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Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)

by Ilona Andrews (Goodreads Author)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 20,358 ratings · 1,147 reviews

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems...more

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published (first published April 2008)

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Mar 29, 2012 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: you! yes you! the creepy guy in the chicken suit!

Shelves: the-fantasy-of-urbans, furry-wild-and-rabid, ball-busting-chicks, fanged-and-deadly, evil-horned-ones, hop-on-a-broom, zomg-i-must-have-him, paranormal-fix, i-am-stalking-you, oh-you-so-funny, reviewed-2012, a-bit-of-mush, absolute-madness, to-the-mystery-machine, well-arent-you-mister-popularity

Hmmm I wonder what this Magic Burns book will be about

What?? I mean.. What?? This can’t be right

Why isn’t she being stupid?? Wha- How???

She’s going to fuck up

Any second now

Aaaaany second now
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This book is perfect!!

I mean, amIrite? AM-I-RITE???

One thing I love about Ilona Andrews is the fact that she didn’t make Kate a sappy character. Not once did she have a "love" thought about any of the hot dudes in the book. Not once. Sure, she thinks about banging them but that’s the normal thing to do....more

61 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone who likes fantasy and kick-butt women

Shelves: my-library, urban-fantasy, action, female-lead, i-d-marry-this-book-if-i-could, favorites

I've procrastinated forever in writing this review. Magic Burns is one of my frequent re-reads, and I'm not sure I can do it justice.

What keeps drawing me back? An interesting heroine that is confident, skilled in her field, funny, occasionally lonely, caring despite herself and lives according to an ethical code? Action that builds from the somewhat ridiculous (a salamander pyromaniac) to the tragic (spikey dogs) to epic (a battle between shapeshifters and gods)? Relationship building that giv...more

20 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Lora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Magic Bites and other similar urban fantasy titles

Shelves: series-still-follow, urban-fantasy

In Magic Burns Kate is faced with a whole new challenge, and even though it sounds simple it turns out to be anything but; Kate is tasked with retrieving important maps stolen from the shapeshifter Pack of Atlanta.
Along the way Kate crosses paths with a seductive-but-evil guy who worships a Celtic goddess of three, gets strapped with a thirteen-year-old girl whom she must search for the possibly-dead mother of, meets a pack of kinky werehyenas, and once again she manages to antagonize the Beast...more

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May 08, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to The Holy Terror by: The Flooze

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shifters, magic, demons, vampires, werewolves, color-red, color-green, color-brown, 2010

This was a good book but not perfect. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

I have a hard time with books that have a mystery that needs to be solved and then the character goes from place to place and from person to person following clues and trying to figure out what's going on. It seems like we're just following her as she goes to each strange new place meeting all kinds of new people that I no doubt will probably forget.

In the beginning I couldn't remember who a lot of the characters were and it still took...more This was a good book but not perfect. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

I have a hard time with books that have a mystery that needs to be solved and then the character goes from place to place and from person to person following clues and trying to figure out what's going on. It seems like we're just following her as she goes to each strange new place meeting all kinds of new people that I no doubt will probably forget.

In the beginning I couldn't remember who a lot of the characters were and it still took a while for Andrews to explain her world. So I was frustrated when I started. I didn't know who people were, I didn't know why the world was the way it was, and I didn't know who the villain was or really what the story was going to be about. I kept hoping for more explanation that I didn't get and I got more and more frustrated. I think it got to the point where I was reading 10 pages or so and putting it down. But after I got past page 55 or so things got more interesting.

Kate has to help the Pack get back maps that someone had stolen. In the process she finds a little girl named Julie whose mother, a witch, and her coven have disappeared. Kate does some investigating to find out where Julie's mother went and stumbles upon a mystery much deeper than she originally expected.

I liked Kate in this book more than I did in Magic Bites. I didn't connect with her at all in the first book and now I'm warming up to her, plus the way she protects Julie and the more we learn about Kate's past really helps to round out her character. I'm still indifferent toward Curran but there were parts with him that were fun and things he said that made me giggle. He's a little too alpha for me right now and I don't like how angry he gets with Kate, but I think he's warming up to her too.

