While there’s plenty of invention here, the Andrews stuff each novel full of references to real-world mythology and folklore. Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here!įor myth nerds, there is a huge payoff in each book. With the secrets she’s keeping, she’d rather steer clear of both, but to solve the murder, it’s just not an option. The investigation puts her in the path of the Pack-shapeshifters ruled by the Beast Lord, Curran Lennart, an incredibly powerful lion shifter-and the People, necromancers who pilot undead, controlling the blood-thirsty cravings of vampires by riding in their brains and directing their actions. But the Order solves problems their own way, and what they view as mercy isn’t always what the people they’re helping find merciful. Technically a branch of law enforcement, the Order helps people who can’t afford the Mercenary Guild’s rates, but whose problems aren’t enough to get the attention of the Paranormal Affairs Division (PAD) of the regular police force. Since Kate’s best techniques for getting information involve making herself enough of a nuisance that the guilty parties try to have her killed, she expects to be turned down.īut when the Order offers her the opportunity to find out what happened, she leaps on it, despite her problems with the Order. There’s no chance she won’t get in on the action, so she turns to the Order of Merciful Aid, the organization for which her guardian worked, to get involved in the investigation. The father who raised her is dead, and she discovers that her guardian has been murdered. Guns may work during tech, but if you’re not sure whether the tech will hold, it’s best to rely on a trusty sword.Īs the series begins, Kate Daniels works for the Mercenary Guild. But when magic reasserts itself, people have to get by in cars that have been converted to start with chanting and run on magically fueled water-or better, trust their horses to get them where they need to go. Cars run, telephones work, and even computers manage to hang onto their files. But then the magic fades, and tech returns.

In the time of Kate Daniels, technology ruled the world, and magic decided it needed a turn to come back, leaving the world in flux: sometimes, magic has the upper hand, in what’s called a magic wave. Too much technology? Magic rears its head and starts eating skyscrapers. Too much magic? The magic crashes and gives technology a chance to rise. The premise of Kate Daniels’ world? Technology and magic can coexist in balance, but they go through cycles. Once you start, you’ll want to stick around…

But, if you have yet to pick up these books and are daunted by the size of the series, we’re here to make it a little easier to slip into the world. If you’ve read the series, be sure to check out our review.

The final book in the main series, Magic Triumphs, releases on August 28, 2018.

Curran by Gordon Andrews