The Kate Daniels novels in particular work very well because they are so well-structured and plotted. Taking the time to do this can feel very awkward for the writer, but Andrews does it deftly. When new settings or characters are introduced, Andrews paints succinct and vivid pictures, clearly outlining the features of interest to the reader in a way that makes them come alive in the mind’s eye. Andrews is a detail-oriented writer (properly, Andrews is a detail-oriented set of writers, since Ilona and Gordon co-write these books). Despite how quickly paced Andrews’ novels are, the author does not make this mistake. I tend to write this POV the way that I would tell a story to a friend - that is to say, I skip over important details. First person past tense is one of the hardest POVs for me to write. Ilona Andrews writes very tight, snappy prose, usually in first person past tense. Here’s what I think the secret is to why these books speak to so many readers. I also wanted to figure out what it is about Ilona Andrews’ work that is so much fun to read, in the hopes of being able to apply some lessons to my own writing. Back in 2020 I re-read the entire Kate Daniels series from start to finish in anticipation of the release of Blood Heir in January 2021 (reviewed in January’s Reading Round-up).
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