The villains and the fight at the end were pretty crazy and the last 20 pages or so had me on the edge of my seat. With that being said, I still felt like there was something missing with this novel. I think Andrews tries to cram too much in to one book and at times all the different places that Kate goes to and the different people she meets can get overwhelming. I think I had a hard time remembering people from the first book because there were just too many and it was hard for me to keep track. So I think if you're planning on starting this series, don't wait too long between books because you might forget a lot of important things.

So, I like the world, I like Kate, and I want to know what happens next. I'm especially hopeful when it comes to Kate and Curran's relationship, it's plain to see that something is developing there and it should be fun to watch it play out. But I still like On the Edge's Rose and Declan better. ; )

Check out my reviews for books three and four in this series: Magic Strikes and Magic Bleeds.(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2010 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of really good action-oriented urban fantasy

Shelves: owned-copy, favorite-or-autobuy-author, part-of-a-series, urban-fantasy, all-things-summer-challenge, hero-to-die-for, heroine-i-adore, action-adventure, dystopian, mythical-beasties, kickbutt-heroine, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, celtic-mythology, warrior-woman, mage, shapeshifter, werewolf, vampire, best-books-of-2010, favorites

Kate Daniels, could you be more awesome? Nope. This book rocked my world! I loved the first book, but I loved this one even more. Kate Daniels is such a cool heroine. She's not only kickbutt, independent, and snarky, but she's utterly likeable. She's down to earth, and one of those heroines I think a guy or a girl could get along with equally well. I like her quick thinking and her ability to get out of some pretty nasty spots. And her willingness to do the right thing, even at personal cost to...more Kate Daniels, could you be more awesome? Nope. This book rocked my world! I loved the first book, but I loved this one even more. Kate Daniels is such a cool heroine. She's not only kickbutt, independent, and snarky, but she's utterly likeable. She's down to earth, and one of those heroines I think a guy or a girl could get along with equally well. I like her quick thinking and her ability to get out of some pretty nasty spots. And her willingness to do the right thing, even at personal cost to herself. And she's so funny! I think her one liners are hilarious, and her internal dialogue really puts me in the action and gives me an identification factor.

The action in this book was fantastic. A little bit gory and gruesome, but the fast pace allows you to tolerate that aspect fairly well. It's like watching a really good movie. The climax was one heck of a battle. I can't say I've read many other urban fantasy books where the conclusion had me so riveted. Ilona Andrews really knows how to write action, and that's coming from a very picky reader when it comes to action scenes.

The use of magic and the ugly and beneficial aspects fit very well with this particular story. The descriptions of the freaky version of a modern day Atlanta that has been morphed by magic into a sort of dystopian future setting, rife with deadly and mystical creatures were very vivid and iconic. I think this is such a great idea for an urban fantasy series.

I thought the Celtic mythology elements were very well done. The whole use of Morrigan and the Formorians. It tied in so smoothly with the overall plot. There wasn't boring periods where info dump slowed down the story. There was a huge element of risk here where you really worried if everything was going to be resolved well.

To be honest, I didn't really think of Curran as much of a love interest in the first book. There was a bit of potential, and he had me intrigued, although I wasn't sold. But, I could really see the attraction between Kate and Curran, and I was digging Curran pretty hard. He's...well, he's the Beast Lord, with all that applies. I like the back and forth between Kate and Curran. How she's attracted and kind of scared of him (because he's pretty scary, let's face it), but she won't allow herself not to stand up to him. It's pretty clear that Curran has it bad for Kate. I loved his courtship ritual that she didn't pick up on (it had to be explained by a few members of the Pack). I love the slow build of their relationship, with all the nice 'flirting moments'. I can't way to see things progress with this couple.

