Kate Daniels read-through

[Em Lost In Books]

About Julie. (view spoiler)[ Erra called her a special child with some powerful magic... (hide spoiler)]

Book 8 was such a snooze fest. :/ 9 again picked up speed with all those prophecies and (view spoiler)[ some big revelations about how Roland and Kate are tied together.

and that ballet scene was hilarious. (hide spoiler)]

and IA are writing a book about Roman? how many spin-off will we get? this all seems like we are getting a "Cosmere" in KD... world..

[Elinor]

Yeah I think I'm going to do it for at least the first 3 books, perhaps I will do the whole series.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That's how I felt about #8 the first time... so much steam had built from the end of #6 to the end of #7... reminded me of why I didn't like Downpour as much after the whirlwind of Greywalker 4-5... the series had a Power Reset and major slowdown

KD is different... it's kind of structured like a 7 book series and then a followup trilogy... so #8 is a lot slower, like the first (or second, if the first is dealing with cliffhangers) episode of a second season...

KD-Expanded Universe... that's very much what we're approaching... and they've even left the door open for another KD book or 2 down the line, if a story ever manifests in their heads... but for the moment we have 2 Hugh books, 3 Roman books, and however many Julie/Derek books/novellas they write, to look forward to... and I wonder if they'll find time to write a Jim/Dali book now that KD is over... Jim/Dali got 2 short stories, but they always wanted to do a novel... there was just too much Indonesian mythology research involved, given their already busy schedules...

I think all the above books will take awhile to write, what with the Catalina trilogy in Hidden Legacy coming up, and presumably Arabella trilogy down the line... and who know about the male siblings...

And Innkeeper Chronicles is still chugging along, with the novella in progress, and presumably book 4 starting sometime next year...

I think they have enough irons in the fire to last awhile...

[RuinEleint]

Finished Book 8

I think I may be a bit in the minority, but I really like this a lot, especially on a reread.

(view spoiler)[Firstly, this book sees Kate sustaining one of the most serious injuries she has ever taken. Not only could it have killed her, it could have destroyed her mind. Seeing her and Curran dealing with that is extremely interesting.

Secondly, watching and Kate and Curran try to adapt to life outside the Pack, and the problems it brings, especially for Curran is again something new and fresh.

Thirdly, the villain was not someone who could be killed in the conventional way. Seeing them deal with that strange a foe was again very refreshing.

I think this book sets up something very important - Kate's struggle with her power. I think its going to be extremely important in the endgame. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... that's basically what I was saying... I appreciated #8 more on re-read... and I have no clue how the series will resolve... there are a number of options, and Kate/IA have never fully decided on one... and the blurb implies unexpected things will happen...

I remember before #9 came out, and all the speculation was that (view spoiler)[Mahon would die at Roland's hand... as a parallel to the death of Voron, and just to create strain between Kate and Curran... (view spoiler)[luckily, that didn't happen... but it was a close call... (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[RuinEleint]

Iain wrote: "Yea... that's basically what I was saying... I appreciated #8 more on re-read... and I have no clue how the series will resolve... there are a number of options, and Kate/IA have never fully decide..."

I think, and I am not sure about this (view spoiler)[ Roland is not going to die. Kate is going to join forces with Elara and Hugh and together they will be a formidable threat to Roland. But I think it will end in a compromise where Roland retreats and goes elsewhere (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Arkadeb wrote: "Iain wrote: "Yea... that's basically what I was saying... I appreciated #8 more on re-read... and I have no clue how the series will resolve... there are a number of options, and Kate/IA have never..."

I think there needs to be more than that... (view spoiler)[I can't see a Roland that doesn't go seeking more power to win another day... the witches and Kate are supposed to be figuring out how to lock away Roland's power in a djinn box, altho they weren't having any luck...

This book takes place 2 years later, tho, so maybe they solved that... (9 months of pregnancy + 13 month time jump) (hide spoiler)]

[Diana Stormblessed]

Iain wrote: "That's how I felt about #8 the first time... so much steam had built from the end of #6 to the end of #7... reminded me of why I didn't like Downpour as much after the whirlwind of G..."

Wow that made my head hurt. So many books still to read...

[Virginie]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "44% through Magic Rises (#6) and I want to strangle Curran. Kate has a much cooler head than I would have."

