So Very, Very Shiny! Also, Triple!

Bingo Square: So Shiny

One good thing about being on the West Coast for work: my Kate Daniels pre-order was delivered to my Kindle account at 12 AM EST, which was 9 pm PST.  I was still up at that point, and immediately dropped the other book I was reading (it’s alright, it was for the TBT square so it’s not like I don’t know how it’s going to end) and dived into Magic Triumphs!

So first off, Conlan, Curran and Kate’s son, is adorable!  He is about 13 months old in this one, and hasn’t shifted but that’s because he simply hasn’t been triggered yet.  When he finally does, he is an adorable lion cub with way more control than anyone his age should have, leading to even more opportunities for mischief from an already intelligent and curious child.

I think I had mentioned in my Magic and Iron review that sometimes the Kate Daniels novels can get a bit dark, and the events that call Kate into action in this certainly are, but despite that, and despite the fact that Kate is facing a powerful adversary in addition to the looming threat of her father, something about this one felt much more optimistic and light hearted than some of the more recent novels in this series.  Maybe it was the extra comedy from seeing Kate as a harried and frenzied mother?  Either way, I appreciated it!

Most of the supporting characters from the previous novels of the series make at least a minor appearance; I honestly can’t think of anyone I would have liked to see that didn’t at least get mentioned.  A few characters that are only familiar with some of the tie in short stories/novellas are also pulled into this last act, but the good thing is, at least one of those stories was a free add on to one of the novels so it’s one everyone has had the opportunity to read (the one where Julie solved crimes at school).  Only Ascanio does not appear, though he is mentioned – I can only hope that means he will end up with a role in the Iron Covenant trilogy.

I also don’t think it is a spoiler to say that Hugh shows up since Ilona Andrews had already suggested in Iron and Magic that the proper reading order was Iron and Magic, Magic Triumphs, and then the rest of the Iron Covenant trilogy.  It is funny when some of the characters refer to things that they have been keeping Kate and Curran in the dark about while the reader understands the references.  I quite enjoyed the scenes between Kate and Hugh, and how they reflect on Roland’s impact on their lives and their paths. There was no easy forgiveness or excusal of Hugh’s actions but the characters in these novels have always been mostly able to see shades of gray.  Except when it comes to Samain.  Everyone except for Kate pretty much just hates him.

As usual, Kate and Curran are keeping secrets from each other as they make plans with how to deal with the future threat but at this point in the series, that is basically a given.  Kate will always be the one willing to go out on a suicide mission while Curran tries to come up with ways to protect his family and prevent the suicide part of Kate’s missions from taking place.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how Ilona Andrews was able to wrap up the series that addressed the new player, the future of Atlanta and the long term threat of Roland.  Nothing felt unearned, and the sacrifices and solutions involved made sense given the relative levels of strength and power involved.

While Kate and Curran’s story is wrapped up, there is definitely opportunity for more stories set within this universe.  I know we have at least two more Hugh d’Ambray novels to look forward to, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a series or novella about one or two other characters that make up the extended Kate Daniels family. There are a few specifically I have in mind but that would start leading into actual spoiler territory so I will refrain from getting specific!

Bingo Square: So Shiny!