Alright guys, I think this might be my most favorite discussion series so far!  Do you know why?  It’s because we’re discussing Kate Daniels, which just happens to be one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series.

I love discussing books with Angie Elle!  We agree in all the best places, and disagree in every way that makes our conversation fun!

If you’ve read Kate Daniels, and you’re looking for two ladies to chat with, look no further!  We cover all of the good stuff, and we’d love to hear your thoughts.

*Please be advised that since this is a discussion, there will be spoilers.

Kate Daniels #1
Urban Fantasy
Ace | April 1, 2007

Part 1

Since this is a re-read discussion, ‘fess up. How many times have you read the Kate Daniels series?

Angie Elle: This is my first re-read. But since I devoured the entire series in the second half of 2016, this re-read came on fairly quickly. I feel like I read the books so fast, and I wanted a chance to rediscover the world before the series finale!

Birdie: It’s only my first time!  Prior to this reread, I’d only read the whole series one time, but I started the series early on so there was always a new installment right around the corner.  Ask me this again in 5 years, when it’s over and I’m salivating for Kate and Curran with no relief in sight.

Kate appears to be a real badass in this book. Do you think her badass tendencies come from within or from necessity?

Angie Elle: Both. I wouldn’t want this series to be written any other way, but it would be so interesting to see a ‘Sliding Doors’ approach and witness how Kate could have been if she wasn’t so entrenched in the magic world from birth. I feel like there are times when her badass-ness and human side are so linked, but there are other times when the badass takes over, blood-thirstiness kicks in, and she all but abandons her human side.

Birdie: I agree.  It’s definitely both nurture and nature.  I don’t think Kate was ever going to be ‘normal’, but I think she’s so extra because she has the the innate ability fueled by necessity.

There were a lot of secondary characters introduced in Magic Bites. Did any one of them stand out among the rest for you?

Birdie: It was amazing seeing so many beloved characters, especially because I knew them so my emotions blanketed this reintroduction.  Like, Derrek.  I snorted the first time Kate called him the boy wonder.  I even highlighted it in my book.  It’s such a common nickname over the course of the series, and so I was delighted to remember the first time Kate said it.  But I think the standout for me was Nick. I couldn’t remember much about their first meeting, but now I remember how much I liked him, and it’s going to change the rest of the books for me.  Which is what a reread should do.  On the flip side, Ghastek is such a WORM.

Angie Elle: There is something about Ghastek’s character that I’ve always been drawn to. I don’t like him, that’s for sure, but he’s very intriguing. Slayer stood out to me from the very beginning. I feel like Slayer, while an extension of Kate, is also a character of its own, and that becomes even clearer as the series progresses. I love Kate’s attachment to Slayer. And Derek I was a huge fan of him from the beginning. I can’t remember what book, but I shipped Kate and him for a bit. A May/December romance wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. 😉 Also, Jim. I love their relationship dynamic. There are times when they depend on each other for survival, but their relationship is fraught with tension and they think nothing of leaving the other hanging. It’s kind of hilarious. Like an admission of admiration in an off-handed way – an ‘I knew you could handle it on your own’ even if they would never say it aloud.

Birdie: I was never sure how I felt about Jim.  I’m still not sure how I feel about him.  I just know he’s not my favorite character.

Angie Elle:  I agree. He’s not likable, that’s for sure. But he has a presence.

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock (and maybe you have, no judgement here!) then you know that Curran is a major player in this series. What did you think of his and Kate’s first meeting?

Angie Elle:  I loved it. I thought it was a clever meeting, and it set the tone for their entire relationship through the series – I think they were both on their toes and in some ways, awed of each other. It was clear Kate was not one of Curran’s lackeys, and she was not going to be.

Birdie:  That initial first meeting I thought was hilarious!  I love the ‘Here Kitty Kitty’.  I cracked up the first time I read it, and I died laughing again this second time.  I love Kate’s snark, and I love how she can get under Curran’s skin like nobody else.  It just fuels that game they have early on, and I loooooved their push and pull so much.  It built up one of my favorite chemistry tensions in any romantic book.  Kate and Curran are on fire!

Angie Elle: I didn’t feel romantic tension or fire in their first meeting. I feel like their relationship was a slow build throughout the series, and it’s one of the things I love about it.

Birdie: I think it’s a slow burn, for sure, but reading it (if I’d never known who the love interest was going to be) I would still have known it was Curran.  The antagonism was too strong for it to be anything but sexual chemistry.

When do you think was the first moment that Curran began to see Kate as someone who could potentially be ‘more’?

Birdie: Hmmm, possibly when Kate defeated Olathe, he started respecting her more, and potentially when she was out on her date with Crest is when she began intriguing him on a carnal level?

Angie Elle: Honestly, without his perspective, it’s too hard for me to analyze that. I think Curran plays things close to his vest, and he’s not easy to read. Not for me, anyway. In true Curran fashion, he will tell you what he wants so there is no doubt.

Birdie: There are Curran perspective books.  And I’ve actually read them… I just don’t remember… I do think it was in this first book though, and I really felt like he’d mostly made up his mind about it at the end of the story.

Angie Elle: I haven’t read the Curran perspectives yet, and I’m not sure I will. I like to read series the way they were meant to be read, and alternate perspectives, unless they fill in an existing plot hole, aren’t something I’m a fan of.

The talk doesn’t end here!  For the rest of our conversation you’ll need to head over to Angie’s blog, BaBAMB!

Are you looking forward to the completion of the series?  Did we miss any good topics?  Let us know in the comments.