Name: Juliana M's review of Magic triumphs by Ilona Andrews
Item: Magic triumphs
Rating: 5
Author: Juliana M

Ilona Andrews

"In this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban-fantasy series, mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear... Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be. Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows her time is up. Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try. For her child. For Atlanta. For the world"--

Magic triumphs

Juliana M

Vicky  Nuñez 

Magic Triumphs is a great conclusion to a series I've been following for so long. It is the perfect wrap-up and I don't think I would change a thing. I feel completely satisfied with the story and I'm thankful the authors accepted the idea that writing beyond that is not a great idea. I also really liked the way the left the world open for other spin-offs.

The KD series is a perfect blend of great fantasy, romance, and adventure.

Jasmine

Well, I'm officially in denial that this is the last book of the Kate Daniels series... it can't be over right? Soo for now I'm just going to pretend that every character is going to get their own book and we will see them all again soon... Yep planning on hanging onto that idea for a little longer please I still need more!!

 It's so hard to put into words how I feel when I finish a series that I have a huge attachment to, that is assuming it ends right and I'm not left feeling cheated (thankfully that never happened here<3). Damn it's actually over! I'm really going to miss this world, characters, humor, and all the insane adventures and interesting predicaments our main character find themselves in! It's especially sad because this also might be one of the last of my list of favorite urban fantasy series and I can already tell it's going to be extremely difficult to fill that void (the standard has been set pretty fucking high now, just saying). I was satisfied with the ending and I do think it was a good place to leave everything, especially for Kate, Curran, Julie, and Conlan (can we seriously have a book just about this kid growing up and Kate's commentary? He's so freaking adorable haha I died hearing her observations, she such a proud momma of her son and his abnormal ways love it).

 I think if I had one complaint it would be the lack of Derek, Ascanio, Saiman and Andrea moments because this is the last one and they've been a huge part of this series. But I also recognize this book has a lot of characters and most of them I have loved for the whole series or grown to love, or just love to hate so I guess what can you do? The final battle actually was one of my least favorite throughout the books, it was just lacking the same intensity imo. Parts of the ending were so bittersweet but that was to be expected because of how much I loved reading these book. Anyways, goodbye to this wonderful series I'm going to miss you like crazy, I will be crossing my fingers that some other characters to get their own book someday. The epilogue was great because it leaves just the right amount of room to expand on other beloved characters story, but who I really want the most to get their own book *cough DEREK!! Or you know maybe a short story for Barabas & Christopher? Honestly, I'm not picky ;P

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*Contains Some Spoilers*

Magic Triumphs is the final installment in the Kate Daniels series (as far as I know) but after reading it there was more finality to it than in previous books so this saddens my heart because I have had such a blast going through Kate and Curran's journey and finding their own place together and in their world that they have created with all the good and the bad and their beautiful son.  I will make this a shorter review, because quite frankly if I go long I will reveal details I probably shouldn't and would ruin the book. This review I just want to share my impressions of the story overall.

In Magic Triumphs, Kate and Curran have given birth to a bouncing baby boy and boy does he have the energy that his parents have plus tenfold. We see Curran and Kate as parents, and trying to juggle everything including finding time for themselves. We see danger is escalating and they are trying to figure out the new threat including a way to bring down Kate's father who is more dangerous than ever. I really adore seeing how the plot escalates and all the SUSPENSE....I almost felt like I was going to have a heart attack because the intensity just about killed me. I loved trying to solve the mystery along side Kate and Curran and all their friends and family and their hyper active powerful boy. Their son is eighteen months and seeing him into a baby lion was so CUTE and he drives his mama a bit crazy.

We see the way Kate juggles everything she has to handle wife, mother, niece, daughter, kick ass fighter and defender of the city of Atlanta and more. We see how the strain that everyone puts on her and what I truly loved is that with everything she has going on....the love her "kitty cat" has for her is what keeps her going strong and stable, she relies on him more than she realizes because he accepts her as she is and loves her fully and wholly. Their isn't a super strong focus on their relationship, but when we get glimpses of it in these small moments, my emotions just break because you see how strong and well balanced they are together on and off the battle field. The story weaves its way through passion, the challenges of parenthood, killings and intrigue, and fighting off near unbeatable enemies to bring a better future for those you love....its kick ass in every way you can imagine and this final installment was a PHENOMENAL journey that I am so grateful to be a part of!!
a little more of the old technological world died, and the new world and its powers and monsters grew a little stronger. Being one of the monsters, I supposed I shouldn't complain.
 
