I have a confession to make. I started the Kate Daniels series for one reason only - Curran. Who was this sexy lion that made my fellow readers squee and dedicate entire blog posts, GoodRead groups and Twitter chats to? 
 At first, it was very hard for me to get into the story and I blame it on all the hype. Going into the first book I knew that this was an urban fantasy series but because of all the Curran lusting I expected there to be some romance involved with a certain sexy Beast Lord. Also, I had a tough time understanding the world built around Kate Daniels and this new Atlanta until it was furthered developed a few books in. But let's get to the actual novels... 
 Magic Bites begins the series and thrusts readers into a post-apocalyptic world of magic vs. technology. We are introduced to Kate Daniels, a magical mercenary. Kate's guardian has been murdered and she is determined to uncover who or what is behind it. However in doing so, Kate unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of two opposing factions. The Masters of the Dead; which are basically necromancers who control vampires through their mind, vampires being undead bodies that when not being piloting by a Master of the Dead become the thing of nightmares. And Atlanta's shifter Pack, which is one of the biggest packs in the country and ruled by the Beast Lord. Forced to work side-by-side with the terrifyingly powerful Lord, Curran, Kate uncovers a frightening possibility. 
 The world-building in Magic Bites left something to be desired, I was pretty confused throughout the novel not knowing how the world became this way and what the rules were. Kate is a fantastic heroine though with balls of steel. Sarcastic and hugely independent she doesn't let anyone too close to her thanks to her father's teaching and a deadly secret she carries. Upon Kate's first meeting with Curran it's a game of cat and mouse, these two are like oil and vinegar though you know that such intense heat can only lead to one thing...in the future. There are no romantic aspects to Magic Bites though it does lay some ground work and Curran instantly intrigues. Humorous dialoged and plenty of action kept me turning the pages and it was good, but not great. 
 A full series review can be found at: http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...