There are a few authors I will buy anytime, anywhere. I don't wait for the price to drop; I don't care what it costs. I WANT THAT BOOK!
Top of the list is Ilona Andrews and their latest book, Magic Breaks, was released early this morning.
It will take me a couple of days to write this review because, given my memory, I'm doing it as I read. And then there'll be a BIG CONCLUSION that will blow everyone's socks off and hopefully cause them to run right out (or to your local online bookstore) and get this book.
'Cause I can tell you, without having read yet, that it's damn good.
Okay, I've screwed up the lines again, the paragraph order. One reason I don't write so much on this blog. Cause I can't fix it!! I break it and I can't fix it! So just pretend that paragraph up there is a poem, cleverly formated, as poems often are.
July 30, 2014
Stayed up until 1:00 finishing this book and all I can say is WOW! This is one heck of a twisty book.
This is not the book you think it is/should be. So many twists and turns. There is closure of a sort at the end but not the one people probably thought was coming. In such a wacked out fantasy world, this closure made sense, was logical.
Okay, the blurb (as if you haven't already read it all over the internet, lol):
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…
Not being quite honest, that blurb. Oh, A Master of the Dead is murdered at the beginning of the book, but not at the Conclave and the way the corpse is delivered ... well, let's just say I HATE Hugh. The bassard! I really, really hate villains that think they're witty and undefeatable (spell check says this isn't a word, but I'm using it anyway because it meets my needs) as Hugh does, but as Kate says later in the book, all his powers come from Roland. He's a big nothing without Roland and the stuff Roland's given him. I think anyone who liked/loved Hugh in the last book, Magic Rises (and there were many) will have their minds changed in this book.
Roland's power is off the scales, too much power for one person and he's completely different from what I was expecting.
One thing I've always loved about these books is Kate and Curran's relationship. By this book, book 7, they are pretty much settled into each other and have no hesitation saying "I love you". But Curran is absent for much of the book and that's when all hell breaks loose, thanks to Hugh D'Ambray and Kate has to fight him alone except for certain pack members who were strictly volunteers.
And this is a first for these books, I had tears in my eyes at one point. Very poignant writing. Kate was in extreme danger, on the verge of death, in fact, and her inner thoughts of Curran ... oh my God! She had complete faith in him, never for a minute thought he'd abandon her and of course he didn't.
We finally meet Roland, definitely NOT a pleasure. He puts Hugh in the shade. Hell, he puts everyone in the shade. But Kate doesn't fear him. She doesn't fear dying at his hand. Her only fear is failing to protect the people she loves and even the ones she doesn't. She wants to hold Atlanta in her arms and make the bogyman go away. To see if she succeeds, you'll have to read the book, if only for the twisty ending.
But no matter how this ending looks to you, the reader, let me assure you that there are 3 more books to come. So the ending with the twist is just that, an ending for this particular book. I can't wait for the next one; I'm so greedy.
I'm going to end this rambling wreck of a post/review by saying there is also a short story in this book, called Magic Tests, a story about Julie, Kate's ward. Also to say, this is the best book of this seven book series (so far). The series isn't getting stale - far from it. It just keeps growing and getting better.
There's a lot of untold stories in this world. I hope there's room for them in the Andrews' schedule, even non-Kate stories. Because it's the writing.
It's always the writing.
I'll read anything they write, and have. They're going at full blast, but I still want more. I'm such a bitch that way.
PS: forgot the big CONCLUSION. Please forgive me. It's early here, or was when I started this and what you see is what you get. ;-)
I have got to start the series. I keep saying it... hell, I just finished a book. I shall start the series tonight.
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