Review: Magic Triumphs

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It takes a lot of courage and no small amount of resolve for authors to end their bestselling series, especially when they are at the top of their game. Before a series starts to run out of gas. When you have your books ranked #10 overall in the Paid Kindle store on the day of release. When you are the #1 ranked Fantasy book on Amazon, period. But Ilona Andrews have done just that. Kate Daniels and her merry crew of shapeshifters and magical beings goes out on a mostly high note, though there are still some losses. We also see the promised ( Iron and Magic ) alliance between Kate and Hugh D'Ambray against Roland and a greater threat than even his power. That isn't a spoiler because you know that they were going to leave us with a happy and safe Kate. (Roland is still Roland in this book, by the way. They are at least leaving us with him to dislike, thank goodness.) While there are things I could quibble with (wanted. more. Elara. action.) (fallopian tube surgery where regrowing them doesn't regrow the adhesions and scar tissue? really?) there was so much to enjoy. Over more than a decade these authors have melded mythology and folklore from around the globe seamlessly into probably the best urban fantasy series out there. They've given us diverse and complex characters and truly beautiful worldbuilding. And they've given us an ending without disappointment, while the story is still fresh. All in all, marvelous.

True story: Once, after the publication of Magic Shifts I told Ilona Gordon (of the husband and wife team Ilona Andrews) that I was nominating the book for a Hugo Award. She laughed at me and said urban fantasy was never going to win a Hugo Award. Well, take note that Seanan McGuire's lighthearted urban fantasy InCryptid series took second place in this year's Hugo Awards for Best Series.

HEY ILONA, GUESS WHAT I'M NOMINATING FOR BEST SERIES 2018? ;)

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