Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels)

Ilona Andrews wrote the best book we could hope for as an ending to Kate's story. It is a must read. I don't want to spoil it for you, but trust you have to read it. There are also more books to come for the rest of the characters, so do not be sad after you are done :)

I was afraid this end to the series would be wanting. It's not. It's a crazy, whirlwind visit to Kate's life, where she is balancing raising a toddler with saving the world and protecting those she loves.

It was worth it to go back and reread the entire thing. There are so many little references. You have to read Hugh's first book before you read this. If you like this series that is how you should do it... great author.

This is the best of her Kate books. I have read the whole series and now I will read it again enjoying everyone of them. Iloana Andrews is one one the the in best in the fantasy/sci-fi world. I read anything that comes from them.

Fantastic conclusion to a story line I have very much enjoyed. You must read the full series to appreciate this book, but it is totally worth it. The authors have left plenty of room to revise this world and I hope they do. Kate and her mismatch family of monsters make want to hurry up and finish the story so you can read the next.

I thank you for the epic ride you've taken us on with this series. As with the other stories you've written the characters came alive we experience the ups and downs of their lives though out the entire series. Thank you.

I'll try not to give spoilers but feel compelled to say that I loved this book! The story and plot were engaging and characters were awesome - as usual.

Kate and Curran's interactions with their son and as parents were compelling and fun to read. Actually everyone's interactions with Conlan were wonderful & made me wish that in today's world every child had the same sorts of protections and protectors to keep them safe. The scene outside George's house - epic!

My personal test for a great book is - great characters, scenes that make me smile and laugh and if someone hurts or even tries to hurt a child they die a horrible death. (Yes that limits my reading escape possibilities to fiction and fantasy because real life seldom works like that. Bad guys get away with horrible things, the innocent get harmed and life moves on for most). There is so much horror and angst in the real world that I like my escape to be a true escape and Ilona Andrews once again delivered. Thank you!

Just enough twists to keep the perfect happy ever after interesting! Kate and Curran have earned this. We get to see a satisfying conclusion for so many side characters and an intriguing future for some favourites. Epic end to an epic story.

A sense of loss after completion. The last book ending the adventurous and magic-educating series, tying up loose ends. 98% happy ending. The variety and details of it. Love it all. Maybe adventures of romantic magical dragons next? Hehe.

I have enjoyed this series. Reading one of their books is like getting together with a good old friend. I won’t spoil this for anyone by saying happily that the ending sets up more than just one more book or series.

Saying what I would have said in the 60’s/70’s

WRITE ON!

What can I say? This book is unbelievable! For one, Ilona Andrews sure knows how to end a series. But two, I SERIOUSLY hope it's not the end! We can all use some of Ilona Andrews in our lives! More, please!!

Oh, goodness. Laughter and tears, cheering and eye rolling. Characters you fall in love with or love to hate. It’s been one great 10 book adventure. Ilona Andrews is amazing. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

10th and last book for the Kate Daniel's series. Not the final for the world built in the age of magic apocalypse. If you haven't been reading Ilona Andrew's, go to the beginning for a wild ride. Be sure to catch all their titles for a great read.

I absolutely loved this book. Loved seeing Kate and Curran as parents, interacting with Conlan (can't wait to see him grow up in future stories, if we are lucky) and their whole extended family. I enjoyed the nods to various scenes or key lines from prior books, and thought the cameos by many old friends were well done. IMO, this book was about Kate's evolution finally becoming complete. She's grown into her many roles, but most importantly has come full circle from Magic Bites. She's gone from leading a solitary, closed off life, hiding who she is and barely getting by while she waits to kill Roland, to being a strong independent woman with deep but complicated loves, friendships and relationships, who is not afraid to show who she really is in order to protect those she loves. Curran's transformation from book 1 to book 10 was great as well, starting out as the Beast Lord feared and respected but not necessarily liked by all, who would do anything for the Pack, to a husband and father who would do anything to protect his wife and child first, and friends and family second. In the end, they are the Kate and Curran they have wanted to be and been working towards for most of the series, and although I am sad to see their story end, I will be revisiting their world often. An amazing finish.

I’ve been waiting for this book for years, and it lived up to all my expectations. I wish it wasn’t the last of the series, but I’m really happy with the way it ended. Hopefully we’ll be getting more books in the Kate universe, though her story is over for now.

It didn’t disappoint.
I preordered this book and I was reluctant to read it.
I was afraid I would never recover if it was bad so I sat on it for weeks and Only read it today. Now I think I will die if I don’t get more.

Love this whole series! Hope it continues, worthy of extending. Want to see Julie and Derek grow, as well as Conlan! George is pregnant, where's Eduardo? When is she due? What happens to the twins? Where's Ascanio? The story is not ready to be finished.

But it ends with a bang. You are sucked into the story and consumed by it. The end of a Kate Daniels always leaves me blinking, and wondering how I ended up back in this reality. The whole series from beginning to end is a rollicking roller coaster ride!

Loved the book. I am gonna miss reading about Kate’s new adventures. It’s a very bitter seeet thing for your favorite books to come to a conclusion. But this book was worth the wait and I can’t wait to read the whole serise over again

This book was epic. The writing was superb as always. When I read these books, I am lost in their world. I have loved the characters for over a decade, and I was truly mourning, knowing this was the last Kate Daniels book, one of my favorite series ever. However, I loved how all of the Kate Daniels storylines were woven into this final installment of the series. New foes, old foes, and favorite characters were all seen. Victories and sad defeats. I am so satisfied that I will not mourn, but look forward to the new stories that are implied, and the upcoming Iron Dogs books that started with Iron and Magic. If you haven’t read Iron and Magic, you really need to if you want to understand all of the things that take place in this wonderful, epic finale. Don’t worry, it’s a great book. I hope to see more of my favorite urban fantasy couple make appearances in future stories in this wonderful world. There are other couples that I hope to see make their appearances as well so we can follow them in the future.

Well done!

This was a great wrap-up to Kate Daniel's story. It has surprising twists and the end is totally satisfying. The thing I liked best is the promise of stories about other characters in the future. Ilona Andrews is simply the best.

The Kate Daniels series continues to not disappoint. A read that continues to build on what has already transpired with twists
& turns. Love that the author does not re-write the prior stories rather just enough to jog your memory when necessary.

The story was great, there were tears, excitement, disappointment and laughter. Many things were tied up. Of course, it left us with many other questions. I'm kind of in a daze that it's all over now.

This book was an amazing closure to a much loved series i loved every minute of it .I hope that the closure of this book is just the beginning of more spin-off series for some of the books character .

Everything we love about the previous books x10 in this one. Quirky characters, fascinating legends, and the wonderful, intelligent humor that keeps you laughing out loud. I didn't want to leave! Well done.

I love this series. I’ve probably read the first book a dozen times. I had pretty high hopes for this final book, and I feel a little let down. Like some of the other reviewers I almost felt like I missed a whole book. So many interesting pieces of the storyline happened in the year and half between this book and the last. So this book wound up feeling a little rushed.

Spoiler alert! Pretty much everyone makes it through the final battle scene except one, fairly important character, whose death didn’t even get its own scene in the book. And given that just being a part of the battle was a big step for him, I think he deserved a scene! Also, Kate has always been so smart about her father, she’s never let him get one over on her, but here she trusted him. And she never planned for or even considered that he’d stab her in the back. She couldve easily asked for the truce to last a couple days after the battle or something. She didn’t even try and acted surprised when he stabbed her in the back! Unsurprisingly Kate and Curran still haven’t figured out how to communicate. A lot of crap could have been avoided by just having a conversation and planning together.

Overall it’s an okay book in the series. But as a final book, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed.

I'm not sure if the audio tech let the narrator down but this audiobook was physically painful to listen to. The woman has a thick southern accent combined with a method of enunciation that makes her sound like she's got a speech impediment. She slurs all her soft 's' sounds and whistles all the hard Ses, directly into the mike. She over stresses all 't' and 'ch' sounds. So the audiobook will be so quiet you'll be tempted to turn the volume up and then a hard s and ch sound will come through and hammer your eardrums. This is not a good audiobook.

I preordered the book. I have been waiting for this book for so long. Now I'm scared to start it because I know it is the end to my favorite series. My brother gave me the first book and I fell in love. I know it will be great even though I haven't read one page. Thanks to this husband and wife team.

I'm not good with goodbyes.
It might be ridiculous, but I stopped after the first chapter (which is amazing), because I'm not ready to say goodbye to Kate and Curran and Julie and Derek and Dr Dolittle and Andrea and Ghastek and the rest of the gang- even Roland, much as I want to twist his ears until he yelps. I figure either I'll wake up cool with it one day or make my way back after I re-read the series a few more times and become completely enamored with whatever they're working on then (speaking of: more Innkeeper Chronicles, more Hidden Legacies oh, please, oh, please, oh, please! Nevada's family- ooh, and Michael Latimer- desperately need their own stories because I desperately need to read them)- a balm, as it were, to cushion the loss when I do finally finish Kate's story.

Then again, I'm still saving the last two episodes of Veronica Mars, so maybe I'm just hopeless.

Well here we are at the end of the road that I started almost 10 years ago with “Magic Bites” a book I was not so impressed with and took 3 times starting it to get me to finish it, I was surprised I grabbed book 2 “Magic burns” but it was getting interesting but book 3 “Magic Strikes” hooked me into this land of Kate Daniels and I loved her and this world more with each book.

I don’t know how many people I have told “Read the first 3 books and you will never stop” but here we are at the epic conclusion of Kate and Curran, I had no idea how they were going to pull off ending this epic tale without leaving me as a puddle of depression but they pulled it off along with some other goodies while taking care of almost every concern I had along the way down to some things I had not even thought of myself.

I am not going to give much away but we have a new enemy at the gates so to speak and he is powerful enough to require everything Kate and Curran can throw at him plus they may have to ask for help from sources they would never have thought about (you might want to read Iron & Magic before this one, gives you a little bit of info and some insight) and this is a wild story indeed.

The thing that made this a really great book is the fact that I was not all depressed when it ended but looking forward to stories in this world since it would appear we are going to see more but not with Kate and Curran as the main characters, you won’t know until the very end of the book what that future direction may be but I find it exciting and can’t wait.

You can’t have an epic battle with godlike creatures amidst mortals without some tragedy and most I accept but maybe one day I will get to ask about 1 of them that I always felt was a unique, wonderful and misunderstood character. They could have left that one alone but sadly did not …..

So, without really telling you anything about the story other than you are probably going to see almost every character that is still alive it was freaking fantastic and they did it without it feeling like an ending but a new beginning, only the best can accomplish something like that. Well done indeed folks, well done indeed.

This 10th book in the stellar Kate Daniels urban fantasy series brings to an end the story arc of Kate Daniels and Curran, Beast Lord of post-shift Atlanta. For those who may be unfamiliar with the world of the series, post-shift refers to the return of magic to the world after an absence of millennia. For those who survived, the entire landscape changed. Monsters, gods, giants and magic users rose again from legend. People have learned to cope with periodic shifts from "magic" to "tech." When tech is in the ascendant, cars, electric lights, telephones, etc. work. When magic is up, they do not, causing some clever adaptions. Humans have learned to adapt too, as they always do.

When we first met Kate, she was a lowly mercenary, with some serious sword and fighting skills. She keeps a low profile because she is actually the daughter of Roland, the "Tower Builder," who originated in ancient Mesopotamia and woke up when the first shift occurred. Since then he has rebuilt a power base in America, destroyed thousands, and spent his time looking for Kate, who he tried to kill in her mother's womb. Kate was raised by Voron, Roland's renegade Warlord and trained in the expectation of either killing or being killed by Roland. She came to the notice of the Beast Lord of Atlanta, Curran, head of all the shape-shifters in the Southeast. The two have formed an alliance of love and loyalty, but know that the day is coming when Roland will attack. The birth of Conlan, their son, only cements the knowledge. Roland will either kidnap the child or kill him. Conlan burns so bright with magic that it is inevitable.

