paranormal book with vampires, creatures, and more. Lots of action, gore, and more. As well as making me want to pick up the rest of the series .since I didn't know this was part of a series to begin.

A paranormal/Fantasy book with vampires, creatures, and more. Lots of action, gore, and more. A story that took me a while to navigate as this is part of a series and would've been even better had I read the previous books in order first.

What I love about Alexis Hall is how funny he can make an otherwise very tense moment. From business hugs to his precise takedowns of posh wolves, this series never fails to deliver on its remit to be fun, exciting, and sexy.

Okay, so I made a big mistake here in reading Fire & Water without having read the previous two Kate Kane books; I just saw Alexis Hall and couldn't resist.

Honestly, this author can do NO WRONG in my eyes, so despite the fact that I had no clue what was going on for most of the book (totally my fault) I still adored the ride and the whole wizard/vampire/werewolf combos.

Alexis Hall is to die for!

4 fabulous stars! ✨✨✨✨

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy.

This review is incredibly late (years late) because I took a break from reviewing, but in my opinion, the book is a fairly good sequel. The main issue, though, was that I had trouble maintaining my interest in the story. It felt like there had been no substantial changes in Kate’s life over the series, thus I had difficulty ascribing importance to events. A nice enough read, anyway.

When you think you the reader and Kate have seen and experience it all, Mrs. Hall throw a curveball and takes you on a new and oh so exciting journey and this book shows just that. I also love how that we see a deeper side to Kate, exploring things like her relationship with others, both in friendship and romance. This book is additive. It will take you on a journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the very last. I can not wait to read more in this series and have more time with all the characters.

The third book in the paranormal Kate Kane series and it keeps getting crazier - which is definitely a good thing.
This is the kind of book I feel like you need to strap yourself in for. It's a crazy, bumpy, frazzling ride but vividly interesting throughout with hardly time to take a breath.
Kate Kane has a knack of getting in trouble as she tries to unravel paranormal underworld and otherworldly problems, and while some of this seems the same as book two (take out the bad guy/girl), book three adds and multiplies the elements to make it look like the ultimate UFC fight.
Jump in and read it.

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

The third in the Kate Kane series. You should NOT read these as standalone. Read them in order.

These books all have a very investigator, noire feel to them. And the Kate Kane snark - when faced with just unbelievably difficult scenarios - is truly brilliant to read.

I liked this one the least of the three, though it was still very entertaining. The books have been ending less and less happily, and this one was pretty rough.

i dont know why this book took me so much longer to read than the previous two. i don't know if i had an alexis hall overload or what but i found the humour a lot less charming than i had before. i still think elise is the absolute best character in this series and was very pleased to see her narrate a few of her own chapters.

This is the third book in Hall’s Kate Kane: Paranormal Investigator series of contemporary urban fantasy novels. There are plenty of series where the books function as standalones, but this is not the case with the Kate Kane books. Readers need to start with Iron & Velvet in order to understand what’s going on.

Frankly, I’ve read the first two books and I still don’t know what’s going on. I don’t mean this as an insult—the book is wonderful, but the plot moves along quickly and there are so many factors to consider that it’s hard to explain to others. But I’m willing to give it the old college try.

As the series title suggests, Kate investigates matters that conventional sleuths wouldn’t be able to handle. Her work has landed her in the middle of an otherworldly turf war and the stakes couldn’t be higher—if the wrong faction wins, the entire world would be doomed.

To be more specific, Kate is tasked with reacquiring the Tears of Hypnos, a magical item with unlimited power. In order to achieve this goal, Kate has to bargain and negotiate with a variety of paranormal entities, some of whom are familiar because of their roles in the previous books and some of whom are new. As Kate follows one lead after another, the twists and turns prove that nothing is as simple as it appears.

Part of what makes this book so fun is Kate—the story unfolds via her first-person narration, and she is delightful. She’s sarcastic and self-deprecating and her perspective kept me riveted from the beginning to the end.

Kate is supported by a strong ensemble, including but not limited to her automaton assistant/best friend, her vampire girlfriend, her vampire ex-boyfriend, a succubus, a posh werewolf frenemy and many more.

