Magic Rises Review!

I’ve got into the habit of breaking down books that I review into two sections, namely the good and the bad. This presents a problem because I couldn’t find a flaw in Magic Rises, the latest of the Kate Daniels novels. To be fair I’m completely biased, this is one of my favorite books series and I purchased both the hard copy and kindle edition the day it came out after waiting with baited breath for its release.

Magic Rises takes us away from Post Magical Apocalypse Atlanta and over to Europe, which is a fresh and new playground for Kate. I guess this is actually the weakness of the piece, because the fact that they were in Europe had really little to do with the overall plot. Really it could have taken place just about anywhere, switch up two monsters and a single minor character and it could have worked. However, Ilona Andrews does bring a great sense of isolation to the group, separating them from their allies and connections and placing enemies on all sides. We’re never allowed to forget that we aren’t in Atlanta anymore and neither are the characters.

Especially Kate. Part of what I found most enjoyable with this book is that it brought a new spin to well established monsters and culture rather than creating something entirely new. The primary focus is on shapeshifter politics and intrigue and it is captivating. None of these new players have ever met or heard of Kate before so it’s almost like completely starting from scratch. We even get some brand spanking new characters that go with her and Curran over to Europe, and those boys and girls are awesome. I definitely look forward to seeing Keira and Eduardo again and reading more buffalo steak jokes. Also, George is just plain cool.

And speaking of relationships, Kate and Curran cannot be said to have lost any spice or tension. Their relationship is still wonderfully dynamic and our favorite husband-wife writer team does not shy away from throwing monkey wrenches at them. Or any of their other characters. I think they might have been watching a little Game of Thrones while they wrote this because they do not shy away from letting their characters get hurt or killed.

I heartily give Magic Rises my stamp of approval and recommend it to any lover of urban fantasy.