Roland and Kate have had an uneasy truce, but it's clear that he is testing the boundaries. Just when we are set for a final confrontation, a new enemy from legend appears. This one is so powerful that only an alliance between Kate and her allies and Roland himself can defeat him. Can Kate and Curran trust him though?

I am sad that the Kate Daniels Series has come to an end. I came late to it, but have read and reread the previous books. The characters are vivid and multi-layered, some that I love and others that I love to hate. The fight and battle scenes are extraordinarily well-plotted and easy to follow, and there are plenty of them. This final book wraps up the story very satisfactorily, but I will miss Kate, Curran and their extended family, There are hints of more stories to come with other characters, and a recent spin-off, Iron and Magic, featuring one of the worst of bad guys.

Thanks to Ace and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own. Thanks also go to Ilona and Andrew Gordon, the writing team who have imagined and brought these characters to life.

As often happens in the final book of a series, there are too many story arcs which need to be woven together so the authors aren't able to do them all justice. Suddenly Ascanio disappears, Hugh reappears and we find out Julie's been visiting him with no explanation. And what about Derek at the end? Too many loose ends at to be a satisfying read for me, but definitely worth reading to see how Kate and Roland resolve their issue...

I absolutely loved this book! There really is no word that describes how amazing this story is. I have been looking forward to this book since I finished reading the previous book in the series almost two years ago. I have also dreaded reading this book because I knew going in that this was going to be the final book in the Kate Daniels series which part of me never wants to see come to an end. I am so impressed by this story and the way that Kate's story was wrapped up. Reading this book was such a wonderful experience.

As I said, this book is the final book in the Kate Daniels series which really should be read in order. This story starts shortly after the events in the previous book with Kate and Curran becoming parents. I am not always a big fan of kids in books but this kid only added to the story. I loved seeing Kate and Curran with Conlan and had a great time seeing them fall into some of the same behaviors I have seen in other new parents. It was interesting to see how much changed in the way they faced parenthood by the end of the story.

When I pick up a Kate Daniels book, or any book written by Ilona Andrews for that matter, I expect an exciting story with a lot action and that is what I got in this book. All of the battles, fights, bad guys, and chaos that I have come to expect in this series made an appearance and if anything the action may have been turned up a notch. There were times that I found myself holding my breath and turning pages as fast as I could just to see how things would work out.

This book also had all of the humor that I had hoped to find. I was especially excited to find a few lines that mentioned other key moments in the series. I thought that was a wonderful way to remember how far these characters have come. The banter between Kate and Curran was awesome as always and I was happy to find more than a few swoony and touching moments between them. The chemistry between them is as strong as it ever was.

I highly recommend this series to others. I feel like I have been on an amazing adventure with this group of characters and I wouldn't change a single second of the adventure. This is a series that I will read again and again over the course of my lifetime without growing tired of it. I hope to catch a few glimpses of Kate and Curran in future books set in this world just to check in from time to time.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace via NetGalley.

WOW!!! WHAT AN ENDING TO A SERIES.

Not only 5 stars for the final book in this series but 4.75 overall series stars. Really well done.

I Laughed...so many times
I was emotional, a lot
I was stumped on occasion
I loved every minute of reading it
I was blown away by the ending

This was everything and wanted it to be and so much more. The Andrews have done it again and surpassed every expectation I had. This was better than I hoped for and my hopes were HIGH

I always go into the last book of a series with a lot of trepidation. For one I’ve had entire series that I love ruined by the last book of the series and so it is always a bit nerve wracking. But in Ilona Andrews I should have trusted and known that they would do their readers proud and end the series with everything I as a reader have come to expect from them.

I was worried that having a baby would make this book boring.

But Conlan is a cute kid and does great stuff and uptight overprotective momma-bear Kate is hilarious. I think having the kid actually increased the enjoyability of the story instead of detracting form it.

I was worried that it would become too unrealistic

Don’t look at me like that. I know that it is Urban Fantay. But you know what I mean, Curran and Kate being indestructible. But there is real fear for them in this without thinking that no biggie they can’t be killed. I had some genuine fear for the characters in this and no not everyone will make it to the end.

I stressed that the ending would just fizzle

You know how it is…all this build up for books and books and then poof we win, you lose and lets’ go get cake. But the plot was great and I loved how this ended. The ending was worth it. The journey is definitely the best part but the ending did justice to the entire series and I’m so happy with it all. Well maybe there is one thing I’m unsure of but I’m thinking spin off series one day so totally fine with it.

If you haven't started this series go start now and if you are finishing it up like me I know that you enjoyed the ride too. Here's hoping for more great stories from my favorite UF Author.

This is it. The conclusion to the Kate Daniels series. How do I feel about this? Sad, but you eventually have to finish a series. However, do I think this series could've continued for another 10 books? YES! The Kate Daniels series is one of the few Urban Fantasy series that has been consistently phenomenal. The authors came up with original action-packed story-lines for each and every book. I devoured them all. The stories were funny, emotional, paranormal, romantic, action-packed, mysterious and so much more. There was always a great balance between all these elements. The authors figured out the perfect formula for Urban Fantasy series.

Magic Triumphs. I loved this story and I thought it was a great way to end the series. So many of the characters that appeared in previous books appeared in Magic Triumphs, even unexpected ones. I enjoyed seeing all of them be apart of this book. It all came full circle, and it got me a bit emotional at times. Kate has so much on her shoulders and would do anything to save the people she loves. In this book you'll see how much Kate would sacrifice to make sure her people are safe. I laughed, cried, swooned, and was on the edge of my seat throughout this book. I tried to read as slow as possible to savor it but the writing is so amazing, I flew right through it. Kate and Curran are one of my all time favorite couples, they grew so much in this series, and it makes me so sad to say goodbye. I think this book will be a treat for all the fans!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

SPOILERS

Magic Triumphs starts nine months after the events of Magic Binds and we see Kate Daniels give birth to her and Curran’s son, Conlan Dilmun Lennart. Thirteen months later, we find Kate and Curran settling into the life of parenthood. Kate wakes one morning to a pounding on her door, Curran has been away on a hunting trip, so it is just her and Conlan. Her guest is Teddy Jo, the avatar for the God Thanatos, who is there for her help with a problem that he has. After leaving Conlan with his aunt George and getting Derek, Kate arrives at a settlement outside Atlanta where all the people of the community, almost two hundred, disappeared from their homes. The group finds their remains in a puddle of flesh and clothes nearby, Teddy cannot help their souls move on, giving that all the remains are mixed together. They come to the conclusion that this is the work of an elder power who was able to teleport all the members of the community and leave only a puddle.

The settlement massacre is not the only problem Kate has, the Pack informs Kate and Curran that Roland has started to move his forces and is planning to attack Atlanta soon. Also, Roland’s assassins have been spotted in the city and Conlan is their main target. War is building is the horizon, and it has increased with this mysterious Elder power that wants to conquer and kill everything in his path. The secret to defeating this new villain might be in all Atlanta working together and allying themselves with those who hurt them in the past.

Kate and Curran’s main object is the safety of their family. They will do everything they can to keep each other alive, even if it means asking for help and coming into contact with divine beings.

I love the Kate Daniels series, I have been a fan of this series since I read the short story, Magic Tests, in the anthology An Apple for the Creature; since then I have read all the books in this series and followed the adventure of Kate and Curran as they try to survive the magic dystopian world that they live in. This time, it took me almost 10 hours to read the whole book, it was great that it was a slow day at work and nobody noticed me reading.

As a fan of the series, I’m happy and sad that we finally got to the end of Kate and Curran’s journey, they have been through a lot since they met in that abandoned building all those years ago. They are finally getting their happy ever after (HEA), or their version of HEA that exists in a world that is in a constant battle between magic and technology.

What better way to end their journey than starting their longest and most fun adventure, the best act of love between them, parenthood. I loved Conlan, he is the best combination of Kate and Curran, he was a delightful and the most fun character. To add a child to the main couple shows a different side of them for the reader to meet, he keeps them on their feet and alert. Reading other characters interaction with him was even better, he seems to capture everyone’s heart. The things that he can do and will be able to do in the future have no limits.

“‘As I was saying,’ Erra continued, “there has never been a child of the Wild within our bloodline. I was hoping that the Wild wouldn’t manifest, but it did and now it coexists with our powers inside his body. The might of our magic fuels him. I fear for my grandnephew, for he may be capable of terrible things.’”

Like the other books in the series, Kate and the characters in the book have funny scenes or one lines that light up the mode and make the reader laugh. At one point there’s even a funny shout out to Dungeons and Dragons that fits so perfect with the plot line of this story. Kate’s sarcastic and funny thoughts still predominate in the narrative, and now that she has Conlan it seems that she has new ammunition to use against other people.

“About fifteen minutes into the drive, Conlan gave up singing the sad song of his people and fell asleep.”

Over the course of the story, we get small battle scenes that make the narrative even more interesting and exciting for the reader. My favorite mini battle is Kate fighting a group of assassins. But the last battle was one of my favorites of all of the books in the series, it was a combination of many characters coming together to defeat a greater evil that otherwise left alone would have killed them all.

Like many other final books in the series, in Magic Triumphs there are some loses. Some characters go to war and don’t come back, they die protecting their freedom and love, knowing that they are making the world better for them. Some of these deaths were shocking but they help the story and making their sacrifice meaningful. There was one character that died, he is a little sneaky, so I’m not quite convinced he is dead, but who knows.

Like with the other books in the Kate Daniels series, I love the magic that the characters use. In this story, we get a variety of magic users and more magic. There are a couple of scenes that use magic in a way that I would never have guessed they would defeat an enemy like that.

“To the left Phillip’s clear voice commanded, ‘Prepare amplification spheres.’ Magic shifted. The line of students raised their arms. A transparent sphere formed above each of them, three feet wide and shimmering like hot air rising from the pavement, and spinning.”

We finally get to the end of Kate and Roland’s confrontation. Roland, Nimrod the builder of towers, the immortal wizard has found his match with his daughter Kate Daniels, the sword of Atlanta. Their fight was always meant to happen, Kate works hard to find a solution that would actually kill her father, only to take him out of the board game. I liked the ending to this battle between them, Kate has come to love her father, but she loves her family more and was able to outsmart the Great Wizard.

“‘Don’t do it,’ I told him. ‘Don’t, Father.’ His voice rolled through the battlefield. ‘Surrender, my daughter.’ He’d betrayed me. I’d known he would. I had expected it, but it hurt so much.”

I liked that time has come for Kate’s self-imposed breaks to come off, the stakes are high, and she needs to use all her power to stop the threat to Atlanta. In Magic Triumphs, we get many scenes of Kate not caring who sees her true self or how much magic she has. I loved these scenes and the different reaction other characters had when they see her.

If you are a fan of the Kate Daniels series, or of the work of Ilona Andrews, then I recommend you Magic Triumphs. The last battle for Kate and Curran has arrived, the stakes are high, and the enemies are powerful, it’s going to take everything in their power and the citizens of Atlanta to triumph this time.

Ilona Andrews probably could have written Kate Daniels books for another 10 years and made a fortune. They are wildly successful and even after 10 books, fans love them every bit as much as they did years ago… if not more. I know I do. But that makes it all the more impressive that they decided to end this series on top. They finished Kate’s story and they did it in spectacular fashion, giving me everything I wanted and needed from an epic conclusion. I can’t imagine the kind of pressure they were under to satisfy their readers with Kate’s swan song, but somehow, they pulled it off with their trademark blend of humor, action, and heart.

There are so many things that make this book awesome, but the clearest front-runner is an adorable, fascinating, and powerful one year-old named Conlan Lennart. That’s right, Kate and Curran’s baby is born in the prologue and we scoot ahead in time a bit for the bulk of this book. It was a brilliant move, because Conlan has grown enough to feel like a real character here. He is clearly smart and extremely gifted with magic, but at the end of the day he is also a toddler that loves his mommy and daddy. And man, do they love him too.

