Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7)
by Ilona Andrews
Summary: No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…
As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.
As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…
Source: I purchased a Kindle copy.
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Review:
Wow. Magic Breaks was absolutely incredible!
I have no idea how the series has gotten better and better with each book after 7 books, but it has. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and thought the events were unpredictable. I loved that Magic Breaks began with a short summary of the previous events. While I just got finished reading 1 through 6, I know when I go to read book 8, I’ll appreciate any and all summaries to catch me up. The author didn’t do it through the first few chapters in that annoying way that some series do where the main character talks about the powers she has and the friends and relationships she’s made. When we read series, we know the major points, it’s the finer details we forget! Instead, the author gave us a quick summary through the eyes of Barabas recapping the last book quite simply. I applaud the author for the efficient way she chose to handle that and I hope the next book includes a good summary like that.
Magic Rises had quite the plot and adventure, so things were pretty crazy and shaky at the beginning of Magic Breaks. Roland would come for her (and Atlanta) eventually and I knew all signs were pointing to it happening in this installment. The first half the of the book, Curran was basically absent taking care of Pack business, while Kate was left to hold down the fort. Which meant we all knew something epic would happen and Kate would be left to deal with everything.
It seems the general consensus is the first half of the book wasn’t that great. However, I did enjoy the events and I think Kate grows as a person each time she’s left without Curran. She struggled with decisions and ended up making decent ones at every turn. While there were scenes that didn’t move the plot forward all that much, I think having the set group of people around Kate during a lot of her battles changed perspectives. We know Kate, but the rat alpha made some pretty good points when he said he felt left out of important decisions and felt alienated. I think having him along gave us some different views and showed us how, while we know Kate and can’t understand why people have a problem with her, perhaps they have legitimate concerns.
I enjoyed the scenes with Kate and Ghastek because, while Kate hated the Masters of the Dead, her and Ghastek always had a good relationship. Based on the events of Magic Breaks, I would not be surprised if Ghastek lends her his help (on a permanent basis). He seemed like he still had some moral fiber.
It was obvious to me in Magic Breaks that Kate and Curran were the real deal. It seems like some readers were so upset about the events in the last book, but I understood Curran and I felt like he did explain the situation well enough to be forgiven. And going through that situation strengthened their relationship, as Kate didn’t once walk around doubting their relationship. She only speculated about his safety instead of where his heart was.
The epic showdown I’ve been waiting for since the beginning was awesome. It was unlike anything I expected. I was extremely worried that Kate would meet Roland and defeat him on some technicality, which wouldn’t have been fair. We already know she’s not as powerful as him and I thought there was really no way for her to have defeated him. Her fights with Erra and Hugh had plenty of close calls, even when Hugh was holding back his magic, so any close fight with Roland would be unbelievable. Obviously, I want Kate to win, but I was worried the author backed herself into a corner she wouldn’t get out of without some sort of hidden magical ability suddenly appearing. Instead, the showdown went in a completely different direction and now I’m more intrigued than ever. The last half of the book was AMAZING.
And the ending? Wow.
I love this series. I never expected it to become a fast favorite, especially when I thought the first book was simply intriguing. It has gotten so much better with each book. I love so many aspects of the story and it’s damn good storytelling. I can’t get enough and I cannot wait for the next book. It’s a definite must read series. Seven books sounds daunting, but they are worth the read!
Labels: paranormal, Review, Urban Fantasy