I would recommend Fire & Water, although like I said, start at the beginning of the series. This is my favorite book in the series: Hall’s prose is exquisite and there’s a nice balance between lighter scenes and more tense actions scenes. Hall says that this series is going to be a quintet, and so I am eagerly awaiting the final two books in the series.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series! As a huge urban fantasy/paranormal fan and mystery/crime fan, the combo of both is just wonderful. Kate Kane is everything I love in a PI. She’s sarcastic and witty but also plenty flawed. She drinks too much, doesn’t always communicate well, and can be a total badass, but she has a heart of gold and tries to do what’s right. Kate’s inner thoughts and dialogue is so well done that I actually wrote down multiple quotes that made me laugh or smile. To put that in perspective I can count on one hand how many books I wanted to remember quotes from in the past year. As much as I love this series, love Kate, and loved the writing, this was my least favorite book of the series.

I have read the first two books multiple times. When I heard that Hall decided to continue the series, this was instantly on my list of most anticipated reads of 2020. Did my super high expectations become part of the issue? Maybe, but there was no way I could give this book 5 stars with its ending. I don’t know what is going on but this is the second book in a row that I would have given 5 stars to but the ending messed it up. And while I hate to bring this up but Carina Press Romance promises their books will have a HEA or HFN. That was not the case here. There were multiple bad things that happened and only a tiny bit of hope for one of them. I have not heard of any plans for a book four but I sure hope Carina will stand by that promise and we will get a HEA for the series. If not, Hall is going to have one angry lesbian on their case.

If you are new to this series, do not start here. These books need to be read in order. Hall did a great job of tying in all three books and knowing all the history made the book even more fun to read. Not only that but while Kate is the star, the whole cast of characters around her is wonderful and it’s worth getting more attached to them in each book.

Even with my strong dislike for the ending, I still really enjoyed this read. It was almost one of my rare 5 stars ratings. This series holds a special place in my heart and I would easily recommend it to urban fantasy/paranormal fans. I just beg of Hall that after that ending that they won’t keep us waiting long for book 4.

Each book in this series is better than the previous and this one is no exception.
It's a lot of fun to read and I love the fast paced plot, the world building and the fleshed cast of characters.
Can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Unlike many other readers, I came at this series in the last 12 months, so I never saw their previous iterations, nor did I have to wait so long for the third installment.

So I had another sensibility altogether when I picked up this series. While I found the first two books to be witty and engaging, I felt the writing was strongest in this installment. There is still a lot happening in these books, so many creatures betraying and realigning their allegiances, engaging plot twists and a break-neck pace that sucks you in, as is fitting of a suspense novel. Elise really comes into her own, and enjoyed the concept of her "sisters," running amok (the scene between Kate, Russell, Lisbeth & Elise had me cackling more than it should have).

This installment really hiked up the stakes, which I think was hinted at in the earlier books, but is now coming to fruition in this book (god, it's hard to write without spoilers but I'm trying!). The ending is...woah...But it's really good, even somehow appropriate, and opens up the possibility of future installments. I really liked this novel on its own merits and I'm not at all put out by the direction it's taken. It's perhaps my favorite of the three books.

ARC provided by Netgalley

Wow, this series just keeps getting better, and darker than ever! It has all the elements of the best urban fantasy, and still packs a huge amount of emotional punch, especially at the end. Kate Kane is dragged, once again, into a magical fight with people that are much stronger than she is, and with far less care for morals and ethics. In the past two books, she is able to come away, somewhat worse for wear, but the world is saved. This time, there is a bit of a change to the proceedings, with some heartbreaking effects.

I do have to say that Elise's predominance in the story is a really nice touch. Not to get super deep here, but Elise's presence is such a refreshing one, especially for Kate. Almost all of Kate's relationships are built either on transnational encounters, or are conditional. Even Kate's friendship with Witch Queen Nimue isn't completely healthy, and Nimue is the best person in Kate's circle. Elise, on the other hand, being an animated statue, has no real capacity to feel, is such a good person. I loved we got to see how important she is to Kate. Especially with Julian being her usual mercurial self.

