Book 10: Magic Triumphs
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews Narrator: Renée Raudman
Series: Kate Daniels #10
Published by Ace, Brilliance Audio on August 28, 2018
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 352
Length: 12 hours, 7 minutes
Format: eARC, Audiobook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.
Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.
Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.
For her child.
For Atlanta.
For the world.
Robin and I both read Magic Triumphs and also listened to the audio version. Robin was on the beta team. I was fortunate to get an eARC and we both received the audio for review. It is hard to do such an amazing book justice. I’ve said many times how it is my favorite series. So we decided to try to answer some questions for you (without spoilers).
1. If you could give people your reasons for reading the Kate Daniels series, what would you tell them?
Anne: How much time do you have? Getting right to the point, though, I love the action, the mythology of the world-building and the “villains”, the amazing growth and development of the characters, the touch of romance, the smart battles, Kate’s compassion for others, her collection of allies (even ones who don’t like her or believe her) and the humor. Reading the Kate Daniels series is fascinating, exciting and an emotional journey.
Robin: Kate Daniels is a book series I totally push into everyone’s hands. I almost feel a little pushy about it but console myself that they will thank me later. Kate’s a strong woman with a very clear morale code and she sticks to it. I love that she is who she is and for the most part is really comfortable with that, plus she has a sword and kicks some ass. Even though Kate is so awesome (she is my spirit animal) the real magic in these books comes with the supporting cast of characters. The humor they add to the story and the relationships Kate build make ending the series bittersweet. Plus the cool Magic/Technology tides world is just amazing.
2. Name 2 characters in the series you love and why? Name a character you don’t like and why?
Robin: Two??? How can I only pick two? It is almost impossible as it is hard for me to think of characters I don’t like. Even the ones I hate I love. There are characters I love for the comic relief and others I love for their devotion to Kate.Okay *deep breathe* I love Curran, to be sure, but besides him I really love Kate’s BFF Andrea. They are what true great friends should be. Andrea calls Kate on her bullshit but would still back her up against anything. If either of them needed anything the other would drop everything to be their for them.
The other character I’m completely obsessed with is Derek. I’ve loved him since he made Julie a metal rose and threatened Red. He is totally in Kate’s corner. That guy will always have her back and protect her and anything she loves with his life, no questions asked. He is like a best friend and a son all rolled into one and I love how simple life is to him when it comes to Kate and Curran.
Gah…I love them all. Even the villains I love hating. Voron maybe, I’m super mad at what his plans for Kate were. While I love how he trained her to help her be the person she is in this series, I really hate how he planned to use her for some kind of revenge.
Anne: I love them all! I’m going to highlight Christopher because he is so smart, so broken and so devoted to Kate. She saves him, as she does so many, and then they become part of her life and circle of allies. Another one is Ghastek. He fascinates me, although his motivations are rather transparent. He has such a hard time with Kate for many reasons, but their interactions always make me laugh. He is skilled but it is so easy to tease him.
I don’t like Jim, at least how he treats Kate. He can be an asshole who uses Kate for his own purposes when he needs her but offers no support or loyalty unless he must. But he is our asshole, as they say.
3. Did you think Ilona Andrew would be able to do a series finale which would be amazing?
Anne: Yes. I have complete faith in Ilona Andrews. They never disappoint. Magic Triumphs is amazing!
Robin: I get nervous anytime a series I love is ending. I mean I’ve read a few where the last book totally ruined the magic for me. But in IA I Trust. I knew they could do it. For one, they had a clear plan of when the series would end instead of just popping out more books just because they could. It almost feels natural that this is where the story went. That said, I was a little worried Kate being a new mom was totally going to hijack everything and I’d loose interest in the story. *Pfft* I was so wrong -Momma bear Kate is even better.
4. Does Magic Triumphs meet your expectations for a series finale?
Robin: OMG yes!!! This has everything in it I’ve come to expect from the Kate Daniels series. It has humor and heart, action and substance, good moments and hard moments. Magic Triumphs is Triumphant!
Anne: I completely agree with Robin. Magic Triumphs is everything I wanted and expected.
5. What do you like best about Magic Triumphs (without spoilers)?
Anne: I feel like I say the same things over and over. Nothing beats great world-building, amazing characters who grow and develop, intelligent plots, action, and the emotional savvy of compassion, courage and caring brought to each book in this series. Humor is the crowning jewel. I also feel the wrapping up of various plot lines was ingenious. It was done in a way they could keep their moral integrity.
Robin: Momma Bear Kate! I totally loved how, having a child, she had some of the same first time parent issues everyone has. All the worries and concerns of a new parent but then she has to contend with Roland coming for her. I thought it was so well done and added to the story instead of sidetracking it.
6. How do you feel about the series ending?
Robin: Bittersweet for sure. I’m so happy they ended it well and before the series became stale. I think this series is still at the top of its game and so it is ending at a high. I’m just sad because I love this world and the characters in it, I don’t want to say goodbye completely. I’m really hoping *crosses fingers and bribes Ilona with yards of yarn* Ilona and Gordon revisit the world and want to write more stories in it. We get more Hugh/Elara stories and I’m really excited about that, for sure, but I really hope Julie and Derek get their own series eventually. I’m holding out hope inspiration will hit after they’ve written some other things and Ilona Andrews will want to come back to the Kate Daniels world too.