Behold, the Immortal One, the In Shinar, the Blood Blade of Atlanta" I spent the whole ceremony trying to kill him with my brain. When I chewed him out afterward, he asked who I would rather risk my life for, The Blood Blade of Atlanta or Kate Lennart, small business owner. I shouldn't told him to stuff it, I had only myself to blame.
 
Conlan cooed, looking like the most adorable child, all innocence and light. The kind of child who would never turn into a monster and eat raw mice in the woods with his father. My son was a con man.
 
The dove? Kate Daniels, the Dove? Just when exactly had I ever done anything remotely dovelike?


[foogallery id="18404"]

Kirsten Simkiss

While I'm sad to see it end, I thought this installment of the series was awesome. When a friend introduced me to these books a few years ago, I dove into the series with a vigor. Now, even after that friendship has since dissolved, I still love these witty, violent characters and their unpredictably chaotic world of magic and technology. I will continue to love them, even as the main characters retire to a hopefully (but unlikely) more peaceful life. I'm also equally glad to see the side series taking off, in which characters of the Kate Daniels series can live on in cameos and interactions with Hugh and Elara.

As a small warning, you DO need to read Iron and Magic first. It does come into play in this book.

PLEASE BE WARNED. Past this point, there are absolutely spoilers. Mild ones, granted, but spoilers all the same.

As the book opens, you bear witness to the birth of the son of Kate and Curran Lennart, who has a bizarre but ultimately acceptable name. Conlan's pretty odd as far as names go, but in a world where you have equally bizarrely named monsters, it seems pretty normal by comparison. Conlan was well written in my opinion. Despite the time gap to allow him to grow, I thought they handled writing a toddler very well - even a magically advanced toddler such as this one.

I was also happy to get back to the focus on the core four characters of the series. Kate, Curran, Derek, and Julie. Ultimately, I feel like those four are the real heart of the series. The other characters are darling additions and you love them, but without those four the series would fall so utterly short. In prior books, I had missed having Derek around as much. Julie also seemed to be more prominent in this one as well. It was just really lovely to get back to that. (Also, I'm digging Derek's Nightwing vibe. 100% would read a series with him at it's core, fighting magical crime in Atlanta.) I love how natural the discussions the characters have, even spitting witty retorts at each other and making snide remarks. I love all the little moments that make the characters just so human and realistic. It really makes the characters breathe, so to speak. My favorite moment of non-life-threatening events in this book definitely has to be the Sunshine Realty subplot. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

I do have to say I was surprised that you don't even see Roland until about two thirds of the way through the book. Roland, naturally, has been the main villain since the start. Everything we've seen has been gearing up toward Roland and Kate's final battle for the safety of Kate's family. So I was shocked as I read how little he was mentioned in the first half of the book. In fact, they're faced with an entirely separate villain in addition to the constant threat of Roland and his sahanu. You do see a bunch of the sahanu, but no Roland for about 240 pages. It was an interesting choice and I feel like it was a good decision. It was nice getting taken by surprise by the narrative and not being focused on how evil Roland is. You can only repeat that so often without it getting repetitive.

I also felt that they handled Hugh's personality and loyalty shift better in this book. I thought it felt a little forced in Iron and Magic. I feel like the perspectives and discussion from characters who had personal stakes in how to handle Hugh's return really helped sell it for me. I was more able to accept Christopher's explanation and Kate's decision than I was of Raphael's faded anger. But, ultimately, I do have to accept that Hugh has to survive his first book if we're supposed to get more of them.

I feel like the ending was a soft ending - by which I mean that if they ever feel compelled to write more or write a next generation, they've left the door open to do so. I can see so many directions and characters they could follow in other books aside from the Iron Covenant stories they've already begun. The epilogue almost hinted at a Julie and Erra spin off, which I absolutely love the concept of. But I would read the stories of any one of these characters if they read them. I really do think that this is my all time favorite urban fantasy series hands down. Again, I'm sad to see it end, but I'm hopeful for the future and what other extensions of the world Ilona Andrews would bestow upon their readers.

Juliana M &
Magic triumphs by Ilona Andrews

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