Status
Available
Series
Genres
Publication
Recorded Books (2013)
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack's shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there's little available in Atlanta. Kate can't bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute�and they'll pay him in medicine. With the young people's survival and the Pack's future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer�but they have little doubt that they're heading straight into a trap....… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member les121
My love for the Kate Daniels series has grown with each installment, so I didn’t think it was possible for Magic Rises to exceed my very high expectations. But it did. This book is like a breath of fresh air, moving the story out of Atlanta and into unfamiliar territory. The plot is full of
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twists that I didn’t see coming, and it brings Kate another step closer to her inevitable throwdown with Roland. It also shakes up the status quo in Kate and Curran’s relationship, forcing them to navigate new challenges that make their bond feel just as tenuous as it was in the beginning of the series. Although the tone of the book is bleak, and triumph comes at a high cost, moments of hilarity break up the seriousness. Overall, Magic Rises is a masterfully plotted and highly entertaining book. I have no idea where the story is going from here, but I can’t wait to find out. Show Less
LibraryThing member Fidget78
The Kate Daniel series by wife and husband writing team, Ilona Andrews has a cult following. I enjoy being a member of the cult. This series is one of my all time favorites and I don't miss a chance to follow the authors on Twitter or miss reading their blog. (I'm really not a stalker, much). I
From reading the blog and watching interviews, I knew something "bad" was going to happen in Magic Rises and no, NO SPOILERS from me. I listened in trepidation through each fight scene and held my breath I don't know how many times. I was anxious through the whole book. Which is good and bad.
What I liked: I sincerely enjoyed that Magic Rises takes place away from Atlanta. It gave it some freshness and added characters. You will also appreciate all the research that went into Magic Rises. I felt like I was physically there in the mountains. I especially liked the further development of all the characters. I never even knew, or remembered that Mahon or Jim had family. Seeing those interactions just brings the characters more alive. Learning even more about Kate and Curran's background was pivotal to their characters and the story.
What I didn't like: That something bad had to happen. But it's a fact of life and the series will be better for it. I just didn't have to like it but I understand it.
I think Magic Rises is my second favorite in the series behind Magic Strikes. With more books contracted for the series, that may well change. I recently watched a video chat with Ilona and Gordon. Most of the answers to the questions was, wait till Book 7. Okay, I'm waiting.
I feel I'm not doing Magic Rises justice with this review. It's an outstanding novel. Take a deep breath and dive in. You will not be putting this book down!!
Highly recommend Magic Rises but start with book 1, Magic Bites, if you're new to the series. I recommend this series all the time to family, friends and any one I know who loves to read!!
5 Stars easily!!
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actually read Magic Rises and listened to the audio book. Yep, I'm a sad puppy. This was the first time I listened to an audio book written by the Andrews'. The narrator, Renee Raudman is fantastic. I'd heard others talk about what an excellent job she did, now I'm hooked!From reading the blog and watching interviews, I knew something "bad" was going to happen in Magic Rises and no, NO SPOILERS from me. I listened in trepidation through each fight scene and held my breath I don't know how many times. I was anxious through the whole book. Which is good and bad.
What I liked: I sincerely enjoyed that Magic Rises takes place away from Atlanta. It gave it some freshness and added characters. You will also appreciate all the research that went into Magic Rises. I felt like I was physically there in the mountains. I especially liked the further development of all the characters. I never even knew, or remembered that Mahon or Jim had family. Seeing those interactions just brings the characters more alive. Learning even more about Kate and Curran's background was pivotal to their characters and the story.
What I didn't like: That something bad had to happen. But it's a fact of life and the series will be better for it. I just didn't have to like it but I understand it.
I think Magic Rises is my second favorite in the series behind Magic Strikes. With more books contracted for the series, that may well change. I recently watched a video chat with Ilona and Gordon. Most of the answers to the questions was, wait till Book 7. Okay, I'm waiting.
I feel I'm not doing Magic Rises justice with this review. It's an outstanding novel. Take a deep breath and dive in. You will not be putting this book down!!
Highly recommend Magic Rises but start with book 1, Magic Bites, if you're new to the series. I recommend this series all the time to family, friends and any one I know who loves to read!!
5 Stars easily!!
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LibraryThing member yahalomi65
This is my 1st time to read any thing of Ilona Andrews ....so it stated to me a little slow to get into the business. Anyway when i was inside it caught me strongly and i couldn't let the book down till I finish it.
I was so relived to find that it is not a typical were shifters plot and i find the
But this is not the only plot inside we can find more plots that somehow Ilona can draw together without confusing the reader. Like the estrangement between the American and the European packs, which have a very rare drug which can cure the young's and save the elders from keeling them. The invitation of the American pack as a 3rd neutral party for protection of on of the European packs pregnant princess with chides of 2 other European packs. The past that chase Kate and add another twist to the plot as the all thing discovered as a trap for Kate. .... and so on.
I loved the dry humor that was on the verge of the cynical. And I also love the economical descriptions that tell every thing and the lake of over dramatizations, even when things get tough and the tough must get going.
Beside this just go and read it and make your stand all by yourself, i did enjoy it very much.
I was so relived to find that it is not a typical were shifters plot and i find the
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idea of Tech. and magic competing on controlling the world is very very interesting. The world before and after the shift and the Lyc - V Virus. The idea of louping is very scientific on one hand - because it depend on the count of Lyc-v in the blood and on the other hand it is very emotional that the incompleteness made the pack kill those with high count, cuz it turn the shifter to a mindless cruel creature. What make it more emotional is the fact that it happen in young age and actually all the plot turn around finding how to get the magical cure to this problem.But this is not the only plot inside we can find more plots that somehow Ilona can draw together without confusing the reader. Like the estrangement between the American and the European packs, which have a very rare drug which can cure the young's and save the elders from keeling them. The invitation of the American pack as a 3rd neutral party for protection of on of the European packs pregnant princess with chides of 2 other European packs. The past that chase Kate and add another twist to the plot as the all thing discovered as a trap for Kate. .... and so on.
I loved the dry humor that was on the verge of the cynical. And I also love the economical descriptions that tell every thing and the lake of over dramatizations, even when things get tough and the tough must get going.
Beside this just go and read it and make your stand all by yourself, i did enjoy it very much.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
MAGIC RISES was an excellent entry into the Kate Daniels series. It was filled with danger and adventure and really tested Kate and Curran's relationship. There are a variety of plot threads woven into this story. First of all, Julie's best friend Maddie is an danger of going loup. A fairly large
When Kate and Curran are asked to act as a neutral party concerning three rival clans and the birth of a child, they know that this is some kind of trap. However, their fee includes the panacea that will keep more of the were children alive.
Since Saiman owes Kate a favor, she calls it in by having him use one of his fleet of ships to take them, and about a dozen of their pack members, to the shore of the Black Sea and the political minefield that is brewing there. Kate's one piece of optimism is that it will get her out of the sight of Hugh who is her father's warlord. She has been on the run from her father since her birth.
Arriving at the fortress, she finds her hopes are dashed when the human in charge turns out to be Hugh and the plot gets even thicker and twistier. Throw in an old girlfriend of Curran's who is absolutely sure she would make a better Consort than Kate and is willing to do anything to prove it and things really come to a boil.
As always, one of the most magical parts of the Kate Daniels series are the creatures who inhabit the stories. This story is no exception. It introduces new creatures based on Babylonian myth that even Kate hasn't heard of.