You think love for her husband and her friends motivated Kate? Just watch out for this mama bear protecting her cub.

I really thought this book was going to be all about Kate’s big face off with her father. And that is part of the story, but far from the only conflict. I’ll stop here and say if you have not read Iron and Magic, Hugh’s book, go back and read it now before you jump in here. The events of that story are vitally important to this one. Because those bad guys? They’re going to look awfully familiar. Only here, we are finally understanding their origins and their goals. It is the biggest and baddest force that Kate has ever had to fight. And she knows that she still must deal with her dad and his eminent attack on her and her son. So much is happening.

And that means calling in all of the big players. From the family of her heart like Julie and Derek… to the ties of her blood, like Erra and Rowena… to her allies: the Pack, the People, even Atlanta herself. And then there are the men who were basically like estranged brothers, Nick and Hugh. They know better than anyone what kind of foe Roland is. Saiman, Roman, Christopher, Teddy Jo. The list just goes on and on. And they all matter to the story. They all have a part to play, and for long-time readers of this series, it is so gratifying to see all of these pieces come together in this amazing tapestry.

I laughed out loud. I cheered out loud too. But even as I approached the last two chapters, I kept wondering how the authors were going to manage to make everything work out in the end. And I don’t know why I even questioned it, because they have never let me down and they certainly did not start here.

I couldn’t be happier with Kate’s HEA. And I love that they have dangling threads which will allow them to return to this world in the future with stories centered on other characters. I definitely will continue with Hugh’s books and I feel total confidence in a future series for Julie. All the dominoes are set up just right.

I will miss this series terribly, but I am so grateful that I got to see it go out with the kind of quality story it deserved. Thank you, Ilona Andrews for bringing this world to life… and for letting me love Kate Daniels.

Rating: A

The final battle is here. Everything the Kate Daniels series has been building up to comes to a head in Magic Triumphs, culminating in an awesome display of magic. Authors Ilona Andrews have perfectly balanced cinematic action with intimate, personal moments, resulting in a wonderfully satisfying story.

From her near-loner beginnings in Magic Bites to now, it’s been a hell of a journey for Kate. She and Curran have a family – both of blood and of their own choosing – that stretches wide across Atlanta. They want peace for their loved ones and safety for their son, but that’s not possible with Kate’s father, the godlike Roland, casting his shadow over the land and people Kate has sworn to protect. And when an ancient and powerful enemy comes to her door and the Oracle sees fire and blood in the future, Kate knows that she’s now in the countdown to the battle that could cost her all she holds dear.

Kate is as kick*** as ever. She’s fierce, powerful, loving, and sometimes entertainingly out of her depth as mother to the rather unique (and scene-stealing) Conlan. Even with the stakes being so high, with the intensity that builds to a screaming point as you worry over the fate of beloved characters, Ilona Andrews never loses sight of the personal moments. It’s those moments that make Magic Triumphs a stand-out story. Don’t get me wrong – Ilona Andrews’ worldbuilding is seriously top-notch. The battles are epic, the threats intriguing, unique, and powerful, and the various relationships, alliances, and politics Kate has to maneuver are intricate. But for me it was the personal moments that locked me into the story, that reinforced who and what Kate is fighting for.

If you’re wondering why I’m not saying much about the plot it’s because spoilers are hard to avoid and I definitely don’t want to ruin this book for anyone. If you’re at all familiar with the Kate Daniels books (and you definitely should be before starting this story), you know to expect spectacular battles, complex plots, and multifaceted characters. It definitely wouldn’t be a finale without all the key players from past books having a role to play and getting time with Kate. Ilona Andrews has filled this world with unique, vibrant characters and I was thrilled to revisit my favorites and see how everything and everyone would come together in the end. Is Magic Triumphs absolutely, positively everything a fan of the series could want for a conclusion? Of course not. I’ve been invested in this series for over a decade and no matter how hard I tried not to, I came in with my own hopes and it’d be ridiculous to assume the authors could meet all fan expectations. But any issues I had were minor and I found this to be a supremely satisfying end to Kate’s journey. Magic Triumphs is brilliant, engaging, funny, intense, and wholly original. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*DEEP BREATH*
Okay. This is it. The end.

There may be some SPOILERS ahead so, consider yourself warned.

This book came out on August 28 but I held off until now (my birthday weekend, as a special treat) to actually sit down and read. And I fully admit, there was a degree of stalling to this strategy because I don’t think I was ready to say goodbye to this universe that I’ve been checking in to for eleven-years now … though with the caveat that; it’s pretty clear Ilona Andrews is not entirely done with this universe, even if Kate Daniels-focused arc is wrapped up …

This is the big-bad end to the ‘Kate Daniels’ series and show-down with Kate’s all-powerful, egotistical father. But from ‘Magic Bites’ to now, Kate has slowly been accumulating love, life and family from the loner she once was. There’s so much more she risks losing now, and the stakes (that have been accumulating across 9 books and countless short-stories) are higher than ever.

The books opens not with an adrenaline-rush – as most readers would have been coiled for – but with a more sedate pace and establishment of Kate and Curran’s home life. Including, yes – a child, a baby called Conlan who is developing at a rapid pace. And it’s in this sweeter side that Ilona Andrews remind readers of the true crown they wear in the realms of serial fiction – gifting readers the best example of life after ‘will they or won’t they?’ dramatic romantic tension. Conlan is another jewel in this crown, as possibly one of the best examples of a child-character integrating perfectly into a previously childless core cast.

But when the coil snaps – as it always needed to – Ilona Andrews hits the ground running. But it must be said, they owe a lot of the perfect pacing and wrap-up to ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ finale blueprints; particularly season 5 ‘The Gift’ and series finale ‘Chosen’. There was one moment in ‘Magic Triumphs’ that so perfectly harks back to season 5 episode ‘Checkpoint’ and Buffy’s epic power speech to The Watchers' Council (“You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watchin' Masterpiece Theater.”) I say this with the utmost respect that I could see these tendrils in Kate’s finale, because truth be told – nobody did season finales and big-bad arc wrap-ups better than ‘Buffy’ and that legacy carries over here to Kate’s grand finish to great effect.

I particularly loved that we got to touch-base with all the secondary characters we’ve come to love, and who populated Kate’s life to the point that those stakes became perilously high. A particularly lovely addition to the cast was a character named Yu Fong, who first appeared in Dali & Jim short-story ‘Magic Dreams’ and then later became part of Julie’s scholastic world in ‘An Apple for the Creature’ anthology short-story, ‘Magic Tests’. Yu Fong has long stayed with me and intrigued me, and I was so glad to see him become a player in ‘Magic Triumphs’ … it begs the question then; why establish such an intriguing character most fully in the series finale? Hmmmmm.

I would have also loved a Raphael and Andrea (and baby!) scene together, because I loved that couple. Ditto Dali and Jim (though we get a lovely sense of their future, even without the two sharing a scene physically). BUT … I am slightly wounded that a favourite character – teen bouda and bad-boy Ascanio – makes no appearance. He is alive, and well, and alluded to on a confusing number of occasions throughout … but he doesn’t get a single scene and it’s slightly maddening. The only thing that lessens this wound is a niggling suspicion that he has bigger things in store for the future; I do believe a lack of Ascanio and meatier role for Yu Fong were big hints of what’s to come.

As to that … I was GLEEFUL over that epilogue. Julie has felt like a storm gathering speed to become a tornado for a while now, and with that send-off cliff-hanger it’s an out and out confirmation from Ilona Andrews that they’re tucking her away for another day. I’ve no doubt that the writing-duo will concentrate on Hugh d'Ambray and his ‘Iron Covenant’ world for a little while (or not – maybe ‘Iron and Magic’ will be much like Andrea’s one-off ‘Gunmetal Magic’?) but I can see them having a little rest after their mad-cap ten-books-in-eleven-years publishing schedule, and any break could also act as time-passing for Julie’s character. Because – yes – much as I am ready for her to come riding back already, with Erra and a cast populated by Ascanio, Yu Fong, and especial concentration on Derek … Julie does need to mature, and the easiest way to do that is off the page where she can obtain some mystery and secrecy for readers too.

But it’s a testament to Ilona Andrews and the ‘Kate Daniels’ series that ‘Magic Triumphs’ is – wait for it! – SUCH A TRIUMPH that concludes so beautifully, but I’m also already desperate for them to keep carrying this world along. This tenth book walks a majestic tightrope of being both utterly fulfilling as its own entity, while also mouth-watering for the possibilities of Julie and more.

I will not begrudge Ilona Andrews a rest. But when you’re an author this good and so much at the top of your game, you’ve got to expect that your readers will be baying for more books. That’s the price you pay when you’re THIS DAMN GOOD – to end a series with such satisfaction, at the same time stoking the fires for more. Brava.

Anyone who knows me or who has been following my blog for any length of time should already be aware that I'm a proud member of the Ilona Andrews fan club and totally addicted to this writing duo's books. The Kate Daniels series has been one of my favourites for such a long time now and it's one I reread over and over again so it's fair to say I'm hugely invested in this world and these characters. It's really hard to write a review for the final book in a much loved series because you want to be able to talk about ALL THE THINGS that happened and rave about how incredible it was but I don't want to spoiler anyone so I'm going to deliberately try to keep this vague.

If you're a fan of this series you'll probably have a good idea of what to expect anyway: there's humour, fabulous banter, incredible characters (ones you'll love and ones you'll love to hate), fascinating mythology, weird and wonderful creatures and high drama action scenes that have you praying all the characters you love will survive. This is a story that will make you laugh and cry but will leave you with the biggest smile on your face by the end. Some series go out on a fizzle but Kate Daniels is going out with a BANG. It ends on the highest of highs and gives us a fitting end to a series that we've invested years in but it also leaves a few doors open for some of the side characters to get their chance to shine.

We already know that Hugh and Elara have another 2 books left in their series, Ilona has also mentioned a potential story about Roman and she's not discounted the possibility of other characters (and possibly even Kate and Curran) to make the occasional come back in a book or novella. I for one will be happy to read any other story that Ilona and Gordon choose to set in this world (or any other for that matter!) but at the same time I'm so, so happy that Kate and Curran are going to get to enjoy the happily ever after they've spent so long fighting for.

This series continues to be an all time favourite and I know it's one I'll continue to reread at least once a year so if you've not discovered this world yet now is the perfect time to start. Whatever you do don't start with Magic Triumphs though, this book is the culmination of 10 books and numerous short stories and novellas and if you don't start at the beginning with Magic Bites then you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice. Please do give the series a try though, it's absolutely wonderful and I'm so jealous of those people who are still going to get to experience it for the first time!

If you haven’t yet listened to Iron and Magic, The Iron Covenant, #1, I recommend you do so before Magic Triumphs. This story will spoil some of that book for you.

There are so many things I want to talk about, but alas spoilers darling. So instead I will tell you that part of the book focuses on Kate, Curran and their family life. That a new threat has arrived in Atlanta. That the Witch Oracles visions show a great battle and that Kate and Curran are each preparing in their own way for it. Gads, the feels in this from happiness to nail-biting suspense followed by tears. When I wasn’t listening, I was thinking about the story. Until I stood with my headphones listening intently and holding my breath as the outside world slipped away.

Epic battles, unholy alliances, betrayals, sacrifices, and moments of humor and love made this one of the most addictive tales I have ever listened to. The Andrews continue to amaze me and my five cups of coffee feel wholly inadequate. Many beloved characters were present, and they treated us to another POV, one I loved and wouldn’t mind more of. From, the pacing to the fully developed ending I could not find a single flaw. For me it couldn’t have unfolded more perfectly.

Renée Raudman is one of my favorite narrators. She narrates almost all of Andrews books. Her ability to capture not only the emotions of the characters but to give voice to so many astounds me. She helps to bring the urgency of the battle scenes to life, and the emotions she pours into these characters is pure joy to the ears. She has taken this epic tale to the next level.

