Review: Magic Breaks

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The wait is over and it's is well worth it.  Kate returns in Magic Breaks.  This a must buy and immediately read book.  In Magic Breaks, all hell breaks loose when Hugh d’Ambray returns to start a war between the People and the Pack.  With the Pack's attention split in three different directions, it seems Hugh is succeeding with his divide and conquer strategy.

This is definitely not a standalone book.  To fully appreciate this book, all the previous books must be read.  This is the beginning of the end.  This book is the showdown we've been building towards since the very first book.  The journey has been difficult with great sacrifice and lost.  Not every character we've grown to love is with Kate as she finally confronts Roland.  Each skill and word of power Kate learned is too prepare her for this day.  Is it enough?

Duo authors Ilona Andrews outdoes themselves in this latest book.  The writing is tight and action packed.  This book moves and it keeps a reader on the edge of their seat, turning page after page.  For those who enjoy fighting, there is plenty of it.  For those who enjoy witty repartee and snarky verbal thrusts, this book is filled with them.  There are many great one-liners.  The dialog is sharp yet silky smooth.  Even though this book is filled with dark impending doom, Ilona Andrews balances it out with humour just at the right time.  Their timing is wonderful in every book.  In this one, it is perfect.

The conflict of this story is wonderfully created and then painstakingly resolved.  The solutions are not easy.  There is no win-win situation for Kate.  For Kate, it is always the hard way and choices between terrible and horrible.  How Kate handles the obstacles is very telling.  While this book is about finding a killer, preventing a war and confronting Roland, it's so much more.  The reader sees how Kate fights for everyone.  No one is irrelevant to her.  She doesn't want a single person left behind.  To her, everyone is worth saving and she cannot be ruthless to sacrifice a few for the good of the many.  While this is an admirable trait, it's hammered home how it doesn't work for an Alpha running a pack.  Kate can be ruthless but not in the manner it takes to control and lead a large group of monsters in human skin.  It's an interesting dilemma and written so well.  Because sometimes, there are no good choices.  What does one do in this situation?  Kate makes the hard choices.  She carries the burden.  She's been alone for so long carrying this for everyone.  Now with Curran at her side, it seems there may be other options. 

Unfortunately, forces more powerful than Kate blow the options away.  This story takes twists and turns which helps build a complex world rich with history.  Bringing it all together in this book and confirming all the suppositions as well as finally admitting to the open secret is a relief.  It's beautifully done.  Ilona Andrews is truly a creative and amazing storyteller.  This is my favourite book in the series to date.  The way this book ends is fabulous and makes me yearn for the next book.  This series becomes better and better with each new book.  This book is highly recommended for everyone to read. 

*provided by Ilona Andrews through Netgalley

View all my reviews