player, not a pawn. In fact, Alina’s growth throughout the novel is simply remarkable. As always, she retains her inherent flaws, such as her insecurity, but it is expressed in different ways now as she must battle the evil within her, one that thirsts for power and ambition. Nevertheless, Alina’s rise to who she needs to be to ultimately face the Darkling in the conclusion of this trilogy is perfectly timed, complexly written, and seamlessly arrived at.

In addition to Alina, though, Mal too grows immensely in this novel. For the first time, we see Mal as a character on his own right, not simply Alina’s childhood friend. Yet, there are hurdles that prevent these two from further developing their relationship and rather, it fades away slowly as the novel progresses, leaving us with only a sliver of hope by the end. With Alina as the Sun Summoner, the power imbalance between her and Mal only increases with time. Not only is Mal not a tracker anymore, having deserted the army, but he pales in comparison to the royals that Alina is forced to spend her time with. And, to make matters worse, Alina can’t help but be consumed with a thirst for more power, pulling her away from Mal. What makes their relationship so heart-breaking is that we’ve seen them before Alina claimed her powers as Sun Summoner and an imbalance of power existed then too, with Mal having the upper-hand. As such, it seems almost impossible for these two to work through their differences and see each other again amidst their new roles in life.

                                                                                                         

Yet, the question arises if Alina has any other options but Mal for he loves Alina for who she is, not her power, and all the other men in her life, no matter how charismatic they are, all want Alina for the power she holds more than they want her for the person she is inside. Still, the Darkling remains a strong contender for her heart. Although the Darkling may not love Alina, he certainly understands her in a way no one else does, a fact she must slowly come to accept as her relationship with Mal declines and they are unable to understand each other. Granted, the Darkling only has true screen-time for roughly ten percent of the story, but he remains a constant fixture in Alina’s mind. I, for one, found this to be all the more alluring and creeping. Without even appearing for much of this story, the Darkling manages to cause a rift between Alina and Mal and, even more, his words never escape Alina, practically haunting her. It remains true, then, that our resident evil lord is just as sexy, bad, and unpredictable as ever – just the way I like him.

Siege and Storm, though, shines not because of any of the characters we’ve already met, but rather because of ones we are about to meet. Sturmhond, the privateer of the ship the Darkling originally hires, is a force to be reckoned with. Seriously, this guy could charm all the books off your shelves – that’s how charismatic he is – and he isn’t afraid to use his skills to get what he wants. Although Sturmhond has an agenda of his own, he is more friend than foe to Alina and I found myself unable to resist his charms. I wound up underlining nearly all of his lines in this novel – he’s just too witty for his own good – and it is his presence that I am most eager for in the next novel. And, to add to his appeal, there is a plot twist or two surrounding this mystery man – all brilliantly executed, I might add – which only improve this stunning sequel.

In fact, I have to admit that many of the decisions that Bardugo made with this novel surprised me. We have the incorporation of the Darkling – how he was present in Alina’s mind, but not within the actual plot – a clever decision that both increased his power, maintained his mystery, and allowed for the screen time of other characters, all while keeping him very much within the story. Even more surprising, though, is the sudden importance given to the Apparat. In Shadow and Bone, the Apparat was a rather creepy figure we all were more than happy to brush off, but he makes a startling appearance in Siege and Storm, rallying up followers of “Saint” Alina. Although this sudden introduction of religious fanatics, all believing that Alina possesses other-worldly abilities, isn’t explored in too much depth in this novel, it is important and its role in Alina’s growth is subtle, but surprising.

For me, though, the most astonishing aspect of this novel was its ending. You know you’ve written a good book when your readers don’t like the ending, but they accept it for what it is and come to slowly see the brilliance of it. Now, looking back, I am able to appreciate the infusion of themes re-iterated throughout this story line, particularly the fact that deadly repercussions can result from even the best-intended decisions. We all try our best in life and even when our actions have terrible consequences, we are forced to keep going on; perhaps this is why I love this trilogy so much. It may be fantasy, but its themes and ideas are just as prevalent to all our lives, Grisha or not.

