Kate Daniels is an urban fantasy series written by the husband-wife duo Ilona Andrews. The first ten books were published under the Ace Books imprint of Penguin Random House between 2007 and 2018, with many appearing on the New York Times Best Seller list. The series has since been expanded upon in a number of self-published series, primarily from the point of view of supporting characters in the original ten books.
The series's heroine, Kate, is a gifted swordswoman who has been groomed from childhood to kill. She is unusual in her world, where magic has returned and alternates in apocalyptic waves with technology, in that she is able to survive on her own; however, through the series we see that she cares deeply about the people around her. Ultimately she would rather use her strength to protect them rather than to enshrine or - more likely - destroy herself.
Setting The series takes place in a future alternate history, magic-imbued world, set primarily in Atlanta. In this world, magic had once dominated ancient civilization, but waned to nothing as technology advanced, until one day it returned: the burgeoning internet died, planes fell from the sky, and people transformed into beasts. Three decades into this apocalypse, magic and technology continue to fight it out in waves. Cities and roads have crumbled as magic eats away at steel and concrete. Atlanta landmarks are depicted as collapsed and overgrown, as nature is supercharged by the magic waves. Humans have adapted by returning to newspapers, horse-and-cart, and seeking safety in numbers.
Ilona Gordon discussed their inspiration for the world's magic apocalypse in an interview with author Nalini Singh: There are so many stories where the magic is going out of the world. Tolkien's work, for example, explores that theme. And it always made me so sad to read about it. I mean, we yearn for magic. Look at the film industry – we basically use cutting edge technology to create magic on screen. It's an integral part of being human: to want a touch of something mystical and unexplained. It seemed natural to bring about "reverse" apocalypse: magic is back with a vengeance.
The literary scholar Stefan Ekman likens the introduction of supernatural elements in the Kate Daniels world to the novum in science fiction: society is instantly and irrevocably changed, providing the authors with a means of examining how their characters react to social upheaval. Within Kate's world, humans have splintered into many factions, primarily based on the group's magic status and type of magic, creating opportunities for conflict that play out from many angles throughout the series.
World mythology figures heavily as inspiration for plot lines, antagonists and other side characters. Belief powers the magic system, because that is the opposite of technology, which does not require that its users believe in it. Therefore, when enough people believe in a god or other mythical figure, that figure can become reality within the books' world.
The magical creatures depicted in the world are primarily shapeshifters and vampires, though fae also exist. Mythical gods and demigods appear as well, though gods generally cannot manifest outside of a flare, an intense magic wave that happens every 7 years.
Shapeshifter society is hierarchical and militaristic. The shift itself is a hormonal process; if a shapeshifter does not live a life of discipline and resist the pull of the "wild", they risk going loup, a state that traps them between human and beast. Loups are driven mad by their impulses and murder indiscriminately in an attempt to satisfy their hunger.
Vampires in the series are closer to zombies than in broader contemporary culture; the authors have said that they don't find vampires sexy; they describe their version as more similar to Nosferatu. In the Kate Daniels world, dying people will sell their bodies to the People, an organization devoted to the study and deployment of the dead; the People turn the person's body into a vampire via a virus, then pilot the vampire via necromancy. The body gradually transforms, becoming desiccated and adapting to move on all fours. An unpiloted vampire is extremely dangerous; its bloodlust will drive it to kill.
Works: Kate Daniels (2007–2018) The original series follows Kate Daniels, an irreverent and impulsive swordswoman, mercilessly trained from childhood by her adoptive father to operate as a lone wolf, cutting down her opponents without hesitation. Kate has been raised with one goal: to kill her birth father, the ancient, powerful wizard Roland.
She supports herself as a for-hire mercenary, living paycheck-to-paycheck in purposeful obscurity in Savannah, GA, until her former guardian is murdered in Atlanta. As she finds herself pulled deeper into the politics of shapeshifters, necromancers, witch covens and law enforcement organizations that hold power in the city, she must come to terms with her upbringing, and that it is ultimately up to her to define her life's purpose.
Publishing History
Ilona Gordon began writing what would become Magic Bites when she returned to writing as a hobby after the births of her two children. Her husband, Gordon, helped her rework a discarded submissions into Lost Dog, which was bought by Ace Books, and published in 2007 under the joint pen name, "Ilona Andrews".
The series had been intended to include seven books; however, while editing and receiving beta reader feedback on Magic Rises, book six, it became clear to the Andrews that the remaining story could not be adequately resolved in one book. Additionally, they were receiving comments from fans who were not satisfied with the resolution of the recently completed (in December 2012) The Edge series.
They approached Ace about extending the series, and in early 2013 signed a deal for three additional books, bringing the series length to ten volumes. The seventh book, Magic Breaks, was written as originally intended. The additional three books serve as an extension of the planned storyline.
