Manga Maniac Cafe's Journal

Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=13975

May Contain Spoilers

Oh boy, where to start. As the final book in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Triumphs is everything I hoped it would be. It ties up the main storylines satisfactorily, settles Kates daddy issues in a clever way, and leaves an opening for more adventures with supporting characters. I really enjoyed this, and cant think of a better way to draw the series to an end.

Im not going to give many plot details, because I dont want to give any spoilers, and part of the fun of reading Magic Triumphs is being surprised as one road bump after another is exposed by Kates investigation into the disappearance of the population of an entire town. As she and Derek doggedly dig around for clues, she discovers that in addition to this threat, Roland is also getting ready to attack Atlanta. With two enormously powerful enemies knocking on her door, things dont look very promising for the continued existence of her family, friends, or her city.

While Kate is dealing with a lot of dark, heavy issues, there is glorious humor thrown into the narrative. Most of it is courtesy of Kate and Currans feisty, incredibly powerful son, Conlan. If Conlan was my kid, I would be tearing my hair out and investing in silver baby cribs so I could put him in the occasional time out. Conlan is as stubborn as Kate, as determined as Curran, and probably more magically gifted than both of them put together. I would love love love to read more about him. Think about it. A novella about him heading off to high school, or the trials and tribulations of trying to fit in with the rest of the populace, when his star shines brighter than the sun. Oh, the troubles he could overcome!

All of the supporting cast that we have come to love return, providing support, grief, or comic relief. After this installment, Erra is probably my favorite, followed by Julie, Derek, and the boudas. Some of supporting cast had hanging plot threads that could easily be solved with a novella, so if the authors are listening, Id love to read more though that would cut into their time to give us more Hidden Legacy stories, so it would be counter-productive (for me).

The Kate Daniels series has been a fantastic roller-coaster ride, with each book improving over the last. I remember originally DNFing Magic Bites, and the only thing that got me through it was the wonderful narration of the audio book. I listened to the first two books, in fact, before I switched over to reading them on my Kindle. And guess what? Now that the adrenaline fueled rush to reach the end is over, I think I will listen to all of them, and enjoy the whole series again.

Oh! And I totally forgot to say Read Iron and Blood, Hughs first book, first!

Grade: 4.5 stars

Kate Daniels series overall: 4.5

Review copy provided by publisher

About the book:

Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can’t-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series.
Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems 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.