I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Fans of this series will not want to miss the excellent episode.
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percentage of were children go loup at adolescence and have to be killed. There is a cure but it is tightly controlled by the European weres who aren't into sharing.When Kate and Curran are asked to act as a neutral party concerning three rival clans and the birth of a child, they know that this is some kind of trap. However, their fee includes the panacea that will keep more of the were children alive.
Since Saiman owes Kate a favor, she calls it in by having him use one of his fleet of ships to take them, and about a dozen of their pack members, to the shore of the Black Sea and the political minefield that is brewing there. Kate's one piece of optimism is that it will get her out of the sight of Hugh who is her father's warlord. She has been on the run from her father since her birth.
Arriving at the fortress, she finds her hopes are dashed when the human in charge turns out to be Hugh and the plot gets even thicker and twistier. Throw in an old girlfriend of Curran's who is absolutely sure she would make a better Consort than Kate and is willing to do anything to prove it and things really come to a boil.
As always, one of the most magical parts of the Kate Daniels series are the creatures who inhabit the stories. This story is no exception. It introduces new creatures based on Babylonian myth that even Kate hasn't heard of.
I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Fans of this series will not want to miss the excellent episode.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the sixth book in the Kate Daniels series. It feels like it’s been awhile between books and I was very excited to get back to reading about this world and about Kate and Curran. This was an absolutely wonderful read.
Kate and Curran are sick of dealing with the increasing death of
This was a wonderful read and had a couple delightful surprises that totally broadsided me and left me with my mouth hanging open and then yelling OMG! All our favorites are in the story Andrea, Rafael, Curran, Kate, and others. Jim is left at home to mind the pack, which it’s rumored the next book will be about Jim, so I am guessing that’s why he was left behind. Julie is also left behind at the Keep.
Kate continues to develop as a character. In this book she struggles a lot with the fact that she is human (mostly) and everyone around her is a shapeshifter. She kind of has a pity party about all of the things she can’t do as a human that they can do. I was a bit peeved at her lack of faith in Curran, but really they were both at fault for a lack of communication.
We get to meet a new and disturbing kind of shapeshifter in this book. I enjoyed watching both Curran and Kate travel out of their element and meeting completely new shapeshifters in a new region. It was fun to have a change of setting and it was all very well done.
Unfortunately because of the twists and turns mentioned above there are a whole series of characters and plot points I can’t discuss without spoilers. Let’s just say Kate’s past comes to haunt her in a big way.
The action scenes were incredibly well done and breathtaking. I loved how there was the main storyline of Kate and Curran getting a cure for the kids going loup and that this was nicely resolved. However the storyline involving Kate and her past also made a lot of progress in this book and I am dying to see where that goes in the next book.
This whole series has been very well written and is such a pleasure to read. The world is wonderful and absolutely intriguing. The characters are easy to engage with and interesting. I love that there is both a contained story and a story that continues from book to book.
Overall a spectacular addition to this series. I loved it! Highly recommended to all fantasy and urban fantasy lovers out there.
Kate and Curran are sick of dealing with the increasing death of
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shapeshifter children who are going Loup. The problem really hits home when Julie’s best friend goes loup and Kate wants to do something about it. There is a medicine that helps those who start to go loup and reverses the process, but it is only available from the European shapeshifters and is hard to come by. Then the perfect (too perfect) opportunity arises, the European Shapeshifters want Curran to arbitrate a dispute among them and in payment they will give him the highly sought after medicine.This was a wonderful read and had a couple delightful surprises that totally broadsided me and left me with my mouth hanging open and then yelling OMG! All our favorites are in the story Andrea, Rafael, Curran, Kate, and others. Jim is left at home to mind the pack, which it’s rumored the next book will be about Jim, so I am guessing that’s why he was left behind. Julie is also left behind at the Keep.
Kate continues to develop as a character. In this book she struggles a lot with the fact that she is human (mostly) and everyone around her is a shapeshifter. She kind of has a pity party about all of the things she can’t do as a human that they can do. I was a bit peeved at her lack of faith in Curran, but really they were both at fault for a lack of communication.
We get to meet a new and disturbing kind of shapeshifter in this book. I enjoyed watching both Curran and Kate travel out of their element and meeting completely new shapeshifters in a new region. It was fun to have a change of setting and it was all very well done.
Unfortunately because of the twists and turns mentioned above there are a whole series of characters and plot points I can’t discuss without spoilers. Let’s just say Kate’s past comes to haunt her in a big way.
The action scenes were incredibly well done and breathtaking. I loved how there was the main storyline of Kate and Curran getting a cure for the kids going loup and that this was nicely resolved. However the storyline involving Kate and her past also made a lot of progress in this book and I am dying to see where that goes in the next book.
This whole series has been very well written and is such a pleasure to read. The world is wonderful and absolutely intriguing. The characters are easy to engage with and interesting. I love that there is both a contained story and a story that continues from book to book.
Overall a spectacular addition to this series. I loved it! Highly recommended to all fantasy and urban fantasy lovers out there.
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LibraryThing member Cats57
Edited to add ------> you my want to read the deleted scene at the back of the book first. I beleive it would have made an excellent prologue.
It is not often that one can say that a book in a particular series is `the best ever'. However, in my mind I can and will be saying exactly that about Magic
The writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews have come a very long way from their first novel in this series Magic Bites.. The maturity of the characters has left me breathless. The plotting is without a doubt, written more intricately and adeptly than any other author of this genre can. This team can write a scene where everything looks hopeless for the protagonist, and instead of pulling some lame trick out of thin air to rescue the character, the team actually uses something that makes sense, has already been mentioned and planned for. This is a sign of a great author.
There is a very popular author, whose main character gets a new power when backed into a corner. This other author does not plan or plot - she just adds a new powers when needed. With no plausible explanations how the character got the powers.
The Andrews team does NOT rely on Mary Sue characteristics for Kate. They plan and they plot and the end product is nearly flawless. Yes, there still are continuity problems - ones that might easily be missed, but nothing that will take away from your reading experience.
As an added bonus, there are deleted chapters in the back of this book that the team simply could not fit in anywhere without creating a problem with the finished novel.
The characters are written and developed so well that you think you might be able to become friends with them. The secondary characters are written so well that you think you will explode if you don't read at least a novella about their lives. You will become so invested in the characters that when something happen to one, you almost feel it like it had happened to you. Even the romance in this book, as little as there is, is true to life - no fantasy garbage, just real people leading real lives in a topsy-turvy world where your best friend may get a bit furry and fanged when irritated.
As we know from the synopsis, our group will be going over to Europe to do a job that is guaranteed to be fraught with danger, yet yield a wonderful payoff; the panacea to end most cases of Loupism. They know they are heading off into a trap, but what else could Kate and Curran do when the children of the pack might be cured of this horrible problem? You know they will both enter with blade and claw drawn. What they didn't know is that the trap is even more deadly than they thought and the price for the panacea is even higher than they expected it to be.
Spoilerish but not really-------> We will lose one of our min secondary characters in this book and two of the others will be damaged, possibly beyond repair. There is confrontation with a particular someone so unexpected, that my jaw actually dropped. This happens in the first quarter of the book. Curran may possibly look like an opportunistic jerk for a while. There is more blood and guts in this book,than in most of the other books. There is a very hot scene. In addition, I thank the writing team for not making sex the focal point of these novels. This series has stuck to being an Urban Fantasy series without the sex/romance.
