As an Indonesian, I'm almost dread the time when I start reading Magic Dreams, a novella about Dali and Jim. Dali is an Indonesian and while I'm surprised and appreciated IA to include Indonesian characters in their Kate Daniels world, I'm also skeptical as well to see how my nationality and also myth get interpreted by American author. I have a "WHY, ILONA ANDREWS, WHY??" moment when knowing Dali's full name is Dali Harimau. Harimau itself is a name of animal. It's Indonesian equivalent of "tiger". Naming your character as Dali "Tiger", I find it as weird. I can pass of Dali name, it's unique. The "harimau" part is what grate my nerves, lel.

Anyhow, I still rate this novella 4* because I really like Dali and Jim's relationship. While also ass-kicking in her own way, I appreciate that Dali is DIFFERENT compared to Kate and Andrea. She have self doubt and get easily jealous because apparently she feel that she's not that strong like Kate. I like that Dali fight the enemy that threat Jim's life with her own way and using her knowledge and brain rather than brawn. I like that IA insert some of "Asian Value" in Magic Dreams with making Dali's mother (she has no name, yet) act like how Asian Tiger Mom behave. Seeing Dali's mother neighbor house have some fengshui, I guess Dali is part of Balinese and Chinese-Indonesian. Maybe Dali's mother is the Chinese-Indonesian ones. If there's one name that IA make it right, it's Dali's uncle name whose name is Aditya. At least that Indonesian name that I know and familiar, lel. 

There's some of misspelling like the son of nine dragon supposed to be Suanni not Suanmi and the Balinese tree "Bunut Bolog" is "Bunut Bolong". I'm amused when reading Dali and her mother converse in Indonesian (that translate in English and in italic) and Jim chimed in "Mengapa". I think maybe IA want to translate the word "why", but "why" can be translate to "kenapa atau mengapa" depend of the meaning. Still I find it entertaining to read how Jim admit that he smitten by Dali and he learn Indonesian in order to get to know her. Now, that what I called "aww moment". Jim that I know is a snarky man that take Pack's security above all others. To know he have his soft and romantic side make me see him in the new light.

The case has some Japanese myth and beside that Dali might be an otaku herself, there's no explanation why she practice shodo magic at the first place. Why choose Japanese, since she admit that she's Hindu and why not using an Indonesian magic. But, since Indonesia is a religious country with majority of its citizen is Muslim and I'm also Muslim as well, the magic using is unheard of. This is me speaking as Indonesian, mind you. So I guess why IA make Dali using Japanese's curse magic is because its easier to write/research or what. Although they use "Keong Emas" myth that I'm embarrassed to admit this myself, I don't really familiar with it, lel.

With the complaining and the appraising (why can't I do both?), I still enjoy Dali and Jim's little story and I hope there's more about them in the future.