Kate's sidekicks were cool. Derek is adorable but a tough fighter. I loved Julie. I hope to see more of her. All the contacts and the acquaintances that Kate has stand out in my mind, each adding to the story in crucial ways. And then there was Bran. A very interesting character with a complex relationship with Kate.

Man, oh, man. I had no idea how much I would come to love this series. It just keeps getting better and better. I was so pumped after reading this book, it took me a whole hour to calm down. Magic Burns is highly recommended to the discerning urban fantasy reader who likes a great heroine, kickbutt action, wonderful world-building, and intriguing secondary characters. I'm going to try to keep myself from devouring this series back to back. I need to have a guaranteed read in my pile for that 'rainy day', and the Kate Daniels series is definitely that!(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity by: Regina

Shelves: adult

He inhaled my scent, bent close, about to kiss me...
I just stood there like an idiot.
Curran smirked and whispered in my ear instead. "Psych."

I'm pretty sure that Kate and Curran are working on turning sexual tension into a sport. Watching two stubborn beings trying to coexist in the same room makes for an interesting dynamic.

Okay, so I might be eating my words just a little bit. But it's going to be a small meal, no larger than a snack. I'll nibble on two or three mini words, no longer than t...more

17 likes · like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, crime-police-mystery-private-invest, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, magic-mystical-ability, necromancy, series, vampire, were-shifter, to-buy, gods, read-2010, read-2012, kindle

*Originally Read 6/16/10*

After reading the last book I was a little frustrated. Nothing about the world was explained and the vague hints about Kate's "big secret" were irritating. Luckily early on in the book we start getting some new information. One of my biggest irritants was my lack of understanding of these magic waves. What's causing this, when did this start? I got some of the answers I was looking for, which was nice. I still want want more answers, but I'll try to be patient.

The beginn...more *Originally Read 6/16/10*

After reading the last book I was a little frustrated. Nothing about the world was explained and the vague hints about Kate's "big secret" were irritating. Luckily early on in the book we start getting some new information. One of my biggest irritants was my lack of understanding of these magic waves. What's causing this, when did this start? I got some of the answers I was looking for, which was nice. I still want want more answers, but I'll try to be patient.

The beginning of this book was slow. Well, the middle of it was too for that matter. I repeatedly found my mind wandering and had to force myself to pay attention. It wasn't the actual events that were a bore to me, it was the writing. For some reason I feel very disassociated from this author's style. It wasn't until the end that I became engaged in the action. That's predictable though. I'm a sucker for action and I am fascinated by power. So, being that the end had those things... well, of course I was hooked.

Kate's dense and irritating at times, but her determination to put herself on the line for her friends is endearing. When Kate explained to Curran why she was willing to go to bat to support the wedding she finally became human for me. During the first book, and this book to an extent, she comes off rather two dimensional and flat. I like the world though, so I'll read the next one.

I liked Julie and Kate's interactions with her. She didn't baby her, but she didn't come off as cold either. I liked that Kate sat down and discussed the wrongness of what Red wanted her for. She didn't beat a dead horse with it, but she made her view known. One thing did bother me in the Julie protection thing though. (view spoiler)

I really liked Bran. I thought he was an excellent character. What made it even better was that Kate could see through him to his motives and wasn't fooled. I liked when they sat down and had a serious talk in his own domain. His history was sad though. When that certain event happened at the end that upset Kate so much - man, that upset me too. He was my favorite so far. How can you not love a man who poofs in, kisses Kate, and poofs out while Curran throws a hissy fit in the background?

Curran and Kate get a bit more page time in this one. They have some nice, quiet moments, but overall they're antagonism and one-upmanship dominates their interactions. Kate can't control her mouth, Curran thunders around intimidating everyone and wants everything his way. Rinse and repeat and that'll pretty much be them through the whole book. They do have a few cute interactions. I liked when he gave her soup and drooled over her bow. Cute. I don't really find Curran compelling, but I don't see anyone better around (anymore) so I'm not exactly against them either. He has an unfortunate habit of reminding me of my kid. He's selfish and thinks he's always right and if he doesn't get his way he turns into a jerk and tries to start a fight. Yep, he reminds me of my three year old. (less)

8 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 Bry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy, mystery, favorites, 2011, audiobook, series

Read January 2010

What a great installment in the series. This one was much more dark, less laughs, but the action was great and highly enjoyable. I loved seeing a new side to Kate, that of a mother. Not to mention get a glimpse into her past/heritage and how much power she actually has.