There's not a lot of romance to be had here, with the exception of Julian and Kate having sex, but it is interesting how it is developing even if it doesn't have the traditional romance story beats to it. It works, though, because the story around Kate and Julian is more compelling - especially when we see where their places are in this supernatural version of London. Enjoy this one, it has a ton of excellent elements that round out into a humdinger of a finale. It seems like there might be more to come, and I cannot wait for the next book.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alexis Hall’s “Fire & Water” could be the spawn of Humphrey Bogart (in “The Maltese Falcon” or “Treasure of Sierra Madre”) and a brilliant multi-level interactive video game. Add in Hall’s luxuriant command of facts and language. Shake them, don’t stir. The result is a novel that… well, Kate Kane, our paranormal

investigator/heroine describes it perfectly: “There’s too much about all of this that doesn’t quite make sense.” But that’s exactly “Fire & Water’s” noir appeal. We’re on a fast-moving ride, waiting for the centrifugal forces to halt, so more can be revealed.

In the series’ first two books (which should be devoured first) readers value Kate’s reality checks. “I like to think I’m a pretty together person all told, once you get past the drinking, the terrible taste in women, and the primordial connection to the ancient spirit of the hunt.” Kate’s mother, Queen of the Faeries, is not a pixie, but “a blood-drenched embodiment of primal hunger who keeps taking over my body and I’ve got a body I don’t want taken over. I suppose that’s what you call an impasse,” Kate, the mistress of understatement, narrates.

Kate bungles her way through cases, between uneasy truces of paranormal beings, while dating a vampire sex “prince” (female) and remaining friends with multiple ex-lovers and a plethora of mystical creatures. Yet she remains humble. “I tended to see myself less as a mentor and more as an object lesson.” In the process, she is burned, shot, stabbed, and cursed by those who want total power for themselves. Luckily she heals easily.

Kate, may consider herself amoral, but is constantly at an ethical crossroads. When she makes a deal with one creature, another exacts a price she can’t always predict. Thus, “Fire & Water” is a parable. We are all fairly free to do what we wish, as long as we’re willing to pay the price, rarely knowing it in advance.

Readers are grounded by several humorous choruses, like Kate’s tendency to repeat a phrase when she’s in a lethal situation. “Here Lies Kate Kane. Something creepy with mirrors. Beloved daughter, sorely missed.” Only the middle sentence, delineating the method of death, varies from situation to situation. Kate compulsively courts trouble.

What sells this chaos? First, there is Hall’s wisdom, like when Kate tells her ex, who is stalking his new girlfriend, “‘Your feelings don’t control her decisions. That’s kind of not-being-a-controlling-d**chebag 101.’” Then there’s Hall’s tendency to render the mundane into something extraordinary. Several chapters narrated by a once inanimate object uncannily reflect how various objects might think about us. Hall reads people’s subtleties to perfection, such as Kate’s reaction to an ex in pain, “Seeing her like that made me feel a bunch of difficult things, and let’s be very clear. I don’t even like feeling easy things.”

But, as a reader, what I loved most was the irony. “Hell: making the best things suck since the dawn of creation.” “I’d probably made an enemy, but hey, it was good to end your day knowing you’d made something,” Kate reflects.

If you’re in the mood for a challenge, an ever-moving, fast-paced, brilliantly orchestrated plot, lovably flawed wizards, murky morals, sinful virtues and a hell of a lot of fun, grab ahold of Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator books 1-3. “Fire & Water” leaves us in murky circumstances, an optimal ending to the saga, granting the hope of Book 4.

It’s no secret that the Kate Kane books are one of my favourite series. It’s been a duology for a while, but I hadn’t given up hope that the series would continue. I was super duper excited when –finally! — the author announced Fire & Water was coming out (along with cover redesigns for the whole series. It could easily have been a case of over-hyping yourself but, I’m thrilled to say, this latest installment met all my expectations.

Fire & Water picks up on many of the plot threads from the previous books, so you should definitely check those out now. This one has some new players — Arty King, a magical gangster and his battleaxe Nan — and pulls in all our favourites too. These books are a real paranormal cornucopia: sassy socialite werewolves, nightclub owning vampires and secret vampire councils, Kate’s ex (an ode to Edward Cullen) and his new teen girlfriend, an animated statue, secretary and Nimue the witch queen. Tying all these threads together means there’s a lot of action and drama in this installment and — although Kate’s still a wiseass — this feels darker than the others. Everything has really went up a notch!