Fans of the series will find this a worthy ending. They tied storyline threads, but they left enough of a door open to leave this fan hoping for return visits to Atlanta.

Let me just start by admitting how devastated I am that this is the last Kate and Curran book! Considering how much I love this series and these characters, MAGIC TRIUMPHS had mighty big shoes to fill in order to meet my expectations for a proper send off. After finishing, I realized I shouldn't have worried nor doubted this amazingly fantastic author duo. MAGIC TRIUMPHS was everything I could have hoped for and more to end their series. Everything and I do mean everything comes to a head in this book, including events from Hugh's book. The proverbial bleep hits the fan... And then splatters. It's just that intense and I truly loved every minute of it.

Kate and Curran are fantastic, as is the entire rest of the character cast. But honestly it's the newest edition that completely and utterly stole the show for me. Conlan has one heck of a personality packed into his little but mighty body. He'll be a force to be reckoned with that sure loves to give his mother a run for her money. I also really enjoyed the changes he brought in Kate as a mother where she's so loving but utterly and completely neurotic. And seeing her struggle and eventually come to terms with her beserker level protection when the little man is threatened rang a chord in this mamma's heart as well. Motherhood, no matter unconventional her circumstances are, suits her.

While I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to one of my all time favorite couples, I can't really complain in the end after being given this gift of a great read. MAGIC TRIUMPHS is utter magic from start to finish and fans of the series should run not walk to their nearest bookstore and snatch this one up immediately. Bravo!

TOP BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!
5+ Hearts, Recommended Read
SJ, Romance Junkies

MAGIC TRIUMPHS, the tenth and final book in the Kate Daniels series, is a tour de force triumph itself! A perfect ending to one of the best Urban Fantasy series ever written. The characters remain true to themselves; the action is nonstop; the pacing is superb, and the ending is complete without feeling forced. (This story is best read as a conclusion to the series. If new to the Kate Daniels’ world, I suggest starting with MAGIC BITES.)

Many series seem to tie up everything in a bow, wrapping everything up neatly for the reader in the final book. While this book does give a most satisfying conclusion, it’s written so well that nothing feels spelled out, rather it’s a natural progression of events the characters organically reach.

In this book, we see a (mostly) matured Kate with Curran, her husband and the former Beast Lord, and their adorable baby boy. The story has a brief prologue where we see the baby born, then cuts to two years later, which was very well done. Events have settled since the last book, with everyone falling into regular patterns.

Until, of course, a new villain emerges, one even scarier than Roland—Kate’s father. The mystery of who these murderous creatures are and why they’ve come to Atlanta unfold as the multifaceted world of Kate Daniels takes place. Familiar characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the series all play their parts. Julie, Derek, Barabas, Andrea, Roman, Saiman, Luther, Erra, even Nick and Hugh—HUGH—what a terrific part for him to play! And the family scenes, especially with Conlan, the baby, had me laughing out loud. Both heartwarming and funny, Kate’s family and friends are the cornerstone of this series.

The pacing is swift and steady, the build-up a delicious tension as Kate deals with the Witch Oracle’s prophecies of doom and the knowledge that to beat her father, she’ll have to kill him, and thus herself, for her friends and family to survive. There seems to be no way out, yet that doesn’t stop the humor from spilling from the pages, a wonderful mix of danger and laughter that’s organic to Kate and those around her.

Ilona Andrews is one the most gifted writers out there today. The writing duo know how to show emotion through action and dialogue and never dumb down their writing. The fighting scenes make you feel like you’re there, and their breadth of knowledge in both forensics and mythology (and even the made-up terms) is awe-inspiring.

This is my top book of the year, and I’m only sorry to see beloved characters go. But there are still two more Hugh stories for Andrews to write, as well as a teaser that perhaps some characters from the Kate Daniels’ world will continue in spin off series. Here’s hoping!

A TOTALLY RECOMMENDED READ!!!!

(Note: MAGIC TRIUMPHS takes place after IRON AND MAGIC, which is Hugh’s story. While you don’t have to read IRON AND MAGIC to understand this book, it’s most satisfying to have read Hugh’s story first.)

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels has come a long way in post shift Atlanta. She’s gone from being a lonely mercenary keeping her head down to a powerful player with friends, allies and family. And now, an ancient enemy appears and Kate has to make dangerous alliances if she hopes to save not only Atlanta but the world.

This is the 10th and final book in the series and completes Kate’s story arc. As such, readers would enjoy this novel best if they begin at the beginning and read the entire series in order.

Magic Triumphs is a must read for fans of Kate Daniels. The novel has all of the authors trademark touches – marvelous mythology, fearsome monsters, epic battles, genuine emotional moments and just the right amount of humor and snark to break the tension. Particularly touching was getting to see Kate as a mother and watching her protect her child. Often times, action and danger don’t work when characters have children but the scenes are masterfully written here.

There were great references to earlier works in the series and very creative storytelling to bring Kate’s story to a believable and satisfying conclusion. It's amazing and surprising to watch as the authors take the narrative and the characters and turn them around in unexpected ways. As I read, it almost seemed to wrap up too quickly and I had a few questions about several characters that leave me hoping for a spin off series.

I must admit to being a long-time fan having been reading the series since the first book was published in 2007 and I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion. A wonderfully written and highly recommended read. 5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Nobody likes a quitter.”

The end has arrived. Only one person can rule Atlanta and winner takes all.

Kate Daniels has grown from a psychopathic killer with no ties to a wife and mother with a wide base of friends, allies, and unfortunately a lot of enemies. She has embraced her heritage, challenged her destiny, and claimed Atlanta as her own to stop her megalomaniac father from taking over the world. Now an ancient enemy has risen, determined to claim Kate as his own and enslave the world. Kate must put aside her fear, anger, and hatred for the sake of her family and friends and accept help from her enemies if she is to once again save mankind from certain doom.

Ahhh…here we are. The last book in Ilona Andrews’ epic and bestselling urban fantasy Kate Daniels series. Fans have waited a long time for this book though once in hand, the feeling is decidedly bittersweet. Saying goodbye is never easy, especially for someone who spends half their life enmeshed in the world of make-believe.

SIGH

I do want to note that it is in the reader’s best interest to read Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant, #1) first as there are events from it that relate and help to push this story forward.

This series is what all fantasy writers strive to create and every fan wants to read. It embodies everything I love in the genre. Action, suspense, alternative worlds, magic, love, loss, sacrifice, forgiveness, family, and humor. Witty dialogue, a strong cohesive storyline, fast pacing, and an eclectic personable cast of characters will hook you up and hold you hostage till the very end. The lack of pretentiousness is perhaps one of its most compelling factors for me. No need for a spreadsheet to keep track of everyone and everything happening. Its sheer ability to flow effortlessly from one plot line to another is a sight to behold. Real social and political issues slide under the radar, the Andrews using their writing to hammer home the injustices that plague us to this day and uses Kate to teach some much needed lessons in humanity and tolerance. We’ve been led from the beginning to this very moment and the Andrews’ shine bright as they guide us to the end of this road.

From the beginning, Magic Bites, through now, we have watched a young women whose life has been spent in hiding slowly emerge into a power to be reckoned with. She has thrown off the shackles of her guilt, fear, and childhood. She has lost many but gained so much in return. Now she has everything she never dared to dream for herself and she will do whatever it takes to keep it.

The balance between the usual and unusual blends perfectly as the conflict opens to a scene that affects all of Atlanta’s magical heavy hitters. The sins of the father play a huge role in that Kate’s last challenge is a face from the past. A nasty villain whose lack of humanity and immense power will require everyone to play their part. Faces from the past and present step up to offer advice, put aside differences, makes us laugh, cause some chaos, and unsheathe their swords in this ultimate battle.

Atlanta would come together. We weren’t just one thing. We were many: shapeshifters, necromancers, witches, mages, mercenaries…We came in all shapes and sizes, in every age, in every human color, in every variation of magic, and from that we drew our strength. We were surprising and unexpected, and united.

The Andrews once again go for broke, tossing aside all the rules and embrace the outrageous, fantastical, confounding, and unexpected. Kate’s need to protect everyone is intensified by her responsibilities to the land and everyone who lives there. Even if it destroys her in the end.

“The word of the Sharratum is binding…I don’t rule but I am a queen. I claimed the city. They all need my protection. They don’t even know it, but they need me to survive….”

While the main arc and its various subplots are definitely the prize of the story, it’s the relationships that Kate has built that have intrigued with me throughout. Like a web with Kate at its center, it’s glistening strands encompass a wide variety of people from the love of her life to her greatest enemy. All of whom share a strong bond with Kate despite their humble sometimes antagonistic beginnings. The themes of family and forgiveness is expanded up with everyone owning their deeds and learning that we are not always the sum of our actions. No one is taken for granted or used to pad the storyline. Each is a formidable entity that can more than hold their own in this ever-changing world.

My favorite character in here though, besides the obvious, has to be Conlan. Sweet, adorable, unpredictable Conlan. Kate’s heart and soul. Her as a mother is not only enlightening but hilarious. As magical beings, the most mundane scenes are usually the most amusing as you watch Kate deal with a child who is the product of the Beast Lord and In-Shinar. And Kate handles it like a champ…sometimes.

“He’s eating something. What could he be chewing under there?”
“Electric cords. Old tissues dead bugs.”
Kate Lennart, mother of the year. What do you feed your son? Dead bugs he found under the bed, of course. “We need to get him out now!”
“Have I told you your a helicopter parent?”
“I’m going to to be the Wrath of Hell parent in a minute.”

The finale is sublime and everything you’d expect it to be with one last twist that delighted me with its devious cleverness. Andrews’ effectively resolved the conflict, the arc and STILL left room for possibly more stories.

BRAVO!

Magic Triumphs is indeed a triumph for this author duo who eleven years ago introduced us to a smart-mouthed merc, an autocratic lion, and an adventure that enchanted readers of all ages. Well worth all the praise, Kate Daniels has stood the test of time and in my opinion will continue to do so.

Grade: A+

WARNING! This review contains much rambling from a fan girl who is still reeling from seeing the end of her favourite series. She wants more. She needs more. She found solace in lots of chocolate and buns.

Note: If you haven’t read Iron and Magic yet, then read that before starting this book. It isn’t essential to understanding the plot in Magic Triumphs but, it will certainly give background on some aspects of this book. Plus, it’s Hugh D’Ambray, how can you not want to read more?

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I normally start with a short blurb about the book I am about to review. However, Magic Triumphs is the final in the series, so if you are coming across this as a brand-new reader than please, don’t read any further. Just go to your library, the store or your local book shop and pick up a copy of Magic Bites which is the first in the series and get reading. I promise you won’t regret it. If, like me, you have been following the series, eagerly anticipating each new book that comes out then you’ll know. This is the big finale. Whatever Kate is going to do about Roland, she’s going to be doing it in this book.

It’s been a day or two now since I finished the last ever page in the Kate Daniels series and I still feel a little shell shocked. I can’t believe it’s the end. I have been equally looking forward to it and dreading it. Looking forward to it because I am desperate to see how they handle Roland, they can’t really kill him, but it seems like an impossible job to contain him. The there are all the other smaller, but no less important things I want to read about. Kate and Curran, how are they finding parenthood? Will, the now married, Hugh D’Ambray make an appearance and how will he be received if he does? Jim and Dali, how’s life as the Beast Lord and Lady? Then there’s Erra, Julie, Derek, Andrea, Raphael, Ascanio, Christopher, Barabas, Saiman, Ghastek…and countless other characters. They’ve all made an impact on this series making it the intricate and layered world, that in my opinion, hasn’t been rivalled in any other series I have read.

But, as I said, I’ve been dreading it as well. I don’t want it to end. I want to continue to dip into Kate, Curran and the all the assorted characters lives. They feel like friends at this point; I want to step in, make sure they’re okay, they’re happy, laugh and cry with them and read about all their hijinks. So, as I read the final page, the final word in Magic Triumphs I couldn’t help a small tear escaping. The tear was that strange mix of happy because the book was fantastic and devastation because it was the last one.

