Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniel, #8
Urban Fantasy/Romance
August 4, 2015
ACE

Joint reviewed by Mandi and Tori

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOK SEVEN!!

Book seven left readers shocked when Kate and Curran abdicated their thrones as pack Alphas and Kate was forced to magically claim Atlanta in order to save them all from her father. Now they are trying to get on with their lives in as normal a way as possible for these two. Even with their inability to enter the  Keep for 30 days due to the pack laws of separation, that doesn’t keep the pack from coming to them when their help is needed. Ghouls, missing pack members, and an ancient god bent on revenge all fall on Kate’s shoulders when she once again in swept back into the fray with only her sword and her possessive psychotic lover at her back to keep her city and friends safe.

Magic Shifts is the 8th book in Ilona Andrews’s complex and utterly fascinating Kate Daniels series. From book one fans have watched and grew to love this fearless loner whose sense of justice and morality is often indulged at great risk to her own life. We have seen her transform from a stand alone sociopath whose main objective was a revenge based plot orchestrated by her step father into a woman with friends, family, a lover, and unimaginable power. Fans have laughed, cried, shouted in anger, and cheered with joy as this heroine repeatedly steals our hearts with each new installment. The world building and characterization continues to grow and evolve as this dynamic wife and husband writing team begin to tighten up the arc; grabbing hold of multiple storyline threads that have been left unresolved and drawing them in, and transitioning previously thought secondary characters into more solid and important positions as the end draws near.

Tori: I adored this installment. Literally adored it. I didn’t think it was possible that the Andrews’s could improve upon the arc, various plot lines, and characters but they do so with unrivaled skill. What continues to impress me most is the evolution of their heroine, Kate Daniels. She has never lost herself even being eight books in. Kate is a heroine we can all readily identify with. Loyal, determined, and resourceful, she is tempered with compassion and mercy.  Even though her life is submerged heavily in the fantastical and supernatural, her actions and emotions concerning her friends and family continues to remind us that she is still human.

I’m amazed how she is able to grow without becoming common place or run of the mill. Even with the requisite conflict and battle scenes, each one has a unique twist that keeps you enthralled. One particular scene hammers home the contradictions between Kate’s ever growing power and her mortality. As readers, we are always assured Kate will win. She is the heroine. She HAS to win. But in here we are cautioned there are ancient beings that Kate’s strength and magic may not work against. It’s a sobering scene that makes you question everything you’ve learned and assumed.

What did you think Mandi? Are you happy with the evolution of the arc and Kate?

Mandi: I couldn’t have said it better myself. I say – read what Tori wrote above – it mirrors my thoughts exactly. Not once in these eight books has the world grown stagnant. The characters continue to grow, experience new things, and impress me. Ilona and Gordon Andrews are amazing storytellers. The action, the creative magical world, the dark violence, the humor – it wraps around me and just makes me damn happy.

We see a kick ass Kate, but we also see a Kate who gets kicked and doesn’t get up very fast. It’s scary for all, and the way it’s handled by Curran and the others is well done. I like that everyone gets a reminder that Kate isn’t bulletproof. Thanks goodness for Doolittle!

With Curran no longer head of the Pack, he has to learn to live like a regular mortal. The horror! It’s a big adjustment, not just for Curran, but for Kate and Julie too. They have their little family, they have their house and business, and they have each other. They have all they could want but of course, danger doesn’t leave them alone.

Tori, how do you feel about Kate and Curran post-pack?

Tori: I found Kate and Curran post pack hilarious. One of the most powerful couples in Atlanta are now living in the ‘burbs and having to deal with such mundane issues as paying bills. grocery shopping, and rabid HOAs. A bored Curran is a dangerous Curran. The scene with the mailman cracked me up.

“Did you see the mailman while doing your rounds yesterday?” I asked.

Curran’s face turned carefully blank. “Yes, I did.”

“Did you do anything to scare him?”

“I was perfectly friendly.”

