This book takes place a few years ahead in the future where magic has bested technology. Usually, every couple of days the magic flares, leaving technology dead – cars don’t work, lights go out, and creatures of all kinds come out to play. People that have natural magical abilities are strongest at this time. Then technology will rise again for a few days and the world is back to “normal.” However, people with magical abilities are still able to perform, although at a somewhat weaker pace.

In the third installment of this series, Kate Daniels finds herself accompanying her sometimes friend, Saiman, to the Midnight Games, a fierce fighting tournament of magical creatures and humans, that fight to the death. The Reapers, a team that claims themselves to be humans, have been dominating the games. Derek, a shape shifter and a friend of Kate’s, has been planted as a spy at these games because they have realized some of the teams are importing shape shifters to the area which could be a threat to the Atlanta Pack.

A series of brutal murders and beatings of shape shifters starts to break out and Derek gets severely beaten. It appears the Reapers are behind it and Kate decides to help Jim, the head of security for the pack, figure out why they are being targeted. They discover the shape shifters are not shifting when they are being attacked, which would most likely save their lives. After some digging around, they discover there are slivers of a magical stone that prevent shifters from shifting. The main prize at the Midnight Games is the actual full-sized stone. In order to retrieve the stone, and save the shifters, Kate, Jim, and their team must win the main fight at the Midnight Games.

I absolutely love this series – I laughed out loud I don’t know how many times. Kate has such a sarcastic, self-deprecating sense of humor. Ilona Andrews has created a world that is so unique and action packed, the story never lacks for anything. Kate is either fighting off extremely creative magical creatures or she is deep in sexual tension with Curran, the Beast Lord, who shifts into a lion. He is such an intense alpha..he lets out a roar in this book that will make you gulp. This book definitely explores Kate’s feelings for Curran more in-depth than the first two. Curran has his sights set on Kate – but Kate is very wary. He has a history of lots of women, and Kate has a history of being alone. She is terrified of putting herself out there, especially with someone as alpha as Curran. But she can’t help herself wondering what it would be like to be with him…I can’t help but wonder either *g*. The moments with Kate and Curran are the best in this book. You can feel the tension as you read it. The best moment of all is on the last page. It will just put a smile on your face. I can not wait for the next book to come out!!

Rating – 5 stars

The series includes:

Magic Bites (March 27, 2007)
Magic Burns (April 1, 2008)
Magic Strikes (March 31, 2009)
Magic Mourns – Novella in the “Must Love Hellhounds” Anthology (September 1, 2009)