With such an impressive cast of characters, it should come as no surprise that Siege and Storm can do no wrong. Its plot, although a little slower than that of Shadow and Bone and slowing down considerably after the first half, is vital to the continuation of the story arc of this series, which I truly appreciate. Unlike with most trilogies, this second novel isn’t a filler story, merely meant to make money and keep readers entertained. Rather, it allows its characters to grow, change, and reach the necessary areas in life mentally and emotionally to be ready for an earth-shattering conclusion. I, for one, am prepared for what Leigh Bardugo has in store for us next. After all the heart-break that I went through with this novel, my duct-taped heart can bear anything. And if not, I’ll just have a Corporalnik Healer nearby.

A huge, huge, HUGE thank you to Macmillan Teen and Henry Holt for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. You have no idea how flattered I was to receive this in the mail, so thanks! :)

Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Title: Gunmetal Magic 

Author: Ilona Andrews

Rating: 4 Stars

Gunmetal Magic is an amazing beginning to what is sure to be a fantastic spin-off series from Ilona Andrews. But, then again, I expected nothing less. While I suspect I've been reading too much of Ilona Andrews and too little of it that actually features Kate as a protagonist lately, I was still more than a little pleased to be back in this world. One of the biggest surprises of Ilona Andrews is the fact that despite the formulaic quality of their books, even with a protagonist who isn't Kate, they always manage to pull it off in a way that leaves the reader feeling as if they read a completely new story every time. With such complex and detailed characters, though, it isn't too hard to see why.

If you don't already know, Gunmetal Magic is the story of Andrea Nash, Kate Daniel's best friend, beastkin, and ex-Knight of the Order. Oh, let's not forget ex-girlfriend of one rather sexy bouda named Raphael. Gunmetal Magic picks up with Andrea and Raphael only recently broken up and with Andrea still nursing her wounds from being kicked out of the Order. Now, she not only has to decide whether or not to join the Pack, but she also has to help solve a crime...with Raphael. Who, it turns out, is engaged. If you thought the tension in Kate's life was bad, then welcome to Andrea's world.

As it turns out, Kate and Andrea, while seemingly similar on the surface, are really completely different people. It would be impossible to get their voices mixed up because of how unique they are from one another and while we saw a glimpse of this with the short e-novella Magic Mourns, we feel that all the more clearly with a full-fledged Andrea novel. What I loved the most, in terms of comparisons between Kate and Andrea, is the fact that both of them regard the other as having it better than they do. When we were in Kate's head, we were constantly privy to her slight jealousy at the fact that Andrea had found someone who could love her for her, and now in Andrea's head, we feel a return of that slight jealousy as she looks at Kate and Curran, still utterly lovesick with one another. It's such a clever and subtle dynamic, but I love that Ilona Andrews makes it known as it makes their friendship seem that much more authentic.

Nevertheless, Gunmetal Magic is Andrea's story and although Kate and Andrea are best friends, Kate is only a small part of it. With Magic Mourns, we were briefly recounted the brutal past that Andrea faced, making her the tough woman she is today, but with Gunmetal Magic, we go even deeper to see the psychological ramifications that past has had on Andrea. Even more so, we can see how difficult it is for others to understand her actions, even Raphael. I love that this novel, despite its usual infusion of myth, lore, and kick-ass battle scenes, was in equal parts filled with growth, on both Andrea and Raphael's sides, as they came to understand each other on deeper emotional levels. Andrea, too, is much more complex character than we originally give her credit for and seeing the multiple layers to her made me appreciate her much more as a character.

Gunmetal Magic continues to shine in the romance department and while I'll never be a Raphael fan-girl - I suspect it's hard to once you're so firmly besotted with Curran - I still ate up the sexual tension between him and Andrea and was thrilled by the slow, tortuous, yet meaningful path their eventual reconciliation took. It still remains to be, though, that Gunmetal Magic is the beginning of a spin-off series and this, sadly, was painfully evident. Not only was this book shorter than the Kate Daniels novels, but it also felt slightly more disjointed in terms of plot structure. Although I still thoroughly enjoyed it, I suspect it would lag as a series without the Kate Daniels books to support it. Nevertheless, I eagerly look forward to more from Ilona Andrews, especially this spin-off series since I can't wait to be back in Andrea's head. Only after I've been back in Kate's head first though. I suspect I'm missing Curran too much.

You can check out my reviews for the Kate Daniels Series HERE and HERE.