Magic Rises (Kate Daniels)

I’ve had some trouble getting into the Kate Daniels series, but this book totally won me over. It is a little slow in the beginning, but, once it gets going, it really gets going.

Kate’s werelion boyfriend Curran has been requested to act as peacekeeper at a meeting of several European packs. Though the whole set-up reeks of a trap, the payment is too good to refuse – panacea, the treatment that can prevent young weres from dying. In order to save the children, Curran, Kate, and an interesting mix of pack members set off into the trap. What awaits them is a nail-biting adventure full of intrigue, unknown magic, old enemies, interlocking schemes, and impossibly strong feline shapeshifters who attack at the most inopportune times.

From the moment the group sets sail, the story spills forth in a thrilling rush. The fights are intense, and the tension is palpable. Relationships and lives are at stake, and the authors do an excellent job of making the emotional drama as exciting as the battles. At the center of it all is Kate, the wonderfully flawed, incredibly tough, intensely human heroine. Both fans of the series and newcomers to the world of Kate Daniels will enjoy this immensely entertaining read.