Review: Magic Breaks – Ilona Andrews

Posted 25 August, 2015 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 10 Comments

Review: Magic Breaks – Ilona AndrewsMagic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #7
Published by Ace on 29 July 2014
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 348
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase
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5 Stars

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

Magic Breaks brings a lot of loose ends together, while also opening up a few new cans of worms. Fast-paced and action-filled, but also having that special bond Kate has with the characters she cares for, it was an amazing read.

My Magic Breaks review:

It’s not exactly a secret that I fell in love with Kate Daniels when I finally started reading these books about a year ago. I had been holding out on Magic Breaks, though, so I could read it back to back with Magic Shifts this summer. And I’m very happy I waited a while, because it was well worth the wait! Both Kate and Curran continue to be one of my favorite paranormal couples! They are both strong, stubborn and sometimes a lot to handle, but at the same time they are just so loyal towards each other it’s great to see them fight together against the enemy.

From the start, it was evident that Magic Breaks was going to be a little different, as Curran had to go away to make sure there wouldn’t be trouble in another pack, and Kate had to deal with the Conclave on her own. And that’s when the proverbial shit hit the fan. Hard. And messy. Kate showed everybody how much she has grown since the beginning of the series. Out maneuvering vampires to keep the pack safe in Curran’s absence, she also still had the wolf alpha to deal with as well, as she was there at every turn trying to make life difficult for Kate. Using her wit as well as all her fighting skills and cunning, Kate held strong and managed to keep on going when other people would have just plain given up!

Magic Breaks did not have many Curran and Kate scenes, but the ones that were included were so swoon-worthy I read some of them more than a couple of times. And while I am very careful not to spoil anything, I just have to say that I was amazed by Kate and her insights to so many other characters as the story unfolded. Especially because she was still dealing with her guilt in the aftermath of Magic Rises, she did so with a lot of flair and even more outward calm and poise. And while this could have felt like a filler book, it definitely didn’t! There will probably be a lot of changes going forward in the series, but there was enough action and flesh to Magic Breaks anyway.

Some of my favorite Magic Breaks quotes:

We drove in silence. I liked sitting next to him. The night outside the car was vast and cold, and he sat warm next to me. If something nasty crossed our path, he’d get out of the car and take it apart. Not that I couldn’t do it myself, but knowing he would be there with me made all the difference in the world.

His gray eyes glowed with tiny golden sparks. He slowly furrowed his blond eyebrows and moved them up and down. “Is that your smoldering look?” “Yes. I’m trying to communicate the promise of nights of ecstasy.”

I sighed. I could overrule Jim and go to the Conclave on my terms. But Jim and I had to work together. I could tell by the line of his jaw that he would die on this bridge if he had to. Going along with him cost me nothing, except a small chunk of pride, and pride was one of the things I didn’t mind sacrificing.

COYER Scavenger Hunt item #40 Read a book featuring a strong female protagonist (3 points)

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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10 responses to “Review: Magic Breaks – Ilona Andrews

  1. Woohoo! *fist bump* Sounds like you and I started reading the series around the same time. I’m so glad I was able to read the series so close together. Reading your review and quotes makes me want to start all over!

    Christy recently posted: Sanctum by Sarah Fine
    • LOL Christy 🙂 I just love Kate and Curran so much!! I think the way they’ve evolved through the series is nothing short of amazing. I have bought the audios for this series, so that I have an ‘excuse’ for re-reading. I don’t usually re-read, but with audios it’s different 🙂

  2. You are *killing* me!! I can’t believe that you started a series (more than one, actually) that I love but was behind on and you’re now ahead of me!! I’m glad that Magic Breaks was a worthy installment, Lex. I’m missing Kate and Curran quite a bit. I keep threatening to take a month and spend it just catching up on series. I still may do that but it might not be until January since I’ve left my *heaviest* reading assignment books for these last few months. I need to sit down and make a list of the series I need to get caught up on…may take me more than a month! 😉
    Happy Tuesday, my dear! Hope your week is going well so far!! **BIG HUGS**

    Bookworm Brandee recently posted: Rock Chick Chat ~ Fire Inside ~ Kristen Ashley
    • Ha! If it actually would take you more than a month to make a list, you should just dive straight in, Brandee. Kate and Curran are so amazing! I love how they respect each other just as much as they love each other, you know?
      One day, I’ll help you do a overhaul of your goodreads shelves, then you don’t need lists anymore 😉
      Happy Tuesday to you, too, Brandee! My week is good so far, even if I’m tired 😀 Miss you!! *BIG HUGS*

  3. That was a smart move to wait and have this one and Magic Shifts together. This one really ends, not so much with a cliffhanger, but a “where are they going to go next”. It was a great idea that Ilona Andrews put the note at the beginning that this was not the end of the series or there would be a lot of panic. Such a great series. I just love them all. Great review.

    Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted: The Virgin Audiobook by Tiffany Reisz (REVIEW)

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