This isn’t going to be a great critical review, I’m sorry to say. I really enjoyed this book and I feel that it’s a perfect addition to an already stellar series, which I raved about in one of my earlier CBR6 reviews.
Goodreads summary: “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…”
Magic Breaks is, like the other books in the Kate Daniels series, exemplary in the urban fantasy genre. There isn’t much left to say that hasn’t been said about the top-notch quality of the world-building, the strength of Kate as a lead character, the humor, the gripping action sequences… I could go on.
Before I started reading, I read the note from Ilona Andrews; it says that the Kate Daniels contract will extend the series to 10 books, and even though the consequences of what happens in Magic Breaks feel like they are epic and an ending, there is a lot more story to be told. It’s true, and the arc is more interesting for it. Instead of using 10 books to build up to a showdown with Roland, the ultimate Big Bad, Kate encounters him here and more or less shows her hand. Whereas a more obvious series would take the long arc and find a way for Kate to miraculously win against all odds, Andrews establishes what’s certain to be an uneasy stalemate between the two of them here, leaving the next three books completely up in the air. I can think of any number of ways to take the story, and I’m sure the way they’ll end up taking is one I won’t have even thought of. I’m very much looking forward to it.