Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

The world has suffered a magic apocalypse. We pushed the technological progress too far, and now magic returned with a vengeance. It comes in waves, without warning, and vanishes as suddenly as it appears. When magic is up, planes drop out of the sky, cars stall, electricity dies. When magic is down, guns work and spells fail.

It’s a volatile, screwed-up world. Magic feeds on technology, gnawing down on skyscrappers until most of them topple and fall, leaving only skeletal husks behind. Monsters prowl the ruined streets, werebears and werehyenas stalk their prey; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But sometimes even trained killers make friends and fall in love, and when the universe tries to kick them in the face, they kick back. 

Asta ar fi prezentarea oficiala a seriei. 

Mie mi-a placut foarte mult!

   As putea spune ca volumele seriei sunt romane politiste fantastice. Punctul de plecare este intotdeauna dezlegarea unui mister, dezlegare de care ajunge sa depinda soarta multora.

   Seria imbina fericit o multime de superstitii, forte supranaturale cu emotiile si viciile omenesti si ne face sa ne intrebam cu cat sunt mai buni oamenii, cu cat sunt mai umani decat fiintele supra/non-umane?

  Originea tuturor acestor fiinte supranaturale este explicata, iar aparitiile lor nu sunt intotdeauna cum ne-am fi asteptat.

  Elementul care uneste volumele este, bineinteles, Kate Daniels. Usor, usor, ti se arata adevarata  ei genealogie (o banui, dar nu poti fi sigur) dar asta nu reduce cu nimic suspansul pentru ca apar mereu elemente, situatii, legaturi si primejdii noi. 

  Nu ai timp sa te plictisesti; intre scenele de lupta (in care Kate sufera si doar ideea ca e totusi personajul principal te mai lasa sa respiri) si scenele "romantice" (dupa care efectiv tanjesti) ai de a face cu o serie de intamplari si personaje care te tin lipit de carte. Personajele secundare sunt importante si  pe parcurs capata noi valente. Ele sunt cele care influenteaza in mod direct deciziile lui Kate.

   Kate? O eroina pe gustul nostru. Nu accepta orice si e dovada (inca) vie ca proverbul "aschia nu sare departe de trunchi" nu se aplica intodeauna... imi place si faptul ca ea nu este singura kick-ass girl din poveste si nici singura care are ceva de ascuns.

   Curran (deep sigh)? Cu siguranta va deveni preferatul vostru! Ce Dimitri, ce Bones, ce Barrons?? Ma rog, nu-i uitam nici pe ei dar Curran poate sta lejer in compania lor si chiar sa ia conducerea grupului (accept un duumvirat: Curran si Barrons) Cui nu i-ar placea asemenea exemplar?? Dar, mai sunt cativa baieti buni care isi pot gasi linistit locul in panteonul modern al zeilor urban fantasy: Jim, Derek, Saiman, Raphael - stati cu ochii si  pe ei . Din pacate, personajele bune au si ele de suferit, iar unele dintre ele nu supravietuiesc - ceea ce aduc in plus seriei: nu totul este roz si nu totul se rezolva cum am vrea.

  Nu lipseste umorul si acesta e pus unde si cum e mai bine. Replicile acide sunt la ele acasa si dau sarea si piperul seriei si a relatiilor romantice.

 As avea destule de spus dar daca ma apuc s-ar putea sa va dezvalui prea multe. Prefer sa va astept si sa vorbim dupa ce cititi si voi. Va spun doar ca in niciun moment nu mi-am zis: partea asta seamana cu... asta parca ar fi... Nu! Totul e original!

cateva citate:

“The vampire stared at me, his mouth slack as Ghastek assessed his options. I took a couple of forms from my desk, put them into the vamp's mouth, and pulled them up by their edges.

"What are you doing?" Ghastek asked.

"My hole puncher broke."

