The Official Description: I like my whiskey like I like my women: 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 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
Just the facts: Kate Kane PI! Queer cast. Funny!
Kate Kane is always fighting bitey, killy thing, badly chosen exes, big boss battles and her own unending ability to be snarky..- Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit: I find myself in the enviable position of not being able to come up with enough words of praise for this series. The first series I read by Alexis Hall was on the opposite end of the literary spectrum to this one. I read the Spires series. It’s firmly rooted in the contemporary world we are familiar with and its primary characters are men. What I loved immediately was the way that Hall writes characters.
The Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator books have some of the best characters I’ve read in the genre. I love Kate! She’s a bit of a train wreck I’ll grant you. She drinks too much, she can’t be assed to dress up for anything. She certainly seems to have bad taste in terms of her relationships because she has a string of exes who provide nothing but complications and flat-out trouble.
But. Kate cares about her friends and even those troublesome exes. What’s clear throughout this series is that every time she makes a connection with someone… good or bad … she sticks with it. Oddly enough, she seems to just want peace and quiet. It’s odd because when she’s got it, she doesn’t seem to know what to do with it!
So, in this book which I think maybe the final installment, Kate is hired to chase down one of the magical bits she has run into before. The problem is that this item has sparked an all-out battle between two factions of the supernatural world. Nim is on one side, and if you’ve read the rest of the series then you know that Kate has a magical oath binding her fealty to Nim. Of course, this causes Kate lots of problems!
There’s no end of well-written fight scenes in this book. I do enjoy myself a strong female lead! But it’s Kate’s snark and wit that always get me. Let me explain to you about Alexis Hall’s writing. When my husband asks me what I’m reading and I happen to be reading one of Hall’s books then I simply respond with, “riding a pissed-off unicorn backward.” Just that one phrase and he knows whose books I’m reading.
Hall has a talent. Yes, Hall is a good writer. This series has a great plot, it’s well-paced and the characters are solid. What has always stood out for me the most is Hall’s wit and humor. These books are hilarious! I have read very few books in my life that have made me laugh out loud, TJ Klune does it… and Alexis Hall does it. In fact, I’m actually aloud to read parts of Hall’s books to Joel without him shooing me away.
I’m not giving any of this away as you’re probably like me and have been reading the series. No need for spoilers. I can say what I want about this book without revealing anything about the plot really. Suffice to say that this is typical of Hall’s writing. It’s witty, smart, full of action, has lots of nasty things lurking around trying to kill Kate (probably half of which she had a relationship with in the past), and it’s entertaining!
You’ll enjoy this series if you love paranormal fun with a bit of mystery and a fantastic female lead.
Readalikes: Other stories that are similar or give the same feel.
- Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #1) by Alexis Hall
- Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony
- How to Be a Normal Person (How to Be #1)
Links: Goodreads // The Author // The Publisher
I received an ARC of Fire & Water by Alexis hall from Harlequin: Carina Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 