Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels) Hardcover – August 28, 2018

If you've already read the other Kate Daniels books, you know that Magic Triumphs will be good. And wow - it is SO good. If you haven't read the rest of the series or Iron and Magic (Hugh's book), please buy this one, but read those first. The payoff for knowing the characters and their stories is huge!!!Mild spoilers below!!The book opens with birth of Kate and Curran's son, Conlan. As expected, others outside the happy family are quite interested in his birth.After that, the story skips ahead until Conlan is 13 months old. He's an adorable, smart toddler who isn't *quite* as precocious as his dad and others had hoped. Kate is a bit overprotective, which has become a running joke among their friends and family.We don't get much time to enjoy the cuteness before monstrous events are set in motion. There's a new big bad, but it's not someone dropped out of the blue into the story. There are hints in previous books, especially Iron and Magic. Large groups of people are being killed in horrific ways. Kate has to figure out why and work toward discovering who is behind it. She also has to worry about another confrontation with her father, Roland, The Builder of Towers.At the same time, her relationships with members of the Pack are changing. Conlan is becoming more precocious by the day, in ways both delightful and terrifying. Curran has been up to something on his frequent hunting trips, but what? He also seems to be physically changing without any explanation.All of Kate's old friends, enemies, and frenemies are pulled into the fray, leading her to partner with people she and we would never expect. Kate's magical abilities play a huge role, but the connections she's made over the years are key.I like the ending, quite a lot, but won't say much for fear of spoilers. It leaves the door open for continuing tales with other favorite characters from the series. Magic Triumphs shows how to end a beloved series at the right time and in a way readers can respect and enjoy.The wife and husband team of Ilona Andrews writes believable, relatable characters in settings that feel real and immediate despite being fantastic. They have a gift of writing dialogue so snarky and satisfying that I want to quote it to unsuspecting family members, in meetings, and to random strangers. At the same time, their characters have depth and go through situations that, while exotic and magical, are realistic. Friendships shift. Loved ones have health problems or other adversities. But also, wow! Crazy and wild things happen!I read anything Ilona Andrews writes and have never been disappointed. As good as all of their work is, Magic Triumphs is a highlight. They brought the series home in a big way.

My first thought after finishing this last book in the Kate Daniels series is, “it is as it should be.” The wife and husband team known as Ilona Andrews gives us the kind of ending that honors the readers. It ends in the same way it begins with incredible world building, a complex storyline, and a conflicted heroine that ends her journey to Happy Ever After.Ironically, it is the very things that I struggled with in book one that I have come to love the most about this series. The best way for me to describe the first book is “dense.” There is an incredible amount of world-building that bogs down the pace and, in my mind, not enough reward for the undertaking. Luckily, I did not follow my own advice. What really strikes me is the clever dialogue and Kate’s courageous and refreshing boldness. (Who can forget the iconic, “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty”?) The temperature between Kate and Curran is so heated. The couple is irresistible. I learned to be patient because their relationship through the first four books is a slow burn. The stories evolve and become more and more complicated with the inclusion of shifters, vampires, wizards, warlocks, witches, gods, monsters, and fae to name a few. We are witness to births and deaths, tragedies and triumphs, and it is all glorious.So, yes, book 10 has a lot to live up to. There is much going on in this story. Kate and Curran’s highly anticipated offspring, Conlan, is born. He is a special child being born of a mother with strong magic and a father who is the ultimate alpha shifter. As you can imagine, he is precocious and his scenes are heart-melting and precious. Kate is a loving mother and fiercely protective. She has to be. Always looming is the showdown between Kate and her father, Roland, the god. Roland wants Kate’s territory and, perhaps more importantly, he wants to bring her into his fold. It is interesting watching the evolution of Roland and Kate’s relationship over the last few books. Roland is easily characterized as megalomaniac and evil, but there are also sparks of tenderness in him as well. He never quite becomes a sympathetic character, but the authors bring this longstanding feud to a conclusion that makes sense to me. Kate’s actions fall exactly in-line with who she is and it is as it should be.In the midst of all this dysfunctional family dynamics, there is a new god in town and he is a real baddie. We first meet this guy in Hugh’s book, Iron and Magic. This god steals whole towns, takes the entire population and boils them to steal the magic from their bones. His threat is so acute that it takes the combined power of all the good beings of Atlanta plus Hugh D’Ambray and his wife, Elara to conquer this foe. Kate and Hugh’s reconciliation is one of the best scenes in the entire book.If I had to nitpick a criticism, I would say that I really missed Curran’s voice in this book. In the past, the authors have gifted us with Curran’s POV through a series of novellas and short stories, and I suppose, it would be out of character to embed too much of Curran’s thoughts here, but since it is the last book, I am going there. I want inside Curran’s head. I want his thoughts. A lot happens in this book and he misses the whole first quarter. I want his insights to be integrated more into the storyline. Again, I know, it is not realistic, but what can I say, the heart wants what the heart wants.I also recommend that before starting this book, read Iron and Magic. There are important elements from that story that get built upon here. Also, if you have the time, you might want to do a reread of the whole series, or at least the last few books. Quite of few past characters show up again and I struggle to place them in Kate’s universe. As a reader, you can still follow along, but I suspect, the experience will be richer if you were more familiar with all the references from the past.All in all, MAGIC TRIUMPHS is what I wanted to end my current journey with Kate and Curran and the rest of the Kate Daniel’s family. I am looking forward with bated breath to see where the next journey will take us.I am reviewing this book voluntarily. I have made no promises to anyone and haven’t received any type of compensation or gift in exchange for the review.