"You have no respect for the undead.” , Magic Burns

“I don't want it to be attributed to a loss of control on my part. When I throw you out of the window, I want there to be no doubt the act was deliberate.”  Magic Burns

“I can't give you the white picket fence, and if I did, you'd set it on fire.”  Magic Bleeds

“You don't cause problems. You cause catastrophes.”  Magic Burns 

“Kate short-circuits my brain. In my head we always have these clear coherent exchanges, but once we meet, what comes out it is, “Kate, do what I say or I’ll kill you.” Her default reply is, “Fuck you!” and we go downhill from there.” Curran POV

“The phone rang. I picked it up.

“Are you sitting down?” Curran's voice asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Click.

I listened to the disconnect signal. If he wanted me to sit, then I'd stand. I got up. The chair got up with me and I ended up bent over my desk, with the chair stuck to my butt. I grabbed the edge of the chair and tried to pull it off. It remained stuck.

I would murder him. Slowly. And I'd enjoy every second of it.”  Magic Bleeds 

“She crouched with her hand out. What the hell was she doing…

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."

Oh my God, she was retarded and I was going to kill Jim.”  Curran POV

“His Majesty needs a can-I girl anyway. And I'm not it."

"A can-I girl?" Andrea frowned.

I leaned back. "'Can I fetch your food, Your Majesty? Can I tell you how strong and mighty you are, Your Majesty? Can I pick your fleas, Your Majesty? Can I kiss your ass, Your Majesty? Can I..." It dawned on me that Raphael was sitting very still. Frozen, like a statue, his gaze fixed on the point above my head. "He's standing behind me, isn't he?" Andrea nodded slowly.

"Technically it should be 'may I'," Curran said, his voice deeper than I remembered. "Since you're asking for permission." Why me? "To answer your question, yes, you may kiss my ass. Normally I prefer maintain my personal space, but you're a Friend of the Pack and your services have proven useful once or twice. I strive to accommodate the wishes of persons friendly to my people. My only question is, would kissing my ass be obeisance, grooming, or foreplay?" -Curran to Kate” , Magic Strikes

“I gave him a smile. I was aiming for sweet, but he turned a shade paler and scooted a bit farther from me. Note to self: work more on sweet and less on psycho-killer.”  Magic Strikes

“I turned to leave and paused before the gap in the ruined wall. "One last thing, Your Majesty. I'd like a name I can put into my report, something shorter than typing out 'The Leader of the Southern Shapechanger Faction.' What should I call you?"

"Lord."

I rolled my eyes.

He shrugged. "It's short.”  Magic Bites

“Kate makes good sausage," Jim said.

Six pairs of eyes stared at me. Thank you, Mr. Wonderful. Just what I needed.

"Oh yeah," Andrea snapped her fingers. "The links? The ones we had the beginning of the month? I didn't know you made those. I thought they were bought. They were so good." Her smile was positively cherubic. Of all the times not to be able to shoot laser beams out of my eyes...

"What do you put into your sausage, Kate?" Raphael wanted to know, giving me a perfectly innocent look.

Werejaguars with big mouths with a pinch of werehyena thrown in. "Venison and rabbit."

"That sounds like some fine sausage," Doolittle said. "Will you share the recipe?"

"Sure."

"I had no idea you were a sausage expert," Curran said with a completely straight face.

Die, die, die, die...

Even Derek cracked a smile. Raphael put his head down on the table and jerked a little.

"Is he choking?" Dali asked, wrinkling her forehead.

"No, he just needs a moment," Curran said. "Young bouda males. Easily excitable.”  Magic Strikes

“I think you’re confused as to the nature of our relationship. You and I, we don’t get along. You’re a psychopathic control freak. You order me around and I want to kill you. I’m a pigheaded insubordinate ass. I drive you mad and you want to strangle me.”  Magic Strikes 

Nu uitati de cele doua (in curand trei) povestiri CURRAN POV:

Ele sunt scrise de sotul autoarei, Gordon. Ilona Andrews e un pseudonim pentru echipa formata din sotii  Ilona si Gordon Andrews (un cuplu reusit!).