Caffeinated Reviewer | Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

3^rd Sep

Magic Shifts
by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #8
Narrator: Renée Raudman
Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:
Heat Level:
Narration: 5 cups

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters. So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected. An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece.…

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews is the eighth book in the Kate Daniels series. This is a series where the audio version is my preferred format in part because of Renée Raudman and her stellar performance. Admittedly, I was slightly worried after the events of Magic Breaks, but I should have known the Andrews had a plan. Intense and action-packed Kate and Curran face new challenges and old enemies giving listeners one heck of a ride.

My biggest fear, is that this series will one day end.

I have tried very hard to keep this as spoiler-free as possible for those reading the series as well as for those who are new. Not an easy task, but one I think I accomplished.

“No. Not my circus, not my undead monkeys.”

Once again, I slipped right into the world. I was anxious to see how Kate and Curran were adjusting to their recent changes. You would think that life might be a little quieter. Pfft. Nope. This is Kate and life is never dull. I wondered how Gordon and Ilona were going to keep the same intensity and keep Kate and Curran’s relationship fresh without a bunch of drama like the tiffs we have previously endured. I should not have worried. This writing team is brilliant. All the changes in Magic Shifts were for the good and I am over the moon excited. They breathed new life into this series allowing for endless story scenarios. Oh yes, there are threats and darkness in our future.

“Try to look casual.” I pulled the top book out and put it on the desk.
“Why?”
“Because what I’m doing is illegal without a warrant, and we have about twenty witnesses observing our every move.”
Curran crossed his arms, making his biceps bulge, leaned against the desk, and fixed our audience with his stare. Everyone spontaneously decided to look anywhere else but at us. Right. Casual, my foot.
“See,” he said. “No witnesses.”

As always, there are several different threads to keep us listening and abandoning reality. A case involving a missing person has us battling a new threat. The Andrews tackle Arabian mythology and reanimated metamorphosis. I am talking freaky folks and oh lord they gave me the shivers. The creatures are dark; the battles are gritty and ironically as beautiful as they are dark. No detail is wasted creating a three-D image of the scenes in my mind. Oh and Daddy makes an appearance because Kate’s life is not stressful enough. Poor Kate takes a beating and gets herself into some serious trouble pushing her to accept she cannot always be in the thick of things. I love that she is continually growing and evolving.

“DOES EVERYBODY THINK I am an asshole?” Curran asked. “Only people who know you or have met you.”

Despite the changes, we see many of the characters we have come to love as they step into new roles. While in many ways, Magic Shifts could be viewed as a bridge book it still delivered the quality and richness we have come to expect from this writing duo. Brilliant with humor, character growth, interesting developments and tantalizing teasers of things to come. I was completely mind-blown away. I laughed allowed, screamed and became fully engaged in listening.

“Do we have a flamethrower?” Curran asked.
“No.”
“We should get a flamethrower.”

Magic Shifts was as fresh and exciting as the first book in the Kate Daniels series and I cannot wait to continue listening. Renée Raudman has become synonymous with the name Ilona Andrews and I hope this partnership never ends. She brings the characters to life and makes listening an adventure.

Magic Shifts for the win. Read it, Own it, Love it.