Small Magics by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Small Magics (Kate Daniels #0.5, 5.3, 5.9) by Ilona Andrews
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: September 1, 2025

Kate Daniels
0.5. A Questionable Client
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
3.5. Magic Mourns
4. Magic Bleeds
4.5. Magic Dreams
Curran POV Collection
5. Magic Slays
5.3. Magic Tests
5.4. Magic Gifts
5.5. Gunmetal Magic
5.8. An Ill-Advised Rescue
6. Magic Rises
6.5. Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts
9. Magic Binds
10. Magic Triumphs
Small Magics - Paperback | Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Grey Wolf
1. Magic Stars

Iron Covenant
1. Iron and Magic

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years
1. Magic Tides

Kate Daniels World
1. Blood Heir

Roman's Chronicles
1. Sanctuary

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

An irresistible compilation of five previously published stories by the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Daniels series; including Kate’s very first meeting with Saiman, some related adventures, two unforgettable “outside” excursions, and additional material from both Curran and Jim’s point of view.

A QUESTIONABLE CLIENT
In this ‘intro’ to the Kate Daniels world, we meet the extremely ‘shifty’ Saiman for the very first time, when Kate takes on the task of serving as his bodyguard to protect him from some very determined—and dangerous—Russian wizards.

RETRIBUTION CLAUSE
Saiman’s cousin, Adam—a frost giant and also an insurance adjuster—and his enigmatic partner, Siroun, set out on an impossible mission to enforce a client’s Retribution Clause; that is, to kill the person who killed her. But is their target even guilty? Magic and mayhem and a little personal chemistry will reveal the truth!

OF SWINE AND ROSES
A young adult story about a girl, a pig, some magic, and the worst date ever. Chad Thurman is a thug, who carries brass knuckles in both pockets and lays magic traps for intruders into "his" neighborhood. The last thing Alena Kornov wants to do is to go on a date with him. But when her family pressures her, she can't say no. Now the ice-cream is absent, the pig is running for its life, and we won't even mention the dead guy...

GRACE OF SMALL MAGICS
Grace has always known she wasn’t like everyone else and that her family has magic abilities. After flying to meet the head of Clan Dreoch in order to fulfill her families’ “duties” as servants, Grace finds herself in the middle of a mage clan war…

MAGIC TESTS
A short story in the Kate Daniels universe. Kate recruits her teenage ward, Julie, to search out a missing student whose location spell has her hidden somewhere on campus…

CURRAN POV
Everybody has a point of view…especially Curran Lennart, Beast Lord of the Free People of Atlanta—and Kate Daniel’s mate. Here’s what Curran was thinking while Kate was kicking butt and taking names from Magic Bites to Magic Bleeds.

Thoughts on Small Magics: I had read A Questionable Client and Magic Tests (and parts of the Curran POV) previously and, well, I genuinely enjoy spending time in Kate's messed up world (and head). So getting to dive into a couple of stories I hadn't read? GREAT FUN!

Retribution Clause - Adam and Siroun are just trying to close the book on their most recent insurance job and nothing's what it seems. I must admit, I like these two. They're both stuffing down some feelings and they both have a lot of hidden facets and I LIKE THAT.

Of Swine and Roses - Familial guilt is a heavy burden and when Alena's family drops it on her, she agrees to go on a date with someone she really doesn't want to go out with. The date's a disaster and that's BEFORE Alena has to figure out how to corner a pig. Magic, man. It's full of surprises.

Grace of Small Magics - It's easy to fight an attraction when there's a massive power imbalance. Well, maybe it's not so easy, but it's something that has to be done. When Grace is thrust into the middle of a sanctioned clan war and the head of the clan that's held her family's servitude for years pushes all her buttons, THINGS HAPPEN. Mostly of the bloody kind, but also maybe of the potential coupledom kind. *thumbs up*

Curran POV - I've read several of these scenes previously and they're just FUN. Seriously. The ones I hadn't read before? ALSO FUN. So, lots of fun with a heaping side of watching Curran needle Kate (and vice versa). YES!

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: September 4, 2025

Kate Daniels
0.5. A Questionable Client
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
3.5. Magic Mourns
4. Magic Bleeds
4.5. Magic Dreams
Curran POV Collection
5. Magic Slays
5.3. Magic Tests
5.4. Magic Gifts
5.5. Gunmetal Magic
5.8. An Ill-Advised Rescue
6. Magic Rises
6.5. Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts
9. Magic Binds
10. Magic Triumphs - Paperback | Kindle
Small Magics

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Grey Wolf
1. Magic Stars

Iron Covenant
1. Iron and Magic

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years
1. Magic Tides

Kate Daniels World
1. Blood Heir

Roman's Chronicles
1. Sanctuary

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows her time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.

Thoughts on Magic Triumphs: Kate and her father are sort of circling one another as they play the Wait and See game. Which means Kate know her father will eventually step in and try to take Atlanta from her and she has to find a way to stop him. Frankly, it seems like a tall order and all their options are not great. But Kate and Curran and their people aren't ones to give up so they keep fortifying and searching and making plans.

