Monday, August 17, 2015

Review: Magic Shifts

MAGIC SHIFTS
Kate Daniels #8
Ilona Andrews
Urban Fantasy
342 pages
Ace
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…


MY THOUGHTS
The Kate Daniels series is one that manages to remain fresh and engaging despite rapidly approaching the double digits in number, teaching us new things about the endlessly imaginative world and its inhabitants with each installment. Magic Shifts is the latest outstanding addition to a phenomenal series, giving us a new and impressive villain to test Kate and Curran while at the same time deepening the relationship between the two of them as well as their relationships with those around them.

Kate is a woman who, without fail, brings a smile to our faces every time we pick up a book in this series, her quick wit and laid-back approach to creatures and situations that would have most people curled in the fetal position just a few of the things that make us want to reach out and hug her for being a more unconventional variety of badass. She has a healthy understanding of her own capabilities without constantly patting herself on the back, making her occasional boastful taunts to whomever she's facing down come across as genuine rather than self-congratulatory.

Her relationship with Curran is as much a highlight in this newest installment as it has been from the beginning, the two of them reaching a place where they have complete trust and faith in the other, and just when we begin to think an established romance might not hold our interest the way the building of it did in previous books, Ilona Andrews delivers the emotional equivalent of a smack upside the head for ever doubting them. The romantic punch to the gut is short-lived but no less poignant for its brevity, reminding us just how beautiful a couple Kate and Curran are and how much we want to see the two of them get to a place where their days are no longer full of life and death struggles.

Overall, Magic Shifts is as engaging and entertaining as we've come to expect from the writing team of Ilona Andrews, telling a complete story so that we're left utterly satisfied as we turn the last page while keeping the larger plot involving Roland alive and well so future installments have innumerable legs to stand on.

Rating: 4.5/5
 

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This book was  sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

34 comments:

  1. I want it nooooooow. But I am waiting for pb

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  2. "The Kate Daniels series is one that manages to remain fresh and engaging despite rapidly approaching the double digits in number, teaching us new things about the endlessly imaginative world and its inhabitants with each installment." THAT! I couldn't say it better myself. That's why I love Kate so much, it never gets boring besides it's so good when it comes to writing. I'm so glad you loved it, Jenny. Amazing review :)

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    1. YES! Kate never disappoints, and I love how we get a whole story in each installment, we're not left with things hugely open-ended.

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  3. "The romantic punch to the gut is short-lived but no less poignant for its brevity, reminding us just how beautiful a couple Kate and Curran are and how much we want to see the two of them get to a place where their days are no longer full of life and death struggles."

    Oh my god, yes! This is how you create romantic tension, and not through senseless love triangles and miscommunications! This crushed my poor little heart, and I think I was genuinely afraid for the very first time, which just goes to show how amazing Gordon and Ilona really are.
    I'm glad to see you're still enjoying this just as much as I am, Jenny! You just put it into much better words. :)

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    1. YESSSSSS! I was an emotional mess for that short time in this one Maja and I loved every second of it. More Kate and Curran please:)

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  4. Oh yes I really enjoyed this one as well! It was a great new book! Can't wait for more.

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  5. Oh wow, this sounds incredible! I've never read the series, but the review convinced me!

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    1. READ IT IMMEDIATELY! I think this is a series that just gets better as it goes:)

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  6. What a beautiful review, Jenny! I'm still on book 6 in this series, but I can't wait to read more. I adore Kate and her easy going nature and of course, the romance is the highlight for me. I love what you had to say about the romance! There's always that nagging doubt with a long series as this one that the romance won't' be as exciting as in the beginning, but these authors prove me wrong every time.
    I'm so happy this was yet another successful installment, Jenny!

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    1. Thanks Nick! And I have a confession. I skipped books 5-7, but it's a testament to the writing of Ilona Andrews that I was never lost in this one despite having missed a number of books. I can't wait to go back and get caught up now:)

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  7. Yay, for a wonderful sounding addition to the series! I love the fact that this series just keeps better. The danger, romance and new villains always amaze me. I'm happy that this such a great read for you, Jenny :)

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    1. I can't get enough of Kate and Curran Kim. I love them:)

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  8. Jenny! I am so darn excited to read this and so relieved after everything that happened in the last book, this series is still going strong. I think that was my biggest fear is that things wouldn't be the same without the pack there constantly. I can't wait for this!

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    1. I need to read the last book Ali! I may have skipped a few, but I was never once lost reading this. I absolutely loved it:)

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  9. I still need to read this series! I have the first few but I think I'm going to have to get them on audio in order to get through them. But I'm really happy to hear it's still going strong, even so many books in!

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    1. Yes you do Candace! It's one of my favorites even if I fell a little behind there for a while:)

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  10. Clearly, a series I need to read, and I better start sooner than later, before it gets to the double digits!!
    Great review Jenny!

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    1. Yes it is Pili! I know you'll love Curran (and of course Kate).

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  11. I am so bummed that my library stopped the audios at Gunmetal Magic. GAH! I am so going to have to haunt them until they give me what I want. LOVE that the romance is still going strong. Want to read!!!

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    1. I don't think I've loved Kate and Curran more than I did in this one Melissa! Their build up was fantastic, but I love them as a couple even more:)

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  12. Ugh ... stop tempting me! I want to wait to read this, but omg I miss everyone. I'm so happy to hear it's still going strong after how the 7th book ended.

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  13. I'm so glad that you enjoyed this one, Jenny! I'm really looking forward to starting this one soon and am so glad that it seems to be universally liked. Fantastic review, dear! :)

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    1. I just love this series Keertana. It makes me happy:)

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  14. I'm so happy you loved this one, Jenny! I have to say I was a little nervous, have no idea why, but I don't want anything to spoil my love for this amazing series! I do love Kate! Like you said she's confident without being arrogant, and I LOVE the romance with Curran! Fab review! :)

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    1. Yes! I like that she has a healthy ego, but she's also super snarky and self deprecating:)

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  15. I have the audio for review and as soon as I finish Awakened I will start it. I am so excited to be back in this world!

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  16. I really need to play catch-up with this series, I am so far behind now and it sounds like a lot has changed. I adore Kate and love the relationship she has with Curran, super excited for this one.

    A lovely review! Sharon - Obsession with Books

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  17. It really does seem like Ilona Andrews can do no wrong with her fantasy books! It sounds like she can build the most amazing worlds and immerse the reader in it while bringing to life realistic characters, challenges and a strong romance. Love it and the review!

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  18. I love this series sooo much. It's how I imagine the Anita Blake books could have progressed if Anita hadn't turned into turbo-slut. I'd like more Derek though...he's one of my favorite characters!

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  19. I will definitely be checking them out, not to mention this novel as well since I've been seeing its cover around quite a bit. Great post--thanks for sharing.

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