However, this is supposed to be a book review. Not me indulging in some written therapy. So, lets get to the book. I loved it. This book is set just over 2 years from the events of the Magic Binds and Kate and Curran now have a son. So, we get a glimpse of Kate-and Curran-the-parents. So many things happen in this book, but what I will always remember is how adorable Conlan Lennart is. He’s old enough that his personality is emerging. And that personality is playful and mischievous. Seeing Kate’s protective instincts in overdrive and Curran bursting with pride over his son makes for some scenes that blend heart melting and funny all in one.

Magic Triumphs also offers the usual action packed, but intelligent story line we have all come to expect from Andrews. What was surprising was that it wasn’t entirely focussed on Roland as I expected. However, don’t fear all was resolved by the end of the book. A bigger enemy was in town, which meant that Kate and Curran had to make some unlikely alliances and appearance of a certain, now married, Preceptor and his wife.

For many readers though, including myself, Kate and Curran are one of the big reason that keep you coming back for more. First because you were desperate for them to get together, their chemistry and tension between them was fantastic. Then, once they were together to see if that level of chemistry could be maintained. And with intimacy and time Kate and Curran have just gotten better. They still have that spark, they still drive each other crazy and their devotion to one another has only gotten stronger. This book just demonstrates that further especially with the addition of Conlan to their family.

This was a fantastic ending to this series and I am genuinely sad that I will no longer be getting any more books from Kate’s POV. I loved riding along in her brain. Ilona Andrews has developed an amazing world and cast of characters with the Kate Daniels series and it has made an indelible mark on my reading life. No other UF has ever quite reached it. But I am hoping that although it may be the last of the Kate Daniels series, there is still more to come in this world. There’s so much potential for more, especially with characters like Julie and Derek and then we have the Iron Dogs with Hugh and Elara. I’m keeping all my fingers and toes crossed!

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I remember quite clearly when I first discovered the Kate Daniels series, it was the summer of 2009. I barely discovered Urban Fantasy then. But Ilona Andrews awoken and cemented my love for the genre and I’ve been a faithful reader of theirs and the genre ever since. I’ll be honest, like most of Andrews’ fans, ever since Andrews announced two years ago that the Kate Daniel’s series was coming to an end at book ten I was extremely sad. I wasn’t ready then nor was I ready now. But of course Andrews know what’s best and if it only takes ten books to tell Kate’s story then readers are just going to have to have faith that it will end as they hope and of course, Kate deserves a happy ending.

Magic Triumphs was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. This book gave me all the feels! I was grinning and laughing out loud so much. The tender moments made me immensely happy and had me crying…you always hear the term of your heart feeling so full; that’s exactly how I felt for the majority of the book. Andrews delivered on all front from the usual high quality world building, the beautiful personal scenes between characters, witty banter, incredible action scenes, to interesting mythology and a whole lot of heart. I loved every moment of Magic Triumphs.

Everything Kate has done is leading up to this point as she faces her father and an opponent she has never encountered before. Familiar characters we’ve met over the course of the series and new allies are all coming together for the final showdown to save Atlanta. Kate has always been a kick-ass characters, there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for the people she loves. But readers will see another side to Kate; and motherhood has never looked so good…or cool! While this book was already pretty damn near perfect, the introduction of Kate’s son Conlan was one of the biggest highlight of the book for me. The kid stole every scene he was in! I don’t want to go into too much details about anything but a lot of questions readers have will get answered and while this is the end of the series for Kate and Curran; it’s not the end to the characters/world as Andrews left the an open ending for a lot of possibilities and spin-offs.

Magic Triumphs was the perfect ending to a perfect series. It’s been a hell of a ride and I am so grateful to the authors for bringing Kate and Co into my life and letting me join them on their crazy awesome journey (even if it's fictional). I’ve said this before and it bears repeating, but this series is a must read for all Urban Fantasy/Fantasy fan. The Kate Daniels series is the epitome, best of the best of what Urban Fantasy has to offer. If you haven’t by chance read this series yet, please remedy that quickly by starting at the beginning with Magic Bites. If you’ve been a long time reader of the series make sure you read Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant #1), Hugh’s book before you start Magic Triumphs it’s imperative if you want the entire story/background (Huge plays a big role in the battle). This has been such a bittersweet ending to a beloved series but it also is a new beginning for other characters to share their own story. I’m so ready and can’t wait to see what new adventures awaits us with Andrews at the helm.

Magic Triumphs is the last book in the Kate Daniels series, my all-time favorite urban fantasy series. What am I going to do without more Kate Daniels books to look forward to? As with any last book in a beloved series, reading Magic Triumphs was a bittersweet experience.

In the prologue to Magic Triumphs, Kate gives birth to a son, whom she knows Roland will try to take. Kate and her father have an uneasy truce, but she knows it can’t last forever. While she’s focused on her father, a new threat arises, announced with a box of ash on her doorstep and the disappearance of an entire neighborhood. Battle is inevitable, but can she convince the rest of Atlanta to join her? And what about her father?

Before I get any farther into the review, I just want to say: I still haven’t read Iron and Magic, a Kate Daniels universe book that came out earlier in the summer. Turns out, that was a mistake. Iron and Magic clearly takes place chronologically before Magic Triumphs, which gives you some spoilers for the earlier book.

As for Magic Triumphs itself… what am I supposed to say? It’s excellent and pure fun, as the series has consistently been since book three. As an ending, it wraps up Kate’s storyline in a satisfactory way, but it also leaves room for other character’s stories to be told down the line (hint: I think we may get stories about either Julie or Erra).

Magic Triumphs has all the elements I’ve come to associate with the Kate Daniels series: witty dialogue, a fast pace, ripping battle scenes, mythological references, and amazing world building. Yet, it also remains its own book and doesn’t feel too reminiscent of its predecessors.

Speaking of that, I actually really loved seeing Kate as a mom! It’s a whole new area ripe for humor, such as “oh no my son crawled under the bed and is eating something WHAT IS HE EATING.” Of course, Kate’s also got parenting problems most moms don’t have to deal with. Her son has both her magic and his father’s shapeshifting, leading to a set of powers that are entirely unprecedented.

I did wish I’d reread the previous books beforehand, as I was a bit fuzzy as to some of the supporting characters (and I’d somehow totally forgotten that Erra was around as a ghost now?). The new villain was unexpected, as I assumed this would surely be the Roland show. It worked out okay, and the new guy was effective at increasing the scale of the danger, even if he himself wasn’t that compelling of a character.

I was reading Magic Triumphs right as the first semester of my senior year began, and it was the perfect combat to beginning of semester stress. This series is so addictively fun, and it’s fueled by a powerful imagination and loveable characters. I can’t recommend it enough.

I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

If you have to break the hearts of fans and release a final chapter, this is the way to do it. Magic Triumphs has mystery, tension, humor, action, enemies and friends working together for the greater good and some backstabbing as well, and let’s not forget the most adorable toddler you have ever met.

Ilona Andrews created a fascinating world for us where magic washes over the land like waves at the beach. When technology is up, phone works, cars drive and scary things with claws and teeth go to sleep, but when the magic is up, technology is what goes to sleep and those scary things comes crawling out to get you.

When we first met Kate Daniels she was simply a merc, trying to keep her head down and stay on the move so that her father, Roland, never find out about her. But over the last few years, Kate has made friends and put down some roots. She has fallen in love with the Beast Lord of Atlanta who reigned supreme over the shifters to ruling over Atlanta to protect it from her father. Now the lonely merc has become a friend, wife and mother. The woman who was raised to keep her head down will have to fight to protect the life she has created but the biggest question will be…from who?

Kate and Curran have been gearing up these last few years for a winner-take-all war against Roland. They have forged strong alliances with the witches, the shifters, the People and the Mercs, and some not so stong alliances with the Knights of the Order…okay, the Order hates Kate, but enemy of my enemy and all that.

Yet while Kate is waiting for her father to make a move to steal her son, neighborhoods full of people are disappearing…and the bodies are being dumped en masse. Kate is angry that Roland would attack the people in her territory. Then she begins to remember one important fact… Roland wouldn’t commit mass slaughter. Not at these levels. Roland wants humans around to worship him. What good is taking Kate’s territory if there is no one left to cheer and worship?

Kate has been so focused on Roland that she didn’t realize there is another threat on the field.
And this someone has Kate a present but is it from an admirer who wants to court her, or a declaration of war? She has no idea, but something about it is putting the shifters on edge.

Kate will need more help than her friends can provide but will approaching her father be the deal with the devil that will require a payment too dear?

I am so sad that Ilona and Andrew Gordon, better known as Ilona Andrews, decided to say goodbye to Kate Daniels and friends. I really enjoyed the stories, the creativity of the world building and all of the characters. But if you are going to bring the series like this to an end, they obviously decided it was time to Go Big or Go Home!

I am going to miss Kate and company but Magic Triumphs is in incredible story and if you do have to end a series, this is the way to take a final bow.

I’m not even pretending that this review is easy to write.

From the moment I found out that Magic Triumphs would be the last Kate Daniels novel, I had a hard time accepting it. I couldn’t imagine a life without this series. But now, after reading 10+ novels about Kate’s battles with gods, monsters and the different power plays in and around Atlanta, I can say with absolute certainty that Kate deserves this ending.

Battle after battle she gave it all. Always for the better of the people of Atlanta, her family and friends and humanity. I felt for her. My heart ached at times!!!

Magic Triumphs was a fantastic and triumphant ending to my most favorite series of all.

I was sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. When it got closer to 80 and 90% this book turned into a nail-biter. I wouldn’t be surprised if my heartbeat went up the closer I got the ending. This book had me entirely in its grasps.

In this epic conclusion, Ilona Andrews brought the entire cast together for this final battle. The plot that unraveled throughout the story, and the many answers to questions I didn’t know I had, kept my head spinning. The way the authors had this entire story executed was stunning. So many events and decisions in previous books suddenly made even more sense.

I’m utterly astonished by how well everything came together.

The fighting scenes were as always amazingly vibrant and easy to follow. The banter that I love and adore was there, but I had the feeling the overall feel of the book was a touch darker than any of the others. Getting to the end of it all was strenuous for everyone involved and it was noticeable. But all in all, I don’t think this story could have ended any other way. It felt RIGHT. You know how Kate always talks about how sometimes things just feel right? This ending gave me just this feeling.

Even though it’s very hard for me to say goodbye, especially to Kate, Curran, Julie and Derek, and now baby Conlan, I feel good about it. The relief at the end was palpable and satisfiying. And it seems that the authors are keeping the possibility open of coming back to the world of magic and tech in future books. You never know what kind of adventures are waiting around the next corner.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS EPIC EXPERIENCE!!!

So this is a bittersweet goodbye to the BEST UF series that has ever existed. It deserves every superlative I can think of. BRAVO to the authors for writing this epic masterpiece. I can’t say it enough, this series ROCKED, and if I’m ever stranded on an island, these are the books I want to have with me. I can’t imagine my life without them, and I’m utterly and deeply grateful for this experience. Since May of 2012, this series has ruled my life and I haven’t regretted it once. I hope that many other readers will find this series and fall in love with Kate and Curran the way I did. Goodbye for now!!

OH NO. It's over. The series is over. *dies*
*remembers two more Hughs and potential same world books and kind of perks up a little tiny bit*
*throws temper tantrum*
If you thought there was even a chance this would get less than five stars, you're delusional. ALL THE STARS.
NOTE: READING IRON AND MAGIC BEFORE READING MAGIC TRIUMPHS IS REQUIRED. DO IT. DON'T SKIP IT.
---
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review... I think. I mean, to be fair, it kind of means the series ended sooner for me than it should have... but yes, I definitely appreciate being trusted with an ARC of the final book of one of the best UF series of all time.

I don't even know where to begin to process my feelings, and I can't say too much without giving away spoilers.

Conlan - Yes. All the yeses. The way he is written is fantastic and funny and adorable. Bring on the teenage Conlan/older Julie spinoff, please.

