Ilona Andrews - Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5)

PRAISE FOR THE KATE DANIELS NOVELS MAGIC BLEEDS At times I felt like I needed to take a break from the book due to *its+ just being too engrossing, too brilliant for my little heart, like when you gorge yourself on Belgian chocolate. Magic Bleeds is the best yet of this series! Night Owl Reviews Ilona Andrews is one of the few authors whose books just keep getting better... Its books like Magic Bleeds that make television and movies seem like an inferior form of entertainment. Romance Reviews Today I have read and reread this book, and its perfect. The action, the romance, the plot and suspense... I cannot wait for the fifth in the series. Smexy Books Having an already-exceptional series exceed your expectations is a rare and wonderful thing, but Andrews unquestionably pulls it off with this astonishing read... Balancing petrifying danger with biting humor is an Andrews specialty, leaving readers both grinning and gasping. Put this on your auto-buy list immediately! Romantic Times These books are here to stay. They only get better. I dont ever want them to end. Lurv a la Mode The world-building is, in a word, fantastic... The story is a fast-paced and exciting read. Mrs Giggles Delivers on the promise of One hell of a good read. You will not be disappointed! ParaNormal Romance.org

MAGIC STRIKES Andrewss crisp dialogue and layered characterization make the gut-wrenching action of this first-person thrill ride all the more intense... mesmerizing. Romantic Times (4 stars) Andrews blends action-packed fantasy with myth and legend, keeping readers enthralled. Magic Strikes introduces fascinating characters, provides a plethora of paranormal skirmishes, and teases fans with romantic chemistry. Darque Reviews Ilona Andrewss best novel to date, cranking up the action, danger, and magic... Gritty, sword-clashing action and flawless characterizations will bewitch fans, old and new alike. Sacramento Book Review Doses of humor serve to lighten the suspense and taut action of this vividly drawn, kick-butt series. Monsters and Critics From the first page to the last, Magic Strikes was a riveting, heart-pounding ride. Story lines advance, truths are admitted, intriguing characters are introduced, and the romance between Kate and Curran develops a sweetness that is simply delightful. Dear Author An engrossing, superbly written urban fantasy series. Lurv a la Mode Write faster... I absolutely love the relationship between Curran and KateI laugh out loud with the witty sarcasm and one-liners, and the sexual tension building between the couples drives me to my knees, knowing Ill have to wait for another book. SFRevu

MAGIC BURNS Fans of Carrie Vaughn and Patricia Briggs will appreciate this fast-paced, action-packed urban fantasy full of magic, vampires, werebeasties, and things that go bump in the night. Monsters and Critics With all her problems, secrets, and prowess both martial and magical, Kate is a great kick-ass heroine, a tough girl with a heart, and her adventures... are definitely worth checking out. Locus *Magic Burns] hooked me completely. With a fascinating, compelling plot, a witty, intelligent heroine, a demonic villain, and clever, wry humor throughout, this story has it all. Fresh Fiction A new take on the urban fantasy genre, the world Kate inhabits is a blend of gritty magic and dangerous mystery. The Parkersburg News and Sentinel The sexual tension Kate emits has me gritting my teeth. SFRevu If you enjoy Laurell K. Hamiltons early Anita Blake or the works of Patricia Briggs and Kim Harrison, you need to add Ilona Andrews to your reading list. LoveVampires Andrews... demonstrates her mastery at balancing dark humor, clever mystery, and supernatural jeopardy. Andrews is the total package! Romantic Times MAGIC BITES

Treat yourself to a splendid new urban fantasy... I am looking forward to the next book in the series or anything else Ilona Andrews writes. Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of River Marked Andrews shows a great deal of promise. Readers fond of Laurell K. Hamilton and Patricia Briggs may find her work a new source of reading pleasure. SFRevu Andrewss edgy series stands apart from similar fantasies... owing to its complex world-building and skilled characterizations. Library Journal Fans of urban fantasy will delight in Ilona Andrewss alternateuniverse Atlanta. Fresh Fiction A perfectly paced supernatural mystery with bits of dark humor andif youll forgive the puna fair amount of bite. Rambles.net The strong story line coupled with a complex alternative history... will have readers hoping for more. Monsters and Critics

Ace Books by Ilona Andrews The Kate Daniels Novels MAGIC BITES MAGIC BURNS MAGIC STRIKES MAGIC BLEEDS MAGIC SLAYS The Edge Novels ON THE EDGE BAYOU MOON

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. MAGIC SLAYS An Ace Book / published by arrangement with Ilona Andrews, Inc. PRINTING HISTORY Ace mass-market edition / June 2011

Copyright 2011 by Andrew Gordon and Ilona Gordon. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions. For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. eISBN : 978-1-101-51525-9 ACE Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. ACE and the A design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. http://us.penguingroup.com Please visit http://www.Demonoid.me for more books from our generous members.

Baileyd

To Helen Kirk. Thank you for reading our books.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book, like most books, took a lot more time and effort than first anticipated. Many people have helped us along the way. Wed like to thank the following people for their help, patience, and expertise: Anne Sowards, our editorthank you for having faith in us, despite all evidence to the contrary; Nancy Yost, our agent, for unwavering support and vicious fighting on our behalf; Michelle Kasper, the production editor, and Andromeda Macri, the assistant production editorthank you for transforming our manuscript into a book and for not psychically destroying us with your great mind powers because we missed deadlines; Judith Murello Lagerman, the art director; Annette Fiore DeFex, the cover designer; and Chad Michael Ward, the artist, for creating a spectacular cover; Amy J. Schneider, the copy editor, for her mad copyediting skills; thank you very much to Kat Sherbo, Annes editorial assistantthe e-mails do not lie, we actually are crazy; and thank you to Rosanne Romanello, the publicist, for always promoting our work. We are also grateful to Skye and Aubrey, the best legal team the Pack ever had, for help with the shapeshifter real estate laws, and to Noa Rubenstein for assistance with interpretation of Rolands fable. As always, our thanks go to our intrepid beta readers for their generosity and great suggestions despite being repeatedly tortured with half-baked drafts. Thank you, Beatrix Kaser, Ying Chumnongsaksarp, Reece Notley, Hasna Saadani, Jeanine Rachau, Michael Finn, and Chrissy Peterson. Thank you to Jeaniene Frost and Jill Myles. You are great friends. Thank you to Peter Honingstock for saving us a great deal of frustration by always helping us find the right resource books in record time. Finally, we would like to thank each other for not murdering ourselves along the way, and A&E programmingwhen we get really depressed about our skills in our chosen profession, you always show us something even more depressing.