Three things you need to know about Kate Daniels:
• Weirdness is attracted to her.
• She doesn't do "humble."
• She has cute bows on her panties.

Intrigued? You should be. If you're a strong fan of kickbutt urban fantasy heroines, you need to meet Kate.

Kate lives in an alternate Atlanta in a world where magic has returned, and it comes in waves with technology. Aside from double coping skills, she's got two jobs -- one with the Order and one with the Merc Guild. Add to that two mortgages and enough trouble on her plate that she needs a clone or two to give her a hand.

Someone's stealing valuable maps from the weres and she's got to get them back. A misguided coven makes an alliance with the wrong Celtic god, and Kate's stuck with the coven leader's daughter. And the girl comes with all the troubles teenage girls are prone to -- and then some. You see, she's a virgin and her boyfriend wants to try and use her for some powerful mojo.

What I'm most impresed with Ilona Andrews' sophomore effort is that she's taken a great start in Magic Bites and made it better. Clearly, she's done her mythological research and synthesized it into her manuscript seamlessly. Strong fantasy and titilating romance blend with enough elements of both to keep both camps happy.

Magic Bites was an impressive entry into the urban fantasy genre. Magic Burns establishes Andrews as an author who's going to keep honing her craft until she reaches the top of the charts. I wish her every success in that endeavor and I'll be waiting for the next installment.