The plot was a bit confusing what with so many bad guys but in the end it all came together great and made for one heck of a battle royale.

Loved it, read it in 1 day and couldn't put it down. I will definitely k...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy, faves

Before I begin, I’m going to evoke my 13 year old alter ego…
Curran loves Kate, Curran loves Kate! Okay, so he didn’t say those exact three words, what he actually said was “As you wish” but he said it after reading The Princess Bride and everyone knows that is how Wesley told Buttercup he loved her. SQUEE!!!

Okay, now that I have gotten out of the way, this book and this series are so awesome! God, I still sound like a fan girl, but it doesn’t make what I say any less true. Look into the eyeballs...more

22 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2013 Filipa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-books, own, urban-fantasy, 2011-reads

Compared to the previous book this one was a lot smoother. What had failed in the structure of Magic Bites has been repaired in Magic Burns.
In general the quality of the book as a whole was pretty much the same, but this book is slightly better in some aspects than others.
The structure of the book as I already said is more thoughtful and more rational. The passages between the scenes are smoother and this book also has more chapters which I consider pretty positive because the writing becomes m...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Beanbag Love rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another great one. Already ordered the used version of the third in the series so I should be plowing through this whole thing within a week or two. Then I'll get started on her online content and then I'll pout because I don't have anything left.

This is really enjoyable urban fantasy. The world is a little futuristic and a little primitive at the same time. Awash with magic for hours and then bereft. In this installment the Magic was leading up to a flare and, of course, very strange things wer...more

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Dec 12, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-reads

This is the second book in Ilona Andrew's urban fantasy "Magic" series set in an Atlanta where magic runs amok.

***Warning: This series is very gritty with quite a bit of violence.

Kate Daniels cleans up when magic goes wrong. She's a mercenary, Guild member, and holder of many secrets. She's also trying to escape the attentions of Cullen, the were-King. Unfortunately for her, trying to save a young girl in trouble leads her into a mess of trouble...not to mention shapeshifters, vampires, gods and...more

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May 03, 2012 Mafi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eng, on-going-series, 2012

Quando li o 1º volume desta série, escrita pelo casal Ilona Andrews, não percebi bem o world building mas para quem não sabe (e alguém que venha confirmar se percebi bem xD) a acção da série Kate Daniels passa-se em Atlanta, mas uma Atlanta futurista onde a magia e tecnologia funcionam como um ligar/desligar. Quando a magia está em alta, a tecnologia praticamente não funciona e vice-versa, quando a tecnologia funciona, a magia começa a falhar.

Neste 2ª volume, a protagonista Kate é lhe assegurad...more Quando li o 1º volume desta série, escrita pelo casal Ilona Andrews, não percebi bem o world building mas para quem não sabe (e alguém que venha confirmar se percebi bem xD) a acção da série Kate Daniels passa-se em Atlanta, mas uma Atlanta futurista onde a magia e tecnologia funcionam como um ligar/desligar. Quando a magia está em alta, a tecnologia praticamente não funciona e vice-versa, quando a tecnologia funciona, a magia começa a falhar.

Neste 2ª volume, a protagonista Kate é lhe assegurado não uma missão mas duas. A primeira é recuperar uns mapas que foram roubados e a 2ª é tomar conta da pequena Julie, cuja mãe está desaparecida. Aparentemente estes dois casos nada teriam a ver um com o outro mas mais lá para a frente no livro percebemos que podem estar relacionados.

