I have to say that I am glad that I stuck with this series. When I read these first two books I was not impressed. My re-read has not changed my impression at all. The world building in book #2 needs improved. We had a lot of new characters and we get information dumps galore. Curran, still acted like an ass and we still have Kate version #1 that seems to just blunder around.
"Magic Burns" has Kate working for the Pack again to retrieve some stolen maps. Along the way she also gets involved in an investigation about how a coven of witches goes missing. She ends up meeting on of the leaders daughter's (Julie) and ends up doing what she can to keep the girl safe from harm. Include in a mysterious man that is able to disappear at will and two gods that seem to be at the center of this, and we have Kate doing what she can to keep Atlanta from being destroyed by demons.
We still know that Kate is keeping some big bad secret about herself, and it's still not been revealed (2 books in btw). She mentions that she has stopped drinking, which it never made any sense to me why book #1 Kate had a drinking problem. Why would she even be that sloppy to put herself in harm's way if a fight breaks out? If this isn't enough, Kate sticks her nose in when her ex-whatever and Curran's ex-girlfriend want to marry. Kate does some sad story about her life and man oh man the self-pity made me roll my eyes. It doesn't even match up to what we know about Kate's early life. Also how was this Kate ever going to beat the big mysterious bad that she only alludes to in this book based on how she is acting?
The only things I really liked was Kate's back and forth with Bran, Derek, and the Oracle. There is that smartass Kate we all know and love. I do have to say her sudden friendship with Andrea doesn't really work since this is the first book we even meet Andrea. It was still nice to meet the Bouda Clan though and we get our first looks at Aunt B and Raphael.
I really don't like the whole way that Curran's Pack leadership was set up. He sounds like a tyrant and an asshole in the first couple of books. He isn't that way in the later books and actually listens to the other alphas and those around him. I think there is even a scene when Doolittle of all people bows to him. Slight spoiler: The same Doolittle who went HAM on Raphael's ass when he thanked him and it could have cost Andrea her life and doesn't put up with Curran or Kate's BS when they are hurt.
Also I think in this case we have two or maybe three instances of Curran threatening to kill Curran and then telling her that she will beg to sleep with him (it was gross and awful and I wanted it to stop). He even tells her that she will thank him afterwards. Gag.
Derek is vaguely okay in this one. Still fighting besides Kate and seems to have a mind of his own. Julie was a fool. One wonders why Kate pinged on her so hard. Julie in later books comes into her own. This one though, I went eh about.
The worldbuilding is a bit of a mess in this one. We hear about beastskins for the first time and then we also get into the goddess Morrigan and her myths along with the Maiden, Mother, and Crone archtypes in this book too. We also still have vampires and shapeshifters running around. And this is the first time the name Roland is used and we know that the Order is worried about him.
The ending leaves things with Curran trying to trap Kate into dating him. I don't know. I just rolled my eyes and finished this thing.
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Delightfully, one of the things I'd forgotten was that the bad guys were sea-demons - Fomarians. So that qualifies this book for the Fear The Drowning Deep square in Halloween Bingo.
