Review: Gunmetal Magic

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Andrea the bouda beastkin is back and this book is all about her. It's a lovely book. Andrea is kicked while she's down and she's doing her best to get back up. Raphael is a bloody bastard who needs his balls kicked in. How he hurts Andrea and doesn't understand her phobia is beyond this simple reader's mind. Violent bad thoughts of how to hurt Raphael while Andrea is trying to make amends ran through this reader's mind - constantly.

Duo writer Ilona Andrews created another lovely edition to the Kate Daniels world. It was well worth the wait. In this story, by the book Andrea is torn apart. She takes a page out of Kate's book and basically goes postal. It's a meltdown every angry jilted lover can sympathize with and cheer her on. When Andrea goes big, she goes big.

Ilona's dialog is witty and sharp in this book, just as expected. The pull and push between Andrea and Raphael is extremely entertaining to watch. Having read a spoiler where Raphael rubs Andrea wounds with salt and lemon juice in the form of a bimbo blonde, it was with dread I approached this book. I couldn't fathom how Raphael could be so bloody cruel. Andrea has lost EVERYTHING and he does this to her? Kill him. Make him pay.

Fortunately, Ilona turns this around and we see the sadistic playful side of Raphael return in full force. Andrea's overwhelmed at first, but she gives it back in ten-fold. It's impressive, her devious mind. It's also a bit strange, this bouda mating dance. From an outside perspective, they are all crazy stalker-like. Yet Ilona is able to create it in an understandable and loving way. How's that for a mind fuck?

While the lovers are attempting at reconciling, favourite cast members make a short appearance. Kate, Curran, Roman, Doolittle, Jim...just to name a few. The fact that I now know what a honeybadger is in real life makes me love Doolittle a bit more. These characters appear to help stop a god from returning. The big bad in this book is pretty nasty. There are two of them and for once, it isn't Kate that needs to sacrifice it all. It's nice to see her in a supporting cast while Andrea takes the lead. One could postulate that Andrea's character is really Kate's in disguise. Yes, their are similarities but they are different. Andrea handles situations differently than Kath which is refreshing. Andrea also knows how to bring in help and communicate before everything becomes a cluster fuck which I'm very grateful to see. I'm glad this part of her wasn't tossed aside as Andrea tries to bring her two sides together into one.

The closure of Andrea's childhood abuse is something I didn't think we'd come across. It was painful and cathartic. Her new raison d'etre and goal is finally in alignment with her loyalty and outlook. It's a relief. This self doubting and constant conflict was painful to watch.

I haven't really discussed the plot much because I don't want to give it away. Suffice to say, it's at the highest level of Joss Whedon Buffy worthy. It was AWESOME! I highly recommend this book to urban fantasy lovers who want a kick ass heroine who isn't flawless but is perfect.



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