Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels series spoilers)

[snshne322]

ufcasey You've finished this right?  What did you think?

I reread 1-5, but didn't wait to reread the rest before reading 10 and I think I missed out on a lot.  I forgot a significant amount.  I wish I had spent the time.  

Some thoughts:

* I appreciate that we didn't have to do the newborn phase with Conlan.  I was not super excited about spending so much of the focus on the last book with a baby.  I think it was a good balance.

* I need to go and ready the Dali/Jim story.  I don't love her character and I think it may be because I missed out on some of her character building.  

* I think it was a clever way of getting rid of Roland and Neig at the same time.  I also appreciate that they don't spend a ton of time over writing the battle scenes.  

* I had to Google who Julie was talking about with Erra in the epilogue.  Hugh?  I still have to read his book so perhaps that will shed some light.  What do you think is in store for Julie and Erra?  I'll forever be on the Julie/Derek train.  I hope he shows up again, he was such a side character in this one which makes me think we haven't seen the last.

I'm sad it's over!

[pixy0stix]

It was a rehash of the greatest hits, and it was so boring. It was the worst out of the entire series, bringing nothing new to the table. Two thumbs down.

ETA: OH, and did you know that Kate would do ANYTHING to protect her family?! I was so glad that I was reminded about this every other page, because I had no idea.

[snshne322]

pixy0stix , when you put it like that, I think I need to re-evaluate my thoughts! I agree with your points. I know that we have to wrap up the arc of lonely merc to happy family, but it’s a bit much.

If I had to go back and rewrite a part of the series, I don’t think Curran should have left the pack. The marked shift in their story took away from Curran and Kate as a unit and I don’t think they really recovered from that.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 27, 2018 20:54:29 GMT -5 snshne322 said:

pixy0stix , when you put it like that, I think I need to re-evaluate my thoughts! I agree with your points. I know that we have to wrap up the arc of lonely merc to happy family, but it’s a bit much.

If I had to go back and rewrite a part of the series, I don’t think Curran should have left the pack. The marked shift in their story took away from Curran and Kate as a unit and I don’t think they really recovered from that.

LOL! I didn't mean to bring anyone down with me.

Yes, I entirely agree that when Curran left the pack, the books took a downturn. The story arc went on for way too long, and you can tell they lost interest in what they were writing. 

[snshne322]

The family got too large to keep strait, too. I feel like it should have been Curran, Kate, Julie, Derek and maybe one other. It got to be too much keeping everyone's shit in line.

I feel like there were holes in the story, or maybe I was sleep reading. I remember the pack came to ask Kate to release Ascanio from Cutting Edge and then there was the parts where they weren't sure if the pack was going to back them up against Neig. How did we get to the point where the pack was for sure there? Was it the meeting with the Conclave when Hugh showed up?

Clearly my attention wasn't all there.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 28, 2018 7:12:44 GMT -5 snshne322 said:

How did we get to the point where the pack was for sure there? Was it the meeting with the Conclave when Hugh showed up?

I think so? The end was so rushed, without the usual backstory on how things were planned out, that it wasn't specifically stated.

[ufcasey]

Sorry forgot to come back to this! Yes, I read it and I enjoyed it but my standards were pretty low - it just had to be NOT terrible LOL! I just love this series and was sad for it to end, so I didn't read it with the cynical eye I generally give to every other book. I was totally not objective, and I admit it.

But if I wanted to actually judge it...

Things I liked:
- Conlan as a shape-shifting toddler was amusing
- Hugh/Elara showing up (I liked Hugh's book and the overlapping plot)
- Finally an answer to what was the outcome of Curran eating that God-cat thing in the earlier book where Kate was kidnapped and taken to that floating palace thing?
- A good ending for Kate's dad. I didn't think she would kill him.

Things I disliked:
- Dali showing up (I just don't like her as a character at all)
- The pack being mostly absent from the book (they have been so involved in this series, so for them to not get much page time on the final send off was a little sad)
- Basically no one important died (minus Kate sorta)
- Erra potentially being part of a future story with Julie (not sure I will enjoy that)
- The new big baddie of this book. He was ok with meeting Kate with his entire army at a specific date/place just because she asked? Yeah, ok. Also, of course he was a new person and he was a dragon because why not? I would have rather this focused solely on Roland

[ufcasey]

Sept 26, 2018 12:44:15 GMT -5 snshne322 said:

* I had to Google who Julie was talking about with Erra in the epilogue.  Hugh?  I still have to read his book so perhaps that will shed some light.  What do you think is in store for Julie and Erra?  I'll forever be on the Julie/Derek train.  I hope he shows up again, he was such a side character in this one which makes me think we haven't seen the last.

So this was purposely left unclear, I think for a future book. But the assumption seems to be Hugh. Which would mean he is somehow the actual son of Roland? If I understood it correctly? I am all for Julie/Derek too!

[AJL]

Did anyone read Magic and Iron before they read Magic Triumphs? I haven't read MT yet. I'm starting with Magic and Iron first. It was recommended by a friend to do that first.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 28, 2018 19:26:28 GMT -5 AJL said:

Did anyone read Magic and Iron before they read Magic Triumphs? I haven't read MT yet. I'm starting with Magic and Iron first. It was recommended by a friend to do that first.

There are obviously a lot of things that I missed by not reading Magic and Iron that are mentioned in MT. They didn't do a good job meshing both storylines in MT.

[ufcasey]

Yeah I would definitely say read Hugh's book before Magic Triumphs. There's some backstory needed from that book.

[snshne322]

Agreed. It would have been more helpful to have read Hugh's book.