Magic Breaks (2012)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #7
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 381 (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 Breaks in 2015 and reviewed it at my own blog.
The Premise:
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…
No spoilers
In a note at the beginning of the book, the authors warn that readers that this is not the end of the series. It is certainly, however, the end of era in the life of Kate Daniels. This novel combines many aspects of previous books, such as murder mysteries, werecreature Pack politics, and Kate’s family drama, and slams them together into one epic adventure.
A huge sign that shit is about to go down is that the book opens with Curran traveling out of town, leaving Kate to face Pack alpha responsibilities on her own. So, it comes as no surprise that in a meeting Kate can’t get out of, the Pack is accused of murder and she comes face to face with her father’s right-hand man. Hugh d’Ambray knows who she is now, and there’s no getting out of it this time. Its more than just Pack politics and Atlanta’s faction rivalries now. If Kate doesn’t solve this murder, there’s no way to prevent an oncoming war.
Spoiler alert: The murder is pretty easy to solve, because that wasn’t the point of the book. The point of the book is that Hugh wears the new toxic masculinity crown of this series, and he’s used to getting what he wants. And what he wants, in the midst of the action-packed first half of the book, is to bring Kate to her father.
No sagging middles to this story, despite the distinct lack of action for a good chunk of time. After the numerous injuries Kate acquires during each book in this series, this time it feels like the closest to death she’s actually gotten. The authors are very comfortable with the use of pacing as a way to increase tension, and there’s some white-knuckle story-telling here even without the usual blood and guts.
Alas, Kate’s identity is no longer much of a secret to pretty much anyone by the end of this tale. Including to her father. Kate and Roland, the leader of the vampire-navigating People, meet face to face. And absolutely nothing turns out as expected.
Despite the changes that occur at the end of this book, Magic Breaks is not the reset on the story. Instead, it’s a brand new chapter in Kate and Curran’s lives.
In conclusion: This series is definitely on the downhill toward a dramatic finale. It’s going to be tough sticking to my “read one book a month” schedule when all I want to do is finally learn how everything ends!
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