Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2)
by Ilona Andrews
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Book Reviews of Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2)
Book Review: Kate Daniels fights again through the remains of a crumbling Atlanta.
Summary: 4 Stars
SYNOPSIS:
When this mercenary gives her word, she means it. Kate Daniels gave her business card to Red, a ragtag street kid and told him that he could call on her when he needed help. Now Red has called in the favor. He wants Kate to protect Julie and help her find her mother who, along with the rest of her coven of amateur witches, has disappeared. This search will lead Kate to a hole in the earth through which magic creatures are arriving. If Kate can't stop their advance, the entire population of Atlanta will be at risk.
OPINION:
Let me just tell you, that synopsis was almost impossible to write simply because there is so much going on in this novel. Trying to summarize everything into a neat little package is impossible. This is Book #2 in the Kate Daniels series and it was absolutely mind boggling for me. I have never read a book which displayed so much imagination on the part of an author. Ilona Andrews created entities, beings, monsters, and creatures that were almost impossible to imagine and yet she made them all work, and work well at that. This writer has an incredible imagination. How in the world can she come up with these beings? Just imagine a tortoise so large that Kate and a cohort walked into it's mouth to confront the Oracle of all the witches. Have you ever thought about walking though tortoise spit? Well I certainly never had.
All of the wonderful characters are back from Book #1, "Magic Bites", along with new friends and many new enemies. The city of Atlanta, Georgia, is crumbling to bits and falling down from the fluctuating forces of magic vs technology. Kate is still working as a liaison between The Mercenary Guild and The Order of Merciful Aid, but at heart she is still as independent as she has always been. Ms Andrews did a really good job of incorporating the pertinent information from the first book into this story so that it can be a complete stand alone book. I would, however, recommend reading the first book just because every little detail cannot possibly be repeated and there is so much information that is working toward making Kate into a complete character. More hints are given regarding Kate's heritage and she uses her magic in a very strong manner in this book. Curran, Beast Lord of the Pack, continues to tease us with a growing relationship with Kate. Derek and Jim are back as is Ghastek, a vampire who uses his mind to control other vampires in order to work with (or even against) Kate.
Once again this series is very heavy on the violent aspects of fighting the battle between good and evil. In fact this second book has even more violence in it than the first book. It almost got to be too much for me. I was really glad to get to what I knew had to be the final battle. These tales are character and plot driven and those characters are violent. Every character has the potential to be violent because of the magic they possess and the world of death and destruction they inhabit. If you like for your urban fantasy books to be neat and clean with just a little fairy dust sprinkled over everything to make it interesting, then this series would probably not be your favorite reading material. These bad guys are seriously bad, even some of the good guys are seriously bad. And yet I want to find out more about Kate, I want to understand what secrets she is still hiding, I want to see where her relationship with Curran is leading. My curiosity is aroused and I feel compelled to continue on with book three.
RECOMMENDATION:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even while I was wishing that the bloodshed and mutilation scenes would end. I just think that potential readers need to know that this is not some nice, cute, sweet little urban fantasy book with a hunky vampire type who swoops in and saves the feisty little heroine. Kate is sarcastic, stubborn, strong-willed, determined, pig-headed, leaps before she looks, opens mouth and inserts foot on a regular basis. But even in the middle of a really intense scene Ms Andrews will write a line that is so funny that I just laugh out loud. Maybe I like Kate so much because I understand her, she's me on one of my "loose cannon" days. So far both books in this series have been serious reading experiences. I've seen this series described as "dark" and "edgy". Often those words are used just to sell a book. Well, believe it this time. This time they are a completely accurate description.
Book Review: Kate Daniels is a fun and tough lead character!
Summary: 5 Stars
Kate Daniels is a back in Magic Burns, the second installment of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. This time around, the former Guild merc is now working for the Order and is confronted with magical beings from Welsh and Irish mythology. In this book, Kate Daniels sets out to retrieve some stolen maps for the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapeshifters when a young girl named Julie is sought by sea demons and Kate must intervene to keep her from being harmed. The story that unfolds is action packed and threatens the city of Atlanta with destruction.
I admit it. I am not a fan of the covers of these books. I would never have moved these books to the top of my TBR List if it weren't for Chachic from Chachic's Book Nook. Even after Magic Bites, I was disappointed with the cover of this second installment. I was even a little embarrassed to pull it out on the plane a few days ago when I was flying home from vacation. However, the book was so engrossing that I ended up not caring at the few looks people gave and just thought that they were likely missing out on this fantastic series if they decided to judge the book by its cover.