The group will encounter some interesting new species, and even take one home with them. Yes our intrepid group (or most of it) does manage to get a happily ever after - in a twisted sort of way.
----------------> End Spoilers
It is not often that one can say that a book in a particular series is `the best ever'. However, in my mind I can and will be saying exactly that about Magic
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Rises. It is the without an iota of doubt in my mind, the best book in this series to date. This book is filled to the brim with magic, action, mystery blood and even some romance.The writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews have come a very long way from their first novel in this series Magic Bites.. The maturity of the characters has left me breathless. The plotting is without a doubt, written more intricately and adeptly than any other author of this genre can. This team can write a scene where everything looks hopeless for the protagonist, and instead of pulling some lame trick out of thin air to rescue the character, the team actually uses something that makes sense, has already been mentioned and planned for. This is a sign of a great author.
There is a very popular author, whose main character gets a new power when backed into a corner. This other author does not plan or plot - she just adds a new powers when needed. With no plausible explanations how the character got the powers.
The Andrews team does NOT rely on Mary Sue characteristics for Kate. They plan and they plot and the end product is nearly flawless. Yes, there still are continuity problems - ones that might easily be missed, but nothing that will take away from your reading experience.
As an added bonus, there are deleted chapters in the back of this book that the team simply could not fit in anywhere without creating a problem with the finished novel.
The characters are written and developed so well that you think you might be able to become friends with them. The secondary characters are written so well that you think you will explode if you don't read at least a novella about their lives. You will become so invested in the characters that when something happen to one, you almost feel it like it had happened to you. Even the romance in this book, as little as there is, is true to life - no fantasy garbage, just real people leading real lives in a topsy-turvy world where your best friend may get a bit furry and fanged when irritated.
As we know from the synopsis, our group will be going over to Europe to do a job that is guaranteed to be fraught with danger, yet yield a wonderful payoff; the panacea to end most cases of Loupism. They know they are heading off into a trap, but what else could Kate and Curran do when the children of the pack might be cured of this horrible problem? You know they will both enter with blade and claw drawn. What they didn't know is that the trap is even more deadly than they thought and the price for the panacea is even higher than they expected it to be.
Spoilerish but not really-------> We will lose one of our min secondary characters in this book and two of the others will be damaged, possibly beyond repair. There is confrontation with a particular someone so unexpected, that my jaw actually dropped. This happens in the first quarter of the book. Curran may possibly look like an opportunistic jerk for a while. There is more blood and guts in this book,than in most of the other books. There is a very hot scene. In addition, I thank the writing team for not making sex the focal point of these novels. This series has stuck to being an Urban Fantasy series without the sex/romance.
The group will encounter some interesting new species, and even take one home with them. Yes our intrepid group (or most of it) does manage to get a happily ever after - in a twisted sort of way.
----------------> End Spoilers
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LibraryThing member dearheart
The husband and wife writing duo prove once again just why this series has become a favorite multiple re-read to so many.
One of the biggest problems faced by the Pack is the large number of teens that go loup and have to be killed by their parents with their first change. A magical herbal mixture
The authors do a great job of balancing character and world building with detailed actions scenes, drama, humor and emotions. There's also heartache on a number of fronts, but altogether, they make this very fictional world seem real. Kate and Curran have been a couple for a few books now, but thankfully their relationship is just as interesting as when the tensions and emotions were running really high before she accepted the inevitable. We're provided with some interesting new characters as well as scenarios that rock Kate on a personal level.
Even though this is an out-of-town story plenty of the regulars are on hand either before the trip or during it. You won't feel like cheated. And we get to meet Jim's sister; a really great addition to the mix.
Those new to the series should be able to pick this book up without much of a problem. There's enough back filler to keep you from becoming lost. Although if you haven't read it and are intrigued enough by the product description to be reading these reviews, I highly suggest NOT starting with this book. Begin with Magic Bites. Not only will you have a better appreciation for all of the relationships and situations in this story, but the chances are really good you'd want to go back and read the prior books and you'd already know the outcome to too many situations.
Thankfully, for readers of this series the back filler is not centered all in one place and doesn't feel overwhelming.
There is one place early in the book where it's obvious that we missed something that's being described. At the end of the book the authors note that the scene describing it didn't fit with the flow of this story, so they removed it and added it at the end of the book. There is some word-for-word overlap between this extra scene and the main story, but it's worth reading and I'm grateful they included it.
The only thing that could have made this book better for me would be not having to wait a full year for the next one.
One of the biggest problems faced by the Pack is the large number of teens that go loup and have to be killed by their parents with their first change. A magical herbal mixture
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made overseas, panacea, can drastically increase the chance of survival. Only it's hard to come by and no one else seems able to replicate it. So when Kate and Curran are requested to play bodyguard to a pregnant woman and act as arbitrators at a summit with 3 European packs with the promise of panacea as payment, they can't say no. Of course nothing is quite what it seems and the story takes a number of surprising turns.The authors do a great job of balancing character and world building with detailed actions scenes, drama, humor and emotions. There's also heartache on a number of fronts, but altogether, they make this very fictional world seem real. Kate and Curran have been a couple for a few books now, but thankfully their relationship is just as interesting as when the tensions and emotions were running really high before she accepted the inevitable. We're provided with some interesting new characters as well as scenarios that rock Kate on a personal level.
Even though this is an out-of-town story plenty of the regulars are on hand either before the trip or during it. You won't feel like cheated. And we get to meet Jim's sister; a really great addition to the mix.
Those new to the series should be able to pick this book up without much of a problem. There's enough back filler to keep you from becoming lost. Although if you haven't read it and are intrigued enough by the product description to be reading these reviews, I highly suggest NOT starting with this book. Begin with Magic Bites. Not only will you have a better appreciation for all of the relationships and situations in this story, but the chances are really good you'd want to go back and read the prior books and you'd already know the outcome to too many situations.
Thankfully, for readers of this series the back filler is not centered all in one place and doesn't feel overwhelming.
There is one place early in the book where it's obvious that we missed something that's being described. At the end of the book the authors note that the scene describing it didn't fit with the flow of this story, so they removed it and added it at the end of the book. There is some word-for-word overlap between this extra scene and the main story, but it's worth reading and I'm grateful they included it.
The only thing that could have made this book better for me would be not having to wait a full year for the next one.
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LibraryThing member fishgirl182
The Kate Daniels series has quickly become one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. I can't believe that only a few short months ago, I hadn't read any of these books. A series can often get stale the longer it goes on, but that's not the case with this series. I always feel like there
In Magic Rises, Curran and Kate are called away to a remote European island to be impartial parties in a precarious situation that has them guarding a pregnant shapeshifter. It is most likely a trap, but Kate and Curran must go because their prize is panacea, a magical substance that will ensure that the rate of loupism in their young dramatically decreases. Navigating through the political waters of three shifter packs hoping that they fail is hard enough when an unexpected new threat reveals itself.
Magic Rises has everything you'd expect from a Kate Daniels novel - action, mystery, suspense, drama, sexy times, and Kate putting her foot in her mouth more than once. There is a lot of political intrigue in this one as well as more insight into Kate's past. Magic Rises is also a bit of a departure for the series in that it has a lot of emotional angst in it. This might annoy some readers but I was really drawn into it and I got pretty emotional reading this book. Kate and Curran are both very strong personalities and a relationship between the two is bound to have its ups and downs. In the end though, I think they are stronger for all of their struggles.
