Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

Grey Wolf, Book 1 & Kate Daniels, Book 8,5

Synopsis: Scarred, solitary Derek Gaunt has separated from his Pack, and is truly a lone wolf. With no family he answers to no one; but is fiercely loyal to a chosen few. So, when several of those close to him are murdered, he’ll stop at nothing to hunt their killer through the magic-drenched streets of Atlanta.

Never one to be left on the sidelines, equally determined—some might say stubborn—Julie Lennart-Olsen soon joins in his pursuit; and what began as revenge turns into a race to save the city. Their search pits them against powers they never imagined and magic so old, it predates history. It may cost Derek his life, but there are things for which even he would risk everything.

Review: For those who do not know it yet, I love the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews and it’s true that I jump on every new release as soon as it is possible. So when I saw this novella in the series, I admit that I was immediately intrigued, especially when you consider that it is about Derek and Julie. How not to be interested?

We thus find our dear wolf, and Julie, facing a new investigation while Curran and Kate are absent from the city. To his dismay, moreover, Derek will have to team up with the girl to try to unravel the terrible murder of an entire family. Both characters will find themselves swept away by the events and find themselves in a more difficult situation than what they would have thought originally. They will thus have to confront mythical creatures, a very powerful magic and a man who is desperate to amass power.

It was a very interesting novella and it was a real pleasure to find the Kate Daniels’ universe here. I loved to see the interactions between Julie and Derek and it’s true that we wonder when they will realize both that perhaps there is more between them. We also discover one of Julie’s secrets and new faculties (although she tries to remain discreet about it). I’m curious to see what will happen when everyone will be aware of her actions.

In any case, as I said, I had a great time with the story and I always look forward to have more!