Magic Breaks

Magic Breaks (2014) Ilona Andrews

Book seven of the Kate Daniels series.

Yes, I did sit on this book for more than two years before getting around to reading it. Mostly because I wasn’t up to re-reading the entire series. I’ll tear through a series, one book after the other, but knowing that to really enjoy a book I need to re-read the seven prior (plus short stories) meant I kept putting it off.

Boy, a crap ton of stuff happens in this book. The Pack now has Panacea (which keeps young shape shifters from going loup and having to be killed), so families are coming from all over the country to join the pack–or at least live near the territory.

Raphael and Andrea are now alphas on Clan Bouda, Clan Wolf is unstable with Desandra vying with Jennifer for alpha status, there is a power vacuum in the people, with Ghastek co-leading the vampires and navigators, and Hugh has returned to Atlanta to come after Kate.

Plus, internal Pack politics.

“How long have you had the ability to sense vampires?” Robert asked.

Here we go. “Why the sudden interest?” I asked.

“We hear things,” Robert said. “Rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” I asked.

“Disturbing rumors,” Robert said. “We are dissatisfied with the current level of disclosure. We are concerned.”

Things aren’t all bad though. Doolittle is still alive, and just as demanding as before.

“I just thought stairs would be inconvenient.”

“That’s why I have interns. They carried me up here. I thought of commissioning a palanquin. Something understated.”

“With silk and crimson velvet?”

“And golden tassels.” Doolittle rolled forward. “Then I could be transported in a manner appropriate to my vast experience and wisdom.”

Kate also spends time with Ghastek, who I now like even more than I did before. Yes, he’s a necromancer, but he’s not a bad person. Even if he is blind to so much going on around him.

Apparently I had hidden too well. For all of his intelligence, Ghastek still hadn’t put two and two together. He knew with absolute certainty that I couldn’t pilot vampires. He had seen me not pilot them on numerous occasions. In his mind, I couldn’t possibly do it, so I had to have hired someone else and that someone must’ve grabbed control of the vampires at the Conclave. Right.

But I still like him.

“Any undead?” Curran asked Ghastek.

The Master of the Dead looked at him. “Pick a direction, I’ll tell you how many.”

“Is there a direction in which there aren’t vampires?” Andrea asked.

“No.”

“It’s basic intelligence work,” Curran said. “You should’ve put it together. The pieces were there. You need to invest in information gathering. I get that you concentrate on research and development, but you can’t run the People without a solid intelligence network in place. If you can’t do it, get someone who can. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this, because really, your ignorance is my bliss.”

There is a character list and brief biography at the start of the book, but I think that works more as a refresher than a catch-up if you haven’t been reading along.

Regardless, I liked this book better than I thought I would. In fact, I was quite pleased with the ending.
Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Ace

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