Gostei muito, mas mesmo muito de ver a Kate toda maternal com a Julie my kid aww adorei mesmo e ansiosa para que a Kate e o Curran tenham muitos leõezinhos xD

A Kate neste livro está ainda melhor que no primeiro livro, parti-me a rir com várias falas que lhe saiam, adoro aquele sarcasmo e uma boca que por vezes mais valia não dizer nada... :P

Neste livro tivemos ainda um cheirinho à cultura celta. Bem confesso que me passou um bocadinho ao lado porque eu e celtas, celtas e eu...não gosto muito do tema xD Só em alguns livros.

Indo ao que interessa: à relação entre Kate e Curran está cada vez melhor, a sério adoro este casal ADORO! E neste livro há uma cena tão linda e importante. Que é quando o Curran dá a canja à Kate e cuida dela. vá todas juntas: Awww *.* (quem leu percebe)

Ficamos a conhecer a Andrea, personagem que até vai ter um livro/short-story só para ela. Gostei dela :) Também espero ver mais vezes a Julie, miúda muito engraçada. Neste livro também aparece o Bran, foi uma personagem que gostei mas que não teve o melhor fim.

Tenho quase a certeza que os próximos livros vão ser melhores e mal posso esperar por ver a Kate e o Curran juntos! *.*

(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines

Well, consider me humbled. The Kate Daniels Series is easily the most popular UF/Paranormal Adult Series out there, but after reading Magic Bites, the first novel, I wrote the entire series off. Magic Bites was decent. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything mind-blowing either. Magic Burns, on the other hand, is simply amazing. Ilona Andrews seems to have taken every qualm I had with Magic Bites, built upon it, developed it, and turned this series into one I just love.

With Magic Burns we begin t...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, read-2011, pnr-urban-fantasy, five-star-rating

I wasn't reading action packed paranormal romance before this book.
Boy, they don't even come close to compare with this series.

LOVED LOVED LOVED IT !!!!

Kate Daniels is officially my favorite heroine ! seriously, there will be others but not like her, which is just the way I like it. ^_^
And I'll say it again and again, how brilliant it is to be reading a book like this much intensity and hotness when there isn't an "actual sex" component described in it.

Ahhh..... Curran...

If Greg has still bee...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Mariya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic-users, urban-fantasy, shifters, favorites, books-i-own, action-packed, bad-ass-hero, epicness-happening, great-dialogue, hottie-harem, kick-ass-heroine, laugh-out-loud, swoon-moments, ultimate-alpha, sexual-tension, possessive-hero, best-couple-award, side-character-love

***3.75-4 rating***

The beginning was a little slow for me to get into but i got into it. I loved this one way better than the first one. I loved kate and curran even more in this book. We have just way more interaction with Kate and Curran in Magic Burns and you see Curran more as a lover interest for Kate in Magic Burns. I thought that the feeding her soup part was cute and i loved them getting at each other. “You okay in there?” he asked. “You need me to come and hold your hand or something?”...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ilona-andrews, 2009, 2011, audiobooks

currently re-reading. . . .

Have just reread this series to familiarize myself with it once again. And loved it if not the same than more than I did the first time I read it.

Originally read July 2009

This book was so much better than the first in this series. Ilona Andrews does a really good job of teasing you, giving you small glimpses of who Kate is but doesn't give you the full details. I like that she's strong, wise cracking but not a "woe is me" type of girl and doesn't grovel in the self p...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ilona-andrews, pnr-uf, own, shifters

Re-read 15/6/11 for WYA Readathon

It's even better than the first time I read it.

................................................................................

Book #2 of the Kate Daniels series sees Kate facing off against Celtic Gods and their Minions. All whilst looking after a naive 13 yr old girl, Julie, whose mother is killed in the cross fire.

Morrigan, the Celtic Goddess and her Hound, Bran vs Morfran and his reeves, sea demons, vie to get their hands on the Caludron of Rebirth.