Besides Kate and Curran, a lot of other series favorites appear in this book. We get Andrea and Raphael as well as Aunt B, Mahon, Doolittle, Derek and even Saiman. This story focuses a lot on the meaning of family and what it means to be Pack. One of the things that I also love about this series is that the characters are very real. They make mistakes and have doubts and insecurities, just like anyone else.
Magic Rises is another fantastic addition to the Kate Daniels series. It's smart, funny, emotionally intense and full of fantastic action. I don't think fans of this series will be disappointed. It feels like things are coming to a head with Kate's father as well and I can't wait to see where Andrews takes us next.
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are new things to learn about the characters and Andrews always manages to keep things interesting.In Magic Rises, Curran and Kate are called away to a remote European island to be impartial parties in a precarious situation that has them guarding a pregnant shapeshifter. It is most likely a trap, but Kate and Curran must go because their prize is panacea, a magical substance that will ensure that the rate of loupism in their young dramatically decreases. Navigating through the political waters of three shifter packs hoping that they fail is hard enough when an unexpected new threat reveals itself.
Magic Rises has everything you'd expect from a Kate Daniels novel - action, mystery, suspense, drama, sexy times, and Kate putting her foot in her mouth more than once. There is a lot of political intrigue in this one as well as more insight into Kate's past. Magic Rises is also a bit of a departure for the series in that it has a lot of emotional angst in it. This might annoy some readers but I was really drawn into it and I got pretty emotional reading this book. Kate and Curran are both very strong personalities and a relationship between the two is bound to have its ups and downs. In the end though, I think they are stronger for all of their struggles.
Besides Kate and Curran, a lot of other series favorites appear in this book. We get Andrea and Raphael as well as Aunt B, Mahon, Doolittle, Derek and even Saiman. This story focuses a lot on the meaning of family and what it means to be Pack. One of the things that I also love about this series is that the characters are very real. They make mistakes and have doubts and insecurities, just like anyone else.
Magic Rises is another fantastic addition to the Kate Daniels series. It's smart, funny, emotionally intense and full of fantastic action. I don't think fans of this series will be disappointed. It feels like things are coming to a head with Kate's father as well and I can't wait to see where Andrews takes us next.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I’ve run out of awesome things to say about the Kate Daniels series, but fortunately Ilona Andrews hasn’t run out of writing books that make me want to say them. MAGIC RISES is the latest and one of the greatest books featuring the deadly smart and
Yep, MAGIC RISES is the first book to leave Atlanta behind, but fortunately, nearly all of the characters we love make the perilous trip with Kate, although sadly, not everyone returns. As expected, Kate and Curran encounter new mythological creatures and half the fun involves figuring out who/how/what they are. Meanwhile Kate and Curran face the biggest obstacle to their relationship thus far in the series and it’s not just a plot device to add intrigue (although it adds heaps of that). Kate is always so strong and confident that it was crushing to see her wounded on such an emotional level. But this is Kate Daniels we’re talking about. She’s not the girl who slinks off to drown her sorrows with chocolate, she’d rather draw blood instead and she may have set a new record in MAGIC RISES.
It’s tense, riveting, and shocking on the emotional front, and the action is nonstop. Expect several big game changing revelations and more than one character who you will never be able to look at the same way again (both good and bad). And this isn’t a series to be intimidated by even if you are brand new to it. The Kate Daniels series may be the most accessibly urban fantasy series for new readers who want to jump in mid series (or for fans like me who read 100+ books between installments and need little reminders here and there). I never feel lost or confused reading this series despite the robust world and various mythologies because Ilona Andrews adds tiny, quick intros when characters first appear and brief references when a past event in mentioned. I didn’t realize how much I appreciated that until reading MAGIC RISES.
So basically, Kate (and Curran) is awesome, the series is awesome, and the most awesome thing of all is that there will be at least four more books in the Kate Daniels series to enjoy.
Sexual Content:
A sex scene.
I’ve run out of awesome things to say about the Kate Daniels series, but fortunately Ilona Andrews hasn’t run out of writing books that make me want to say them. MAGIC RISES is the latest and one of the greatest books featuring the deadly smart and
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brilliantly lethal Kate Daniels who this time leaves her magically mucked up Atlanta, braves a monster invested ocean, for a castle full of homicidal shapeshifters on an island in the Black Sea.Yep, MAGIC RISES is the first book to leave Atlanta behind, but fortunately, nearly all of the characters we love make the perilous trip with Kate, although sadly, not everyone returns. As expected, Kate and Curran encounter new mythological creatures and half the fun involves figuring out who/how/what they are. Meanwhile Kate and Curran face the biggest obstacle to their relationship thus far in the series and it’s not just a plot device to add intrigue (although it adds heaps of that). Kate is always so strong and confident that it was crushing to see her wounded on such an emotional level. But this is Kate Daniels we’re talking about. She’s not the girl who slinks off to drown her sorrows with chocolate, she’d rather draw blood instead and she may have set a new record in MAGIC RISES.
It’s tense, riveting, and shocking on the emotional front, and the action is nonstop. Expect several big game changing revelations and more than one character who you will never be able to look at the same way again (both good and bad). And this isn’t a series to be intimidated by even if you are brand new to it. The Kate Daniels series may be the most accessibly urban fantasy series for new readers who want to jump in mid series (or for fans like me who read 100+ books between installments and need little reminders here and there). I never feel lost or confused reading this series despite the robust world and various mythologies because Ilona Andrews adds tiny, quick intros when characters first appear and brief references when a past event in mentioned. I didn’t realize how much I appreciated that until reading MAGIC RISES.
So basically, Kate (and Curran) is awesome, the series is awesome, and the most awesome thing of all is that there will be at least four more books in the Kate Daniels series to enjoy.
Sexual Content:
A sex scene.
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LibraryThing member STACYatUFI
Whew what a ride. I'm exhausted. MAGIC RISES takes place far away from Atlanta and the pack. With some trusted pack members, Kate and Curran set out to arbitrate a dispute with another pack and keep a pregnant shifter safe. They know it won't be easy but they never would have guessed what was
With non stop danger and action at every turn this author team really knows how to keep you on your toes. I just can't get enough of these characters and their world! I wish the books came out quicker but I guess making magic takes time. Lets talk Kate and Curran because anything else would start giving away spoilers. They are so stinking exciting together. Their love and romance is nothing like any other characters I have read about. They are frustrating, they butt heads, they make stupid decisions but that just does not matter. They are always there for each other and they fit together perfectly. There are some hard times for them in MAGIC RISING and watching Kate struggle with her confidence and feelings was hard. She handled things so much better than I could have and I liked the way it all played out.
The plot development in book 6 is crazy. A lot happens and things will never be the same but the ride is never smooth when Kate is involved. The game has changed and I have no clue what could possibly follow this. I really missed the rest of the gang, but I enjoyed the story as much as all the previous novels in the series. *Imagine me ringing the dinner bell* Come and get it!
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really going on. No matter what they have to see it through as it will net them the medicine to save the pack children in the future.With non stop danger and action at every turn this author team really knows how to keep you on your toes. I just can't get enough of these characters and their world! I wish the books came out quicker but I guess making magic takes time. Lets talk Kate and Curran because anything else would start giving away spoilers. They are so stinking exciting together. Their love and romance is nothing like any other characters I have read about. They are frustrating, they butt heads, they make stupid decisions but that just does not matter. They are always there for each other and they fit together perfectly. There are some hard times for them in MAGIC RISING and watching Kate struggle with her confidence and feelings was hard. She handled things so much better than I could have and I liked the way it all played out.