I was surprised she took it so "well". I would have exploded much, much earlier. Loved the moment when Curran says (view spoiler)[ that, as a male lion, he hates hunting and would rather stay on his butt on the sun xD (hide spoiler)]

[Virginie]

I'm halfway through Magic Breaks (#7) and so far, it's my favorite KD book!
(view spoiler)[ Hugh is finally on the offensive, and took out the entire Atlanta chapter of the Order! It was stated that Crusaders are fanatics, and 2 years undercover in Hugh's entourage seems to have done a number on Nick... He was so pissed that the Knight Protector blew his cover, he seems quite unstable, kicking corpses and all :o (hide spoiler)]

[Virginie]

So... There's no way I can read all the books before next week. I revised my schedule so I can squeeze my other BRs in between and avoid burning out on KD :)

08/20 - 08/31 (791 pages)
✔ Magic Rises
✔ Magic Steals
Magic Breaks (currently reading)

09/13 - 09/19 (749 pages)
Prequel to Magic Shifts
Magic Shifts
Magic Stars
Magic Binds

09/27 - 10/03 (732 pages)
Iron and Magic
Magic Triumphs

Excluding the current one, I plan to do 2 more 'binge-sessions'. I think one week for 730-750 pages is quite doable :)

What do you think, Diana? (You're the only one still reading, right?)

[Diana Stormblessed]

I'm still with you. I'm way behind in KD. I'm trying to schedule less BRs for September so I can catch up. I still need to start book 7.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

i think others are reading... they're just way behind :)

I freely admit I overbinged... good thing I'm about done with IA for awhile... same with Sanderson really... I've re-read nearly everything of his this year that I read before, plus a bunch of new-to-me stuff... getting to be a bit much... but about done with that as well...

[Virginie]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "I'm still with you. I'm way behind in KD. I'm trying to schedule less BRs for September so I can catch up. I still need to start book 7."

I plan on starting #8 in two weeks, I think you'll be all caught up at that point.

[Diana Stormblessed]

Probably. I'm hoping to catch up next week.

[RuinEleint]

Iain wrote: "i think others are reading... they're just way behind :)

I freely admit I overbinged... good thing I'm about done with IA for awhile... same with Sanderson really... I've re-read nearly everything..."

I am here. Hold your horses....

Will comment on 9 soon

[Elinor]

I'm here too ! But I'm just so behind that you can't see me anymore ! xD I'm in book... 3 --" they just found (view spoiler)[poor baby Derek completly broken (hide spoiler)] and, just like Kate, I really want to hit some people really hard !!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Elinor wrote: "I'm here too ! But I'm just so behind that you can't see me anymore ! xD I'm in book... 3 --" they just found [spoilers removed] and, just like Kate, I really want to hit some people really hard !!"

He starts finding his humor again, apparently, in book 9-10... that's basically a direct quote...

[RuinEleint]

Right...
Book 9

The most important theme of this book IMO is Kate's relation to her power. (view spoiler)[ Its quite clear that the power unleashed is terrifying and that Kate could become Roland 2.0 unless she is careful. Also I think its the one thing that would make Curran leave.

Kate getting a handle on her power and leveraging Erra also shows her increasing maturity - she knows how deep she has fallen and that she needs all the help.

Erra is ironically much more sane after death. Which leads me to wonder, did Roland do something to her before?

Curran eating the tiger - funny and disturbing at the same time - if he ate a God, what would it do to him? We know he has superhuman digestion, but still.

I laughed my way through the entire rescue section simply because how pissed Roland was. When Kate wants to mess things up, she can mess them up beyond belief

Finally, the battle - I think Roland took this very casually - there was little planning or strategy - he totally expected to stomp his way through - clearly Chernobog and Thanatos took him by surprise

(hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Having finished #10, great analysis of #9

[Elinor]

Chapter 25 of #3 : (view spoiler)[so that's THE Hugh d'Ambray ! didn't remember him from my first read (hide spoiler)]

[Elinor]

"my Curran in the kitchen chair" <3

[Diana Stormblessed]

Just finished Magic Breaks (#7). The first time I listened to it I was start starting out listening to audiobooks and I don't think I had the same level of audio comprehension or data retention back then. I loved it so much more now. I can't wait for the next one, which at the moment I don't remember at all, though I'm pretty sure I listened to that one, too, at some point.

[Elinor]

Finished 3.5 (that was okay-good, not as good as a Kate one but I was sold on the (view spoiler)[Hades and Persephone stuff (hide spoiler)])
Just started 4 and I didn't remember that prologue ! (view spoiler)[Curran ! sonovabitch indeed ! I'm sure he has some kind of good explanation. But, really, she called him and he wasn't even able to apologize... really... (hide spoiler)] I think that's the one I remember the less ! (well it seems I don't remember anything at all right now xD)