And then something new and terrible crosses their paths. Something bad enough that Kate is contemplating asking Roland to stand beside her as her ally. Which means things are DIRE.

As Kate attempts to unravel the mystery of what is harrowing them, Roland's cadre of assassins keep gunning for her kid. Plus, Curran is manifesting some new abilities. Kate's not going to stand for any of her family falling, so she has to deal with all those things while worrying about what's coming.

On the plus side, Kate and Hugh finally manage to meet in the middle. Well, sort of. Kate isn't happy to have Hugh near her at all and Hugh is...honestly, he's a changed man from the one he was when he was under Roland's thumb. I REALLY didn't imagine ever liking the guy, but I do. I like him.

A terrible enemy, big magic, assassins, bloodshed, family, the cutest cub imaginable, bigger magic, and Kate and Curran doing their best to make sure they all survive. MAN, this book brought the blood and battles in spades and, while I'm sorry to say goodbye to Atlanta, it was a VERY satisfactory ending.

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: September 2, 2025

Kate Daniels
0.5. A Questionable Client
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
3.5. Magic Mourns
4. Magic Bleeds
4.5. Magic Dreams
Curran POV Collection
5. Magic Slays
5.3. Magic Tests
5.4. Magic Gifts
5.5. Gunmetal Magic
5.8. An Ill-Advised Rescue
6. Magic Rises
6.5. Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts
9. Magic Binds - Paperback | Kindle
10. Magic Triumphs
Small Magics

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Grey Wolf
1. Magic Stars

Iron Covenant
1. Iron and Magic

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years
1. Magic Tides

Kate Daniels World
1. Blood Heir

Roman's Chronicles
1. Sanctuary

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar.

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in a never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules...

Thoughts on Magic Binds: Kate doesn't do things by half measures and, well, apparently she got THAT from her father. While these two are currently tip-toeing around one another so as not to upset the status quo, they're both, like, genetically unable to not make things big and messy. Which is kind of what I like about Kate.

Anywho. Kate and Curran have set a date for their wedding. They have Roman on board to marry them. And that's about as far in the wedding planning Kate made it to. Fortunately, Roman stepped up to get the rest done (you know, like, flowers and invitations and food and dresses and all that little, piddly stuff) while Kate actively avoids thinking about it.

To be fair, she's also dealing with her father kidnapping Saimon plus the unending threat of him going off his leash and doing his wild tower building thing. So, yeah, Kate has a lot on her plate. But then, when doesn't she.

So while the witch oracle is prophesizing doom and gloom, Kate has to figure out how to circumvent all the death and destruction and keep her, Curran, and any of their future kids alive and well. It's difficult. It's dangerous. It has Kate trying to think out of the box to upset Roland's apple cart so she and all her friends and family can live happily ever after.

Kate being Kate, she hatches a plan that's kind of off the boards. And somehow she makes it all fall into place.

I AM READY TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT!

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels #8) by Ilona Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 30, 2025

Kate Daniels
0.5. A Questionable Client
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
3.5. Magic Mourns
4. Magic Bleeds
4.5. Magic Dreams
Curran POV Collection
5. Magic Slays
5.3. Magic Tests
5.4. Magic Gifts
5.5. Gunmetal Magic
5.8. An Ill-Advised Rescue
6. Magic Rises
6.5. Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts - Paperback | Kindle
9. Magic Binds
10. Magic Triumphs
Small Magics

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Grey Wolf
1. Magic Stars

Iron Covenant
1. Iron and Magic

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years
1. Magic Tides

Kate Daniels World
1. Blood Heir

Roman's Chronicles
1. Sanctuary

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

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, Kate and Curran know that separating from the Pack completely is a process that will take time.

But when they learn that their friend Eduardo has gone missing, Kate and Curran shift their focus to investigate his disappearance. As they dig further into the merc’s business, they discover that the Mercenary Guild has gone to hell and that Eduardo’s recent assignments are connected in the most sinister way…

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.

Thoughts on Magic Shifts: Kate and Curran have left the Pack and things are...they're okay. I guess. Like, they both wanted it to happen. Leaving the Pack didn't break either of them. But it's also hard to go from full-steam ahead to hey, okay, we can take our time on things. Even if it's something you want.

All things considered, both Kate and Curran aren't great at relaxing. They're both driven protectors and they kind of need something to protect. Which isn't the worst problem to have because this is post-Shift Atlanta and Roland is flirting around the edges of everything and it's highly likely that SOMETHING will come up needing the two of them to get all protective.

Oh, hey. Here it is. Eduardo (the werebison) is missing and it turns out he and George have a thing. When Mahon (George's pop) declines to look for him (for some rather antiquated reasons), George asks Curran and Kate for help. Things might be complicated as they separate from the Pack, but Curran and Kate step up. And find themselves in the middle of something big. (Of course they're in the middle of something big. I don't think either Kate or Curran knows how to do small.)

