Thank you so much to Steven, for sending this to me as an early Christmas present! <---how cool is this guy?! The main plot had some of the elements I always expect from the Andrews. They seem to find a way to incorporate unusual lore into their stories and this is no exception with the addition of The Hunter, Evil Mermaids and others. This also has plenty of action with a dose of IA’s trademark humor. I don’t want to say more about the main plot other than I think it was the best of all the novellas. This is by far my favorite novella in the series Anything Ilona Andrews writes is magic. If you ever take anything away from my years of wisdom that I am willing to share with you, this is the most important lesson. Maybe 5.0 stars. I need time to reassemble both my head and my heart b/c OHMYGAWD, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I'm at a loss for words. It was too good to be coherent after reading it. Derek and Julie! Wow! This pulled on all the heart strings. Could two people be any more perfect for each other? I've always shipped Derek and Julie, but now I really really ship them extra hard.

I totally loved every second I got to spend with Julie and Derek. The way they interact and work together, they made a fantastic team. Julie accepts Derek for exactly who he is and she seems to get him better than anyone else and vice versa. Watching them play off each other was so much fun. There were some revelations made that have been hinted towards in the main series but this novella totally clarified a few things and I was the most interested in some of the things I learned about Roland, Hugh and especially Julie. Derek and Julie have been close since their near death experiences. And I've hoped that their friendship would bud into a romance. Julie is 16 and Derek is 20; not a big age difference but at their ages it's still too big for anything real to happen. But after reading Magic Stars . . . See also: 3 Musketeers (chocolate bar) The US version (left) and global version (right) of Milky Way The US (left) and global (right) bars each feature different types of filling. Here's what IA had to say in response to a reader who obviously (like me) wanted more about Julie and the rest of the crew:As to the maybe, possibly, potential romance -- I’ve never been a huge Derek/Julie shipper (I can take it or leave it), but then, we get a line like this: The wilderness never bothered him. He loved it.

I think I've run out of sensible words to say about this series. I love the characters, love the world building, love the mythology, the action, the friendships, the relationships, the humour. Everything is just pretty much perfect. Kate and Curran are my favourite fictional couple and the series has some of the best side characters you'll ever come across so rereading these books is like catching up with old friends. Emotional Food Ad Slogans". blubberbuster.com. Archived from the original on 2011-12-10 . Retrieved 2012-02-07. And the moral of this particular rererereread is: this story is actually a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. It’s the truthful truth, I promise! Don’t believe me? Read this behind-the-scenes dialogue between Julie and Derek, and see for yourself: There are answers to a few things I wondered about...some hints thrown out there….a big reveal or five mini ones that added up to a bigger one for me *squee* AND at the end of this I might have stood up and happy danced. Although you have no proof as there isn’t an embarrassing video on youtube to my knowledge

THOMAS SABO Magic Stars: mystic and elegant

I won't say a lot about the plot because it is a novella and I don't want to risk spoiling anything, but I will say that a lot of new, interesting, world-building things appear. And a few WORLD-CHANGING things are revealed. I think I'd known some of the revelations from previous books, but the extent of the implications and knowledge of that was nothing compared to what I learned here. I can't wait to see how this affects everything going forward. Considering we're in the home-stretch of the main story-arc of the series, this story just amps up my excitement - and worry - for everyone I love in this series. I think it would have been really better with more friendship (maybe some bromance, the storyline is really good for bromance but there is none...). The friendship is good but not enough developed, that's a pity. And maybe less episodes or better transitions/logical development between each "arc"/episode. But the drama is good overall, at least to watch one time and it will be a good memory ! This story centers around Derek's investigation into the murder of a human family with ties to Kate and Curran. He takes it personally when someone murders children. Julie gets pulled into the investigation when the case she is working ends up tied to his. If you read Kate Daniels, I don't highly recommend this book . . . I INSIST you read it. And all the real fangirls (and boys) will. So next year, when you're gearing up to read KATE #9, and you see a bunch of posts like, "OMG, what's Hugh (<------hell, yes, I did just name drop) going to do now that _______?!" or, "Is Julie going to tell Kate ________?" you won't get to spew your righteous anger b/c spoilers, b/c NOT SPOILERS. Not if you're current. No, Hugh’s book that is the April Fools joke. People have requested it at libraries. We are writing it.