The Pack i...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Estara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, read-in-2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Again, my first re-read of this book since I originally read it. We now have Kate as a liason between the Mercenary Guild, which we haven't seen much of yet but used to be her old affiliation and the Order of Merciful Aid which she now has gotten lots of work from. The intro scene however shows Kate and her old pack friend and fellow mercenary Jim (leader of the cats and security chief for the pack as a sideline, jaguar were) of the boxer look and mellow voice taking down an arsonist with a sala...more Again, my first re-read of this book since I originally read it. We now have Kate as a liason between the Mercenary Guild, which we haven't seen much of yet but used to be her old affiliation and the Order of Merciful Aid which she now has gotten lots of work from. The intro scene however shows Kate and her old pack friend and fellow mercenary Jim (leader of the cats and security chief for the pack as a sideline, jaguar were) of the boxer look and mellow voice taking down an arsonist with a salamander and being robbed of their prey by a mysterious bolt.

The Beast Lord and Kate are cautiously trying to keep out of each other's way because both aren't happy with how they handled the previous occasions. I like the fact that without stating it from both sides explicitly, the authors manage to bring it across that these two very proud, but responsible people are upset about their prideful misconceptions before (which did cost lives, remember).

The tension background of Atlanta on the verge of a magic flare, a longer period of time (a few days) where magic will reign fully, means that all kinds of weird things start happen which are more unusual than they normally are for the city.

When someone steals maps from the Pack, Curran sends Derek to ask Kate to help and it becomes clear that the person who shot that bolt followed Jim when he met other pack members and stole the maps from them afterwards.

The backtracking takes Kate into a hole in the ground which seems endless, to a distrustful girl child looking for her lost mother who was involved in a Witch Coven, and eventually to the attempt of an old Celtic God to get its own kind of life during the flare, so he doesn't only exist in his followers prayers. The opposing force, whom the magical implement - the cauldron of plenty/rebirth - has been stolen from, is the Celtic goddess Morrigan.

While we get one heck of a battle scene at the end of this book - 300 can't have been any more dramatic or gory - as always the people are what makes this series so special. Kate has to become the crazy aunt to Julie, and when the girl is in danger both Kate and Curran would break every promise to each other in order to try and keep her safe (unfortunately this doesn't work out, but Kate can completely relate which I think makes Curran even more interested in her - her need to protect the girl included). We get the supposedly perfect female knight Andrea (she loves guns), who hides a secret from the Order and everyone else which might get her killed, but is still willing to fight to the death to protect Julie, when Kate leaves the girl in her care. We get more interaction with the pack, as well.

Saiman gets almost drunk on magic during the rise of the flare and has a very embarrassing episode while giving information to Kate. The Witch oracle, showcased only very shortly, comes alive in the distrustful, vengeful crone and the fragile maiden (living inside a living tortoise!!!), but the most remarkable side character is Morrigan's hound, Bran.

We only get a few impressions of him when he steals stuff and teleports around, but then Kate has to go after him and he shows her his world and you see all the loneliness and sadness of his life. He has a hell of a role to play at the end, too (the book would make an excellent movie in the right hands).

As for the baddies, most are one dimensional, but there is Julie's boyfriend Red (who actually was introduced in the last book as a very minor helper) who loses his morals in his quest for more power and betrays her willingly. He gets his just deserts.

As for the Kate/Curran relations, they do go step forward, but Kate doesn't realise it - she only gets information how significant a certain behaviour is very late in the book, which makes her reactions rather unsure. That in return eventually amuses Curran to no end ^^. Juli gets adopted into the Kate Daniels world when Kate becomes her crazy aunt, but also sent off to boarding school (it makes sense due to the magic the girl owns and due to the dangerous nature of Kate's life - we already know the girl can take care of herself on a battlefield, although we don't get the vivid descriptions).(less)

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Jan 22, 2011 Edil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Originally posted on The Book Fancier

This book is definitely better than the first one! I thought I wouldn't survive reading it after the first few chapters, but as I went on the story became interesting and intriguing.

Kate Daniels never failed to make me excited on her next moves. She's a kick-ass heroine. The stubbornness was still there but she's so adorable! In this book, there's already a development between her and Curran's relationship which I really anticipated.

