Re-reading this, I remembered it's probably my least favorite in the series, but only because pit fighting/gladiator games don't interest me at all.  Otherwise, it's an excellent read.  Although, I found the same jarring continuity error in the ebook I checked out from the library this time as I found the first time I read it, and it still jarred me out of the story completely.  I thought the bonus of ebooks was the ability to update them quickly when errors were found?

 

Anyway, doesn't matter.  It was a good read, with a few scenes I had to read out loud to MT, including Raphael's re-telling of how his father woo'd his mother.  I almost couldn't read it to him for laughing ... that cat got his righteous revenge.

 

I'm going to use this re-read for the Doomsday square on my Halloween Bingo card.  It takes place in an alternate Atlanta that could definitely qualify for post-apocalyptic.  

First read April, 2011

Second read June 11, 2013

Third read November 3-4, 2017

 

Enjoying my favorite series in audiobook formate. I really like the audio version. It feels like the first time reading all over again.

4.25 - 4 stars

While I am beating myself up for not reading the Kate Daniels books previously, this series is exactly what I need at this time in my life. They are fun, with tons of action, and an undeniable chemistry between Curran and Kate. Reality just kind of fades into the background when I read anything by the writing duo that make up Ilona Andrews, and I celebrate the backlist I have yet to explore. Between Kate Daniels and the newly discovered Cat and Bones by Jeaniene Frost, I am ready for a binge on tough, kick ass heroines, and lethal, deadly heroes.


While I didn’t think the plot of Magic Strikes was a deep as in the previous two books, the action more than made up for it. Kate finds herself on the opposite side of Pack law, helping Jim uncover a conspiracy to weaken the Pack. With Derek badly wounded and near death, Kate is willing to do anything to keep him alive – even lie to Curran about her intentions and the whereabouts of Jim and his small band of rogue shifters.

Oh, my, oh, my! I love Kate. She is so unflappable. Hardly anything gives her pause. Huge stone troll dude in a gladiatorial arena? No big deal. Facing off against a guys who wear the stolen skins of humans, and rip them off in a show of brutality? Bring it! Seeing her friend Derek beaten to a literal pulp and left to die of silver poisoning and cursed to not use his healing magic? Will. Painfully. Kill. Them. All.

I was getting a little antsy because Curran doesn’t have but a supporting role until after the 50% mark, but then – Oh, MY! He is like the perfect companion for Kate, but half of the time she’s too busy trying to annoy the snot out of him that she doesn’t even notice. And then – ZING! Maybe she’s not as indifferent to his courtship as she’d like to think. I love that the emphasis is on building a relationship between the two of them, instead of just having them fall into bed together.

I am hooked on this series. It hasn’t replaced the Hidden Legacy series as my favorite Andrews’ series yet, and because I like Mad Rogan, Nevada, and the world building so much, it will take a lot to knock it out of the top spot. Though with three times as many volumes, I think Kate Daniels has a legit shot at reigning supreme in the end.

This series just gets better and better! Magic Strikes is the third book in the Kate Daniels series and I loved it just as much as the others.

 

In this one, Kate has been drafted to work in the Order as a sort of liaison between the Pack and the Order. She is on shaky ground with them, even though her mentor was a Knight of the Order and held in high esteem. But Kate quit before earning her Knighthood and is a bit of an authority-hating rebel.

 

These books are action-packed and thoroughly engrossing. But for me, the characters are what really bring me in. We learn more about Kate, her past, and why she is the way she is. The story of Kate is fascinating and tragic at the same time. Curran plays a big role in this novel and I love his character, too. It would have been too easy to make him the alpha male, all brawn, and no brains type. He is an alpha male, but he is so much more than that. He is smart and just and surprisingly amusing. Derek, one of my favorite shifters in the story, is significant in this novel. I loved his story almost as I did Kate's.

 

The mythology is fantastic in these books. The way it is woven into the mythology of the world is creative and seamless and adds a really rich layer to the entire series.

 

Overall: This has quickly become one of my favorite series and it is one I highly recommend!