Book Review: Magic Burns

Magic Burns

By:  Ilona Andrews

Publisher:  Ace Fantasy

Publish Date:  April 2008

Format:  Paperback 260pgs, pocket size

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  2nd in Kate Daniels series: 1st Book ~ Magic Bites

Recommendation:  Yes. This book is the one to get you into the world and understand a lot better.  And I loved Curran in this one. ;)  Even skip Magic Bites, if you wish.

Book Synopsis:
Down in Atlanta, tempers -- and temperatures -- are about to flare...

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards.  Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide.  But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant.  Now Kate's going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake.  During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest - and battle for power.  The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth.  And if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive...

First Sentence:
The phone range in the middle of the night.

My Thoughts and Summary:
It's been four months since Greg's death, Kate's guardian and close friend of the family and where Magic Bites started.  Jim wakes Kate with a phone call to help with a job.  One that bringing in the "guilty" party alive makes them some rather good money, only to have another person kill their target, yet not them.  A little disappointed in the down fall of potential money, Kate goes back to do the paperwork on their catch, then heads to her office.  Kate has not seen Curran in months, and given the temperament of the two together feels it's best, until a woman, engaged to a past friend of Kate's, comes to ask Kate to talk to Curran asking he grant approval of the marriage.  Then Derek shows up with a petition from the pack for help finding a man who attacked a team with bolts, exactly like the one Kate has from her target being killed, and the stolen maps this man took.  On Kate's searching, she comes across Red who asks Kate to watch over his girlfriend for him.  Whom Kate learns, has had her mother disappear while with her coven of witches.  Kate finds herself helping this young girl as well.  All this and magic is on the fritz with the flares, making magic stronger and magic geared creatures more vulnerable.

I liked Magic Bites, but it didn't woo me.  Thanks for the wonderful words of friends out here, I picked up Magic Burns, and Wow.  I loved this one.  This book gripped me and kept me going.  Where Magic Bites felt weaker, Magic Burns filled in some of the gaps and made the world and magic stronger for me.  After reading Magic Burns, Magic Bites feels more like a prelude to introduce you to the characters for what's to come in the future.  I can say, you could easily pick up and start the series here with Magic Burns.  You get the little bits of insight of what happens in Magic Bites here as you go, so you are filled in with the meeting of the main characters.  But me, I'm one to follow a series as it's reading order, yes another OCD thing.  So, if you've read Magic Bites and lost interest, I do hope you give Magic Burns a try, it just might be better for you.

I like that I got a better grip of the world in this book.  I got a little meaning to the magic and tech working opposite each other, although at times they might work at the same time.  Yeah, sounds strange. lol.  The creatures we see here opens the world wide, even the places and magic.

I LOVE the bickering between Kate and Curran, two alpha's but it's always filled with humor.  They are always competing for who is the "best."  I think this is one of the strongest points that brings me to this series.  I still love Derek, really.  He seems to have a knowing on Kate and Curran, but hasn't voiced it yet.

Then we have the mystery!  I like the mystery with the witches, Julie, Bowman, and Hoodguy.  hee hee.  Again, Kate is not the experienced detective but she mentions that and what she is doing to learn the trade.  I like that Kate learns as she goes, and that she is not all knowing.  This makes Kate feel more personable, as she picks up on tidbits but knows where to look to get the history on the subject, like in this book with the gods.  The way this plays together with the characters I already know and now, after this book, love.


I read this book for my own enjoyment.