I still absolutely love Kate as a character! Like I said, she’s a total smartass: sarcastic and self-deprecating. She’s a mess — although she’s come a long way — and she makes a lot of mistakes, but she has a good heart. Her personality makes the heroic, impulsive leaps into danger far less cliched and much more charming. She reminds me a little Renee Montoya in the new Birds of Prey movie. I also really love Elise, the golem. I always have, but she gets a lot more to do in this book, picking up some of the investigation and even getting a few POV chapters of her own.

The ending was unexpected… and feels like it’s setting up for another book, but I haven’t seen that confirmed. In terms of the plot it was all really exciting! In terms of the Kate and her relationships? It was a little disappointing and depressing. I’m not someone who needs a happy ending to enjoy a book but even I’m almost tempted to knock off half a star. That doesn’t seem fair though What I will say, is that the publisher, Carina Press, promises HEA/HFN in their books. This makes no never mind for me, but if you’re a reader who pick their books up specifically for this reason, maybe just stick to the first two books.

I absolutely loved the voice of the narrator in this book - Kate Kane makes terrible choices and she knows she makes terrible choices and she makes them anyway. She's a delight, and I'll be seeking out her other stories.

My full review will appear on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books - I will add the link when it is published.

I adore the Kate Kane stories and was happy when I learned that the third in the series, Fire & Water, was in the works. I was fortunate enough to be able to reread the first two novels (Iron & Velvet and Shadows & Dreams) recently during their respective re-releases, which I found to be extremely helpful. Much to my delight, Fire & Water was as wonderful as I’d hoped. It was also rough. In all the best ways, but still—rough.

Fire & Water picks up six months after the previous time the world almost ended, and Kate is once again at the center of a battle that’s drawn every magical/paranormal faction in London (even the US is represented) out of the shadows. Hired by the Merchant of Dreams to reacquire their stolen property, Kate winds up with her loyalties divided and her friends, exes, flatmate, and self at risk should things go badly. Which they absolutely and thoroughly do.

One thing I was particularly happy to discover hadn’t changed in Fire & Water is how much I continue to love Kate. As exasperating as most of the other characters claim to find her, it was nice to see so many of them show up for her when it counted. That everyone who knows anything refuses to be straightforward with her about what’s really happening, then gets peeved with her for not being omniscient herself makes it difficult not to be on Kate’s side. In fact, Kate’s internal struggles with her more decorum-defying rejoinders at such moments comprise some of my favorite passages. It may also be wrong, but I think Kate shines brightest when even her own hindsight seems to have been drinking excessively, and her best option is just to leap straight into whatever chaos is looming, regardless.

Another aspect of this series that has consistently fascinated me is that the characters are obviously pieces in a game Kate knows is being played, even if she can’t pin down what it is. And just when it seems she’s figured it out, everything changes leaving her fighting an entirely different battle than the one she began. It doesn’t seem so much that the pieces themselves have shifted erratically, but rather that the stratagem itself and/or the master behind it has. I think it is a risky bit of writing that could easily fall apart were it a different character in any other author’s hands. Yet, not only does this arrangement still work well in Fire & Water, but the potential losses if Kate fails make the narrative all the more compelling.

As was true with the previous titles in the Kate Kane series, I don’t believe Fire & Water will be for everyone. Kate is difficult and unique and often as resentfully sweet as she is razor-sharp. As complicated as her relationships always are, the question here more pointedly asks which other characters are on Kate’s side because she is useful, rather than loved—and sometimes the answer hurts. Having said that, I’m going to have to read it again as soon as possible. Given the breadcrumbs left and new uncertainties introduced at the end of Fire & Water, I’m very hopeful that there will be another in the series not too far in the future.

Elise chapters! My favorite gets a POV!

We’ve waited five years for this book, and it doesn’t feel like it’s over. The first time I read Kate Kane, I had pneumonia. I laughed so much, I had to stop reading due to coughing. This installment was funny as well.

Here’s hoping if there’s more we don’t wait five years. However if we do, the author has the ability to catch us up like he did in this one.