Anne: I’m surprisingly not sad. I know I can go back and reread these amazing characters and stories any time, and I’ll always learn and find new details. Because Ilona Andrews did it right and ended it perfectly. Plus we still have Hugh in the Iron Covenant series, and probably Derek and Julie, Grey Wolf series stories. There might even be some novellas or Conlan stories! I’m also excited to read other series and new ones by Ilona Andrews.
Narration:
Renee Raudman is the voice of this excellent series. Her performance brings it all to life. She is very steady and has become the voice in my head for many of the characters, especially Kate. I still don’t love her voice for Curran but one character out of a cast of double digits really isn’t bad. If you have liked her in the other audios of the series you will like her in this one. I can’t even imagine any other narrator. I listened at my usual 1.25 speed and completely abandoned myself to the joy of listening to Magic Triumphs!
Read-along of the Kate Daniels series:
We have been doing a read-along of the series leading up to today.
Miss a post?
Jan 15: Magic Bites
Feb 12: Magic Burns
Mar 12: Magic Strikes
Apr 9 : Magic Bleeds
May 7: Magic Slays
Jun 4: Magic Rises
Jul 2: Magic Breaks
Jul 30: Magic Shifts
Aug 27: Magic Binds
Magic Binds’ Giveaway: (US only) Thanks Ace!
Read-along Giveaway:
About Renée Raudman
Renée Raudman is a multi-award-winning audiobook narrator. A multiple Audie Award nominee, she has earned a number of AudioFile Earphones Awards, including for The Last Secret by Mary McGarry Morris and Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien, as well as a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award for Joe Schreiber’s Chasing the Dead. She has also performed on film, TV, radio, and stage, including the recurring roles of Jordon on ABC’s One Life To Live, Phyllis on NBC’s Passions, and guest-starring roles on prime-time TV. She has been heard in cartoons (The Simpsons, Billy & Mandy), videogames, and on the E! channel. Her narration of Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper was selected by Library Journal as one of the best audiobooks of 2009, and her reading of Marthe Jocelyn’s Would You was selected by the ALA as one of the best young adult audiobooks of 2009.
About Ilona Andrews
“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.
They have co-authored several bestselling series, including the #1 NYT bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, rustic fantasy of the Edge, paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and Innkeeper Chronicles, which they post as a free weekly serial.
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Writing |
|
| Characters |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Echo by Tracy Clark @tracypc6161 @ChanteMcCormick #BrillianceAudio #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited🎧 - December 3, 2024
- Read-along & #Giveaway: Edge – Innkeeper by Ilona Andrews @ilonaandrews @reneeraudman @natalienaudus @AceBooksPub @nyliterary @TantorAudio @AudibleStudios #Read-along #GIVEAWAY #LoveAudiobooks - December 1, 2024
- Sunday Post –1 December 2024 @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - December 1, 2024
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 Audiobook Challenge
- 2018 New Release Challenge
- COYER BSBB
Great post, Anne & Robin! This is the most consistent series on my shelf, especially on audio.
Thanks! We both love it. It’s so hard to do a post for a beloved author and a favorite series finale without spoiling and yet expressing your undying love. It is consistent – always amazing.
Loved your dual q&a review, ladies!
Kate and Curran as parents, Conlan, Ghastek, and Kate’s aunt made me happy along with the usual. Jim is not my fav, either. Now, I need spin-off books. 🙂
I need anything by IA. It’s so funny because I also thought about Andrea and Derek for my two favorites. Also Julie. But Christopher was my top pick; there’s just something about him. Ghastek always made me laugh. I love Jim, but I don’t like him sometimes.
Great Post.
Thank you! We had lots of irons in the fire with the Read-along and Giveaways. We had ebook and Audiobook. Two of us had both read and listened to it (Which we both pre-ordered it as well. Last November for me) We are all in on this author!
It was hard to decide what to do , so I came up with some questions I would want to know which we could answer without spoiling the story.
Great idea.
I loved this one so much!
Of course! It’s Ilona Andrews – I expect nothing less. They are brilliant!
Me too. It is so great when a series ends well.
I really could not have asked for a better ending. Just knowing we will revisit this world again through novellas and spin-off series like Hugh’s line has made this ending easier to handle. I also love every dang thing these two have written, and get giddy just thinking about any of their releases. I always listen and then read.
I did it just the opposite, read and then listen for both Iron & Magic and Magic Triumphs. That way I know the spellings. lol. Plus I read much faster. This series is a gift which will keep on giving and will never be dull, even when read again and again.
I’m so glad we get more Hugh for sure. But I want spin off books or novellas for so many of the characters. I guess that is how you know your readers love your stuff.
Still Julie needs a book of her own
I am so impressed by how well Ilona Andrews was able to wrap things up. I didn’t want to see the series end but I don’t think it could have ended any better. So many fantastic characters that I have grown to love over the course of the series. I can’t wait to listen to this one on a re-read.
Everything about them and their work impresses me. As well as them being really nice people. I plan to enjoy rereading and re-listening to this series as well.
So awesome! Great review and series wrap-up. I loved this story – I look forward to listening to the book next. All the emotions all over again!
Thanks Jen! It’s an amazing story. I enjoyed both reading and listening.