The story continues, and Kate's back story gets fleshed out a bit more. This is also the point where the series turns into paranormal romance, I think. Kate's relationship with Curran was always heading in this direction, and it seems they've both finally realised it, which is something. Perhaps the antagonism between them will get toned down a bit now. I hope so, because the romance aspect is the part of this I'm least interested in; I enjoy romance, but I tend to prefer romances where people are nicer to each other. The constant squabbling is meant to denote sexual tension, I know, but I always end up wanting to send them to their (separate) rooms until they grow the hell up and start being less, well, juvenile.

Magic Strikes is, on the other hand, particularly strong in one aspect I really enjoy but which I don't always find in urban fantasy: a well-developed cast of supporting characters. The care that's been put into the setting has come out here as well, and each book in this series seems to add to the social setting as well as the physical/magical one. I particularly enjoy the addition of Andrea, the reluctant hyena shapeshifter who becomes Kate's best friend. I tend to roll my eyes at protagonists who have no mates (doubly so when the protagonist is a woman with no women friends) and so the increasing focus on the supporting case is something I find really appealing.