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From: Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: "Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years) by Ilona Andrews
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2024 08:35:23 -0400
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On 9/13/24 6:48 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> In article <v3qt0t$15tjt$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire  <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> "Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years) by Ilona Andrews
>>
>> https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Claims-Kate-Daniels-Wilmington/dp/B0C4ZJSJTL/
>>
>> Book number two of a two book paranormal romance dark fantasy series.
>> There are predecessor books, short stories, and successor books to the
>> series also that is over twenty books long.  I read the well printed and
>> well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback published by NYLA
>> Publishing in 2023 that I bought new on Amazon recently.  Note that
>> “Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team.  I
>> will purchase successor books if they become available (hopefully).
> 
> Given the recommendations in this newsgroup, I bought a copy of Andrews'
> _Diamond Fire_ and it feels like it just doesn't work.  It's trying to be
> a fantasy novel in a magical world, a classic romance story, and a mystery
> all at the same time.  Then all of a sudden it's trying to be a YA story to
> appeal to teens.  As a mystery it is a total bust since the reader is
> never presented with the information needed to figure out who did it until
> it is announced.  So the concept didn't work well for me.
> 
> Also... the print quality was really bad even by MMPB standards.  The print
> was grey, and the printing actually had jaggies.  How long has it been since
> anyone has seen visible jaggies in printing?  Someone needs a copy of Metafont.
> --scott
> 

Bummer it didn't work for you - here's one more opinion that falls in 
line with Lynn & Ted:
Much as I love what I've read of their stuff[1], I'm not sure if or when 
I'll read the Hidden Legacy series - by all reports it is more heavily 
romance oriented. Also, as Ted nodded at, isfdb says Diamond Fire is 
entry 3.5 in that series.

Of course, if they're not for you, then they're not for you. If you end 
up trying again, I would recommend starting with Kate Daniels #1(Magic 
Bites).

Tony
[1] Kate Daniels and Innkeeper series.