Kate and Curran - plenty of their famous banter, lots of depending on each other, and proof that they are definitely "OTP."

Atlanta - We get to see so many characters in this one and I love it. Pretty much everyone we've ever met of any importance at least gets an appearance, and not a single one of them felt like a cameo just for a cameo. All felt like they progressed the story or helped Kate or pushed the narrative in some way or another.

Violence and Magic - lots, duh.

Iron - Read Iron and Magic before you read this. Just saying. Trust me. It's a great book anyways, but you need to. NEED TO. Thank goodness we have two more Hugh books.

The Villains - not exactly what you're thinking. Great surprises when you think the book will ONLY be about Roland. Nope. Lots of stuff going on, of course, because that's when Kate thrives -- in the chaos and stress of EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.

Future Spinoffs - Yes, give me more. Ilona has mentioned more set in this world. I would love a Julie spinoff, especially after the finale of this book. She has aged into a smart, wise, powerful young woman.

Thank you, Ilona, for this series, for this world, for the time I've spent there (and will spend in future rereads). You are truly talented.

Now, excuse me while I go weep uncontrollably that this amazing series has reached its finale.

I have read them all, so reading number 10, "Magic Triumphs," in the Kate Daniels (Lennart, now) series was a lot of fun and did not disappoint. I am not a big fan of all the gory, bloody fight scenes, so I "fast-forward"-- scan, slip pages, etc.-- to the important portions of those. Otherwise, every part of this tightly written, well-thought out culmination (I hear) to this series was well worth the time.

If you haven't read the others, DO NOT START HERE. The authors (a writing, married team, not one woman, BTW) do fill in some, but nearly all of the backstories. They also give NEW information about characters and situations we've already encountered that, without the previous contexts, won't allow readers to know each fact's importance or place in the larger story.

NO SPOILERS. But, the book does have an Epilogue that paves the way for a companion series that focuses on two of the currently supporting characters and could introduce an entirely new set as well, but be in the same 'world," which would be great.

My main complaints are that the heroine's obstacles are too readily overcome each time and she ALWAYS "wins," even when she loses. It was great to see Kate as a mother and a warrior, a wife and a leader, a semi-goddess and a daughter, a niece and an adoptive mother, a magician and a business owner, a friend and a companion/colleague/community member: the writers give great depth for this character. But, hardly anyone other character is drawn with nearly as much care, detail or depth, and many are brought into this final book from other books.

The uneven characterization is a writing/editing flaw throughout the series.

We do get to know her "family" (blood and not) and her bio dad better in this book, which is interesting.

Good marriage dynamics and some sex scenes, too.

Kate and Curran's son, Conlan, mostly a toddler in this book, offers many surprises, difficulties (a few that are NOT magical) and some comic relief, so stay tuned!

If you liked the other 9 books in this series, this is a must-read. This is an excellent addition to a fun fantasy series.

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

MAGIC TRIUMPHS is a thrilling ending to a much loved, epic urban fantasy series. This last book has everything we've come to love and treasure from the Kate Daniels series, detailed action sequences, snark on top of snark with an added dose of snark, family/friend drama, nail biting tension, thrilling usage of magic and killing skills. MAGIC TRIUMPHS brings the story to a solid close with a short time jump and the long awaited final confrontation between Kate and her father, Roland. I've thought of so many ways Kate could possibly defeat Roland over the series and to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised that my guesses were wrong. The way this conflict between Kate and her father ends is the right one and a satisfying ending for this horrific villain.

I loved watching Kate evolve throughout this series and seeing her start off as a lone mercenary to become a person with so many connections and a family of her own is wonderful to see. I really enjoyed the time jump as we get to see Kate and Curran's child, Conlan. We get to see Kate be a mom in her own Kate-like way which is both fascinating and kind of scary since Conlan is a special sort of kid.

Since this is the epic conclusion, we get to see every character from past books show up to help defeat Roland in some way. It was great to be able to see these characters we've come to know and love or love to hate one last time. Many of these characters, like Kate, have changed from the first book and it's a sign of awesome writing and world building that you feel an emotional connection with each of them in some way.

The Kate Daniels series has been and will always be on my list of best urban fantasy series and MAGIC TRIUMPHS ends this series on a high note for Kate Daniels leaving room for potential spin-offs for other characters (besides Hugh D'ambray who already has a book out which you should read!).

After 19 stories in the Kate Daniels universe, including all the short stories, side character books, and now 10 books about Kate, we finally get the conclusion to Kate's story arc. The story is full of the people we've met over the series, a new scary villain, and a permanent solution for Kate's dad. After fighting and protecting and saving people over the last 10 books, I'm glad that Kate finally gets her happily ever after. This book is epic and a wonderful ending to Kate's books. Ilona Andrews are my favourite authors because they write well, create excellent stories and characters, and good wins in the end. (If you want endings full of tortuous heart-wrenching sacrifice, loss, pain, etc., there are plenty of other fantasy authors that might suit your taste more).

The series will continue with books about other characters. I look forward to reading about her in future stories, where she will appear as a side character. On Ilona Andrews' blog, she answers many questions that fans posted after reading the book. Head there if you want to know what happens after the final battle. Ie. Julie will get a trilogy. Barabas will be in a free novella. Etc.

(Also, the authors have explained that in writing stories, if there are non-interesting elements in a story, just omit them. It's been 2 years since the last book, and Kate has safely gone through a pregnancy, given birth and now has a little toddler. The fact is that it's very hard to go on hair-raising adventures when you're heavily pregnant, giving birth or taking care of a newborn. So by the time Chapter 1 starts, Kate's son is already 13 months old - old enough to be babysat by others while she goes on dangerous missions. I mean, practically speaking, some of the most sedentary women in the world are women who are heavily pregnant or have newborns. Yet another reason, I am guessing, to skip that part of Kate's story, so I'm fine the authors did that.)

Last book in a beloved series... what can I say, but of course I've read it and love it. And, hate that its all over... but no, the author's were kind- there are spin-offs and other series. The last Kate Daniels book was exactly what it needed to be to end the series on a high note.

Magic Triumphs is book ten in the Kate Daniels series. This fabulous and gritty post-apocalyptic urban fantasy series must be read in order.

In Magic Triumphs, all that has been simmering and threatening to boil does indeed boil over. Except, of course, Kate can't catch a break and a new horror descends on Atlanta right about the time she gets word that her father, Roland, is on the move set to conquer Atlanta, her, her son, and the world. Kate is barely holding on by a thread what with motherhood of a precocious child gifted with both his parents' strengths, being the In Shinar princess that all look to, pulling together the motley group of Atlanta's strongest to face what is coming at them, and confronting her fears of loss now that she has so many beloved lives in her heart.

Like a good last book will do, Magic Triumphs pulls in all the old gang for one last hurrah together, sprinkles it with a few amusing moments, lots of kick-butt action, suspense, surprise twists, and a grand finale that couldn't be topped.

I loved the balance of action, introspection, passion, friendship, and the culmination of plot development. The new threat was a worthy one just as the way Kate and Curran face it together was perfect. I finished this book with feelings of triumph to match the title, satisfaction that it ended the way it should, and a sense of sadness that this was the end. Did I mention that I'm glad for the side series to ameliorate some of the book depression?
Don't even ask if I'd recommend this book. And, for those who haven't started yet, do so and enjoy the urban fantasy treat coming your way.

First off, I am so glad that I only started this series a couple of months ago. I am impatient and have a horrible memory so can’t imagine waiting 10 years for the end… I know some fans have been around since the beginning, high five for you seriously. I’m selfishly glad I only had to wait 2 months (and I had Hugh’s book in between too!).

So even though I’m late to the party, I feel like I went through life with these characters – we met Kate when she was on her own in every sense of the word, and now here she is, married with a kid. I love love loved going through this all with them. Ilona Andrews are fantastic at what they do and though I’m sad to say goodbye to Kate and friends, I think it was time and think they did it fabulously. Plus, we still have more Hugh books, right?! Plus Julie and Derek, right right right? I need more you guys. NEED.

Kate is one of my favourite characters ever – she’s strong, badass and funny. She cares about people but isn’t a doormat. I love the way she juggles everything in her life. Curran – gah. Love. And Conlan? Squeeeeee. Totes adorbs. Plus there’s all the friends and family… I just love them all.

This book was funny, a little bit sexy, well-paced and interesting. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. Really, it everything that all the previous books have been. I loved all the references in this book to previous books. I tried to savour it. I didn’t exactly succeed because I couldn’t put it down, but that’s a good problem to have.

This was a fantastic conclusion to an amazing series. I already want to re-read the entire series. I will buy anything Ilona Andrews writes, I will pre-order anything and everything. One click for sure. I have never been happier to receive an ARC from netgalley. Thank you so much to the publisher, you’ve made me a happy reader, Ilona Andrews – y’all are amazing.

Magic Triumphs is the final installment of one of my very favorite series, Kate Daniels, by Ilona Andrews, a most excellent husband-wife writing duo. This book was so bittersweet for me. We have been working toward this conclusion for years, but the closer we got, the more reluctant I was for the series to end. Kate and Curran are two of my favorite urban fantasy characters, and this is one of the series that I have re-read time and time again. I'm sure I will be re-reading these again in the future, and I think there are rumors of a spinoff series, but I'm still a little sad to say goodbye to this dynamic duo in their current iteration.

So Kate and Curran are now raising their son, Conlan. It was so fun to see them as parents of such a cute and cuddly little boy. Kate, being who she is, flying by the seat of her pants, slaying evil, saving Atlanta, and wrangling all different kinds of personalities... I wasn't sure how she would fit being a parent into all that craziness. But she handles it like everything else, one day at a time. And of course she is an uber-protective parent, to the point of being accused of being a helicopter mom! Curran was the more laid back dad, and I loved all his interactions with Conlan. But even more interesting in this installment were the changes that were happening around Curran - they were quite unexpected and interesting.

We knew that things were coming to a head between our favorite characters and Roman, Kate's dad and our long-standing villain(ish) character. I love the way that the authors made Roman this gray character... we never know what he is going to do. And this installment was no different. Not only is Kate having to figure out a resolution to her daddy issues, but there is another big bad that has made his way to Atlanta, one who may have history with Kate's family. So Kate has to fight a battle on two fronts, which seems par for the course these days.

We got a nice integration of characters in this final story. I liked that the various supernatural entities of Atlanta were featured, and reminded us of parts they have played in this series as it unfolded. These authors have such a great imagination and all of their characters have been interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always adding that extra something special to each story. I won't say that I was absolutely happy with where all the cards fell at the end, but I won't complain about how things ended up.

My only regret for this book was that I didn't get the opportunity to read Hugh's book, Iron and Magic, before starting this one. I have the book lined up in my Audible queue, so I will be listening to it soon. I think if I was privy to what Hugh had been up to in the interim, it would have enriched this story even more (and it was already stellar even without that knowledge).

Overall, this is going down as one of my very favorite series of all time. Now that it's over, I want to go back and re-read the entire series in audio (for maybe the 4th or 5th time). I have a feeling that will be a project for the new year.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Berkley Publishing.

I admittedly was dragging my feet at reading this one. I was sad to say goodbye to these characters, even if I get to see more in the Hugh universe (Hughniverse?). I love Kate for so many reasons and this book delivered.

As if Kate's life wasn't threatened enough by her own father, she has even more problems to deal with (what else is new?). Kate and Curran are now parents, and as much as I usually hate the new kid storyline, I really loved it here. Their kid is exactly what I'd expect from them - already getting into trouble and breaking through boundaries. They are both hiding things (as usual) but still in their awesome relationship. So what's the big bad? Well, here's a hint - it involves fire and lots of death. Destroying their enemy means they have to call in all their favors and create some sort of mega-alliance. It's a nice ending to the series, getting to see all the familiar faces and watching them work with (or fight) one another.

