Book Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

Summary:

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal Magic_Triumphs.inddproblems in post-Shift Atlanta. She’s made friends and enemies. She’s found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate’s doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.

Goodreads

Thoughts:

Ahhhh, the Kate Daniels series has come to an end. I think this may be the only urban fantasy series where I’ve actually read all of the books? I’ve read a lot of UF, but usually drop the long running series after book seven or so (one of the reasons I have so many unfinished series). Anywho.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the Kate Daniels series. In this one Kate isn’t only worrying about the constant overhanging threat from her father, but a new foe arrives in town trying to take over the world. Well, Kate and Curran aren’t having any of that. Together with their gang, and their new wonder baby, they work together to defeat the big bad and also rid themselves and the city of from the threat of her father.

One thing I’ve always loved about this series is that when Kate started getting too powerful, or Curran was accumulating too much power as Beast Lord, they figured out a way to knock all of that back a peg or two to keep the story interesting. Because if your heroes keep leveling up then you have to keep inventing bigger and bigger enemies for them to fight.  And after the last couple of books, I pretty much thought the biggest bad they would have to fight at the end of things would be Roland, but I would have been wrong. I really like that the authors didn’t take the most expected path here. I also appreciate that our heroes are pretty much leveled all the way up at the end here in order to fight this big bad–it’s the finale so we should see them at their peak powers. I also appreciate that they’re very much aware of their power and worried that they’ll abuse it. The fact that they worry about it makes you realize they’re good people.

Of course, they couldn’t have done it without their friends.  That’s the other thing I love about this series, but this book in particular–the way their group always has each other’s backs. The gang’s all together. Some folks that even used to be enemies are now frenemies and they come out to help take down the bad guy too. And when everyone thinks the end is nigh, no one is holding anything back anymore. I love all the relationships between all the various characters. I also loved getting to meet Curran and Kate’s baby. He’s definitely their kid, haha.

I don’t think this book was as hilarious as the last book, but it still made me laugh out loud several times. One minute the book is grossing you out with descriptions of murder scenes and the next you’re cracking up and then you’re being thrown into an action scene. The pacing on this story was great.

Overall I was really happy with the end of this series and I know it probably won’t be the last we see of these of some of these characters. If  you’ve never read this series, now is a great time to start! 4.5/5 stars.

19 thoughts on “Book Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews”

    • waytoofantasy says:
      Reply

      I felt the same way at first but I’m glad I read it. There is a spinoff featuring Hugh, I am reading that soon. Wouldn’t be surprised if there are other spinoffs in the works either. Crossing my fingers anyway lol.

      • Hannah says:

        I read the spinoff last month because I’ve read that the events in that book are somehow important for the events in the last Kate Daniels’ book. It was fine but nothing incredible.

      • waytoofantasy says:

        I heard that too, but I haven’t read it yet and I don’t think it’s nothing that you don’t get from context in the last book. It’s not like I was lost not having read it. I still do want to read the spinoff though because I like Hugh, he’s an interesting character.

  6. @lynnsbooks says:
    Reply

    So satisfying to reach the end of a series and for it to be so satisfying. Have you read the Bishop series? I’m curious because I haven’t read it but do own the first book. I also love the Toby Daye series – I’m a few book behind but I do intend to carry on – have you read that one?
    Lynn 😀

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