The plot development in book 6 is crazy. A lot happens and things will never be the same but the ride is never smooth when Kate is involved. The game has changed and I have no clue what could possibly follow this. I really missed the rest of the gang, but I enjoyed the story as much as all the previous novels in the series. *Imagine me ringing the dinner bell* Come and get it!
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LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
We're six books into the Kate Daniels series, so I'm going to skip the preliminaries. You're a fan of the series? Excellent, go read the new book. Stuff happens, you'll like it.
For the rest, here be spoilers.
So. I mostly want to use this review space to decide what I think about a few key plot
About the sub-plot where Curran let sexy young Lorelei think she was seducing him. Jealousy and trust issues come up in most really serious relationships, so I was interested to see how Ilona Andrews handled it. Just right, I thought: I never believed that Curran was interested in Lorelei. And Kate didn't, either. Especially at first, she assumed he had some ulterior motive and didn't doubt him. The problems cropped up when she pressed him for more info and he didn't answer; and her anger, even at the end, wasn't so much about jealousy as being lied to, made to look bad in front of others, made a patsy.
I thought Kate's concerns were valid. And at the end, in their argument, Curran was like: well, I did what I had to do, and I'd do it all again. And then he pointed out that Kate, too, would cross certain of his 'lines in the sand' and they could either overlook the problem or break up. They decide to overlook the problem.
Now, I don't want Kate and Curran to break up. I want them to be together 4-eva! But it felt like a romance ending, in the worst possible way--inauthentic and saccharine, when in truth they'd discovered a deep rift in their relationship. A nugget of mistrust. Solving the problem with a ring only made the teeth-jarring offness of it all worse for me. Kate's feelings of alienation were real; the Pack closed ranks around her, and that says a lot, but if Doolittle's horror was representative, and the secret of Kate's parentage isn't a secret anymore?
I guess what I'm saying is: the make-up between Kate and Curran put a happy face on problems that are ongoing. Maybe we'll dig deeper into them during the next book? But in the meanwhile, I didn't buy it.
Next bit: Aunt B. dying. I knew someone was going to die in the book and I just did a little calculus in my head. What characters do we know well enough to really miss them, but don't love so much we'll scream and quit the series if they die? That narrowed the pool down considerably. Derek, for example: no way he'd die, after his scarring it's someone else's turn. Andrea and Raphael: just had a spin off novel, no way. George & Keira: we just met them, not invested enough.
Basically, once the boat was full of familiar characters, I narrowed it down to Saiman, Mahon, Doolittle, or Aunt B. Saiman? Eh, maybe, but he's a facilitator who always has fun gadgets while also driving conflict, and he's unique. Doolittle? Well, they need a doctor character. Do they want to write a new doctor? Maybe, to change things up. Okay, possible. Mahon? So long as Mahon is a conflict driver who hates Kate, he's useful; but what if he died trying to save her? That would close out his conflict plot with a bang, so he was a strong candidate. But Aunt B was the strongest--once she's gone, Andrea can stop living in her shadow. It would be handy to have Kate's best friend be someone with so many useful resources when the final battle comes along.
Surprise, surprise, Aunt B died. I didn't call it, and I'm not patting myself on the back--when Doolittle was injured, I thought, "Ack, this is it!", so I wasn't all that deeply invested in my mental wagering--but there's something depressing about the fact that when a major character dies, I can see the puppet strings, the eye to future plotting. It just doesn't feel like a tragedy, even though the scene itself was rather extraordinary. I mean, wow: so exceptionally brutal and dramatic, easy to picture and utterly horrific.
That brings me to my last point. The one that really bewilders me. What was up with Hugh making a pass at Kate?
This is the one where I just really, really wish there were a few more chapters in the book that explained exactly what happened. Hugh has done all this work to lure Kate to his castle. Turns out he's smitten; he does his psycho wooing & after she beats him in a fight he decides...what? I honestly have no idea.
Was he offering himself as a lover? As a long-term partner? Was it a sincere offer? Was he planning to unite with her against Roland, or unite with her under the umbrella of Roland's rule?
Hugh subsequently seemed pretty sincerely loyal and appreciative of Roland. So then why make the pass, why try to woo Kate? Was that Roland's idea? How could Roland have predicted Hugh's interest? Or did Hugh just think he could hook up with the boss' daughter and it would be no big deal?
And then, when Kate refused the offer, Hugh had his contingency plan IN PLACE. He put the panacea on the ships--to drive the Pack away and isolate Kate. So a pretty reasonable Plan B, so far.
But then, I guess because his attempts to drive the Pack away didn't work, mere hours later Hugh removes the panacea from the ships. Why bother? Just to spite Curran's pack? But that means Hugh had somehow predicted they'd get away alive? Even though Hugh then shows his cards, shows up in his fancy armor with his Iron Dogs, and sets up the scene for some sort of huge bloodbath. Why replace the panacea with a fake if he plans to kill everyone before they reach the boat? It sure did seem like he planned to kill them, right?
So I guess the orders were to take Kate nicely, or to take her in chains, but to take her one way or another? And alive?
I also wanted a better understanding of the magic dinner theater show. The one where we see the alternate future of Kate as an evil, blood-armor-wearing monster fighting side-by-side with Hugh. Why was the fortune-telling-dancer so angry at Hugh when she saw the vision? Did Hugh know what the vision would be? Did he plan for Kate to see it? What would be the advantage of that?
I mean, it makes sense. A minimum amount of sense, but not much more. I zoomed through the final 20-30% of MAGIC RISES and then the second I was done I didn't sigh and think, "Ahh, that was awesome," I thought, "Okay, let me figure out what just happened."
I liked all the similarities between Hugh and Kate, the way that Kate pieced apart the difference between Hugh and Curran. I liked that they sort of bonded. But all the bonding they'd done was completely meaningless after Hugh's "Evil baddie starts the final showdown" switch was flipped. I'd rather feel the reverse: that the first 70% of the book sets up a plot that is fulfilled by the conclusion, not rendered irrelevant. Would Hugh's behavior have been any different if Kate hadn't turned him on? No, right?
With the final battle so close, with Kate meeting Roland's right hand man, with her encounter with her father right around the corner, I wanted something more. I wanted the heart of the conflict, not the peel.
I am in no danger of dropping this series. But the first section of the book didn't quite enthrall me, and the last section didn't quite satisfy.
For the rest, here be spoilers.
So. I mostly want to use this review space to decide what I think about a few key plot
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points. My initial reaction is: I wanted a little more.About the sub-plot where Curran let sexy young Lorelei think she was seducing him. Jealousy and trust issues come up in most really serious relationships, so I was interested to see how Ilona Andrews handled it. Just right, I thought: I never believed that Curran was interested in Lorelei. And Kate didn't, either. Especially at first, she assumed he had some ulterior motive and didn't doubt him. The problems cropped up when she pressed him for more info and he didn't answer; and her anger, even at the end, wasn't so much about jealousy as being lied to, made to look bad in front of others, made a patsy.
I thought Kate's concerns were valid. And at the end, in their argument, Curran was like: well, I did what I had to do, and I'd do it all again. And then he pointed out that Kate, too, would cross certain of his 'lines in the sand' and they could either overlook the problem or break up. They decide to overlook the problem.
