Book 42, 2018
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Over the weekend, I read Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews. The book is set in the authors' "Kate Daniels" series, but it features Andrea Nash as the main character. Andrea is a former member of the Order, a beastkin hyena, and Kate's best friend.
When four members of the Pack are murdered, Andrea is tasked with investigating. To do so, she'll have to face Raphael, her mate, whom she's on shaky ground with. Andrea isn't sure where their relationship is going, or if they even still have a relationship. Nevertheless, she is a professional above all, and she is determined to do her job. Raphael complicates matters when he shows up to Andrea's office, with a blond bimbo in tow. Now, not only does she have four murders to solve, she must also deal with jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. Lucky for Andrea, she has to fight her way through her investigation.
Andrea has bigger problems than her love life, however. One of her suspects turns out to be an actual god. He claims to need her help to defeat a cult that is trying to resurrect their own god--the god of Chaos. If they succeed, humankind will cease to exist. Andrea isn't without resources. Her allies include Ascanio, a teenage, full-of-himself hyena shapeshifter, Roman, a priest of a god of darkness, and Raphael. If she and Raphael can manage not to kill one another, they may just have a chance.
Excellent story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading something from Andrea's point of view, especially when Kate flitted through the narrative. It was refreshing to see her from someone else's perspective. Andrea's interactions with Ascancio were hilarious, and her encounters with Roman were, as well. As for Raphael, their bickering was amusing, but it was also heart-breaking to see how much they still loved one another but were too proud to admit it. The action rocketed along, fight scenes were gritty and gory, and everything came together nicely at the end.
Favorite lines:
♦ I should probably rethink running around in beastkin shape, especially if I kept getting bloody. All my witnesses seemed to be disturbed by it.
♦ "If I was dead, and the ferryman needed a coin to take me across the river to the afterlife, and you had the only quarter in existence, I'd tell you to stick it up your ass."
♦ When I went off the rails, I didn't do it halfway. No, I flipped a few times, caught a lot of air, and then exploded in a fiery crash.
♦ "No. I promised you a cup of tea; we will drink that tea, God damn it."
♦ We stared at each other. The level of politeness had risen to dangerous levels.
♦ "Does Strawberry Shortcake know you stole her horse? She will be berry, berry angry with you."
It takes talent to keep up that line of jocularity among all of the blood and gore!
Loved it, and I hope to read more of Andrea's adventures. Five stars!
*****