Review: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #2)

*Possible minor spoilers ahead.*

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

Paperback

Full-length novel.

 

First-person, single pov.

Yes & No.

The book is heavy on the recaps so you could probably read it without reading book one but I don't think I'd recommend it.

No.

Yes. Lots.

What I Liked: 

I liked the pace of this book better than book one: Magic Bites. Maybe it was because I’d ‘met’ the characters and the ground work of the world had been laid but it was much easier to sink into the story and enjoy. 

The world is more developed in this book, as are the characters, and more characters, who I thought were awesome, like Andrea and the Boudas, were added into the fray.

One of my grumbles from the previous book was lack of any kind of romantic interest but this book sorts that out and I think I developed a fan girl crush on the Beast Lord…

I couldn’t put this book down and read it in a day, sneaking pages whenever I had a second to spare. It was addictive, emotionally engaging and despite the violence and chaos that frequently erupts there was a strong underlying humour throughout the book that made me giggle more than once. 

What I Didn't Like: 

The writing is still wordy and overly descriptive however I don’t think that is ever going to go away so I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually... Either way it’s something I’ll just have to accept for I won’t be leaving this world anytime soon!

Other Thoughts:

I really love how the author weaves mythology into these books. This one focuses on Celtic mythology, the one before was Slavic and I’m excited to see what pantheon / culture we get a taste of next. 

“I don't want it to be attributed to a loss of control on my part. When I throw you out of the window, I want there to be no doubt the act was deliberate.” 

💬

Why me?" He said finally. "Are you on some sort of mission to fuck up my life?" 

"I try my best to avoid you."

"You're doing a hell of a job."

"I honestly don't mean to cause you problems."

"You don't cause problems. An unpiloted vampire causes problems. You cause catastrophes.” 

💬

“I raged across the field, killing all before me. They ran when they saw me coming, and I chased them down, and killed them before they could take someone else's friend away from them.”