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Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Breaks”

One can only gush so much about a series before things get ugly, so I’ll try to keep this brief. Magic Breaks is proof that a creative and heartfelt narrative populated with memorable characters can keep evolving in fresh and meaningful ways, long past the point where lesser stories founder. This particular installment of Kate Daniels’s story […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Rises”

The sixth Kate Daniels book injects much-needed fresh energy into this terrific fantasy series. Instead of sticking around Atlanta as usual, Kate and her “collection of uncanny misfits” voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a rare substance that can help stabilize the development of the Pack’s adolescents (281). In exchange for this substance, […]

Review: Evan Osnos’s “Age of Ambition”

Evan Osnos’s Age of Ambition is packed with detailed observations and curious facts that will edify anyone looking to learn about modern China’s domestic structure and growing role on the international stage. Osnos is a talented writer whose style can be described as “humanist nonfiction”––a series of interview-based narratives organized by theme and supported by ancillary research. […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Slays”

Two-thirds of the way through, I was all set to give Magic Slays a lukewarm review. I felt like I was reading the inevitable slump in Kate Daniels’s story––the one where her clever mouth, kick-ass fighting moves, and romantic difficulties all start to feel more enervating than exciting. And while there is an element of routine in […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Bleeds”

Better and better. I continue to be impressed with the deliberate and patient fashion in which Ilona Andrews lays out the story of Kate Daniels, an eminently-lovable lady who I’m quickly coming to see as my generation’s Harry Potter for adults. Magic Bleeds is my favorite book of the series so far, and contains several notable […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Strikes”

Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series is a gift that keeps on giving. After thoroughly enjoying the first two books, my delight continued right up to the final page of the third installment, Magic Strikes. The seductive nature of this world and its characters springs from Andrews’s near-perfect balance between novelty and familiarity. The story continues […]

Review: Jesse Bering’s “Perv”

Even if we won’t admit it, I think most people spend quite a lot of time thinking about sexual norms––what they are, where they come from, and to what extent each of us either conforms to or subverts them. Jesse Bering’s Perv invites the reader on a lively journey through historical and current perspectives on what […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Burns”

Poor Kate Daniels! She can’t even enjoy a fried chicken wing or a cup of coffee without some hellraising demon or malevolent god showing up to ruin her day. If Magic Bites is the lure for this series, Magic Burns is most certainly the hook. Ilona Andrews’s characters continue to entice and impress with a level […]

Review: Mathew A. Foust’s “Loyalty to Loyalty”

Reading Mathew A. Foust’s Loyalty to Loyalty was a special treat for me. Foust was the graduate teaching fellow who led my discussion section for Mark Johnson’s Philosophy 101 lecture course during my first term at the University of Oregon. It is no understatement to say that Foust changed my life; after just a few weeks, he encouraged […]

Review: Ilona Andrews’s “Magic Bites”

Urban fantasy novels are not my usual cup of tea; in fact, they’re not even my unusual cup of tea. Ilona Andrews’s Magic Bites departs from my typical reading in too many ways to count, but my wife loves this series so dearly that I had to give it a shot. And what a pleasant surprise! This book––the […]