Kate Daniels continues to be awesome. She is a little more vulnerable in this book, but still in a very kick ass way. There are little snippets of her back story in Magic Burns that will hopefully be expounded upon in the next few books in the series. I want to see how this part of the story will play out in further books. Her character grew and developed quite a bit in this book so I have high hopes for seeing how she continues to deal with her past and her present in the upcoming books.
I really enjoyed the Celtic mythology in this book. It's just a small snippet of information since the book is only 260 pages, but a little trip to Wikipedia helped familiarize me with the characters in this book. I would actually like to read some more on Celtic mythology now that I've finished it. Morrigan and Morfran are interesting mythological characters and since they aren't the super popular Greek and Roman gods/goddesses, it helped give the book a freshness that I wasn't expecting.
Curran, the leader of the Pack also returns in this second installment and the witty banter between him and Kate is everything that the first book had and more. I'm usually not much one for romance, but the snarky dialogue between them creates a lot of sexual tension that I actually enjoy. I would compare their relationship to Castle and Beckett from the TV show Castle. The tension is there and you end up rooting for them to go the romantic route.
There are so many likeable characters that bring humor to the different situations that happen that I found myself laughing out loud a few times. The book really had everything that you could look for in a fun Urban Fantasy read. There is action, good character development, a strong female lead that isn't whiny, and interesting antagonists. My only complaint is the same from the first book. I really wanted more world building, but that might be because I typically read longer books that have tons of detail in them. Magic Burns just left me wanting to immediately crack open the third book in the series, Magic Strikes which I will mostly likely do right after I finish writing this review. Yes folks, the series is that fun! I love it!
*Notice of disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin Books.
Book Review: The Ending Saved It For Me
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading the last book I was a little frustrated. Nothing about the world was explained and the vague hints about Kate's "big secret" were irritating. Luckily early on in the book we start getting some new information. One of my biggest irritants was my lack of understanding of these magic waves. What's causing this, when did this start? I got some of the answers I was looking for, which was nice. I still want want more answers, but I'll try to be patient.
The beginning of this book was slow. Well, the middle of it was too for that matter. I repeatedly found my mind wandering and had to force myself to pay attention. It wasn't the actual events that were a bore to me, it was the writing. For some reason I feel very disassociated from this author's style. It wasn't until the end that I became engaged in the action. That's predictable though. I'm a sucker for action and I am fascinated by power. So, being that the end had those things... well, of course I was hooked.
Kate's dense and irritating at times, but her determination to put herself on the line for her friends is endearing. When Kate explained to Curran why she was willing to go to bat to support the wedding she finally became human for me. During the first book, and this book to an extent, she comes off rather two dimensional and flat. I like the world though, so I'll read the next one.
I liked Julie and Kate's interactions with her. She didn't baby her, but she didn't come off as cold either. I liked that Kate sat down and discussed the wrongness of what Red wanted her for. She didn't beat a dead horse with it, but she made her view known. One thing did bother me in the Julie protection thing though. ***SPOILER***How exactly did Red make it far enough into the Order to grab Julie? Aren't they supposed to be the safest place in the city?***END SPOILERS***
I really liked Bran. I thought he was an excellent character. What made it even better was that Kate could see through him to his motives and wasn't fooled. I liked when they sat down and had a serious talk in his own domain. His history was sad though. When that certain event happened at the end that upset Kate so much - man, that upset me too. He was my favorite so far. How can you not love a man who poofs in, kisses Kate, and poofs out while Curran throws a hissy fit in the background?
Curran and Kate get a bit more page time in this one. They have some nice, quiet moments, but overall they're antagonism and one-upmanship dominates their interactions. Kate can't control her mouth, Curran thunders around intimidating everyone and wants everything his way. Rinse and repeat and that'll pretty much be them through the whole book. They do have a few cute interactions. I liked when he gave her soup and drooled over her bow. Cute. I don't really find Curran compelling, but I don't see anyone better around (anymore) so I'm not exactly against them either. He has an unfortunate habit of reminding me of my kid. He's selfish and thinks he's always right and if he doesn't get his way he turns into a jerk and tries to start a fight. Yep, he reminds me of my three year old.
Book Review: 2nd book & the authors are improving!
Summary: 4 Stars
The second book opens up roughly three months after the events described in the first book which have been christened as the Red Point Stalker case. Kate Daniels finds herself in a better position than earlier as she is now a liaison officer between the Mercenary Guild as well as the Order of the Merciful Aid. She's making a decent living and still has her preferred status amongst the Pack as well as her secrets are safe with her.
