I like my women like I like my whiskey: embroiled in a magical war Ten years ago I fought for the Witch Queen of London in a mystical showdown against a King Arthur wannabe with a shaved head and a shotgun. Back then, the law did for him before he could do for us. I don’t think we’ll get that lucky again. As if the mother of all wizard battles wasn’t bad enough, fate or destiny or a god with a … or destiny or a god with a really messed-up sense of humor has dropped a weapon that could rewrite the universe right into the middle of London, and anybody with half a sniff of arcane power has rocked up to stake their claim on it. Last time this happened, the city went to pieces. This time, it might just go to Hell.
Also, still dating a vampire. Still got an alpha werewolf trying to get in my pants. Still sharing a flat with a woman made of animated marble–only now apparently there are two of her. But you know what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same crap that’s been trying to kill you your entire life.
This book is approximately 96,000 words
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For reasons entirely unrelated to the book itself, it took me a week to read Fire & Water, the third episode of Kate “not Batwoman” Kane’s adventures by Alexis Hall. A novel that length, I usually read in one sitting, two days at the most. It’s a testament to the author’s sense of pacing and overall talent that I never had any trouble going back straight and deep into the story whenever I managed to sit down and read.
Fire & Water picks up six months after Shadows & Dreams. Kate is once again looking for the Tears of Hypnos. If you remember, these were what brought all the mayhem in the previous episode. Every wizard and his brother is looking for them because they’re the stuff dreams are made of. Literally. Whoever owns them can have power over the whole world. Or the whole world that matters to them. I got a bit discombobulated about the details when Julian (the sexy Vampire Prince Kate has been shagging since Iron & Velvet) mentioned she didn’t feel concerned. But hey, everyone else in Kate’s environment is, so Kate’s on a mission to find the Tears and hand them over to the least dangerous supernatural being.
One of the things I enjoyed about the previous books was their lightness even though they were about death and war. The humour made me smile and snort and snicker. This third one is darker. The characters are still great and I uber-love Kate Kane, but it doesn’t read as easily. It’s more intense. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. And it’s as sarcastic and as snicker-worthy as ever. I mean, even in the direst circumstances, Kate is so deliciously snarky.
It didn’t strike me before but Kate Kane (still not Batwoman) reminds me a lot of Jessica Jones if Jessica Jones was into paranormal. You know, more than superpowers and terrifying villains. Also, as I’ve said above, I love Kate, but for the first time, I also found Elise, the magically animated statue, incredibly interesting. Watching her become, in a way, is captivating. Like the first time your child reads a whole sentence by themselves.
One word of warning, however: despite Carina Press’s promise of HEA / HFN, Fire & Water definitely doesn’t end well. Nor is it a romance, really. But please don’t let that stop you from reading it. It is so very good, like a more mature sequel to the previous instalments.
Unlike many other readers, I came at this series in the last 12 months, so I never saw their previous iterations, nor did I have to wait so long for the third installment.
So I had another sensibility altogether when I picked up this series. While I found the first two books to be witty and engaging, I felt the writing was strongest in this installment. There is still a lot happening in these books, so many creatures betraying and realigning their allegiances, engaging plot twists and a break-neck pace that sucks you in, as is fitting of a suspense novel. Elise really comes into her own, and enjoyed the concept of her “sisters,” running amok (the scene between Kate, Russell, Lisbeth & Elise had me cackling more than it should have).
This installment really hiked up the stakes, which I think was hinted at in the earlier books, but is now coming to fruition in this book (god, it’s hard to write without spoilers but I’m trying!). The ending is…what it is. But it’s good, even somehow appropriate, and opens up the possibility of future installments. I really liked this novel on its own merits and I’m not at all put out by the direction it’s taken. It’s perhaps my favorite of the three books.
ARC provided by Netgalley
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
I jumped for joy – I had finally been approved for an Alexis Hall ARC.
Now, I am new to the Kate Kane series, jumped into book 3 without reading the first two, so it did take me a little while to get into the rhythm of the book.
Once I was there, I really had a fun old time reading and I just adored Kate and her friends. I love the banter, the fight scenes were wonderfully executed.
Now, because I haven’t read the previous books, I was a bit confuzzled with whom was who and what was what, but that didn’t at all take away from my involvement in the story.
I loved the way all the different “beings” saw relationships, and how they all intermingled and got on.
Now I find myself needing more, and having to go back and read the first 2 books.