Andrews, Ilona; Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2); "Informal Buddy Read" ; Start Date 9th October 2013

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

We're revisiting this buddy read for Tower Teams VI.
Join us anytime from May 12th to July 31st.
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Participating in a buddy read with a member from a different team, or with a member of NBRC who isn't on a Tower Team = 30 points
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[Diane ~Firefly~]

Team Sprout. Just finished book 1, waiting for some people to join me here before starting book 2.

[Teddie]

I'm reading book 2 now :)

[Stacey]

I'll be starting this on audible tomorrow. 😊

[Teddie]

Biggest surprise from chapter 4: Rambo was a book?!

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Teddie wrote: "Biggest surprise from chapter 4: Rambo was a book?!"

Probably a book written after the movie (practically word for word), pretty common in the eighties for blockbuster movies.

[Diane ~Firefly~]

ch 1 - 6
(view spoiler)[when Myong asked for help, I was surprised Kate even knew who Maximillian was since he very purposely didn't share both his names in the first book. I very much agree with Derek that he is a wimp.

I like how Red shows up again and turns in his favor from Kate, which leads her to investigate some missing witches for Julie and meet the teleporting archer, Bran (hide spoiler)]


spoiler for series
(view spoiler)[Julie Yay!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

ch 7-10

(view spoiler)[For such a loner, Kate is a sucker for a hard luck story as she takes in Julie and Red, feeds then both and then almost dies protecting Julie. Curran saves her and Bran shows up again.

I love how she got the best of Bran with the bet - very impressive chair use. (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

ch 11-16

This book is dragging a bit for me. There is so much information and lore that I'm on overload.

(view spoiler)[I really like Andrea and am glad she will protect Julie. Kate going on her quest with Derek and Ghastek lead to lots of lore and the Witch's Oracle. (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

ch 16-20

Things picked up!

(view spoiler)[Nothing like a big fight to pick things up. And then Kate finds out Andrea's secret when she gets hurt by Red taking Julie. I love Aunt B!!!

Poor Curran, I love how he says to Kate "You don't cause problems. An unpiloted vampire causes problems. You cause catastrophes." Then they fight/flirt until Bran show up again.
(hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

ch 21-end

(view spoiler)[Kate finally puts things together, too late as Curran trades the necklace for Julie and ends up with neither. They hatch a crazy plan to cover the cauldron which involves a HUGE battle.

I love that Bran got flowers were he died and the witches took care of his body. Poor Julie has to get over Red's betrayal and the fact he never loved her.

And I absolutely love that Curran psychs Kate out at the end with an almost kiss.

(hide spoiler)]

[Teddie]

series spoiler
(view spoiler)[Kate tends to pick up special strays throughout the series: Andrea, Julie, Grendel, etc. She has had to hide aspects of herself and her story, so she is inclined to embrace others who may be odd or shunned.
(hide spoiler)]

About Julie
(view spoiler)[I love how fierce Kate gets about Julie. When fighting the reeve in her apartent, Kate expects Julie to hide in the bedroom - insted she shows up with a little knife quavering in her hand, determined to help.

The sad story of Julie’s mom breaks my heart. She loved her daughter, and worked so hard to make a better life for her. The image of that half-finished dress always gets to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Teddie wrote: "series spoiler."

(view spoiler)[Yeah, Kate is definitely one for picking up strays. She has a problem with injustice and will fight it where ever she sees it. (hide spoiler)]

[Christina]

I might read this one for Team Lockhart in the next couple of days... anyone still around?

[Teddie]

Christina wrote: "I might read this one for Team Lockhart in the next couple of days... anyone still around?"

I’m still checking in :)

[Stacey]

I'm still here. Just about 10 chapters in. 😊

[Christina]

okay great! :)

I read Chapter One while taking a bath earlier tonight and (view spoiler)[I love how Kate just took the freaking head with her! always remember: if you got a magical fire spitting salamandar and a body on your hands, but obviously can't carry both by yourself, just cut off the corpse's head, and take it + the salamandar with you. so much easier to carry ha! (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Christina wrote: "okay great! :)

I read Chapter One while taking a bath earlier tonight and [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, got to admire her creative problem solving :)

[Teddie]

Christina wrote: "okay great! :)

I read Chapter One while taking a bath earlier tonight and [spoilers removed]"

Yes, she can be a ruthlessly efficient problem-solver :)

[Natalie]

Starting now! Team Draco Malfoy

[Natalie]

Through chapter 4. And they still make movie novelizations. I just read The Last Jedi

(view spoiler)[In the thread for book 1, I said the main reason I continued was I had a ton of friends who enjoyed and said it gets better. And early on in this book I agreed with them.