The most recent case she gets is when Derek (apparent sidekick) approaches her to do a favor for the pack as someone seems to have stolen a set of the city maps from the pack and in the process hurt more than a few of them at the same time.
Kate's new odyssey begins where she has to figure who is the mysterious bowman who can disappear at will and why is he after these maps and the young girl Julie, who's mom is a witch and is missing with her entire coven and lastly who is behind all of this. Kate seems to have established some sort of a working relationship with the beast Lord Curran, however newer developments might lead to further deterioration in her precocious standings and with her trying to find out more about Roland (her main enemy). This time it looks as if Kate will have more than what she can handle.
The writing is better in this one as we get to read and understand Kate better. In the first book it seemed as if the authors were a bit unsure as to how to showcase her but in this book she's the same hard-talking and fighting female but her persona is much more appreciable. While in the first book I couldn't connect wholly to the main character, the second book completely drew me in and made Kate Daniels and her life that much more readable. The world is also deepened with the introduction of Irish mythology as the first book featured East European myths. Readers also get to see more interaction between Kate and the Beast Lord which forms a crucial aspect of these books. There is another climatic battle in this book as well however the scale is tremendous as in the first book it was more personal whereas in this one, the entire pack gets involved. The ending is fitting and also leaves the readers guessing as to what might be happening next in Kate's personal life.
I think Ilona Andrews might have given us another worthy character to follow and the world which they have created is pretty detailed and different at the same time. This series while seeming like many of those in the urban fantasy sub-genre manages to differentiate itself by having a female protagonist who primarily is a bad ass but also a decent person at heart. There is also a grander plot arc working behind the scene as snippets of dialogue tell us about Kate's crusade against Roland and how she is definitely more than what she seems to be. This is another fantastic series which I have discovered and one which I plan to follow till the authors bring it to the fantastic end which they seem to have planned for all us readers.
Book Review: Much better than the first--an amazing read!
Summary: 4 Stars
The first Kate Daniels book is merely a fun read to pass the time. By comparison, MAGIC BURNS is crafted better and urges the reader through reading the scant 260 pages as fast as possible.
Right where MAGIC BITES leaves off, MAGIC BURNS picks up. Kate is still broke, still a smart ass, and always getting into trouble. Of course, when someone begins to steal maps from the Pack, Kate gets involved. Things escalate quickly, not only leaving a young girl in Kate's protection with a missing mother but also sticking Kate firmly between the larger problem of two gods competing for rebirth.
The Kate Daniels world is unique, interesting, and entertaining. Perhaps because MAGIC BITES is just so quickly paced and throws the reader straight into the mix, it isn't until MAGIC BURNS that the world can be appreciated. The shift of strength of the tidal-like "magic" waves and "tech" waves is intriguing. I sincerely hope that the tides come more into play as the story continues, because such a unique aspect should be utilized.
Altogether, many of the issues of MAGIC BITES were resolved in MAGIC BURNS. Others, remained.
For one, the plot and antagonists moved along a lot better. The antagonist from the first was rather flat and dull, but I rather liked the addition of gray areas in Bran and Red. Although, I do wish that Bran hadn't been working so hard to get into Kate's pants--really now. I find it very hard to believe that so many males would want to seduce a woman like Kate. She's damned ferocious, sharp-tongued, and infuriating. Also, admittedly, she's more striking than beautiful. Generally speaking, that should chase off a good number of these suitors (regardless of their lust-level or seriousness). Also, I still have my irritations with the very obvious relationship-to-be between Kate and Curran. Honestly, I don't like Curran. (Well, anyone who is referred to as "Lord" will have to work hard to make it up to me, but unless he shows up with some redeeming qualities in the third book...)
In the same vein, I wish that more emphasis had been given to Andrea, Corwin, and Bran. While I'm not sure about Corwin (very interestingly, Corwin was first an animal, who is able to shift into a human state), I have high hopes for more Andrea.
I finished MAGIC BURNS with a burning need to immediately being MAGIC STRIKES, which says a lot about the improvement in this second volume.
If you're a fan of urban fantasy, especially with a snarky female protagonist, then go ahead and soldier through the first volume of Kate Daniels so you can get to this better, meatier part of the series. Well worth the read, indeed! If you're looking for similar reads, then check out Patricia Briggs' "Mercedes Thompson series" or the Dresden series. Briggs brings the snarky female protagonist, while Dresden works more on having an interesting environment/happenings for his (sometimes overly) sarcastic private detective.