Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

Oh, my my... Your Awesomeness!

3.75 stars.

I didn't enjoy the last two instalments as much as the previous ones, but they are still good books and needed to be read if you want to know what happens next.

My biggest issue is the plot. I found it a bit messy, it flows too quickly and events aren't connected very well, in my opinion.

I also found the meeting with Roland a bit too rushed. We have been heard of the big bad guy since the beginning and I excepted something more.

Plus, there was too little Curran. More Curran, please! :D
The last part, though, contained Curran much enough that I forgive his absence during the first half of the book.

This took me so long to read. I don't know why. I didn't feel invested in the beginning part of the book. I didn't feel invested in the many endings of it either.

When Curran leaves Kate in charge of the pack, it leaves her wide open for trouble. A shapeshifter has killed one of the People, and they are out for more than just blood. It's time for Kate to face her greatest fear. Roland is determined to test her limits, and Kate is severely outnumbered. War is brewing on the horizon. Kate is given twenty four hours to hunt down the shapeshifter and give them over to the People, or else Atlanta will be reduced to a blood smear.

I will admit it took me a while to write this review. I struggled with what to say for the first time in a while. The Kate Daniel's series has been a wild ride from book one. Kate was built into a tough as nails character with a personality as sharp as her sword. But with this book, for the first time, I felt derailed.

As we journey through the People's territory to find clues to the murder, Kate wasn't able to be the flashy merc we've grown to love. I was excited to see a new side to her as she worked in stealth with members of the pack. Unfortunately, her pining for Curran throughout the process angered me. Since when does she doubt herself because of him? If this had been the only section of the book that happened, I could have let it pass.

When Kate is faced with one of the many desperate situations she has been in, she becomes so obsessed with Curran that he is her only hope. Instead of fighting for her life, she barely tries to escape and sits and waits. She waits! When has Kate ever waited for someone to rescue her? When has she ever been a damsel in distress? I could have believed this route if she had tried harder to begin with.

I would rather rate this book a 3.5, but we aren't allowed half star ratings. I gave it the benefit of a doubt and went with 4 instead of 3 stars. I want to believe this lapse in writing will not continue into the next novel. But unfortunately, I will be taking a break from the Kate Daniels series for at least a book or two.