Review ~ Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Narrator: Renee Raudman
Length: 10 hrs 50 mins
Series: Kate Daniels #3
Published by Ace on March 31, 2009
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 310

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When magic strikes and Atlanta goes to pieces, it’s a job for Kate Daniels…

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

But when Kate's werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games—an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament—she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta's shapeshifting community…

Ilona Andrews has done it again. She ups the intensity in Magic Strikes and had me on the edge of my seat as I listened!

I was still seeing Derek as the young pup and I think I was as mad as Kate that he seemed to have struck out on his own. At his age, the most likely motive is a girl, and sure enough, that is what it appears to be. The mess Derek finds himself in not only involves a secret fight organization, but also a strange breed of supernaturals that seem to be able to do things Kate doesn’t understand. She’s never seen them before and must use all that knowledge she has stored as well as her investigative skills to figure out just what needs to be done about these things. The fun part is the gang all trying to avoid Curran while solving this crime. Kate really knows how to piss him off and I think sometimes does it at the risk of her friend’s health!

Professional fighting is always a fun, adrenaline filled spectator sport, but to be seeing this through the eyes of the participants was thrilling. Not mention these fights were truly to the death. To get to the fights they need to with the creepy new bad guys, they must go through some qualifying rounds. They come up a good strategy to get them there, and everyone gets a piece of the fighting. Even Dali, who is definitely an interesting character. Saimon also pulls us a BIG surprise during the fights. He has always been a curious character, no one really knowing his origins, but his secret is about to be revealed!

Near the end, you really worry for what is going to become of our heroine, and after three books, I found this is definitely a trend! The danger gets so intense, you just don’t know if there is going to be an ending to the current situation or if it is going to run into the next book. Kate’s magic does some pretty new stuff that even surprises her, and then our ending is pretty swoon worthy. Is Curran going to play romantic? He doesn’t seem the type of character, but you have to wonder if their love/hate relationship is going to take a turn.

I am so excited to continue this series as Kate’s powers, Kate & Curran’s relationship AND the new problems Hugh D’Ambry is going to bring to the scene. I think the next book promises to be another exciting ride!

Renee Raudman has become one of my go to narrators. She does an excellent job of portraying the shifters and the accents of the People. I really recommend this as an audiobook.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2015 Audiobook Challenge

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