Customer Reviews

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels)

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Important note: I would not call this a paranormal romance, I would call this a Urban Fantasy book. I have a pet peeve about being mislead and this book fits the former category.

After I finished the first book of this series I was seriously worried that we were headed down the path to another of the too powerful to be believable heroines. The characters were interesting and the author's idea for bringing magic and technology together was good, but I seriously wondered if our Heroine was going to be another Anita Blake who develops new powers every other page.

Book 2. Ilona Andrews gets a big thumb up for letting her heroine get her butt royally kicked several times in the book. She's still a really bratty, smart-mouthed girl who happens to be really, really powerful in magic and other things. Here's the great part. There is a good explanation for a lot of it. She doesn't just magically have powers, she has been to schools and she studies on her own to get better. What? A heroine who works at it?? Thank you, Ms. Andrews, for writing with your brain intact.

The second book starts up pretty much where the first book left off. Kate, our heroine, is still struggling financially, has a hard time keeping a boyfriend and doesn't play nice with others. Her interactions with other paranormal groups continue and she keeps trying to do good while staying as sassy and likable as before.

The storyline follows Kate through the advent of a major surge/spike in magic and the interactions of several different groups who are being affected. The Beastlord who she flirted/fought with during the first book remains a strong supporting character, but Ms. Andrews doesn't just throw them together for the almost mandatory sex that these books too often include without a good reason. Again, nice job Ms. Andrews.

* Weird sh@t is attracted to her
* She doesn't do 'humble'
* She has cute bows on her panties

Intrigued? You should be. If you're a strong fan of kickbutt urban fantasy heroines, you need to meet Kate.

Kate lives in an alternate Atlanta in a world where magic has returned and it comes in waves with technology. Aside from double coping skills, she's got two jobs--one with the Order and One with the Merc Guild. Add to that, two mortgages and enough trouble on her plate that she needs a clone or two to give her a hand.

Someone's stealing valuable maps from the weres and she's got to get them back. A misguided coven makes an alliance with the wrong Celtic God and Kate's stuck with the coven leader's daughter. And the girl comes with all the troubles teenage girls are prone to--and then some. You see, she's a virgin and her boyfriend wants to try and use her for some powerful mojo.

What I'm most impresed with Ilona Andrews' sophomore effort is that she's taken a great start in "Magic Bites" and made it better. Clearly, she's done her mythological research and synthesized it into her manuscript seamlessly. Strong fantasy and titilating romance blend with enough elements of both to keep both camps happy.

"Magic Bites" was an impressive entry into the urban fantasy genre. "Magic Bites" establishes Ilona Andrews as an author who's going to keep honing her craft until she reaches the top of the charts. I wish her every success in that endeavor and I'll be waiting for the next installment.

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels Series, Book 1)

Magic Burns is the second book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Kate is a mercenary in magic-torn Atlanta, eliminating the magical anomalies that surface each time a wave of magic hits. In Magic Bites, she investigates the murder of her guardian and ruffles a few important furs and feathers in the process. In Magic Burns, we revisit Kate's uncanny ability to attract danger from all sides as she works to investigate the disappearance of a young girl's mother. She must work cooperatively with The People (vampires) and The Pack (shapeshifters), though this alliance is frequently strained.

Fans of the series should not be disappointed by this new installment. This reads like a separate episode - while it does help to have some prior knowledge of the universe, it may not be required for you to enjoy this second book. The romantic fans will be titillated by Magic Burns as Kate's relationship with Curran really starts getting interesting and a rival enters the battle.

Books like this are typically not my "thing," but I have to give the author credit for a work that I finished at a break-neck pace. Magic Burns is full of action, adventure, mystery, humor, and a touch of romance. The emphasis of Magic Burns is the action - the dark qualities aren't quite as strong as they were in Bites, and the mystery is a little rushed. Humor in a book like this is a delicate balance - alternating between comedy and dark adventure is tricky, especially while keeping up the momentum of the plot. Overdoing the one-liners can turn a book into pure schlock or a belly-laugh. In Magic Burns there are some phrases that are a little overused ("In your dreams!"), some reactions that seem unreasonable or cartoonish. But overall, the funny bits are very well done and elevate the series from interesting to endearing. The snark suits Kate well and creates a thoroughly entertaining read.

All of your favorite characters from Magic Bites make a reappearance in Magic Burns, almost without exception. These characters are typically well integrated into the story, but some of them make cameo appearances that are not really part of the story, and a few of the characters undergo a personality shift between Bites and Burns.

