Magic Burns

Love, compassion, intrigue, magic, humor, and a war we win. What more can you ask for?

This 2nd book in the Kate Daniels series was a great follow up. It was an easy read. The action was fast paced and exciting. The development of the characters were nice and kept you wondering what would be next. I cannot wait to see what Kate's character will reveal of itself as the series goes on. I don't want to get into too much detail because that would ruin the book for whoever reads this review but suffice to say some questions about Kate are answered but at the same time more questions arise. On a side note I cannot believe that we have to wait until 2009 to find out what happens between Kate and Curran. Seeing as how he gave her soup, welcomed her home and made her coffee to boot~!!! Ms. Andrews can you not hurry it up a bit~!! I don't have the patience to wait until 2009~!! Perhaps January of 2009??? Oh pretty pretty please~!! All in all this new series has been a pleasant discovery that has helped me get over the Anita withdrawal. I would definitely recommend this series to any former Anita fan~!

* Weird sh@t is attracted to her * She doesn't do 'humble' * She has cute bows on her panties Intrigued? You should be. If you're a strong fan of kickbutt urban fantasy heroines, you need to meet Kate. Kate lives in an alternate Atlanta in a world where magic has returned and it comes in waves with technology. Aside from double coping skills, she's got two jobs--one with the Order and One with the Merc Guild. Add to that, two mortgages and enough trouble on her plate that she needs a clone or two to give her a hand. Someone's stealing valuable maps from the weres and she's got to get them back. A misguided coven makes an alliance with the wrong Celtic God and Kate's stuck with the coven leader's daughter. And the girl comes with all the troubles teenage girls are prone to--and then some. You see, she's a virgin and her boyfriend wants to try and use her for some powerful mojo. What I'm most impresed with Ilona Andrews' sophomore effort is that she's taken a great start in "Magic Bites" and made it better. Clearly, she's done her mythological research and synthesized it into her manuscript seamlessly. Strong fantasy and titilating romance blend with enough elements of both to keep both camps happy. "Magic Bites" was an impressive entry into the urban fantasy genre. "Magic Bites" establishes Ilona Andrews as an author who's going to keep honing her craft until she reaches the top of the charts. I wish her every success in that endeavor and I'll be waiting for the next installment. Magic Bites (Kate Daniels Series, Book 1)

This is a sequel that bucks the trend and is actually even better than the first book in the series, Magic Bites. Our heroine is tough yet has her insecurities( she has not had sex in nearly two years!). The romantic tension between her and Curran is wonderful. Even better is the fact that their relationship is not yet consumated which draws out the interest for the reader. I just can't wait to see what happens between these two next! The action is non-stop and yet it flows wonderfully and does not seem like a series of disjointed actions sequences. The story is bursting with necromancers, vampires, shapeshifters and rich with Celtic lore. There is a little of everything and yet the flow is smooth and this leads too a great and logical climax. Recently I have been disappointed by some mediocre paranormal/fantasy sequels (Fire Study, Iron Kissed, Mage"s Daughter), so this book was a wonderful gift! I can't wait for the sequel, I hope we get it by years end. If you want a great story, well written with a smart heroine, run and buy Magic Bites and Magic Burns.

The second book in a series is incredibly important, especially when the first book was a debut novel. You pick it up wondering: was that first great book, MAGIC BITES, a one-off? Can the author sustain that kind of strong character development, dynamic tension, tight plotting, and great writing? Will these books get better and better, or will they fizzle and fall apart? Well, I am thrilled to say that MAGIC BURNS fulfills all the promise of MAGIC BITES and more. It's fantastic. The novel opens as Atlanta buckles down for one of the most dangerous phenomena in the post-Shift world - a flare, when the balance between tech and magic goes out of whack and magic surges through the atmosphere with frightening intensity. Past flares have always left a wake of death and destruction, and this one promises to be no different. Protagonist Kate Daniels is trying to solve several seemingly unrelated cases: someone has been stealing precious maps from under the very sensitive noses of the shapeshifters, a street urchin calls in a favor and asks her to guard a girl with some very special powers, and a coven of poorly-trained witches have vanished into thin air. Eventually, all these subplots converge on one gigantic problem. Kate, as a character, has only gotten better - fiercer, funnier, smarter, and kinder. Characters we met in the first book pop up again, most notably Curren the Beastmaster, Ghastek the necromancer, and Saiman the guru. Sparks fly between Kate and Curren, and a wise werehyena makes the reader wonder what Curren's intentions really are. Kate makes a new friend in Andrea, a Knight of the Order with a big secret, who I hope we see a lot more of. The worldbuilding is stellar. Andrews has created a unique, fascinating alternate reality, and in this second book in the series she fleshes it out with mythological creatures, bodily fluids, the power of faith, and a few tantalizing hints about Kate's mysterious origins. All in all, MAGIC BURNS was an incredibly satisfying read, and I'll be waiting impatiently for the next book.