It was a nice read to star...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Bubbles Hunty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-f

I liked this book. I did but some parts just dragged while other parts were awesome.

The end there were too many battles, one after another and they got tedious.

(view spoiler)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-books, 2012-favorites, read-in-2012, urban-fantasy

Jointly reviewed with Amanda @ On a Book Bender for her blog.

Kelly: When we originally made plans to read book 1 together, I had no idea that I'd be consumed by this world. Sure, I've been known to get a little obsessive before *looks everywhere but at my BDB books*

Amanda: *laughs because it's SO TRUE*

Kelly: But I really wasn't expecting the level of awesomeness that I found. The worldbuilding is just phenomenal.

Amanda: I really like the worldbuilding, too. Though I don't know that I felt fully...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-modern-fantasy

This was a little slow to get started, or rather slow to get to the point where I was enjoying it, maybe a couple of chapters. But once it got there, I was hooked and stayed that way until the very end. The characters are real to me and each is their own person, not the same old same old.

My favorite part about these books is that the tall dark and dangerous man who would always get the girl in another book, scares the hell out of Kate. She freaks when she finds out she may have given him to thi...more This was a little slow to get started, or rather slow to get to the point where I was enjoying it, maybe a couple of chapters. But once it got there, I was hooked and stayed that way until the very end. The characters are real to me and each is their own person, not the same old same old.

My favorite part about these books is that the tall dark and dangerous man who would always get the girl in another book, scares the hell out of Kate. She freaks when she finds out she may have given him to think she was interested in him. True, she's oblivious to the fact he is if. Purse in love with her and misinterprets his actions around her frequently. But the beauty is that she's the one in control and he is the one who's confused and exasperated. Cool role reversal!

Kate is a kick ass heroine. She is a match in combat for King of the Beasts Curran and in the last book she even beat him in one fight. He doesn't rescue her, nobody does except once when she has won the battle and someone finds her to provide medical aid. She doesn't worry about makeup or shoes. She wears t-shirts and other clothes that give her a large range of movement. Style just doesn't even come up.

She so reveals a LOT more about who/what she is but not enough. Andrews better tell us in the next book or I'm going to scream. (Not that she would care if I did...) we also learn about what it's like to live her life and how lonely that can be.

There is a lot of emotion in the book which I like but it isn't over the top. These characters feel it when their comrades are hurt or lost. They get jealous and angry and feel guilt. They also smile and laugh. And they feel grief. Andrews describes grief and loneliness so well I felt emotionally drained when I was done.

The main issue I had with the book is that I don't think the author knows any teenagers and certainly not ones that live on the streets. The youth in the book are the same caricature that I see in genre books all the time: scared and needy kids who trust fairly easily, never mouth off and just need someone to show them some love and they'll be okay. Um, no.

The more kids are hurt, the less their needs like food and shelter are met they less trusting, the angrier, the mouthier they get. The more they suffer the less they believe in anything getting better. They don't believe the next adult won't let them down and so they try to push the kind hand away partially so they won't be hurt again and partially to make the grown-up prove they'll stick around. Unfortunately it's very hard to do enough to prove it. I'm speaking from my nearly thirteen years working with kids like this and my own experiences in group care as an adolescent. Sure there are exceptions but the characters here did not come across as exceptions. The girl was way too weak-willed to have overcome her situation. I just didn't buy it. (At one point Andrews implies that the girl's mother has just disappeared but later we find that she's been either on the streets or hanging with street kids for at least two years.)

Oh, which reminds me: Kate's goal in the first half of the book is resolved in a sudden, after-the-fact sort of explanation. But I didn't really care about that storyline that much. Instead, the intensity and non-stop action of the other plot lines satisfied me a great deal. (less)

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Nov 09, 2012 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I loved this book so much!!!! I liked the first and I was confident, but I wasn't expecting to be swept off my feet like this.

