by Jesus Ibarra
Magic Slays is an urban fantasy that is set in an alternate Atlanta and in a future where technology and magic come in waves, and magic is winning. When magic is in effect, most technology will not work, and spells, monsters and people with magic are at their strongest. The opposite is true when the magic goes down. 
Although this is the fifth book in the series (it was good enough to get me to read the entire series of books one through four), it does a great job of setting up the world for new readers. Although if you’re like me and you want to know more about the world, main characters, and references to previous adventures, consider picking up the first four books because they will make you love this book that much more.
The main character is Kate Daniels, a former mercenary and powerful fighter who begins her own PI business taking cases from the various supernatural communities such as the shape shifters, vampires, wizards, witches, etc. I really enjoyed the blending of different supernatural lore in this book because it gives credence to the fact that some stuff happens when enough people believe it or becomes the norm at a certain point in the past. The main gist is Kate gets some cases that end up being connected that affect the entire supernatural community of Atlanta. The various subplots include her relationship to the leader of the shapeshifters, Curran the Beast Lord, and her various friendships carried over from the past books. And, the underlying plot thread is from the beginning of the book series, Kate’s quest to kill her near immortal and powerful father, Roland, who murdered her mother, and is at least four thousand years old.
The characters are very well written. I fell in love with Kate’s bad-assery and sarcastic nature. I also like that, although she is extremely powerful and dangerous, she has her limits and is surrounded by people who could possibly be stronger than her. This is great because the author avoids shoe horning her into a box where she is super powerful and has to be depowered, which is a plot device I hate. Overall, you won’t get entirely lost by references by the past, however it’s written in such a way that you know this stuff is important. The various strands of the plot get pulled together for a great finish and, of course, you get a great cliffhanger for the next book.
I don’t know how I missed this urban fantasy series as its easily one of the best out, so go pick up Magic Slays, and if you love this book like I did, consider picking up the first four in the series. You will not be disappointed.
Learn more about this series on the author’s website.
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