Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2)
by Ilona Andrews
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Book Reviews of Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, Book 2)
Book Review: (4.5) No Sophomore Slump
Summary: 5 Stars
No sophomore slump here! Ilona Andrews follows--and tops--her debut novel with an excellent sequel, _Magic Burns_.
We get some more world-building. Andrews explains, in a way that flows smoothly with the story and doesn't feel like an infodump, the theory as to why the magic and tech have gone wonky in the first place. We also learn about magic flares, which occur roughly every seven years. During these upsurges in magic, powerful and dangerous summonings can be done. As _Magic Burns_ begins, a magic flare has kicked in and Kate finds herself entangled in the mystery of a witch coven who disappeared after getting in over their heads.
Kate is growing as a character as this series progresses. In Magic Burns, she lets a few more people into her heart, and I don't just mean romantically (though the romantic tension between her and Curran is just enough to be lots of fun without dominating the story). We also learn a few more tantalizing hints about Kate's parentage and about the powers she keeps under wraps.
The mystery/supernatural plot is more layered than that of _Magic Bites_, and better executed. Andrews continues to root her plots in a diverse range of mythology and folklore rather than sticking to the current urban fantasy trends. This time, everything's more complicated, because the good guys and bad guys are less clearly delineated, and Kate has to navigate a minefield of other people's competing agendas. The pace is fast, and there are no "Huh?" moments like the one I had in _Magic Bites_.
Andrews has also toned down the gore. There's still plenty of violence, but if you thought there were a few too many explicit descriptions of cannibalism and rape in _Magic Bites_, you'll probably like _Magic Burns_ better.
_Magic Burns_ just earned Andrews a place on my very short "snap up on sight" list. She's one of the most original voices currently writing in the urban fantasy subgenre, and I can't wait to see what she does next.
Book Review: A sequel as good as the first one.
Summary: 5 Stars
This sequel is excellent. The author lost none of her forward motion when she wrote this one. It is just as good or exceeds the first one. I loved both of them and am waiting for the next installment.
Kate Daniels is still fighting and cleaning up the magical attacks and mistakes of others. She is now working for the Order. She is the liasion between the Guild and the Order. Still trying to find her place and keep out of the notice of others.
Curran is the leader of the shapechangers in Atlanta. He is devoted to his pack. Nevertheless Kate seems to come to his attention quite often. He is a werelion and a savage fighter.
The problem is that every seven years there is a flare of magic. A time when even the Gods come forth. Now it seems Atlanta is the scene of a battle between two of the Gods. A coven of witches in the poorer sections of Atlanta have somehow opened a portal to another dimension. A little girl is caught in the middle. Her mother was one of the witches and now none of them can be found.
Kate calls on her partner Jim from the Guild. He is a member of Curran's Pack. Jim tells her he needs her help first, the Pack's maps of the underground Atlanta have been stolen. Kate is willing to fight the dead but now something like a vampire, in that they are possessed by their owner, yet unlike them also, they die and turn to water and they come back, are determined to get to the little girl. They attack Kate's home and are barely driven off.
The danger is real and the fighting is awesome, between our world and the world of the older God. Kate protects the little girl who can see auras. She doesn't realize how unique she is. She just wants her mother.
I could not put it down. The imagination of this author is unique and different, that is why she will be around for a long time. Do not miss this urban fantasy.
Book Review: A "realistic" Urban Fantasy Novel.....Hurray!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Important note: I would not call this a paranormal romance, I would call this a Urban Fantasy book. I have a pet peeve about being mislead and this book fits the former category.
After I finished the first book of this series I was seriously worried that we were headed down the path to another of the too powerful to be believable heroines. The characters were interesting and the author's idea for bringing magic and technology together was good, but I seriously wondered if our Heroine was going to be another Anita Blake who develops new powers every other page.