There are some twist and turns, some surprises, and some secrets around how the two sets of books work together, but all in all, exactly the type of ending this series deserves. Things are relatively wrapped up, at least for Kate, and I guess we get more books from yet another narrator? That remains to be seen. There were some characters I wish we had spent more time with, but I am still hoping we get to circle back around at some point. I was particularly bummed about a few off-screen death scenes that seemed like cheating the reader a bit, but what do I know about writing big battle scenes? I'm happy with where the pieces fell, not too sad about the body count, and looking forward to more from this author in the future (with this set of characters, probably).

This is the tenth and final book in the Kate Daniels series. I was very impressed with this conclusion to the Kate Daniels series. I love how everything was wrapped up and enjoy that this series ended on a high note.

Kate and Curran are trying to juggle their jobs and their new baby just like any parents. However, when a whole town goes missing Kate knows things are about to get very serious and very complicated. As more and more strange things start happening around Atlanta, Kate is surprised to find the danger coming from an unexpected source.

I had a couple small complaints but nothing big. I wasn’t sure how I felt about mom-Kate; some of the stuff was funny but I also like to read these books because they deal with crazy problems...not the same everyday sorts of problems I have to deal with in real life. I also thought a lot of the things that happened towards the end felt a bit rushed and a bit too convenient.

Aside from those small complaints I really enjoyed this. There was a good amount of action, all our favorite characters get in on the action, and the plot is entertaining. All the main plot threads were tied up nicely. This has been a great urban fantasy series and I am glad things ended on a positive note. I feel like the series had gone down hill a bit the last couple novels and thought this was the perfect place to wrap things up.

Overall this was an amazing way to end the Kate Daniels series! I would highly recommend this series to urban fantasy fans. This is a high quality and creative UF series that is action packed and just very well done.

The final installment in the Kate Daniels series by Andrews - a husband and wife team - this is book 10 of 10. I highly recommend starting at the beginning, as the first several are some of my all time favorites.

Kate and Curran have settled into their house with many of their friends and relatives for neighbors, which makes for excellent security. This works wonderfully since the baby, Conlan, is progressing much more rapidly in his development than any of them expected. Unfortunately, this puts a lot more pressure on Kate to hide her child from his grandfather, Roland, in order to keep him safe. Kate and Roland have an uneasy peace since Kate claimed Atlanta as her own, although peace is not on the agenda in keeping things steady in the city.

While Curran is out-of-town hunting, Kate is the recipient of a mysterious package on their doorstep that frightens Conlan out of his mind and sends him hiding from everyone. Unsure of the message behind the contents, Kate checks in with several of her friends before discovering the meaning behind them, as well as the mysterious strangers who keep appearing, bearing arms and wielding fire. Once thing is for sure, though - it doesn't look good!

Andrews has managed to incorporate most of the central characters from all the previous books into the storyline, while wrapping up an exciting and wondrous fantasy and introducing the possibilities of more to come.

I will miss The Pack. I hope for more tidbits, as Andrews is, and always has been, on my "To Buy on Release Day" list

MAGIC TRIUMPHS was a bittersweet ending to a much loves series.

Not only is there the showdown between Kate and her father in the last book of the Kate Daniel series, but there is another conflict throughout MAGIC TRIUMPHS that makes the situation even more dicey. We got plenty of action, suspense, and danger throughout the whole story.

It's so hard to say goodbye to all the characters we have seen grow over the years. We have liked some more that others, but MAGIC TRIUMPHS seemed to bring them all together to fight for their world. Kate has had her fair share of battles, but fighting for her child really brought out another side to her. She is willing to do anything to keep her family and friends safe and she does.

I really enjoyed meeting and getting to see Conlan grow a little. There were a few things that make me think there is at least two characters that might be given a spin-off and I look forward to seeing what happens with them. For all the other loves characters of this series, I felt like they all added something to the storyline in MAGIC TRIUMPH and I was glad to see them all involved in some way to the send off of the series.

I'm happy with how the Kate Daniels series ended, yet sad that Kate and Curran will no longer be the focus of future stories. I will miss their voices, but happy that they got there HEA.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

OMG.

This is one of my favorite series of books EVER, and this book? This book is a SPECTACULAR final book for the series to close on. I tried as hard as I could to slow down my reading, to savor every single detail, but I couldn't. I devoured it all within less than 24 hours, and I refused to let even my husband speak to me for the last half hour of reading, because I was GLUED to the book and COULD NOT BE INTERRUPTED.

The magic is fabulous and imaginative. The danger and the stakes are intense. The humor is wonderful and sly and leavens some of the grimmest moments. It is absolutely fabulous and hilarious to watch Kate manage a supernaturally powerful toddler in the midst of her own apocalyptic magical adventures - and those adventures are incredibly exciting.

But the real joy of this whole series has been watching loner Kate become part of a rich, complex community of fascinating, flawed, wonderful people, including a multi-generational family (both by birth and by creation) - and this book was just the perfect culmination of that arc. There were SO many amazing character touches through this book, so many intensely wonderful and emotional moments between different characters, and I love the complexity and compassion of those developments.

I cried at the ending - and I can't wait to read it again. I'm also SO going to do many, many full-series re-reads.

I loved every single bit of this!

This series came highly recommended to me by those who had read it. Of the ten books, I've only read two. While I'm sure I'd follow the stories better if I'd read the whole series, it was not necessary. I've enjoyed both books. The world created by Andrews is highly imaginative and incredibly entertaining. For some reason, I enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction and Kate Daniels exists in a future version of Atlanta where life as we know it has ceased and magic flourishes. Kate is incredibly talented magically and few can match her ability. One, her own father, is a huge part of her problems in life. Without working together, can Kate and dear old dad avoid death since their mutual well-being is literally tied together?

After fighting all kinds of malevolent magical creatures and humans, Kate is now facing down an entirely new threat, a dragon of great power. It'll take every bit of magic Kate and all of her allies have to fight this battle and save Atlanta and everyone in it. The uneasy alliances with many of these "allies" make the structure of their armies iffy up until the day of the showdown.

I love the relationship between Kate and Curran. He's always got her back and he's not threatened by her leadership role and off the charts talents. Watching her fight so hard while still dealing with ordinary mothership issues added a comical element to the story at times and made me laugh.

Andrews has delivered another fascinating, fast-paced, nail-biting treasure of a book.

Let me start by saying two things:

1)I *hate* last book in a series installments – because I’ve been disappointed in the past and more times than I can count

and

2)Kate Daniels is my all-time favorite series.

So, combining the two? Is nerve racking and exciting and I was both scared to death and curious to read it. Because let’s face it, no matter how much I don’t want it to end… I also need to see both Curran and Kate having their HEA ride to the sunset.

Every single book in the series, every event, every time I've screamed at Curran for not being supportive, or was mad at Jim for being a self-centered egoistic erm…. person.. set the foundation to this book. It doesn't felt rushed, or forced. There were not “where the hell did that came from?” moments here.

It all made sense.

It even made me a bit mad at the authors because how can we complain about a series ending, when the ending is done THAT way?

It is done.

Done.

And it was glorious.

The only question that reminds is: my favorite series just ended… how… how do we move on? How can I continue on living when there is not Kate #11 on the horizon?

There’s a few stages:

You refuse to let it go. You set up a series read in preparation for it and a book of the month discussion. You refuse to let it go. You reread your favorite parts over and over. You cry again when you are supposed to, and laugh when you’re supposed to, and feel the pain and fear over and over again.

You tell yourself it isn't over yet. After all, there are Hugh's books and maybe Julie's

You stalk reach for the beta readers and start talking non-stop about the book, the theories, the correlation to Iron and Magic, mix up the two stories and so on.

You check the author's blog for news and be completely giddy with excitement with them. If you haven't checked their Hey, Don't Be Sad post, here are the highlights:
-Is not a permanent goodbye
-They want to do a Roman's series
-There will be 2 more Hugh books
-More stuff is coming

So... that's how I go on. How about you?

5 stars

This was a great conclusion to the series! I loved the whole series and reread them all before getting to this one so I'd be fresh on everything. Kate, Curran and their friends and family have gone through and lot and TBH, I wasn't sure how Andrews would be able to wrap it up in a workable fashion but they pulled it off and did it well.

Kate and company know a conflict with Roland is coming so they're working on a way to deal with him. There are doubts about whether they can kill him but they have ideas on how to handle him that may work. But of course, nothing can ever be easy and a Big Bad comes along and causes trouble that splits Kate's attention, just as the issues with her father are coming to a head. In the end, the bad guys are dealt with and the story ends with Kate, Curran and the rest, happy and moving forward with their lives.

Overall, I was very happy with this series and how this story ended it. You get the feeling that Kate and Curran will still be around and may show up in ongoing stories in the same "world" (like Hugh's new series) but overall, they're out of the center of things and have their HEA.

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and I thought the narrator did a great job.

5 Stars... An explosive finale filled with all the elements of urban fantasy that we have come to expect in the "Kate Daniels" series... The mythological foundation, the magical abilities, the monsters and gods, the action packed battle scenes, the sacrifices of beloved characters for the greater good, and so much more all take center stage in this finale... I closed this book with a sense of satisfaction having gone on such a fantastical journey from the very first page of the very first book of this brilliant and unique series... Thank you to Ilona Andrews for sharing these characters, their personalities, and their stories; I also thank you for giving us morsels of potential future storylines with these well loved characters... I look forward to more of Julie and Derek and Hugh and Elara... so much to reveal and so many more adventures to be had:)

There were so many things I enjoyed about this book, but quite a few things I found lacking and/or underdeveloped. Kate and Curran are still kicking butt and taking names while maintaining their sharp wit, and their new son is adorable. But, I felt like I had missed something during the first few chapters--the closeness between Kate and her aunt, where Ascanio is and what happens to him, and even what was going on between Julie/Derek and Jim/Dali. Throughout the series, most of the supporting characters brought so much to Kate's story and the series as a whole. This book just cuts their stories short, with no well developed explanations as to how their stories conclude (I'm hoping this is because the authors are planning on developing further books for them). Still remain a big fan of the authors, but I wish they had taken more time (and probably written one more book) to effectively wrap this series up.

This was everything I was expecting, and it was much more than I was expecting. Conlon was absolutely adorable, and you can see how Kate and Curran will have their hands full in the future. So much action, and all the parties working together to bring on the very satisfying ending. No plot threads left dangling, and from the ending, there is a great potential for another series. I really hope so. I love these Authors. They are at the top of my Favorites List.

Loved this ending! Kate is still Kate, so don't let motherhood muddle your thinking. She swings that sword better than ever, she uses her magic like she's been doing it her whole life, and she's still protective of those she cares about. Conlan just amplified all of her qualities. Conlan ..... that kid is too adorable and absolutely amazing. He shocked me the whole way through this book! Curran scared me. I actually screamed because of all the "hunting" he's been doing. These characters will be the death of me. If you love this series as much as I do, then you can't forgo this ending. It is more than I thought going in. A great ending to a great series. It doesn't get any better than that.

TOTAL. BOOK. HANGOVER. I have no idea what to read next, oh yeah, I'm going to read this entire series from start to finish again! RIGHT NOW! I completely loved it. Perfect closure for Kate's and Curran's story, leaving this Kate Daniels series fan wanting more... And with the epilogue there is a chance of more to come with a possible spin off with other characters we've come to love ... maybe??? ... Keeping my fingers crossed and begging the amazing duo Ilona Andrews for MORE.

I received this ARC copy of <b>Magic Triumphs</b> from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What an amazing ending to this series! If you follow me at all, it will come as no surprise that I LOVE Ilona Andrews' work, and this book is a perfect example of just why that is!
You'd think as this is the final book in this awesome series that I'd be able to come up with something witty and smart, but No... all I can say is "This is the Mostest, Awesomest Book EVER!
I can hardly wait for whatever next books they decide to write...
Renee Raudman as per usual, gives us a masterful performance...
Read/listen to this book... and the Magic will Triumph!