Now, I don't want Kate and Curran to break up. I want them to be together 4-eva! But it felt like a romance ending, in the worst possible way--inauthentic and saccharine, when in truth they'd discovered a deep rift in their relationship. A nugget of mistrust. Solving the problem with a ring only made the teeth-jarring offness of it all worse for me. Kate's feelings of alienation were real; the Pack closed ranks around her, and that says a lot, but if Doolittle's horror was representative, and the secret of Kate's parentage isn't a secret anymore?
I guess what I'm saying is: the make-up between Kate and Curran put a happy face on problems that are ongoing. Maybe we'll dig deeper into them during the next book? But in the meanwhile, I didn't buy it.
Next bit: Aunt B. dying. I knew someone was going to die in the book and I just did a little calculus in my head. What characters do we know well enough to really miss them, but don't love so much we'll scream and quit the series if they die? That narrowed the pool down considerably. Derek, for example: no way he'd die, after his scarring it's someone else's turn. Andrea and Raphael: just had a spin off novel, no way. George & Keira: we just met them, not invested enough.
Basically, once the boat was full of familiar characters, I narrowed it down to Saiman, Mahon, Doolittle, or Aunt B. Saiman? Eh, maybe, but he's a facilitator who always has fun gadgets while also driving conflict, and he's unique. Doolittle? Well, they need a doctor character. Do they want to write a new doctor? Maybe, to change things up. Okay, possible. Mahon? So long as Mahon is a conflict driver who hates Kate, he's useful; but what if he died trying to save her? That would close out his conflict plot with a bang, so he was a strong candidate. But Aunt B was the strongest--once she's gone, Andrea can stop living in her shadow. It would be handy to have Kate's best friend be someone with so many useful resources when the final battle comes along.
Surprise, surprise, Aunt B died. I didn't call it, and I'm not patting myself on the back--when Doolittle was injured, I thought, "Ack, this is it!", so I wasn't all that deeply invested in my mental wagering--but there's something depressing about the fact that when a major character dies, I can see the puppet strings, the eye to future plotting. It just doesn't feel like a tragedy, even though the scene itself was rather extraordinary. I mean, wow: so exceptionally brutal and dramatic, easy to picture and utterly horrific.
That brings me to my last point. The one that really bewilders me. What was up with Hugh making a pass at Kate?
This is the one where I just really, really wish there were a few more chapters in the book that explained exactly what happened. Hugh has done all this work to lure Kate to his castle. Turns out he's smitten; he does his psycho wooing & after she beats him in a fight he decides...what? I honestly have no idea.
Was he offering himself as a lover? As a long-term partner? Was it a sincere offer? Was he planning to unite with her against Roland, or unite with her under the umbrella of Roland's rule?
Hugh subsequently seemed pretty sincerely loyal and appreciative of Roland. So then why make the pass, why try to woo Kate? Was that Roland's idea? How could Roland have predicted Hugh's interest? Or did Hugh just think he could hook up with the boss' daughter and it would be no big deal?
And then, when Kate refused the offer, Hugh had his contingency plan IN PLACE. He put the panacea on the ships--to drive the Pack away and isolate Kate. So a pretty reasonable Plan B, so far.
But then, I guess because his attempts to drive the Pack away didn't work, mere hours later Hugh removes the panacea from the ships. Why bother? Just to spite Curran's pack? But that means Hugh had somehow predicted they'd get away alive? Even though Hugh then shows his cards, shows up in his fancy armor with his Iron Dogs, and sets up the scene for some sort of huge bloodbath. Why replace the panacea with a fake if he plans to kill everyone before they reach the boat? It sure did seem like he planned to kill them, right?
So I guess the orders were to take Kate nicely, or to take her in chains, but to take her one way or another? And alive?
I also wanted a better understanding of the magic dinner theater show. The one where we see the alternate future of Kate as an evil, blood-armor-wearing monster fighting side-by-side with Hugh. Why was the fortune-telling-dancer so angry at Hugh when she saw the vision? Did Hugh know what the vision would be? Did he plan for Kate to see it? What would be the advantage of that?
I mean, it makes sense. A minimum amount of sense, but not much more. I zoomed through the final 20-30% of MAGIC RISES and then the second I was done I didn't sigh and think, "Ahh, that was awesome," I thought, "Okay, let me figure out what just happened."
I liked all the similarities between Hugh and Kate, the way that Kate pieced apart the difference between Hugh and Curran. I liked that they sort of bonded. But all the bonding they'd done was completely meaningless after Hugh's "Evil baddie starts the final showdown" switch was flipped. I'd rather feel the reverse: that the first 70% of the book sets up a plot that is fulfilled by the conclusion, not rendered irrelevant. Would Hugh's behavior have been any different if Kate hadn't turned him on? No, right?
With the final battle so close, with Kate meeting Roland's right hand man, with her encounter with her father right around the corner, I wanted something more. I wanted the heart of the conflict, not the peel.
I am in no danger of dropping this series. But the first section of the book didn't quite enthrall me, and the last section didn't quite satisfy.
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LibraryThing member psychobabble4u
Loved it. The long awaited 6 th book in the Kate Daniels series. Well worth the wait. Kate and Curran match wits with members of the European packs and come out swinging. Kate's magical abilities develop as does her relationship with Curran. I just hope we don't have to wait 2 years for the next
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LibraryThing member sharrow
I don't know how they do it, but this series just keeps getting better. I was engrossed from the first page and on the edge my seat. Brilliant writing, tight plotting, characters I adore and the most incredible world building bar none. Magic story telling. Pick up this series now.
LibraryThing member Brandon.Sharp
Not only is this a beautifully built, alternate reality universe, it's a story of right & wrong. Truth & deception. Death & destruction.. It's a story of love and heartbreak told through the eyes of truly amazing person. Kate Daniels isn't an easy way out kinda' girl. She's a bada** heroine who
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will shut you down before you have a chance to hurt those she cares for. If you haven't fallen in love with Kate Daniels and her band of furry misfits, Magic Rises will hook you line and sinker. 5 Stars!! Show Less
LibraryThing member Chrystina.Williams
I loved this one! Checked this ebook out at the library and almost decided not to read it since it had been so long since I'd read the other books in the series, I thought maybe I'd be lost. Not at all. From the very first page I was drawn in and I raced through the book just to see what would
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happen next. It was so very good. I felt like I was on an emotional ride that I didn't want to get off of. Everything that Kate went through I felt too. The author did an amazing job with this book, seriously the world building is phenomenal, and the characters are so real and fascinating I was enthralled. Exactly what I love in a book, I want to feel so pulled into the world that I don't ever want to leave and that is exactly how I felt with this one! If you've read the other books in this series and enjoyed them, then you'll love this one. If you haven't started this series yet, you've got to give it a try, only start from the beginning it's definitely worth it. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarFisk
Originally published on Tales to Tide You Over
I decided I’d give myself a treat from my to be read pile this week because I’ve been working hard. What did I choose? A Kate Daniels novel. They tend to have the perfect blend between sassy dialogue and real emotions.