Book 2. Ilona Andrews gets a big thumb up for letting her heroine get her butt royally kicked several times in the book. She's still a really bratty, smart-mouthed girl who happens to be really, really powerful in magic and other things. Here's the great part. There is a good explanation for a lot of it. She doesn't just magically have powers, she has been to schools and she studies on her own to get better. What? A heroine who works at it?? Thank you, Ms. Andrews, for writing with your brain intact.
The second book starts up pretty much where the first book left off. Kate, our heroine, is still struggling financially, has a hard time keeping a boyfriend and doesn't play nice with others. Her interactions with other paranormal groups continue and she keeps trying to do good while staying as sassy and likable as before.
The storyline follows Kate through the advent of a major surge/spike in magic and the interactions of several different groups who are being affected. The Beastlord who she flirted/fought with during the first book remains a strong supporting character, but Ms. Andrews doesn't just throw them together for the almost mandatory sex that these books too often include without a good reason. Again, nice job Ms. Andrews.
Book Review: I love this series!
Summary: 5 Stars
Kate Daniels is a mercenary and the liaison between Mercenary Guild and the Order of Merciful Aid. As a merc, Kate knows how waves of magic and technology flow across Atlanta like a tide, disrupting phones and making monsters come alive. But once every seven years, something called a flare happens, magic runs rampant, and is so powerful that can make even Gods walk the Earth as normal beings. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack - the main group of shapeshifters ruled by Curran, their King - she finds out that it's way more complicated than just finding them because a war between two gods wanting rebirth is brewing and Kate is right in the middle of it.
This book is a fabulous sequel to Magic Bites. Kate's still a kickass character with a smart mouth, she's sharp and sometimes even rude and all that makes her a fantastic character. Ilona Andrews writing was just so damn good it left me speechless sometimes. I especially like how we see a little bit more of how Kate feels without her turning into a total softy although that seems impossible. Curran, the Pack King, can go from being downright scary to, and I almost fear saying it, cute in a second - like in the end of the book - I love his character, as well. The Celtic mythology plot was very interesting and worked really well, especially how vivid the imagery was and I could literally imagine this strange world in my head. There's nothing I didn't like - the dark humor, the gore, everything was just right, especially the ending, a word that comes to mind is adorable. It really was an adorable ending and left me giddy, wanting to read more about Kate and Curran and this strange, but still beautiful world Ms. Andrews has created. Magic Burns was one of the best Fantasy books I've read and Ilona Andrews has definitely become one of my favorite authors.
Book Review: Magic Burns
Summary: 4 Stars
Kate Daniels is a mercenary that just can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Her friends all seem to be business acquaintances (Curran the Beast Lord, Derek a werewolf, Saiman a shapeshifter she guarded once, Ghastek a vampire rider, Jim a werepanther, Andrea a beastkin that also works at the Order etc etc.) so when she takes on a mission involving an orphaned girl, a missing coven of witches, and a rogue deity set on making Atlanta his new home, Kate really doesn't think her friends will be able to help too terribly much.
It turns out that the missing coven of witches was worshipping the wrong deity and really messed things up when a cauldron of rebirth got stolen and the mythical enemies of Morrigan called the Fomorians begin chasing down Kate and the orphaned girl that Kate has taken under her wing. Things continue to get messy as artifacts get stolen, informants withhold crucial details, allies make decisions without all that crucial information and Morrigan's Hound (named Bran) continues to try to get into her pants.
Kate certainly keeps busy fending off, well, everything and everyone. The action is tightly worded and fast and can get confusing if you tend to skim when things get exciting so that you can take in more information in less time (like I do).
Kate continually turns down Bran but he's not the only one making offers and I was pretty pleased with Curran's role through most of the story. He's about as tough and snarky as Kate and so they make a good team for both fighting and bantering. His actions and commentary in this book were very amusing particularly at the end. ^_^
It does seem to take the author/publisher a long time before the next in the series comes out but if it's quality fiction like these first two books I can't really complain too much.