The world is intriguing and well researched, integrating Celtic mythologies and new facts about shapeshifters, vampires, and the urban fantasy landscape. Magic Burns takes place during a magic flare, where the abilities of all magical creatures are enhanced: for better and worse. We also get a short, satisfying, and revealing glimpse into Kate's origins. Now that we have answers, here's hoping that the next book will explore the inevitable confrontations.

Magic Burns is a tease and a page-turner. Peppered with furry, sticky violence and rapier wit, the whirlwind tour of Atlanta is far from over.

A sophomore book is probably one of the most daunting things for a writer to face. Can they pull it off? Will they be able to transition what happened in the book before in short quick bursts without seeming like they're writing a book report? Can they keep true to the characters that they've established in the first book?

Will the cover art suck? Will the book suck? Will anyone remember the first book and pick up the second?

I'm sure these are questions that Ilona asked herself. No worries, Ilona. You did more than fine.

The Amazon blurb for Magic Burns is like a grain of sand in a sand storm. It describes that little bit of silicon that exists, a hint of colour and maybe a bit of its hardness. You can imagine the sand but not the wind and fury that carries it. That's the kind of book Ilona writes.

I was lucky enough to read this book prior to its release. I took my time reading it because I wanted to revisit the flavour of the world and the characters. Ilona kept them true and in fact, enhanced the spiciness of the relationships she established in Magic Bites. The writing is tight, always keeping the reader on the edge of the thrill and within a few short pages, I care about characters that I've just met.

You can tell that there's research done. Not because it's spooled out into a feed of information but rather, tidbits are woven in expertly until the story comes alive for you. Ilona gives a good treatment of the mythology she's tapped into and opens up legends just enough to be real. It's very imaginable to have a god walking into Kate's world. It's also very imaginable to see the chaos that the god has wrought.

What I like about Kate Daniels? She's a flawed character. Kate's not perfect. She sometimes gambles with her relationships, compromising herself unknowingly and risking herself for seemingly little. Ilona knits this personality into a tight story filled with twists and turns. She doesn't go for rote or cliché. There are people in these words. Tempers that flare as hot as the magic and sometimes even a small break between friends. Personal conflict ride with the plot and to me, that makes a good story. Magic Burns isn't just about the fate of the world that Ilona has created, it's also about the people that inhabit it. All told in with a half-smirk, half-heroic voice of a woman who sometimes is in over her head and probably wouldn't want it any other way.

Kate grows as a character in the books. Her relationships develop and her life goes to crap. She worries about rent as well as worrying about saving the people she cares for. The story is good. The characters are great. The voice of the book is solid. There are no sophomore worries here. A reader can pick up this book and read it without having to go back but honestly, that reader should.

So yeah...Magic Burns... rocks.

The second book in a series is incredibly important, especially when the first book was a debut novel. You pick it up wondering: was that first great book, MAGIC BITES, a one-off? Can the author sustain that kind of strong character development, dynamic tension, tight plotting, and great writing? Will these books get better and better, or will they fizzle and fall apart?

Well, I am thrilled to say that MAGIC BURNS fulfills all the promise of MAGIC BITES and more. It's fantastic.

The novel opens as Atlanta buckles down for one of the most dangerous phenomena in the post-Shift world - a flare, when the balance between tech and magic goes out of whack and magic surges through the atmosphere with frightening intensity. Past flares have always left a wake of death and destruction, and this one promises to be no different.

Protagonist Kate Daniels is trying to solve several seemingly unrelated cases: someone has been stealing precious maps from under the very sensitive noses of the shapeshifters, a street urchin calls in a favor and asks her to guard a girl with some very special powers, and a coven of poorly-trained witches have vanished into thin air. Eventually, all these subplots converge on one gigantic problem.

Kate, as a character, has only gotten better - fiercer, funnier, smarter, and kinder. Characters we met in the first book pop up again, most notably Curren the Beastmaster, Ghastek the necromancer, and Saiman the guru. Sparks fly between Kate and Curren, and a wise werehyena makes the reader wonder what Curren's intentions really are. Kate makes a new friend in Andrea, a Knight of the Order with a big secret, who I hope we see a lot more of.

The worldbuilding is stellar. Andrews has created a unique, fascinating alternate reality, and in this second book in the series she fleshes it out with mythological creatures, bodily fluids, the power of faith, and a few tantalizing hints about Kate's mysterious origins. All in all, MAGIC BURNS was an incredibly satisfying read, and I'll be waiting impatiently for the next book.

