dellydoos 's review for:

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

4.0

adventurous medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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As the sixth installment in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Rises proves that this series has not lost its flavour. An absolute joy to read, Kate remains a stellar protagonist—strong, sharp-witted, and endlessly compelling. I adored how the tension and jealousy in her relationship with Curran were explored in this book. It added a layer of complexity and revitalized their dynamic. And Hugh as a villain? LOVE. He’s cunning, charismatic, and obsessed with Kate. What a whacko. 

That said, there were some rough spots. A lot of my favorite side characters, like Derek and Andrea, felt underutilized, which was disappointing. The novellas that bridge the gaps between the main books seem to hold much of their individual development, which left me feeling out of the loop when certain relationships popped up out of nowhere in the mainline series. And while I appreciated the strain on Kate and Curran’s relationship, Curran’s behavior crossed the line into outright publically humiliating Kate. I wish she had held him more accountable—it felt like he got off too easily. The pack politics were another weak point for me; they just didn’t hold my interest. 

But alas, this is very quickly becoming my comfort series to read, and I can't wait to read more. 4/5 stars