I like the setting, all the creatures in this world, with their rules and their peculiarities. The action was great, because Kate moves around the city and each place has something different happening. The plot was great, the pacing fantastic, I kept turning page after page, wanting to know what happens next.

I fell in love with Kate in her fragility bordering on self-pity...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Carla *Jen7waters* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bout-of-books-read-a-thon, read-in-2012, favorite-heroines, urban-fantasy, favorite-authors, shapeshifters, paranormal-romance

I’m becoming a serious fan of this series, and it’s shocking!
I liked this second volume so much better than the first one (although I gave both of them 4 stars, don’t ask), the story was interesting and Ilona clearly did a thorough research on the Celtic Myths.
When I picked up this book I never expected to see Kate’s maternal side (at least not this soon in the series, because I’m hoping she’ll have a couple of lion cubs later on xD) so it was quite surprising when she became Julie’s kind-of-cr...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shapeshifters, gods-goddesses, demons, own-kindle

Four stars may be a tad bit generous for this one. I definitely give it more than three stars. And I liked it significantly more than I liked Magic Bites, so I think that four stars reflects my feelings about this book more than three stars would.

I was bored with the first 30% or so of this book. I suspect that the authorship team believes that action scenes create interest. In my opinion, variety creates interest more than back-to-back-to-back action scenes. The first 30% of the book was all ac...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Petra Sýkorová rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: czech, rc-review, urban-fantasy, romance

Kate se mi jako hrdinka moc líbí. Život se s ní nejspíš nemazlil. Čtenář postupně sbírá úlomky její minulosti, aby si dokázal vytvořit nějakou představu o tom, co Kate vlastně je. Ale i tak se toho tolik nedozví. Což člověk pěkně navnadí na další díl.

V druhé knize se toho dozvíme víc i o tom, co se vlastně se světem stalo a co se s ním děje teď. Kate nedobrovolně dostane případ, který jí zavede do zajímavých končin. Kromě toho se zase setká i s Curranem, který se díky přílivu magie moc dobře neo...more

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May 19, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kate-daniels, urban-fantasy

The most appealing thing about any Kate Daniels book, is hands-down, Kate Daniels herself. She strong and smart, witty and irreverent. And it doesn’t look like she ever gets a moment’s peace. As the book begins, a few months have passed since the events of Magic Bites. Kate is working as a liaison between the mercenary guild and the Order of Merciful Aid. And the waves of magic in the world are growing more frequent and intense, indicating a flare is on the horizon.

While on a mission for the Pac...more

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Dec 14, 2010 TJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy

In this second installment of the Kate Daniels series, Andrews deepens and strengthens everything that was good in the first. The world building makes more sense, the monsters are just as wild and creative and yet just as believable. The action is intense and the characters real (quite a feat considering how imaginative some can be.)

My favorite part of it all, however, is the heroine, Kate, she is strong, determined yet with a kind and caring heart and a snarky sense of humor that is laugh out l...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, book-list-2011

Originally posted on Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.

"Magic Burns" is the second book in the 'Kate Daniels' series by husband and wife writing team, Ilona Andrews. I enjoyed it but, as with book one, 'Magic Bites,' I still can't connect with this series like I have with other urban fantasies. I think it's mainly due to the fact that the world is a little confusing to me. I still don't fully understand it or have a clear picture of it in my mind.

Having said that, there is a lot that I love abou...more

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About Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. author2sm“Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a be...more

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Quotes from Magic Burns

“Not only will you sleep with me, but you will say 'please.'"
I stared at him, shocked.
The smile widened. "You will say 'please' before and 'thank you' after."
Nervous laughter bubbled up. "You've gone insane. All that peroxide in your hair finally did your brain in, Goldilocks.” — 514 people liked it

“The vampire stared at me, his mouth slack as Ghastek assessed his options. I took a couple of forms from my desk, put them into the vamp's mouth, and pulled them up by their edges.
"What are you doing?" Ghastek asked.
"My hole puncher broke."
"You have no respect for the undead.” — 500 people liked it

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Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)

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