That said, Magic Rises held
Kate styles herself as a badass fighter with difficulty connecting, and yet as usual, she manages to find the right words, though blunt ones, to help even those she doesn’t quite want to. And she’s always choosing to help others, an insane path considering the risks. It’s what makes her such a compelling character for me. She has every reason to be selfish, reasons that might even be for the good of all, but chooses not to. Time and again, she puts herself out there, calling it no choice, calling it for the contract, or whatever excuse she might come up with this time. What’s telling, so I won’t tell you the exact nature, is how she describes Curran and how he interacts with his world. That’s who she wants to be, and who she succeeds in being despite her absolute surety that she doesn’t have it in her.
And Curran is…well…Curran. He doesn’t change at the root, though he definitely suffers growing pains. He’s what I call a grounded person. He knows who he is, what he wants, and what he’s willing to do to get it. Sure, he doesn’t always tell people, and his way of going about things can be maddening, but eventually he spills his guts and everything makes sense. He’s a person to be taken on faith even when he does his best to shred that faith into the tatters left when he explodes into full beast form.
Ultimately, the Kate Daniels novels are people novels, hence why I start with a glimpse of the main characters. Magic Rises, though, takes it a step further by bringing forward the underlying story of Kate’s bloodline and taking it in interesting directions. This book had me laughing, but it also had me on the edge of tears. It’s powerful, fun, dramatic, and fascinating. If you haven’t tried the series, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Oh, and if you read the acknowledgements, they tell you to read the story at the end first. It’s what I call treats from the cutting room floor, and the note from the author is important (something I discovered when I got to the end of the book) because there is some overlap between that story and the information in the book, in part because Ilona Andrews attempts to cue new readers in on enough of the backstory to make each story readable by itself, or maybe just to make sure existing readers are brought up to speed when the new book comes out. Regardless, despite some repetition, it’s a great book with a wonderful short story at the end, that actually comes before this book begins.
I decided I’d give myself a treat from my to be read pile this week because I’ve been working hard. What did I choose? A Kate Daniels novel. They tend to have the perfect blend between sassy dialogue and real emotions.
That said, Magic Rises held
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more of a punch than I was expecting mixed in amongst the laughs and quotable lines.Kate styles herself as a badass fighter with difficulty connecting, and yet as usual, she manages to find the right words, though blunt ones, to help even those she doesn’t quite want to. And she’s always choosing to help others, an insane path considering the risks. It’s what makes her such a compelling character for me. She has every reason to be selfish, reasons that might even be for the good of all, but chooses not to. Time and again, she puts herself out there, calling it no choice, calling it for the contract, or whatever excuse she might come up with this time. What’s telling, so I won’t tell you the exact nature, is how she describes Curran and how he interacts with his world. That’s who she wants to be, and who she succeeds in being despite her absolute surety that she doesn’t have it in her.
And Curran is…well…Curran. He doesn’t change at the root, though he definitely suffers growing pains. He’s what I call a grounded person. He knows who he is, what he wants, and what he’s willing to do to get it. Sure, he doesn’t always tell people, and his way of going about things can be maddening, but eventually he spills his guts and everything makes sense. He’s a person to be taken on faith even when he does his best to shred that faith into the tatters left when he explodes into full beast form.
Ultimately, the Kate Daniels novels are people novels, hence why I start with a glimpse of the main characters. Magic Rises, though, takes it a step further by bringing forward the underlying story of Kate’s bloodline and taking it in interesting directions. This book had me laughing, but it also had me on the edge of tears. It’s powerful, fun, dramatic, and fascinating. If you haven’t tried the series, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Oh, and if you read the acknowledgements, they tell you to read the story at the end first. It’s what I call treats from the cutting room floor, and the note from the author is important (something I discovered when I got to the end of the book) because there is some overlap between that story and the information in the book, in part because Ilona Andrews attempts to cue new readers in on enough of the backstory to make each story readable by itself, or maybe just to make sure existing readers are brought up to speed when the new book comes out. Regardless, despite some repetition, it’s a great book with a wonderful short story at the end, that actually comes before this book begins.
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LibraryThing member DVKov
This is another really strong entry in the Kate Daniels series. There is a problem in the shifter community whereby their young run the risk of going “loupe” – giving into their beast side and losing what makes them human. When this happens they need to be killed because they become
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uncontrollably violent. Curran, the Beast Lord and Kate’s main squeeze, has been given an opportunity to travel overseas to protect a pregnant shifter. Through a big quirk of fate she got pregnant by two different people at the same time; she’s having twins by different fathers. Whoever’s heir is born first will inherit an important piece of land. Curran and company have been invited in to protect the pregnancy and witness the births. In return they will be given a large amount of the panacea needed to reverse the effects of going loupe. Sound too good to be true? Of course it is! It turns out the situation was all set up by Hugh D’Ambray, second to Kate’s evil father Rolland. But why go to all of the trouble? It’s a fun ride finding out. As usual there are tests to Curran and Kate’s relationship (seemingly serious ones this time), lots of violence, and smart alec banter between all of the characters. Lots of old favorites make the trip with Kate and Curran, and some new characters are introduced. I had heard a rumor that this series was drawing to a close; I was happy to read on Andrews’ website that there are a number of books still to be written. These stories are always entertaining and high on my list of recommended reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member lquilter
I liked this, like I like all the Kate Daniels stories. See my review of the series at book 4 for more info on the series generally.
For this book, things I liked: A few more major female characters; the understated relationship with Hugh d'Ambray; the special characters of the mountain; the
Things I was less keen on: The "whole family goes on a trip to Europe" plot; the deux ex machina of losing then gaining the panacea; the strained "I had to lie to you because you're so bad at lying" rationale.
Shrug. If you like this series, you have to read this book! If you haven't read this series, go back and start at the beginning. It's one of the better urban fantasy series out there.
For this book, things I liked: A few more major female characters; the understated relationship with Hugh d'Ambray; the special characters of the mountain; the
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deepening of the Kate background and story. Things I was less keen on: The "whole family goes on a trip to Europe" plot; the deux ex machina of losing then gaining the panacea; the strained "I had to lie to you because you're so bad at lying" rationale.
Shrug. If you like this series, you have to read this book! If you haven't read this series, go back and start at the beginning. It's one of the better urban fantasy series out there.
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LibraryThing member hazysaffron
I thought there would be more magic use in this book. Magic barely plays a role at all. I wish the author didn't feel the need to have so many different kinds of "were" animals. Werewolves and werebears are a bit more traditional in the fantasy genre and sticking to them would have been better. The
I liked the story. I was an OK read but I'll never understand why people are so enamored with the idea of making characters that are humanized animals. The whole Alpha pack leader thing is strange (and somewhat revolting) when applied to human-like characters.
**Also, to my clean-reader friends you should be aware that there is one questionable-content scene in the book. It is short and easily skipped over.
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weredolphins were ridiculous!I liked the story. I was an OK read but I'll never understand why people are so enamored with the idea of making characters that are humanized animals. The whole Alpha pack leader thing is strange (and somewhat revolting) when applied to human-like characters.
**Also, to my clean-reader friends you should be aware that there is one questionable-content scene in the book. It is short and easily skipped over.
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LibraryThing member camibrite
I love this series. I love this series. I love this series. I can't say it enough.
The characters are fantastic, the relationships are complex and fun, the story lines are always inventive, and reading the books is just about my favorite mental vacation, ever. This book is absolutely no exception.
Loved it, totally in denial that it will be another long while before I get some "new Kate." However, there are now 7 full novels and 3 novellas set in this world, so waiting is...easier...
The characters are fantastic, the relationships are complex and fun, the story lines are always inventive, and reading the books is just about my favorite mental vacation, ever. This book is absolutely no exception.
