Monday, January 21, 2019

Review: Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10)

Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry.

Magic Triumphs, by Ilona Andrews, is the tenth and final novel in the Kate Daniels series. Kate Daniels has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with were-lion Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be. Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try for her child, for Atlanta, and for the world.

What a magnificent ending to an amazing series. I took a huge risk with this series back in 2008 with the first novel, Magic Bites (wow has it been nearly a decade??). The co-authors created a world where magic and technology compete for dominance in this post-apocalyptic world. Modern buildings crumbled and roads uprooted, returning cities back to their natural state. Those who were infected with the Lyc-V virus turned into shapeshifters representing all sorts of mammal predators in the animal kingdom. The re-emergence of magic meant that witches and warlocks came out in public to deal with magical-based abnormalities. It was also my first series reading about shapeshifters. I was glad that I stuck through to the end. Kate Daniels was such an impression in my personal life. Kate was such a confident, determined protagonist. As a warrior, she held strong convictions about helping others in need and fighting against evil. As an individual, she found love, started a family, established her own small business, and stood up to her ancient relatives. Stay tuned for future reviews on Ilona Andrews' new series, such as The Iron Covenant featuring Hugh d’Ambray (yes THE former nemesis to Kate!) and Elara Harper as well as Hidden Legacy featuring another powerful couple--Baylor and Rogan. Overall, I highly recommend the Kate Daniels series -- you will not want to put it down once you begin!

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