Monday 15 July 2013

Review: Magic Strikes - Ilona Andrews

US Cover
When magic strikes and Atlanta goes to pieces, it's a job for Kate Daniels . . .

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that's saying a lot.

But when Kate's werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she finds herself with a personal stake and a whole new level of problem. As her investigations lead her to the Midnight Games - the invitation-only, no-holds-barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament - she uncovers a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta's shapeshifting community . . .

The Kate Daniels Series:
A Questionable Client (Short Story in the Magic Graves anthology)
Magic Bites
Magic Burns
Magic Strikes
Magic Mourns (Novella included in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology or available separately as an ebook)
Magic Bleeds
Magic Dreams (Novella included in the Hexed anthology or available separately as an ebook)
Magic Slays
Magic Tests (Short Story included in the An Apple for the Creature anthology)
Magic Gifts (Novella available for a limited time as a free ebook from the authors and included in the print version of Gunmetal Magic)
Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniel's World book 1)
Retribution Clause (Short Story in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Small Magics (Anthology containing previously published stories including A Questionable Client, Magic Tests and Retribution Clause as well as 2 other stories not set in the Kate Daniels world)
Magic Rises
Magic Steals (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
Magic Breaks
Magic Shifts
Magic Stars (Novella, Grey Wolf book 1)
Magic Binds
Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant book 1)
Magic Triumphs

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
Just when I think this series can't get any better the husband and wife team behind the name Ilona Andrews manage to prove me wrong! Seriously, every single book in this series just gets better and better and leaves me more desperate to read the next instalment. Magic Strikes really ups the ante in the action stakes and I couldn't put it down for a second. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I raged over things that happened, I sighed in relief, I laughed some more, I suffered with crazy sexual frustration and then the ending nearly killed me! Kate and Curran have turned me into a crazy fan girl - I want to be Kate's best friend and I want to jump Curran's bones (I have a feeling that if I picked option 2 Kate would brutally murder me but it would definitely be worth it!).

Kate is everything a heroine should be, she is smart, funny, loyal, kick ass and capable of standing on her own two feet to defend herself. She doesn't need anyone to protect her all the time but that doesn't mean she is too stupid to accept help when circumstances require it. She doesn't have many friends but anyone who earns that distinction from her will find she has their back no matter what it costs her. She isn't afraid to risk her life to keep those she cares about safe but she won't go down without a fight. Then you have Curran. What can I say about Curran? I really don't have the words to describe the Beast Lord but I'll try. He is an arrogant, domineering alpha who knows what he wants and won't stop until he gets it; he's a powerful leader who is respected by his pack and feared by his enemies; he is sexy as hell and he knows it; he wants to protect Kate but he loves her because of her strength; he respects the fact that she can and will stand up to him and he treats her like an equal. There aren't many heroes who make me swoon quite as much as Curran does and I absolutely love every single interaction between him and Kate. The ending of both Magic Strikes and Magic Burns absolutely killed me with how much they made me love him!

I haven't even got around to mentioning the other fantastic characters this series has to offer. In this instalment Derek is in trouble and when he is seriously injured Kate and other members of the pack will do anything to help him. They find themselves caught up in the Midnight Games, an underground fighting tournament where participants fight to the death, and Kate is forced to enter a team to fight for Derek's life. They are facing their fiercest enemy yet and the stakes have never been higher. Not only do we have the fantastic fight scenes and plenty of action surrounding the Midnight Games but we also get to find out more about Kate's background, we finally discover what Saiman is and we see just what happens when the shapeshifters go against Curran's laws. There are plenty of surprises that will keep you on your toes and I'm sure you're going to enjoy the banter between the characters as much as I did.

I don't think it's possible for me to write a serious review for this book so you're just going to have to ignore my rambling and trust me when I tell you this is a series you don't want to miss out on. If you haven't already started it then go away, read Magic Bites and then come back just to tell me how amazing it is. If you're already a fan then you can just jump straight to the crazy fan girl behaviour - I'll be jumping up and down right along with you!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

UK Cover
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