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Loved it, totally in denial that it will be another long while before I get some "new Kate." However, there are now 7 full novels and 3 novellas set in this world, so waiting is...easier...
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LibraryThing member willowsmom
I love the Kate Daniels series as a whole, but I found Magic Rises, the sixth book in the series, especially compelling as a re-read. There are some books in which the action ebbs and flows, and I am able to easily read a few chapters, set it down and pick it up later. Magic Rises is, for me, an
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example of a book which is best read in one fell swoop: there are no pauses in the pace, and the plot, action, and general sense of unease the shapeshifters feel is so encompassing that I have found myself reading through this book in a day each of the multiple times I have read it. (For me, this involves staying up well past 11, knowing full well that my youngest will need me up by five. High praise indeed!) Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
I really like the setting for these books and the writer makes sure that the secondary characters are fleshed out and not just there to only support the hero and heroine. Desperately needing medicine for the children of the pack to all survive and not go loup, Kate and Curran take on a near
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impossible job in Europe with some of the best fighters in the pack to bodyguard a pregnant werewolf with the pay being 10 barrels of the medicine. Of course not everything is at it seems once they get there. I liked the ending in that it isn't all sweetness and light. And the bonus story/ outtake at the end of the book was good along with the explanation of why it wasn't in the main story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Madison_Keller
This novel moves things out of the familiar bounds of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, across the sea to the country of Georgia, on the coast of the black sea. Curran has been hired to several as bodybuard/mediator to a dispute between the eastern European packs. Kate and Curran know its a trap, but the pay
Sadly, Julie, one of my favorite characters, only features in the first few chapters, since they leave her behind for the trip. The team they do bring are the elitist of the elites of the pack fighters, including Andrea and Raphael, Mahon, Aunt B, and few new players. Doolittle and Saiman tag along as well.
This book starts slower than the rest of the series, hampered by the fact that the group actually has to get across the ocean to their destination before the real story starts. An attack by pirates livens things up, and I love how they circle this back around to the real significance of this later in the novel.
Once they arrive, things are much as they expect, with three rival clans at each others throats, playing politics with a pregnant woman and her children. An unexpected twists presents itself in the form of Lorelei, daughter of the Alpha of Ice Fury, the Alaskan pack. She is gunning for Curran as her mate, and happy to sacrifice Kate in the process.
I don’t want to spoil things, but things are not as they seem at the Castle. Mysterious attacks, disappearing guards, lurkers in the walls, and more await the group.
The subplot of Kate and Curran going through a rough patch in their relationship is great. It feels real, and powerful, and you honestly don’t know that things will turn out roses. Which is one of the things I love about this serious – its a romance, but it isn’t afraid to go to hard and difficult places, places a lot of romance books avoid.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book almost to the end. The action was fun, the pacing right on. The build up to the climax was perfect, I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Kate was going to get them out this time.
And then things went to crap. This is literally the biggest, glaringly obvious Dues Ex Machina ending I have ever read. I had to restrain myself from throwing my Kindle down and stomping on it. W.T.F.
[Be warned - Spoilers ahoy!] (highlight to see my rapid frothing ranting about the ending – I JUST finished the book, so I need to rant)
Could Ilona Andrews really not think of any other way to get their charaters out of the corner than to have a god LITERALLY smite the castle from the earth? It wasn’t even hinted at that Astamur had ANY powers, until that point in time.
And then, they still could have saved it by having Kate face down Hugh in an epic battle to give the rest time to escape, but no! Curran fights Hugh in an epic battle while the castle falls down around them – OFF CAMERA! We never even really find out what happens, or how they end up on the roof. Kate runs around the castle, getting lost and fighting vampires, while the rest of the team escape. Sigh.
To add insult to injury, Ilona pulls out another Deus Ex Machina to get Kate and Curran safely out of the castle and down to the ship.
[End of Spoilers]
Whew, rant over. Ok. So I absolutely hated the ending. The rest of the novel is worth reading.
I give this three stars, because, other than the ending, this is a solid entry in the Kate Daniels Series, and does serve to move the overall arc of the novels forward.
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is medicine that the pack vitally needs to save the young shapeshifters. Sadly, Julie, one of my favorite characters, only features in the first few chapters, since they leave her behind for the trip. The team they do bring are the elitist of the elites of the pack fighters, including Andrea and Raphael, Mahon, Aunt B, and few new players. Doolittle and Saiman tag along as well.
This book starts slower than the rest of the series, hampered by the fact that the group actually has to get across the ocean to their destination before the real story starts. An attack by pirates livens things up, and I love how they circle this back around to the real significance of this later in the novel.
Once they arrive, things are much as they expect, with three rival clans at each others throats, playing politics with a pregnant woman and her children. An unexpected twists presents itself in the form of Lorelei, daughter of the Alpha of Ice Fury, the Alaskan pack. She is gunning for Curran as her mate, and happy to sacrifice Kate in the process.
I don’t want to spoil things, but things are not as they seem at the Castle. Mysterious attacks, disappearing guards, lurkers in the walls, and more await the group.
The subplot of Kate and Curran going through a rough patch in their relationship is great. It feels real, and powerful, and you honestly don’t know that things will turn out roses. Which is one of the things I love about this serious – its a romance, but it isn’t afraid to go to hard and difficult places, places a lot of romance books avoid.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book almost to the end. The action was fun, the pacing right on. The build up to the climax was perfect, I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Kate was going to get them out this time.
And then things went to crap. This is literally the biggest, glaringly obvious Dues Ex Machina ending I have ever read. I had to restrain myself from throwing my Kindle down and stomping on it. W.T.F.
[Be warned - Spoilers ahoy!] (highlight to see my rapid frothing ranting about the ending – I JUST finished the book, so I need to rant)
Could Ilona Andrews really not think of any other way to get their charaters out of the corner than to have a god LITERALLY smite the castle from the earth? It wasn’t even hinted at that Astamur had ANY powers, until that point in time.
And then, they still could have saved it by having Kate face down Hugh in an epic battle to give the rest time to escape, but no! Curran fights Hugh in an epic battle while the castle falls down around them – OFF CAMERA! We never even really find out what happens, or how they end up on the roof. Kate runs around the castle, getting lost and fighting vampires, while the rest of the team escape. Sigh.
To add insult to injury, Ilona pulls out another Deus Ex Machina to get Kate and Curran safely out of the castle and down to the ship.
[End of Spoilers]
Whew, rant over. Ok. So I absolutely hated the ending. The rest of the novel is worth reading.
I give this three stars, because, other than the ending, this is a solid entry in the Kate Daniels Series, and does serve to move the overall arc of the novels forward.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cynical_Ames
Apart from deus ex machina (so it's 4½ ★), this was a brilliant read. Killing off a much-loved character is a brave thing to do and in this instance it was beautiful sacrifice worthy of that character, if heartbreaking and gory.
The level of grace displayed by Kate in both her physical battles
The level of grace displayed by Kate in both her physical battles
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and in her position as alpha, fighting for the people that depend on her and those she deeply cares for, is inspiring. And as always, Ilona and Gordon always bring the funny. Show Less
LibraryThing member Aly3636
I love this books as well. I think adding the Pack and the People into this series makes it that much more interesting. I think we have many things going on in this book that make this series rock for me. More please!!!!
Language
Original publication date
2013-07-30
ISBN
1470376415 / 9781470376413