“Aha.” “Aha” was a nice word. Nonjudgmental.

“He was putting things into the mailbox. I was passing by and I said, ‘Hello, nice night.’ And then I smiled. He jumped into his truck and slammed the door.”

“Rude!” Julie volunteered.

“I let it pass,” Curran said. “We’re new to the neighborhood.”

The former Beast Lord, a kind and magnanimous neighbor. “So you sneaked up behind him, startled him by speaking, and when he turned around and saw a six- hundred- pound talking lion, you showed him your teeth?”

“I don’t think that’s what happened,” Curran said.

“That’s exactly what happened, Your Furriness.”

This installment opens a new chapter for Kate and Curran. They are so much more laid back and far more comfortable with each other. Being the Beast Lord and Consort placed many restrictions on them that it is almost shocking to see them let go and be themselves. Of course, just because they walked away from the pack doesn’t mean the pack is going to let them go gracefully. Even though they are persona non grata at the Keep due to the thirty day law surrounding the transitioning between old and new leadership, Curran and Kate walked away on their own terms. This leaves everything a little up in the air because Jim didn’t defeat Curran for the title. It was given to him so his strength and leadership capabilities have to be proven.  Humor reigns supreme as the complexity of the pack and it’s laws come into direct conflict with the emotions and free will of some pack members. Dali, George, and others aren’t ones to automatically bow to the status quo. Friendship and family are strong ties and some refuse to cut their previous alpha and consort out of their lives no matter what the new alpha or the law demands.

“…go back and tell him if he thinks can dictate who I can and can’t treat, I quit. And I won’t be coming back till hell freezes over.”

Mandi, what do you think of the pack’s inability to fully separate themselves from Kate and Curran?

Mandi: I think it made sense. If you had asked me this question a couple of book ago, I would have said what?? No way would Curran be happy living away from the pack. But Curran and Kate have found peace (well, as much as the outside world lets them) and contentment. Curran is still adjusting to “human” life, but he is willing to learn to adapt. Including Julie, they have their family and are looking forward to the future. What made me giggle is how certain members of the pack still need them. Can’t let them go. There is one really cute scene in this book that pinpoints just how much certain pack members want to be close to Curran and Kate.

There is  much that stands out about this book. Besides the action of gross insect creatures attacking, a missing friend, a war with a giant, and Roland showing up at Applebees (omg), Kate and Curran are just darn funny and witty in their own dark way.

“Let’s play who can be a better killer. My sword and I love this game.”

Or

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.

Okay, then. That was not disturbing. Not at all. “What do you suppose normal people talk about on their car rides?”

“I have no idea.

Tori: The Applebee’s scene is hilarious and also very telling. It gives readers a sense that nothing is ever what it seems and perhaps there will be a way out of this mess. Only time will tell. Kate isn’t one to hedge her bets so I’m sure she will be forced to play the game till the very end.

The intriguing action packed storyline blends well with the subplots and brings a bigger and badder antagonist to play whose ties to the pack offer up an interesting and unique twist. Kate has already been warned that her maturing magic and her father’s increased activity is awakening some sleeping ancients. One has awakened and now she is facing an entity that will test Kate in every way possible, bringing her dreams and fears into sharp focus, forcing her to acknowledge what is coming her way.

Mandi: An excellent mystery and suspense within the story, and this book continues to push Kate towards the inevitable battle with her father,  and coming to terms with the claiming of Atlanta. A series that has never disappointed. So impressive. Grade A.

Tori: Magic Shifts is a perfectly balanced mixture of action, adventure, mystery, humor, and a delicious romance. Ilona Andrews only continues to excel in this wonderfully complex and magical series that revolves around a woman, her sword, and her battle to save her small piece of the world.

There was a moment on the drive when I wondered if it was ever not going to be like this. But then I decided I was crazy. It would always be like this, riding to certain death every few months. trying to protect people we would never meet.

Grade A

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