Kate Daniels
#244.35 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 10 books Status Complete 2007–2018 Reading commitment High Ilona Andrews Last reviewed 2026-08-21
Overview
An urban fantasy series set in a post-apocalyptic Atlanta where magic and technology take turns failing, following mercenary Kate Daniels across ten novels published between 2007 and 2018. Written by the husband-and-wife team publishing as Ilona Andrews, the series opens with Magic Bites (2007) and follows Kate, a professional mercenary hiding a dangerous magical heritage, as she navigates a city where waves of returning magic disable technology and summon monsters, alternating unpredictably with "tech" periods when modern machinery works again. Over its ten-book main run, closing with Magic Triumphs (2018), the series built out an extensive supporting cast, including werewolf clans, vampires controlled by a necromantic guild, and a shapeshifter pack politics subplot, becoming one of the most consistently well-reviewed long-running urban fantasy series of its decade and establishing Ilona Andrews as a leading name in the genre ahead of their later Hidden Legacy series.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (10 works) counts toward ranking
Kate Daniels Ilona Andrews
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Magic Bites | 2007 | 1 | core | 4.05 (138,263 ratings) |
 | Magic Burns | 2008 | 2 | core | 4.30 (96,774 ratings) |
 | Magic Strikes | 2009 | 3 | core | 4.43 (93,034 ratings) |
 | Magic Bleeds | 2010 | 4 | core | 4.43 (91,612 ratings) |
 | Magic Slays | 2011 | 5 | core | 4.39 (81,592 ratings) |
 | Magic Rises | 2013 | 6 | core | 4.44 (64,219 ratings) |
 | Magic Breaks | 2014 | 7 | core | 4.48 (56,218 ratings) |
 | Magic Shifts | 2015 | 8 | core | 4.43 (48,453 ratings) |
 | Magic Binds | 2016 | 9 | core | 4.53 (41,296 ratings) |
 | Magic Triumphs | 2018 | 10 | core | 4.55 (35,920 ratings) |
Ten-book urban fantasy sequence; Magic Rises and Magic Triumphs both debuted on the New York Times bestseller lists. No award nomination or win met this project's independent-source bar.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Kate Daniels? Kate Daniels's Core Canon is 10 books.
- What is the reading order for Kate Daniels? Publication order, starting with Magic Bites. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Kate Daniels finished? Complete (2007–2018).
- How much reading does Kate Daniels take? High reading commitment (estimated from 10 Core Canon books · ~3,196 pages).
- How is Kate Daniels ranked? #24 in this site's official ranking, based on 747,381 reader ratings across 10 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #24?
Ranked #24 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.35 across 10 core books.
- Backed by 747k reader ratings.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 4.05 to 4.55.
- 0.02 behind #23, Troy.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 10 books · Complete · 747k ratings · Ranks #24 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (10 Core Canon books)
- Magic Bites (2007)
- Magic Burns (2008)
- Magic Strikes (2009)
- Magic Bleeds (2010)
- Magic Slays (2011)
- Magic Rises (2013)
- Magic Breaks (2014)
- Magic Shifts (2015)
- Magic Binds (2016)
- Magic Triumphs (2018)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No independently verified awards on file for this universe yet.
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Suggestions computed from what Kate Daniels and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Hollows Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.30
- The Dresden Files Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.26
- The Iron Druid Chronicles Urban fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.21
- Crescent City Romantasy / Urban fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.39
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.35 across 747,381 ratings on 10 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Kate Daniels (Ilona Andrews) accepted 2026-08-21
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-27
Rule: Core Canon is the ten-book main sequence.