Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5) by Ilona Andrews

 

Magic Slays (Ilona Andrews)

SUMMARY

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name. Plus, many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. But it turns out that this is not an isolated incident. Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—and fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price…

MY REVIEW

It is time for Kate to put on her grown-up pants and act like an adult. It is essential for her to deal with a number of things that need an adult attitude. So:

1. For the first time, she has a business to run with employees and bills to pay. For a variety of reasons she keeps adding employees to her business and all these people have needs, i.e. better weapons, food, food and more food, extra chairs etc.
She has to be cautious about her budget and her earnings, but I am not sure she is very successful with this matter.

2. She is mated now. She needs to learn how to trust Curran and this is hard. She has learned from a young age that all males will eventually try to manipulate her and take advantage of her. Is Curran going to do the same? She is so suspicious and scared of this possibility, but her heart is telling her otherwise.
Curran is just Curran. Just adorable. There is a scene in which he gets mad and he tears up her cookbook. 5 minutes later, he just goes back to buy her another.

3. As the female Alpha of the Pack: she has to
• obey rules and laws
• follow protocol
• have escorts and bodyguards
• attend formal dinners
• be the judge of conflicts between pack members and answer petitions
• make decisions about other peoples’ lives and
• think about the Pack first, naturally!

Kate feels her choices are being taken from her. She needs to be careful every time in order not to cause a diplomatic episode or not to test Curran’s patient. Additionally, she is not sure if his Furriness is truly worried about her or if he is just a manipulative bastard.

4. She will learn the bitter, ugly, painful truth about her mother Kalina and her stepfather (Hint: Kate’s can also be called Katenga). And she will have to deal with it!

5. She is the guardian of a teenager. Not an easy job. Little Julie does not behave and she does not do what she is told. Kate has to learn to be a parent and to provide parental advice.

6. She has to come to terms with the fact that she will lose someone close to her. This is unacceptable for Kate. And I agree.

7. It is about time to embrace and practice her magic!

A strange machine with unknown use and a secret anti-magic society are going to keep Kate and her friends on their toes and they will add complexity to the book.
Everyone who knows the secret just runs away and you have a constant feeling that the city is doomed.
There will be an excellent, epic battle with all the elite magic beings of Atlanta united against the common enemy. Pure awesomeness.

I truly love how the relationship between Curran and Kate develops, how their emotions deepen and explanations are given about how much they mean to each other.
Kate is gradually maturing and transforming from a warrior girl in the first book to a woman in love who defends what is hers.