Following the clues isn't difficult, but keeping all their friends alive and the city from being destroyed from a being that keeps escalating is not easy. Along the way, Kate has a major medical emergency, her dear old dad pops in for some quality one on one time, and there's a whole lot of ancient magic flying around. Not literally on that last part.

Danger, family ties, powerful magic, and a handful of people trying to keep it all from falling apart. *thumbs up*

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7) by Ilona Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 29, 2025

Kate Daniels
0.5. A Questionable Client
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
3.5. Magic Mourns
4. Magic Bleeds
4.5. Magic Dreams
Curran POV Collection
5. Magic Slays
5.3. Magic Tests
5.4. Magic Gifts
5.5. Gunmetal Magic
5.8. An Ill-Advised Rescue
6. Magic Rises
6.5. Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks - Paperback | Kindle
8. Magic Shifts
9. Magic Binds
10. Magic Triumphs
Small Magics

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Grey Wolf
1. Magic Stars

Iron Covenant
1. Iron and Magic

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years
1. Magic Tides

Kate Daniels World
1. Blood Heir

Roman's Chronicles
1. Sanctuary

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

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, but she must now deal with the affairs of the Pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel, ancient being with godlike powers.

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

Thoughts on Magic Breaks: Things are heating up with Roland and he's a complicated individual. As Kate is coming to realize. She might not be ready for their meeting, but it looks like it's going to happen whether she wants it or not. That said, Hugh d'Ambray is pushing things forward and he's about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

What does that mean? Well, Hugh is putting things in motion and Kate has to figure out how to keep herself and her people safe. When a shapeshifter is accused of murdering a Master of the Dead (something that could lead to all out war between the Pack and the People), Kate has to figure out who did the deed, why they did it (because Kate is thorough like that), and how to keep this mess from devolving into something she can't let happen.

Since things are never a straight line with Kate, soon she's dealing with a betrayal (which isn't really a shock), being abducted, and trying to keep herself and Ghastek alive long enough for Curran to find her. Waiting to be rescued isn't really Kate's thing, but sometimes a lady's gotta do what a lady's gotta do.

A murder, an investigation, betrayal, Pack politics, a visit with dear old dad, a Beast Lord who will stop at nothing when his mate's life hangs in the balance, and a lady who will do anything to keep her people safe. MAN, these are good books!

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews [Review]

Fated Blades (Kinsmen #3) by Ilona Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 28, 2025

Kinsmen
1. Silent Blade
2. Silver Shark
2.5. A Mere Formality
3. Fated Blades - Paperback | Kindle
The Kinsmen Universe (#1, 2, 2.5) - Paperback | Kindle

Ilona Andrews
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

At first glance, the planet Rada seems like a lush paradise. But the ruling families, all boasting genetically enhanced abilities, are in constant competition for power—and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. For generations, the powerful families have pushed and pulled each other in a dance for dominance.

Until a catastrophic betrayal from within changes everything.

Now, deadly, disciplined, and solitary leaders Ramona Adler and Matias Baena must put aside their enmity and work together in secret to prevent sinister forces from exploiting universe-altering technology. Expecting to suffer through their uneasy alliance, Ramona and Matias instead discover that they understand each other as no one in their families can—and that their combined skills may eclipse the risks of their forbidden alliance.

As the two warriors risk their lives to save their families, they must decide whether to resist or embrace the passion simmering between them. For now, the dance between their families continues—but just one misstep could spell the end of them both.

Thoughts on Fated Blades: We're back on Rada with the mysterious Kinsmen known as secare. Secretive, incredibly talented and powerful, the Adler and Baena families have been rivals (or gentlemanly enemies - as in, they both pretend the other family doesn't exist as long as they don't cross paths) for generations. Both families harbor the secare talent and it's better for everyone if they keep up the pretense that the other doesn't exist.

Circumstances, however, have brought Ramona and Matias into one another's orbit. Frankly, those circumstances have no idea what's about to hit them. Ramona and Matias might be enemies on paper, but they're remarkably alike in reality. And? There's a powerful attraction. Which they both push aside as best they can while dealing with the issue that brought them together.

To understate things, these two work VERY well together. And the more they work together, the more in sync they become. Which means their enemies are about to face a world of hurt.

Betrayal, a little mayhem, the uncovering of MANY secrets, death unleashed, and two people who are stronger together than they are alone. GOOD TIMES!

RtP's Week in Review (01/11/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews [Review] - A GLORIOUS new IA series!
• The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz [Review] - Psychic romance!
• River's End by Nora Roberts [Review] - A terrible crime and a sweet romance!
• Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews [Review] - Kinsmen!
• Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews [Review] - More Kinsmen!
• A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews [Review] - A Kinsmen short!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Nothing?? Nice!
• Currently reading
• Guarded by the Spider by Cassie Alexander