Love meeting Andrea, Julie, and Bran. They were a big part of why I enjoyed the book. I’m excited to keep going. (hide spoiler)]

Series spoilers (view spoiler)[ I do hope they write more for Julie after Magic Triumphs. I read somewhere that if they did, there would have to be a time jump as they don’t plan to write YA and she’s still a teenager. Fingers crossed though! (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Through chapter 10

(view spoiler)[
The chair thing is one of my favorite parts of the series and I never remember it! To remind myself later, it’s when Bran and Kate agree to race to get the packet and she throws a chair at him and then hits him again to make sure he goes down :)

I love seeing Kate with Julie. A sassy teenager is just what she needs in her life :) (hide spoiler)]

Series spoilers (view spoiler)[ while Curran is who she marries, Julie is who Kate starts to build a family with. She’s so alone (on purpose) at the start of the series and slowly builds up her group. And seeing her interact with Julie, even referring to her as her kid (not out loud) and telling her what happened to her mom just makes me happy. (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Natalie wrote: "Through chapter 4. And they still make movie novelizations. I just read The Last Jedi."

series
(view spoiler)[That would be awesome if they wrote more about Julie and Derek (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Up though chapter 20

(view spoiler)[ I agree the story slows for a while for the fact gathering, but then it picks up a lot.

Aunt B is so fun and I love Kate’s descriptions of her.

Kate’s speech on her loneliness always makes me sad. But I do love the relationship between Kate and Curran in these early books with her causing catastrophes and him being overly macho about everything. (hide spoiler)]

[Stacey]

This is my second read through this series and it's so much fun to revisit Kate and Curran before they were Kate and Curran. His reaction to all the trouble she gets in just crack me up. And I love the whole bench press scene -- its made me laugh out loud both times through.

I was not a fan of Julie when she first wandered onto the scene. But I enjoyed her more as the series progressed and understand why she's there now. But she still bugs me in this book!

[Natalie]

Finished

(view spoiler)[Bran dying was hard for me the first time I read the book because I did not see it coming. This time I knew about it and was prepared. Like I said earlier, this was the book that convinced me to keep going on the series. I really enjoyed how they weaved in the Celtic mythology and brought it into modern society. It’s something I feel these books are great at doing and one of my favorite parts.

I’m excited for Magic Strikes! It was the first one in the series to get five stars from me. (hide spoiler)]

[Silje]

I'm in for team Lupin. Are everyone finished or is someone still reading?=) Will start the book today, just finished the first one. This will be a re-read for me, but I loved this series the first time around, so it is just a lot of fun picking them back up!

[Christina]

Silje wrote: "I'm in for team Lupin. Are everyone finished or is someone still reading?=) Will start the book today, just finished the first one. This will be a re-read for me, but I loved this series the first ..."

I'm still here :)


Chapter 2-9

(view spoiler)[I actually really like Julie. of course she was a bit bratty when we first met her - she was protecting herself! I do wonder though what the thing between her and Red is. Julie admires him so much, but he definitely seems to be holding back... it's also super interesting that Julie is a 'human m-scanner'. that comes in handy and makes sense if she gets hunted by everyone who finds out about it. I want to find out right now what Bran is!!!! and who.

the Honeycomb sounded interesting, but also kinda scary. I wouldn't wanna get stuck anywhere close to it.

and WHY does Myong come to Kate about her wedding? WHY does Kate suddenly know Crest as Maximilian? WHY have we never heard about this in book 1? also, WHO IS KATE ???? (hide spoiler)]

[Deanna]

Christina wrote: "okay great! :)

I read Chapter One while taking a bath earlier tonight and [spoilers removed]"

What really gets me is the guy's reaction at the Guild. (view spoiler)[He knows immediately who she was working with and that he scampered again. I wonder how many heads Kate has ended up bringing in. (hide spoiler)]

[Deanna]

Silje wrote: "I'm in for team Lupin. Are everyone finished or is someone still reading?=) Will start the book today, just finished the first one. This will be a re-read for me, but I loved this series the first ..."

I just started today as well.