This 2nd book in the Kate Daniels series was a great follow up. It was an easy read. The action was fast paced and exciting. The development of the characters were nice and kept you wondering what would be next. I cannot wait to see what Kate's character will reveal of itself as the series goes on. I don't want to get into too much detail because that would ruin the book for whoever reads this review but suffice to say some questions about Kate are answered but at the same time more questions arise.

On a side note I cannot believe that we have to wait until 2009 to find out what happens between Kate and Curran. Seeing as how he gave her soup, welcomed her home and made her coffee to boot~!!! Ms. Andrews can you not hurry it up a bit~!! I don't have the patience to wait until 2009~!! Perhaps January of 2009??? Oh pretty pretty please~!!

All in all this new series has been a pleasant discovery that has helped me get over the Anita withdrawal. I would definitely recommend this series to any former Anita fan~!

This is a sequel that bucks the trend and is actually even better than the first book in the series, Magic Bites. Our heroine is tough yet has her insecurities( she has not had sex in nearly two years!). The romantic tension between her and Curran is wonderful. Even better is the fact that their relationship is not yet consumated which draws out the interest for the reader. I just can't wait to see what happens between these two next! The action is non-stop and yet it flows wonderfully and does not seem like a series of disjointed actions sequences. The story is bursting with necromancers, vampires, shapeshifters and rich with Celtic lore. There is a little of everything and yet the flow is smooth and this leads too a great and logical climax. Recently I have been disappointed by some mediocre paranormal/fantasy sequels (Fire Study, Iron Kissed, Mage"s Daughter), so this book was a wonderful gift! I can't wait for the sequel, I hope we get it by years end. If you want a great story, well written with a smart heroine, run and buy Magic Bites and Magic Burns.

My turn to gush, the reason the Andrews are collecting fan-girls (and fan-guys) left and right is that they deliver a tight interesting story packed with plenty of action, well drawn characters, set in a truly great chaotic alternate Atlanta where the natives have learned to survive randomly alternately periods of magic and technology.

The second book in the series, Magic Burns is even better than the first because it gets to take advantage of what has come before. We come in with an understanding of the rules of the world so there is more of a sense of getting to explore it now and the vision just keeps on getting more fascinating as we view how magic has warped the city. The cast builds from last time, so that relationships between magical bounty hunter Kate and her were babysitter Derrick, her partner Jim continue to be developed as well as new nuances being added to her relationship with the oh-so-dangerous were leader Curran. I thought the weapon loving Andrea was a great addition and the archer thief Bran ended up providing humor and pathos both to add depth to the story. Of course we are still getting to know Kate, we get a glimpse of her power in the final confrontation but she is still keeping secrets for us to discover in future books. I am ready for the next one, keep them coming!

In this second installment, Kate reluctantly agrees to do a favor for the local Pack and investigate the disappearance of some valuable maps. While hunting down the culprit, Kate gets called in on another favor. This time she winds up shackled with a teenage street urchin whose mother recently joined an amateur witch coven and went missing shortly after. Kate promises to find the girl's mother and, in the process, is caught in the crossfire between two ancient deities vying for power. So pretty much an average day for Kate and the city of Atlanta.

The highlights of MAGIC BURNS are definitely the increased personal interactions between Kate and the various people and creatures who've come into her life. The growing attachment between Kate and Julie (the young girl in her care) develops quickly and the protective stance Kate takes throughout the course of the book is quite touching . Equally compelling is the more slowly developing connection between Curran, the Pack alpha, and Kate. Despite their mutual attempts to avoid each other. The reader gains several insights into these two almost painfully private people and the ending promises more good things to come. In fact, these quiet character-driven scenes were so interesting that I wished there were just a few more. The plentiful action and fighting sequences seem to always take center stage and, though we do get a little more information on Kate's background, it is a very little, and I am (of course) anxious for more. A solid second book, I'm looking forward to the third one.

It seems that authors are taking longer and longer to publish the next book in their (SIGH!!) series, so I have been waiting for what seems like forever for this book, and it does not disappoint! Kate Daniels is interesting and funny-and I enjoyed every second of the book. I liked the new characters-especially Julie and the oracles, and am curious about how they will fit into future books. I loved the way the romance angle was woven INTO the story, not the other way around, but still am excited to see how Curran and Kate's courtship plays out. All in all, it is an exciting new series, and I can not wait for the next installment.