Sharing another one of my reviews from Pure Textuality. This is one of my absolute favorite urban fantasy series!!! Light on the romance, heavy on the badassery! If my character Dez aspired to be anyone else, it would probably be Kate. Enjoy! – Jena
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…
THANK THE GODS
ILONA AND GORDON
PUT IN A DISCLAIMER!!!
I read this book via audio book. First note – I love the narrator, Renee Raudman. She’s just awesome all around. When I first started listening to this series, I wasn’t sure I was going to like her because she’s got a much different style of speaking than most narrators, but now, I couldn’t imagine anyone else being the voice of Kate.
The audio book opens up with two things. The first is a disclaimer warning the readers that although this reads like a final book in a series, it is not, in fact, the final book in the Kate Daniels series. Had they not put that in there, this book would have WRECKED me. They’re right. It MOST DEFINITELY reads like a final installment.
The second thing at the beginning is a character recap of sorts. Had this been any other series, I would have had a reaction like “Ok, if you’re coming in at the seventh book, that’s your own fault, go back to the beginning”, but this series – I’m about to sound like a parrot because I have said this a million times – is the only Urban Fantasy series I would consider classifying as Epic Urban Fantasy. The world building in the Kate Daniels series is unlike any other series I have ever read. Huge. Massive. The history and the cast of characters is so large that, even though I am a die-hard fan, the recap was kind of nice. It actually reminded me of quite a few things I had completely forgotten about. If you’re a Kate Daniels fan, I encourage you to still read through the little recap. It’s worth it. 🙂
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT MAGIC BREAKS:
Ummmm, frikkin everything. (*said with snotty tone*)
This book was a roller coaster ride. It was highly intense, and, at times, deeply emotional. As Pure Textuality is a spoiler-free zone, I am not going to go in to details, but this book had me reduced to tears in four separate spots. Also, given the end of series feeling the book has, there are a couple of spots where I was screaming “NUH-UH!!!!” at my iPod.
As with the rest of this series, Magic Breaks is urban fantasy on a grand scale. Ilona and Gordon certainly seem to have the ‘go big or go home’ credo nailed down. I hate to say this, because this is an INCREDIBLE series that EVERYONE should read, but the world Kate Daniels might be a little tough on those who are attention span impaired. That being said, I have ADD, and, although I struggle at times with much simpler books, I have never once found my mind wandering while reading one of the Kate Daniels books. They are just THAT good.
I am really afraid of commenting here on any of the story lines in Magic Breaks for fear of blowing some serious plot points. For long time fans of the series, there are a great number of gems in this book that will have you squealing. Stunner moments left and right, both good and bad. I wasn’t kidding earlier about scream “NUH-UH!” at my iPod. You’re going to LOVE this ride. 🙂
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT MAGIC BREAKS:
Ummmm, nothing. (*also said with snotty tone*)
No, seriously. Magic Breaks was another incredible installment in the Kate Daniels world. I have to say, even if this HAD been the final book in the series, I really think I would have been happy with the way it ended. It would have been a great way to wrap up the series. The story lines all came full circle and a decision is made that really shows how much Kate has changed over the course of the seven books.
So, yeah. Nothing.
I loved this book cover to cover.
WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND MAGIC BREAKS TO?
Urban fantasy fans for sure! Particularly the Mercy Thompson or Alpha & Omega crowd (by Patricia Briggs), or the Charley Davidson lovers out there (by Darynda Jones). There is a paranormal romance story line in there, but it’s MUCH heavier on the urban fantasy. If you go into it expecting a bodice ripper with fangs, you’re going to be disappointed. Ilona Andrews writes what I consider true urban fantasy, and it’s awesome. 😉
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