Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

I am SO sorry.

I have neglected you.

First, I missed a post last week.  (So, yes, I'll post a second one today. I owe you.)  Alas, that's the least of my transgressions.

I could have SWORN I reviewed a Kate Daniels book.  Really, I was sure of it.  I was so sure of it that  I went into the archives to search for the review so I could link to it in this one.

AND . . .

I came up empty-handed.

Yes, there's this review of a novella in an anthology.  That is wildly insufficient.  The Kate Daniels books are some of my favorite on the planet right now.  I KNOW I've recommended the series to some of my urban fantasy reading pals.  (Hi, Patricia!)  I was feeling a bit guilty about reviewing a book related to a series I had already fawned over.  

ONLY, I haven't.

And, technically, this review still doesn't get it done.

A good book,
even when Andrea has a day
to rival Alexander's
bad day of all days.

See, today's review is about Gunmetal Magic, a book set in the world on Kate Daniels, by Ilona Andrews, but not actually about Kate.

Seriously, I've failed you again.

Luckily, I'm bringing you a REALLY good book, so hopefully you'll love me anyway.

Gunmetal Magic is Andrea's story. She is Kate's best friend and business partner.  While Kate is busy saving the life of an innocent child, Andrea has her hands busy figuring out who (or what) killed four members of the Atlanta Pack.  This world of Kate's (and, therefore, Andrea's) is full of magic that takes down technology in waves and leaves the world without.  There are vampires, and shifters, witches, and plain ol' humans all trying to live through the waves.  It's a bit of a struggle on a day-to-day basis because the magic will topple buildings and kill a car.  Really nice cars in Kate's world have both combustion engines that run on gasoline (technology) and enchanted engines that run on water (magic).  Andrea is faced with something beyond that day-to-day struggle because a couple of Egyptian gods are rearing their animalistic (snake and jackal) heads.  To add insult to injury, Andrea must face up to her ex, Rafael, and make a decision about joining the Atlanta pack.  That's quite more than just an honest day's work.

Gunmetal Magic, like all the Kate Daniel's books, is full of action, tight storytelling, and compelling wonder.  The friendship between Andrea and Kate is a strong, just like the women involved.  There are dashes of humor and smoldering moments.  It's a really great urban fantasy.  I've read all Kate Daniels' stories, so I know exactly why Rafe is Andrea's ex, but I believe the back story is well enough explained that if you wanted to jump into the series here, you could.

And the coolest thing? There is a Kate Daniels' novella, Magic Gifts, in Gunmetal Magic.

So, please, forgive me for my transgressions, because I bring you (almost) two GREAT books in one.

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

See what I mean?

I know, I know.  Never judge a book by it's cover.  But I couldn't help it.  It was so "Jodi Picoult-ish" that I couldn't help myself.  (Don't tell my fellow book club members, but I am a closet Picoult fan).  Plus, I was doing a double shift at the school book fair and had already read the first few chapters. I had to buy it.  (It's for the kids, ya know).

I had prepared myself for heart-wrenching drama, sadness and extreme emotion, but I really didn't need to.  In Fly Away Home, Sylvie Woodruff is a devoted senator's wife who has successfully raised two daughters.  She plays the part dutifully for over 20 years by helping with speeches, making social appearances and putting her own career on the back burner.  All of that falls apart when the media gets wind of her husband's affair with a 20-something staffer.  Couple that with her daughter Diana (a well-respected ER surgeon) admitting to cheating on HER husband and her other daughter Lizzie fresh out of yet another stint in rehab and the Woodruff women are a hot mess.  Eventually, they migrate to Connecticut and the summer home where they used to spend quality time together.  The three women spend several months reconnecting, reevaluating and reorganizing their lives.  They help each other forgive and set new priorities, some of which are different than ones they had in the past.

Meh.  It was sad.  I can do sad, but sad needs to have a purpose.  You know, like a terminal illness or a suicide.  This was just boring sad.  Sad because these three women made a series of bad decisions and neither one of them had the guts to tell the other one to "get out of your loveless marriage" or "put down that joint" or "quit hiding in your work and be engaged with your family."  There was no purpose to this sad other than to highlight some bad choices and three somewhat boring characters. 

Speaking of characters, I wish Weiner would have focused more on the grandmother and the rehab-rebound boyfriend.  The grandmother made me want to stand up and cheer especially when she gave her daughter regular bouts of unsolicited advice.  Go grandma!  As for the boyfriend, he was sweet.  He accepted Lizzie for who she was and didn't run when she ended up getting pregnant by him and then trying to push him away.  He was the only stand-up guy in the novel and it was a shame he was only written in at the halfway-ish point.

Since book covers seem to be so misleading (at least to me) I think I will stick to downloading ebooks.  They don't really qualify as having covers, do they?  Either that or I let Sarah and Carrie (my fellow TFA bloggers) pick out books for me to read.  On second thought,  I'll stick to ebooks.   It will be safer for everyone that way.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Hey!  I wrote a review over at BeTween Books today.  You should check it out.  Cause I'm not writing another one here today.  :)

Go here.