Plot Magic Bites
Kate Daniels's former guardian is murdered; she risks raising her profile in exchange for vengeance. Together with Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta, and Nick, a member of the Order of Merciful Aid, she kills the perpetrator. Impressed by her performance, she is hired by the Order.
Magic Burns Kate is hired by the Pack to investigate a vanishing crossbowman. She encounters a street kid, Julie, who hires Kate to find her missing mother.
Kate learns that the crossbowman, Bran, is the Hound of the goddess Morrigan, able to disappear into her mist. He is working to prevent an invasion of Atlanta by the sea demon Bolgor the Shepherd and the formorians, who have made a deal with Morfran. Bolgor is after a necklace, which Kate leaves in the Pack's care. Julie is taken by Bolgor, who negotiates with Curran to trade the necklace for her. It's a trap; Curran loses Julie and, with the necklace, Morfran gains the power he needs to manifest along with his followers.
Kate, the Pack, Bran, the People, and the witch covens come together to face the invading force. Bran retrieves Julie, who has seen her mother murdered by the fomorians, but he dies on the battlefield. The Atlanta force is victorious, and Kate takes the orphaned Julie in as her ward.
Magic Strikes Kate's werewolf friend Derek is in a coma after a brutal attack; the healing magic of his shift has not kicked in. Jim, the Pack's security chief, had assigned him a forbidden mission: infiltrate the Midnight Games, an underground gladiatorial tournament. He and his crew are in hiding from Curran because participation is illegal.
Kate discovers that Derek was attacked by the Reapers, a team in the games who are rakshasas, shape-shifting demons. They prevent their shift to maintain their cover as humans via stolen shards of the Wolf Diamond, the top prize in the Games. Shards are found in Derek and removed; he recovers. Recognizing the threat of the stone to the Pack, Kate and Jim's crew form a team to enter the Games. Enraged, Curran finds them and, shocking them all, joins their team.
They make it to the last round of the Games against the Reapers, who now have an unbeatable weapon: a sword made by the sorcerer Roland, who is secretly Kate's father, given to them by Hugh D'Ambray, Roland's warlord. The sword can only be destroyed by their shared blood, so Kate sacrifices herself on it, realizing that she is revealing her identity to Hugh. Recognizing they've lost, the Reapers escape with Kate, demanding the Wolf Diamond as they go. Curran and the Pack track them, rescuing Kate and recovering the stone. After she recovers, Kate and Curran arrange a dinner date.
Magic Bleeds Kate investigates a bar fight where a man has been killed, his body infected with a strange, nearly-sentient virus. A second follows; both victims are shapeshifters, who are normally resistant to infection. Kate must cooperate with the Pack, which is awkward after Curran had stood her up for their date. After a public confrontation, they resolve their differences and sleep together. In the morning, he demands she move in with him at the Pack's keep; she refuses and he leaves, unwilling to compromise.
Kate learns that behind the attacks is Erra: plague-bringer, Roland's sister and therefore her aunt. Erra pursues Kate relentlessly, including targeting the Pack after figuring out Kate's relationship with Curran. Recognizing that she is now a risk to his people, Kate agrees to return to the Keep with him. She admits to him that Roland is her father, which will always make her a target. He tells her that his family was murdered, and that he built the Pack and the Keep to keep his future family safe.
United, they prepare for battle with Erra. She is a greater threat to men and shapeshifters; Kate warns Curran to stay out of the fight. Curran jumps in anyway and is stunned by Erra's magic, turning wild. Kate kills Erra and passes out; she wakes in a cage with Curran, who has carried her back to the Keep. He falls into a coma; Kate refuses to leave his side. She is forced to defend her position as consort, killing dozens of shapeshifters when they challenge her. Curran finally wakes, his humanity restored and feeling betrayed that the Pack hadn't supported Kate, his chosen mate.
Magic Slays Kate - who, after quitting the Order, has started her own private investigation firm - is hired to investigate the kidnapping of an inventor and the theft of his top-secret work. It comes out that his device removes magic from its surroundings; it will incidentally kill any magic users in its range. The device has been stolen by a gang of human-supremacists, the Lighthouse Keepers.
The Keepers have activated their sleeper agents, including an elite Pack combatant; she attacks Kate's office, biting and turning Julie. Her shift fails; she is put in a coma, but is doomed to go loup and will need to be euthanized. The Keepers set off a device in a market, killing everyone. Kate and the shapeshifters capture them as they are transporting the device out, and learn there is a second, larger device that could reach all of Atlanta. With the used device in hand, Kate theorizes she can channel its concentrated magic to cleanse Julie's blood with her own.
The entirety of Atlanta's magic community unites to find the Lighthouse Keepers. The volhvs had captured the inventor before the Keepers could; he provides instructions to disarm the device. The coalition tracks down the Keepers and attacks their compound, killing everyone; Kate deactivates the second device. Some days later, Kate performs the ritual on Julie, cleansing her of the shapeshifter virus. This comes with a terrible cost: Julie is now bound to Kate and cannot disobey her.
Magic Rises