Review: Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #8)

* Minor spoilers ahead *

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

ebook.

Full length novel.

First person.

Yes.

Happy for now.

Yes.

What I Liked: 

It's been a couple of months since Kate and Curran left the pack, and Kate claimed the city, and it was cool seeing how they were adapting to their change in circumstances.

I loved how the pack was still very much in Kate and Curran's lives even though they have separated from it and I like how the Guild is coming back into the stories. 

The book is very much to the tune of the older books in the series. There is a mystery bad guy, steeped in mythology, to defeat alongside general pack, family and life drama.

The pack/family.life drama focuses mainly on the bears and it was pretty cool getting to know George and seeing how Curran fits into their family as a son/brother as opposed to the Beast Lord. 

I also liked Julie a lot better in this book than in previous books. She's still a bit annoying but she's maturing and she's showing potential for future spin-offs... Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking? I SO don't want this world to ever end!

What I Didn't Like: 

No Hugh. It's not surprising given the events in Magic Breaks but still... I love Hugh. 

Other Thoughts:

Even though I really enjoyed Magic Shifts, there was something about it that just didn't sit right with me and I can't put my finger on what it was... Maybe it was the different dynamic that exists between the characters as they settle into their new positions but it could also be because I very quickly got sick to death of this books mythological bad guy.

*Shrugs*

“How have you been?” My father asked. 

Say something diplomatic . . . something . . . “If you build a tower in Lawrenceville, I will smash it, set it on fire, and salt the ground it stood on.” 

💬

“It’s funny how loud horrified silence can be."

💬

“How do yo feel about her doing this?" That had to be Mahon. That low-pitched growl could only come from him.

"We let each other be who we are," Curran said. "I don't have to like all of the things she has to do. I love her.”

💬

“Did they think I would throw a tantrum?” 

“Baby, you’re not the tantrum type. You are the scary-smile-and-stabbing type.” 

💬

“Besides, if I’d decided to pull Carver’s spine out of his body, I would’ve done it already.” 

“Can you actually do that?” 

Curran frowned. “I don’t know. I mean theoretically, if you broke the spine above the pelvis, you could, but then there are ribs . . . I’ll have to try it sometime.”