Magic Burns

Dear Reader,

Imagine a world that suffered a magic apocalypse. In this world magic and technology switch without warning. One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and phones fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

Enter Kate Daniels. Kate doesn’t just survive in this chaos of magic and technology, she thrives in it. She wields her sword with unrivaled expertise. She’s deadly, stubborn and armed with ancient magic. She says exactly what she thinks and she doesn’t mind talking with her blade.

Experience taught Kate harsh lessons. She can’t afford to have friends. Everyone she ever loved died a violent death: her mother, her father, her guardian… Kate doesn’t want to be hurt again. She has more armor around her heart than the door of Fort Knox’s vault. She’s alone and that’s the way she likes it. But when a twelve-year old girl asks her to find her missing mother, Kate can’t turn her away.

Her search brings her into direct contact with the one person she’s determined to avoid: Curran, Beast Lord of the Pack, the most dangerous man she has ever met. When Curran changes shape, he becomes a monster of unbelievable power. He commands over a thousand shapeshifters. His word is law. His will is absolute. And he sees no reason why he shouldn’t impose it on Kate.

Kate drives Curran out of his skin. She won’t follow orders. She refuses to accept his authority. She’s as lethal a fighter as he, and she would rather die than back down. And her tongue is sharper than her sword, if such a thing is possible.

It’s a miracle the two of them didn’t kill each other the first time they met.

Now the city is besieged by a flare, a magic wave of catastrophic proportions. Savage magic runs deep, monsters appear, and shapeshifters grow wild. Two gods grapple for dominance, and Curran and Kate must work together to rescue a child and save the city.

They have enough trouble tolerating each other at their best. The flare has them both at their worst.

Gods help Atlanta if either loses their temper.

Come into their world, dear Reader, and see if the city is still standing. And please stop by www.ilonaland.com and drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

—Ilona Andrews