It has been awhile since I read a Kate Daniels story. I found myself struggling to remember who all the characters were. And the series has fallen into the trap of each conflict being larger...save the friend, save the neighborhood, save the city, save the world. Like Kate, I miss the old days when her adventures were less dire and we had time to get to know the characters and their quirks. Magic Triumphs had plenty of action, but I found myself not really caring about the outcome. Maybe it is time for Kaye to retire.

I love this series but didn’t love this final book as much as the previous 9. I felt that to many subplots didn’t get tied up. It’s the end of the series and I felt these plots should’ve been handled better. However I’m not the author and maybe they will do spin-offs?? I enjoyed this finale but it seemed somewhat stale.

The main point of this book seemed to be wrapping up loose ends,,, and it did that.
The style of the writing and the humour is, in my humble opinion, the best thing about their books. They never fail to provide an enjoyable evening of avoiding reality, which for me is the whole purpose of reading so much fiction.
I do wish they'd go back to not including sex scenes, but at least they only throw in enough to keep the folks who insist on having it happy, and the rest of us and skip over it.

So I'm feeling kind of sick, so I am spending time reading, which is awesome. I finally got to finish this one! Woohoo! Great ending to a freaking fantastic series. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that I loved the first sis or seven books beyond measure, but the last few were just great. I loved them. The series needed to come to an end, unfortunately. I have no real love for Julie but can't wait for the second book in Hugh's trilogy. But I'm really going to miss Curran and Kate.

I am very sad that this series has ended, I’ve enjoyed and looked forward to all of the books in this series and everything by Ilona Andrews in general, I loved loved the hidden legacy series. But I have to say that I was disappointed in this last book. It felt very rushed and the ending especially felt crammed. The voices and actions of the characters also felt off. I enjoyed Hugh’s book and was looking for that man but he seemed to be flat here, I felt that about Curran too. Only Kate felt like Kate but I was looking for more of her snappy interactions with the other characters. Why do the books have to be so short? Magic Binds was amazing, so true to all the characters. Hopefully we will have more Kate in the future novels, looking forward to the rest of Hugh’s story, and the rest of the hidden legacy world, but please don’t cram too much in one book.

I am so sad to see the last full installment of Kate and Curran. Hope to see at least some novellas here and there just to check in and see how they're doing. It is so hard to let go of a world and people you've come to love.

I'm not going to talk about the plot here, you'll know soon enough. The ending does not disappoint, just has you not wanting to leave. We see a lot of old friends, just wish it was for longer.

Looking forward to other adventures here. Julie and Derek definitely need some time. Would really love to see more on Rowena as well. And Erra? Hmmmm....there's just too many possibilities there. Would also love to see something on Doolittle. He's been such a constant throughout the years.

Do I really have to say love it ???? !!!!

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews is the 9th and final book in her fantastic Kate Daniels series. I am sad to see this series end, though we have been prepared in the last few books that the resolution was forthcoming. I will say that I loved Magic Triumphs, and our Ilona Andrews duo (Ilona and Gordon Andrews) have done a masterful job of bringing this series to a wonderful and satisfying conclusion.

Kate is now the In-Shinar, who protects and rules Atlanta. She is the mother of the most adorable child, Conlan, who only recently shifted to a baby lion. Raaar…. Lol Conlan is growing up fast, and not even a year old. He shows so much promise that shocks both Kate and Curran. He almost steals the story.

Kate Daniels has come a long way, and now is almost as powerful as her ultra-powerful god like father. The two have an uneasy truce, which Kate and Curran expect will end soon in an all-out war. Over the course of this series, Kate has made many friends and enemies, and now she must bring them together to fight Roland, who still wants to take full control of the world. But first there is a new danger from a powerful ancient legendary god, who wants to destroy their world and humans, not to mention kill Roland. With supernatural destruction, and horrific deaths, Kate must bring together unlikely allies; pack, vampires, witches, druids, Hugh & Elara (from Iron and Magic ), and Roland to team up and fight an enemy that is indestructible. We get to see all the recurring characters that we have come to love; Julie, Derek, Rowena, Dali, Doolittle, Erra, Saiman, Roman & Christopher to name a few. Will they survive? Will Roland help? Can they trust Roland?

It is always wonderful to see how much Kate and Curran love each other, and how far they will go to protect one another. The addition of Conlan makes this bond stronger, as they are even more protective of him; especially with knowing that her father will betray them at some point.

Magic Triumphs was an amazing story that is not only intense and exciting, but with so much pulse pounding action from start to finish that makes this an epic adventure. Even if she can defeat this god, will she be able to stand up to her father and win? There is so much happening that you cannot blink even for a minute. I do not want to give spoilers, as it would ruin the story for you, and this being the finale, it would be an injustice. I had to go back and read this again, since I wanted to be sure not to miss a thing.

Magic Triumphs was a wonderful and epic conclusion to this series. Kate Daniels is a fantastic heroine, and I for one will miss her and Curran. Though this story was her swan song, I do hope that in future books (novellas ) in this world, we will possibly get glimpses of them.

I cannot say enough about the Ilona Andrews duo, who once again blows it out of the park. They have given us everything we could possibly want in a finale, and then more, and I bow down to their fantastic expertise. Magic Triumphs is a must read, especially if you are a Kate Daniels fan. Bravo to Ilona Andrews.

Wow! What a great book! I just couldn't put it down and finally went to bed at 3am and finished as soon as I got up in the morning.

Kate's dad is such a dick. He's always <spoiler>late to the game and comes in just when everything is about to fall apart. </spoiler>

The ending was fantastic. I know this was the last book in the series but the ending gives the impression that there will be a second storyline in play

Lots of other reviews out there, so I will keep my review short. I won't be spoiler-y at all, except to say I laughed a lot, and cried just a little. Lots of stories left to tell, so I'm not sad that the series is over. At first I found myself jumping all over looking for my favorite characters and what they were up to, but once I settled down and started actually reading the book I was sucked into this world, as usual.

Audiobook review: The last Kate Daniels book was everything I’d hoped for and more! Definitely for adults due to intimacy. The story brings about closure on so many fronts and the promise of a quieter future for the former beast lord & consort. Having baby Conlan along for the ride made for a very domestic yet very much Daniels normal world kicking butt blended feel. Renee Raudman did an awesome job narrating!

Holy smokes, what a epic ride! I don't even know what to say. This book was everything, but that ending... it didn't feel like closure, it felt like there could be more. maybe not with Kate and Curran but maybe with all the others. What has annoyed me is that I want to know what will happen to Julie and Derrek! I'm just speechless, I really liked everything in this conclusion to the overall story arc.

Read this in one sitting and it was AWESOME! The ending is satisfying, something that not every series gives. There are hints for spinoffs. Anyway, There is enough blood and magic to make you any Kate Daniels fan happy.

I’ve read every Kate Daniels book and hate the series has ended but what an ending! Exciting and fascinating as all Ilona Andrews books are. I thought the way Erra manipulated both Kate and Curran into doing things the other would hate in order to ensure they both survived was wickedly perfect for her. And a Conlan is the most adorable baby ever. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.

The Kate Daniels series is one of my favorites, Magic Strikes, book 3, may even be my favorite book ever. Magic Triumphs was slow and pretty darn uneventful. Listen to it in audio and will probably read it in the paper version once my turn at the library copy comes up, but doubt I'll re-read or listen to it again as I have most of the others.

I've enjoyed this series immensely and this book no less. Kate Daniels have finally achieved what she set out to do and I love that she has peace and a family. I felt the ending was good for her. The ending also has so many possibilities but I think I like where this series end. Time to put Kate to bed (even her new name agrees:). But all in all it was a great book

Read through my local library, and once it goes down in price, I will buy this book. But definitely not worth the full asking price. I liked this book. Thought it wrapped up a lot of the car, but the review by Sandra pretty much outlines all my objections. And the ending? Great there is a HEA, but too unfinished and abrupt.

This was the best ending to this series!!

I was expecting this book to be all about Kate trying to imprison Roland, but it wasn't.. It was so very much better.

I don't think that I can say anything more without spoilers, so I'll just leave it with gushing and recommend this whole series to everyone.

Liked the writing, though I fast-forward past the over-written steamy scenes. We get it, they have an active love life. This was my first time getting one of the books in the series as audio-book instead of kindle... and that's where my main complaint lies. In the written book, she's tough, take-no-prisoners and never back down. But the narrator, narrates her as whiny. Constantly whining , in a voice that's about to cry - which is just not congruent with the character. Loved the series, but the narrator reads her all wrong in my humble opinion.

Great book What else is there to say? Ilona Andrews are a great pair of writer and very rarely miss the mark and they sure didn't in this one. Conlan is attaching and awesome to read about as is everything around Kate and Curran. I cannot wait to see who we will follow next in this incredible world.

Ilona Andrews has written the conclusion of the Kate Daniels series Magic Triumphs is that book. Kate and Curran are up against Roland, Kate's father but also an unknown enemy. This will decide the fate of Atlanta and the lives of Kate, Curran and all the people they care about. Magic Triumphs is a wonderful and amazing story, full of suspense, magic, surprises and endings for well know characters. Plot lines are answered, but there is room for more stories in the Kate Daniel universe, just without Kate and Curran being the main characters. I would strongly suggest reading the other books in the series before reading this highly recommended book.

This book hit us with everything that the world of Post-Shift Atlanta has had to offer over the years. Every laugh and tear and scream of terror and relief was earned over hundreds of pages and paid off in the best way.

I look forward to reading more in this world.

Love all of their books, and this one did not disappoint. I don't know if it is the very last one...... their were lots of strings hanging that have not been tied up yet. SO maybe this is just the tail end of Kate and Curran's part of the series.... One can only hope!!!

I LOVE the Kate Daniels Magic series. Unfortunately, this one left me feeling highly disappointed. I did not feel there was any of that special chemistry between Kate and Curan. I felt disappointed in the lack of witty sarcasm. Enough already with the woe is me, I must die for the greater good. Sorry, perhaps if I re-read it sometime I will find that magic spark that was clearly shining in ALL the previous Magic books. I usually read KD books straight thru on one to two days. This took a few days because it just did not grab me like the others.

I enjoyed this book. I have taken the whole journey with Kate, Curran, and the others to this final book in the series. Loved Conlan’s shenanigans. Liked the fact that Kate out maneuvered Roland and saved “the world”. Kind of sorry to see the series end.

As always, satisfying, logical interactions between characters with the Andrews’ trademark hysterical dialog - both of which demonstrate the complexity and compassion that make us human. It was so satisfying to read of good, though flawed, people doing their best in troubling times. Off to read for the second time.

Will not pay 12.99 for a digital book. Got suckered into that before. It's an outrageous price for just the digital copy. If I got the actual book and a digital copy it might be worth it. I will wait until the price comes down, or go by a bookstore.

Really enjoyed listening to this, the last of Kate’s story.
Plenty of kick ass, plenty of angst, plenty of Curran
Roaring. Top it all off with an adorable mini them.
Definitely recommend it.

Well done. I thought this was the last book in the series but it looks like there might be spinoffs. I loved the series but it was becoming a little formulaic. I hope they find a new cast of characters and keep up the good work.

I’ve loved the Kate Daniels story since I first found it a few years back. There was so much build up in the story, and it all came to a finish so quickly. It feels like the story ended far too quickly. But here’s to hoping it starts at least one or two new storylines.

Not even finished with the first chapter yet and I have already put it down. Curran has completely been pushed out of the picture. We go from the last book, Kate says Im pregnant to her having the baby. Good grief, the incredible loss of awesome content just boggles my mind. It is like the authors are sick of this book and just want to toss something out there to make money and do not care about the story line at all anymore. Curran should be so much more than this. The prologue was horrrible, so dumbed down. Not worth 12.99 for a book I have waited 2 years for. The last boook seemed to be written by a ghost writer. Why was Kates maid of honor Dali when Andrea has been her best and closest friend since the beginning of the series. So much content. Kate pregnant would have made for some awesome overprotective moments with Curran, but its like you have totally written him out. A serious disappointment.