Magic Rises & Theirs Not To Reason Why

The seventh book in Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series (assuming you include Gunmetal Magic) deals primarily with Hugh d’Ambray and has a small side-focus on some of the Shapeshifters in Europe. While the basic situation and various plot/romantic developments come across as rather contrived, the general feel of the book is similar enough that it ends up enjoyable regardless. The one-liners help.

The Theirs Not to Reason Why series (A Soldier’s Duty, An Officer’s Duty, Hellfire), authored by Jean Johnson, has an uncommon central concept and an expansive setting. The story centers around an extremely powerful psychic (capable of seeing the entirety of the past, present, future, and all of the alternate realities thereof) who upon discovering that the universe will be completely destroyed by an overwhelming outside force sets her life upon the one narrow path that can lead to the avoidance of that fate.

Despite being so heavily focused on predestination and following a painstakingly exact schedule, the first two books do not come across as contrived or feel particularly forced. Which is impressive. The third book on the other hand does not quite manage that feat. It has a couple of moments here and there that manage to feel organic, but the majority comes across as a dictated compilation of deus ex machina. That’s not to say its bad or unreadable, it’s just not as engrossing as the first two.


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