Magic Rises (2013)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #6
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 327 (Paperback)
Publisher: Ace
Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Rises in 2013.
The Premise:
Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them — no matter the cost.
Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute — and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer — but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…
Spoiler free!
I’m over halfway through my re-read of this series for my 2019 resolution, and this is my favorite book so far. It hit a lot of story tropes that I enjoy in my fiction, from a sprawling cast of characters to dangerous political intrigue. In fact, this book has so many secondary characters that this would be a terrible place to jump into this series. However, dedicated readers will probably enjoy this installment even if they prefer different story elements.
Kate, Curran, and company are leaving Atlanta in this book, and I don’t just mean for a jaunt over to Savannah. This time, they’re crossing the Atlantic Ocean to act as third-party arbiters in a dispute between multiple werecreature packs off the coast of the Black Sea. But even that convoluted mess might just be a cover to get Kate herself into the clutches of an agent working for her father.
That ruse is fairly straight-forward compared to the pack politics being played around her. Kate and her friends have been hired for a bodyguard job, but it’s never that simple. I’m not even going to attempt to deconstruct it here, except to say: If you like Atlanta’s pack politics, here it is turned up to 11.
The mythology used for this installment isn’t easy to pigeonhole either. Super esoteric elements from Eastern European and Middle Eastern lore are brought to life with the Andrews’ usual unique twist to make it fit to the world they’ve created. As always, it provides a mystery for the heroes and enough blood and guts to keep things interesting for everyone.
Also, there are weredolphin pirates, which I’d completely forgotten about and didn’t realize I needed so much in my life.
As usual, we have to check in with His Furriness and his evolving relationship with Kate. Curran is doing so well these days, he’s almost recognizable from his “alpha-hole” personality of the first book. His character development is believable and their relationship is now built solidly on a decent partnership. But both Kate and Curran are stubborn as hell, which will always lead to some conflict. The characters do take a moment for a “serious relationship talk” in this book, and I’ll keep cheering for them until the end.
Not everything is fun and happiness. This is a Kate Daniels book, after all. A major character death happens at the end of this story, and for a moment, it looks like all is lost. Kate’s compassionate side means everything works out in the end, but it’s definitely a hollow victory.
In conclusion: Despite the dark moments (and there are plenty), Magic Rises brings this series to an entirely new level. The wins are greater, but so are the losses. This Kate is also unrecognizable from herself in the first book, but she’s a character I’d be proud to have on my side, no matter the fight.
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