Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels Book 3)
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4.7 (9,610 ratings)

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels Book 3)

by Ilona Andrews

About this book

Atlanta is a city caught in the violent ebb and flow of magical waves, and mercenary Kate Daniels is the only one equipped to handle the fallout. In this gripping third installment of the series, the stakes hit home when Kate finds her dear friend, the wolf-shifter Derek, clinging to life after a brutal attack. Her investigation pulls her deep into the city’s dangerous underworld, forcing her to infiltrate the Midnight Games—a lethal, invitation-only fighting tournament where monsters test their limits for sport.

As Kate navigates this deadly arena, she finds herself working in reluctant tandem with Curran, the formidable Lord of the Beasts. Their volatile chemistry crackles, adding a layer of intense tension to a high-stakes mystery that threatens to dismantle the city’s fragile shapeshifting hierarchy. Fans of urban fantasy will find themselves hooked by the seamless world-building and the sharp, witty banter that anchors the action.

If you crave a strong female lead who refuses to back down, this is your next obsession. It is a masterful blend of visceral combat, dark conspiracies, and slow-burn paranormal romance. With its perfect balance of humor and heart-pounding suspense, this high-octane ride proves exactly why the series remains a titan of the genre.

Publication Date
May 25, 2026
ASIN
B003QP4DVS

Reader Reviews

5 stars of perfection :)

June 11, 2019

You guys... *takes a deep breath* this was such an amazing book :) like... I have no words good enough to describe all of the feelings I have about it, but I will do my best to articulate as much of them to convince you to pick it up if you haven't already... ;) since this is book #3 in a series all about one main character and things in later installments build up on events from the previous stories, I will divide my review into two parts... the next paragraph will be completely spoiler free,...

Kate and the Fools Rock the Urban Fantasy Genre

June 12, 2010

Hands down, Magic Strikes is my favorite of the first three books in the Kate Daniels series. While maintaining a level of excellence in both originality and execution of the plot, a standard for this series, this story is sleeker and more streamlined than the first two, to positive effects. Where the first two books had complexity almost to the point of convolution, the plot of Magic Strikes is cleaner, perhaps a bit simpler, but definitely far more personal to Kate and her friends. As a...

Magic Strikes Review

December 20, 2009

I really enjoyed each installment of the series. I like stories that have solid realistic characters. I really like stories with a strong female lead. This story has it all. Kate is a great heroine, flaws and all. I love her vulnerability, her practicality, and her courage. I love her dedication to her friends and the continual relationship with the orphan girl. The plot was fine, no complaints there. I enjoyed the integration of different cultural mythologies, unique and much appreciated. This...

What's on the menu tonight?

May 14, 2013

Love, love, love. These just keep getting better as I read further into the series. The Good It starts out with action and humor (hello - a banshee on a telephone pole), and continues with more emotion and a harder hitting plot throughout. Let's start with characters. I love the characters in this series so much. Derek the werewolf is one of my favorites and is pretty central to this story. Then Julie who was a new addition in the last book shows some great growth. Some other side characters...

Amazing Characters, Phenomenal World Building & Fun

June 6, 2013

I really liked the first two books in this series - Magic Bites & Magic Burns - but they didn't come close to pulling me in the way Magic Strikes did. Mentioning it is really kind of silly because if pressed, I couldn't give you a concrete reason. Just another one of those unanswerable questions I suppose. Regardless of why, this book is my favorite in the series so far. That being said, I also can't really decide what I like most about the Kate Daniels series. The world building is phenomenal....

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