[Christina]

Deanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "okay great! :)

I read Chapter One while taking a bath earlier tonight and [spoilers removed]"

What really gets me is the guy's reaction at the Guild. [spoilers removed]"

omg right?? I completely forgot about that right now! I need more time to write more updates and not put 8 chapters into one post! I am glad though that some chapters are a lot shorter than in Magic Bites - motivates me more to keep going for some reason...

[Stacey]

I'm still here too. I'm doing mine on audio, so it always takes me a bit longer that way.

I love the IDEA of the Honeycomb -- it sounds like it would be a great basis for a horror movie with people disappearing without warning. Wouldn't wanna live there though!

I'm through Chapter 22. (view spoiler)[ I love the Boudas and Aunt B now, but they are sooo strange when you first meet them. The whole conversation with Kate about Curran feeding her is entertaining. By this point in the book you will reeeally not like Red. (hide spoiler)]

I have trouble sometimes with the mythology. I feel like I have a vague idea of what is happening when it gets explained, but still don't feel like I really know what's going on.

[Deanna]

Christina wrote: "Silje wrote: "I'm in for team Lupin. Are everyone finished or is someone still reading?=) Will start the book today, just finished the first one. This will be a re-read for me, but I loved this ser..."

Honeycomb lane would definitely make my do not visit list.

Myong (view spoiler)[I think Max insisted, but I also think there was no one else to ask. Kate is the first one to stand up to Curran and argue in years, and they needed someone who wouldn't be afraid to argue. (hide spoiler)]

Mythology - (view spoiler)[One of my favorite parts of this series is all of the different mythologies that they cover. So many authors stick to Greek, Roman, and Norse. I love that this book includes Celtic deities, which hopefully will make more sense this time since I've read several of the Iron Druid books. (hide spoiler)]

Thoughts through chapter 9:

Kate - (view spoiler)[Kate really has the worst luck. Investigate one little arrow, and suddenly there's Celtic deities, crazy witches, and creepy Fomorians. (hide spoiler)]

Julie - (view spoiler)[Considering everything that has happened in her life, she is remarkably well-adjusted. I had forgotten that she actually stabbed one of the Reeves, but I can't blame her after it tried to control her. (hide spoiler)]

[Silje]

Deanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "Silje wrote: "I'm in for team Lupin. Are everyone finished or is someone still reading?=) Will start the book today, just finished the first one. This will be a re-read for me, bu..."

I think Myong (view spoiler)[ is more suited to Crest than Kate, remember Derek said in the first book that Kate was the hardest one of the two and it is the male who is supposed to have that role? Myong is probably Kate's opposite in all possible ways. But I also think that Crest made Myong go to Kate because he knew she would feel slightly guilty about their situation and therefore was likely to do as asked. (hide spoiler)]

Julie is such a teenager! (view spoiler)[ tough attitude, snarky retorts and sarcasm all the way. Luckily she is also brave,which is a good thing in her situation. (hide spoiler)]

I loved the weight lifting scene! So typical Kate and Curran.

[Christina]

@Deanna + who else mentioned it: I hardly know anything about mythology so I admit most things I don't even understand or hardly know what they're talking about, but it's okay.

I honestly gotta say though that this feels like a much easier read than the first book, but it might simply be because I've heard the main things before. still, they're getting explained again, thankfully. (shapeshiters, the people, loup, etc)

[Stacey]

@Christina -- I had a rough time with the first book, thought the second book was better and LOVED the third book. So it does get better. :)

I did finally catch what was happening the third time Kate explained it. :)

Ending (view spoiler)[ It would have been nice to have Bran around for another few books, but its the start of Kate letting people in, so it works and is a fitting end for him. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

If you want more celtic mythology books, I enjoyed the The Witches of Eileanan series. No deities, but witches and sea creatures.

One of my favorite parts of their books is the use of mythology beyond your typical greek/roman. I usually find myself looking up creatures they use after I read since I wasn't familiar with them. I think the next book has my favorite instance of this.

[Deanna]

Natalie wrote: "If you want more celtic mythology books, I enjoyed the The Witches of Eileanan series. No deities, but witches and sea creatures.

One of my favorite parts of their books is the use ..."

That looks interesting. I added it to my tbr stack. Thanks!

[Deanna]

Christina wrote: "@Deanna + who else mentioned it: I hardly know anything about mythology so I admit most things I don't even understand or hardly know what they're talking about, but it's okay.

I honestly gotta s..."

I agree. This is definitely an easier read. The plot pace is steadier than the first book, and there are no big blocks of world-building info to digest.

