"Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7)" by Ilona Andrews

This review features a book that is the seventh in the Kate Daniels series, and has inevitable spoilers for those who have not read the first six books of the series. My review of the first book can be found here.

As a now-frequent reader of urban fantasy, I've become acclimated to expecting less of certain authors and more of others. I expected a lot from Ilona Andrews's seventh Kate Daniels book, not only because I spent an unorthodox amount on the ebook price, but also because Magic Rises had been the best of the bunch. With great surprise, at the end of Magic Breaks, I felt it was even better than Magic Rises- a feat which boggled my poor brain. This book is borderline perfection, in part because I hadn't expected the plot to progress so far.

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…
'As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.
'As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…'

What is most amazing about this book is the sheer amount of action stuffed into 348 pages. Some books I've read have had less than ten percent of the plot progress and still felt 'action-packed'. Magic Breaks has all the action, but it doesn't feel rushed- it feels more urgent than anything else. The Kate Daniels series has been escalating for quite some time, but with these last few books, the sense of urgency and tension springs from the page.

The characters, as always, are incredible. It isn't often in a series that you could talk about any one of the characters, even minor ones, and not bore me, but with the Kate Daniels series, it's very true. In each character's background there are decisions and allegiances which make them who they are, and none of them are painted black or white. There are a million shades of grey in this book, which well exceeds the 50 that are so popular right now.

Magic Breaks is one mega-action-quadrupled book. It is so action dense, I have to make up words and phrases to describe it- it is no wonder I was able to finish off this series in the last month of 2014 because it's paced so frenetically. I could expound on the virtues of this book indefinitely, but then we'd have dastardly spoilers and you'd be asleep at the monitor. But, believe me when I say this series is well worth reading- especially if you like high octane reads that keep you up at night.

In other words, read it.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars for a surprisingly extraordinary seventh book in the series!

Content: Ages 18+ for the usual Kate Daniels warning assortment, with added daddy drama.

Page Count: 348 pages