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Book Review -- Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
As part of my new "trying to review everything I enjoy reading" policy to try and help some books float to the top of the Internet, here's my Goodreads review for Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews.
Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kate Daniels is a scarred, PTSD heroine, and she may earn your respect before you like her. But the city of Atlanta, devastated by the Burning that announced the return of magic to the world, rises like a Phoenix from the Ashes, painting a post-Apocalyptic world unlike any other. We have a group reminiscent of the Mafia that controls most necromancy and creates most vampires – soulless, mindless killing machines that are piloted by necromancer-navigators. We have wer-animals of many types banding together for strength and stability, a quasi-military order enforcing their humanity as they live by their own Rules. We have groups who kill out-of-control magical creatures – some of their members are mercenaries, maybe part of a guild, maybe not, and others are Knights and knights-in-training, members of still another organization that tries to put names and rules on the new world order. Some of these characters are human...or mostly human. We don't see very many people not touched by the brush of magic.
Kate Daniels tried to be a Knight and could not live with obedience (or so she tells others) and switched to working as a mercenary. Currently she’s the liaison between the Knights and the Mercenaries. She’s also a Friend of The Pack – a big deal. The Pack is secretive and has little use for outsiders. But when the pack needs help, they come to Kate. Kate’s own desire to avoid the Beastmaster, Curran, is inconsequential.
It is theft they bring to her – a theft both small and potentially huge. The Pack survey teams create the best maps to be had, marking all geological and cultural changes, the amount of magic in an area – there are dozens of people who would give body parts just for a chance to copy those maps. Plus, nobody steals from The Pack and gets away with it.
The man who stole those maps, interestingly enough, was also the same man who killed Kate’s mercenary prey earlier that day – the same expensive, very dangerous cross bolt was used in both affairs. And from that one coincidence, we are led a swift and merry chase through old and new magic, and see how the desperate of Atlanta live – and how they attempt to acquire magic for themselves. We discover that the mother Goddess has her own council, led by witches representing the three-fold goddess. We find out that the swiftly fluctuating magic spikes are leading up to a major Flux – an event more than one god wants to use to re-enter the world.
This book happens fast, within a couple of days, and we watch as Kate learns about friendship, and the responsibility for a child, and tenuously attempts to understand and be understood by Curran the Pack Lord. There is much action, much magic, and consequences for all manner of decisions.
Recommended to all lovers of action-packed urban fantasy.
View all my reviews
Magic Burns by Ilona AndrewsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kate Daniels is a scarred, PTSD heroine, and she may earn your respect before you like her. But the city of Atlanta, devastated by the Burning that announced the return of magic to the world, rises like a Phoenix from the Ashes, painting a post-Apocalyptic world unlike any other. We have a group reminiscent of the Mafia that controls most necromancy and creates most vampires – soulless, mindless killing machines that are piloted by necromancer-navigators. We have wer-animals of many types banding together for strength and stability, a quasi-military order enforcing their humanity as they live by their own Rules. We have groups who kill out-of-control magical creatures – some of their members are mercenaries, maybe part of a guild, maybe not, and others are Knights and knights-in-training, members of still another organization that tries to put names and rules on the new world order. Some of these characters are human...or mostly human. We don't see very many people not touched by the brush of magic.
Kate Daniels tried to be a Knight and could not live with obedience (or so she tells others) and switched to working as a mercenary. Currently she’s the liaison between the Knights and the Mercenaries. She’s also a Friend of The Pack – a big deal. The Pack is secretive and has little use for outsiders. But when the pack needs help, they come to Kate. Kate’s own desire to avoid the Beastmaster, Curran, is inconsequential.
It is theft they bring to her – a theft both small and potentially huge. The Pack survey teams create the best maps to be had, marking all geological and cultural changes, the amount of magic in an area – there are dozens of people who would give body parts just for a chance to copy those maps. Plus, nobody steals from The Pack and gets away with it.
The man who stole those maps, interestingly enough, was also the same man who killed Kate’s mercenary prey earlier that day – the same expensive, very dangerous cross bolt was used in both affairs. And from that one coincidence, we are led a swift and merry chase through old and new magic, and see how the desperate of Atlanta live – and how they attempt to acquire magic for themselves. We discover that the mother Goddess has her own council, led by witches representing the three-fold goddess. We find out that the swiftly fluctuating magic spikes are leading up to a major Flux – an event more than one god wants to use to re-enter the world.
This book happens fast, within a couple of days, and we watch as Kate learns about friendship, and the responsibility for a child, and tenuously attempts to understand and be understood by Curran the Pack Lord. There is much action, much magic, and consequences for all manner of decisions.
Recommended to all lovers of action-packed urban fantasy.
View all my reviews