[Deanna]

Chapters 10 - 17

Curran - (view spoiler)[It's fun to watch him teasing Kate. He's definitely more laid back so far this book. (hide spoiler)]

Andrea - (view spoiler)[I like Andrea's character in the later books, it's fun to see her and Kate get to know each other. (hide spoiler)]

Saimen - (view spoiler)[I had completely forgotten the roof scene. He is so lucky Kate didn't knock him out for that. (hide spoiler)]

Kate - (view spoiler)[For someone who has no idea what to do with a kid, Kate does an excellent job, and Julie is lucky to have her. (hide spoiler)]

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Deanna wrote: "Chapters 10 - 17

Curran - [spoilers removed]

Andrea - [spoilers removed]

Saimen - [spoilers removed]

Kate - [spoilers removed]"

Curran (view spoiler)[the teasing is sweet (hide spoiler)]

Andrea(view spoiler)[Yeah, she is one of my favorites (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

I'd like to join this thread (team Hermione). I finishe the first book two days ago and thought it was good. I heard it only get better so I'm curious to see how this one will turn out.

I just finished chapter 1.

(view spoiler)[ The situation with the magic waves intrigue me. I wonder what's up with that. Also that thing with the mscan is weird. I'm already hooked. (hide spoiler)]

[Christina]

Deanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "@Deanna + who else mentioned it: I hardly know anything about mythology so I admit most things I don't even understand or hardly know what they're talking about, but it's okay.

..."

I wonder if i were to read Magic Bites again - now or at some later point - would it be a quicker and easier read as well now that I already know about the world it's set in? I mean, probably, yes, but would I also enjoy it more?

[Silje]

Christina wrote: "Deanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "@Deanna + who else mentioned it: I hardly know anything about mythology so I admit most things I don't even understand or hardly know what they're talking about, bu..."

This round is the first re-read I have had of the series and I must say I am having a blast reading=) I don't have to concentrate on getting familiar with the setting, I can just enjoy Kate's sarcasm, Curran's attempt at being the big bad lion and all the other great characters who make this series so great!

[Deanna]

Christina wrote: "Deanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "@Deanna + who else mentioned it: I hardly know anything about mythology so I admit most things I don't even understand or hardly know what they're talking about, bu..."

Rereading I still found the first part of the book a little slow as far as plot, although I did pick up a few things that I missed the first go round. Overall it was a quicker read for me.

[Deanna]

Finished this evening. My thoughts:

Curran - (view spoiler)[The teasing is great. Kate really is in over her head at this point. His being home waiting for Kate with coffee brew saying all the right things is one of favorite scenes. (hide spoiler)]

Bran - (view spoiler)[I love that he became just a little more human at the end. At least he got the end he wished for by dying in battle. (hide spoiler)]

Red - (view spoiler)[Did not deserve to become Morrigan's Hound. Although as selfish as he is, maybe it's better that he is away from everyone now. (hide spoiler)]

Kate - (view spoiler)[I love watching her character grow and start letting people in a little bit. Andrea and Julie are exactly what she needs at this point. (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 2

(view spoiler)[So Curran's ex is now with Crest; I remember him looking at her while on a date with Kate. That was rude.
I hated Crest in the first book. He came onto Kate way too strongly in my taste. For a long time I even thought he was the bad guy in book 1.
They have some nerve asking Kate for help ! (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 4-6

(view spoiler)[ That guy, "Bran the hero", was such a pain. His comebacks were just annoying, like a teenager who still hasn't learned what it truly means to be witty. I kinda hope Kate will keep her word and cut his arm next time she sees him.


I feel like the worldbuilding is already a lot better in this book. It isn't as confusing. That's very goos, because book one was very difficult to get into because of that. (hide spoiler)]

[Christina]

Chapter 10 - 15

(view spoiler)[I gotta admit, I never remember Saiman's name, but of course I know he exists. the way he's acting currently, sort of out of control, is strange, but also makes total sense. I like that they came up with this little scene for him, the idea is absolutely amazing! (also kinda hilarious with Derek and especially Ghastek being there :D)

I really really like Julie and can't wait to see where her story leads us. and Kate taking care of her even though she's always described as a loner. it's kind of beautiful to be honest.

and Andrea. I hope we get to see more of her. I can never get enough of strong female characters! (hide spoiler)]

[Christina]

✿ Claire ✿ ~ The Clever Berry wrote: "Chapter 2 ...."

I know, right??? I wonder why this even is part of the story - I think they just could have let it go, but maybe there's more to it...