This was such a difficult book to review as I had mixed feelings about the outcome of a major side plot. Still there was quite a bit I liked about the book. 
 I liked: 
 The world is rich. The Magic and Tech waves have to work with how the authors want things to play out. It's well used as a foreshadowing technique and often really sets the stage for the scenes. As a reader, after you've finished the book, you can really feel the planning as you think back along the plot line. I've spent lots of time day-dreaming trying to figure how Kate would handle a certain situation had magic been up instead of tech, or vice versa. 
 The dynamic between Andrea and Kate is one of the best female friendships in the UF book world. They always make me laugh. No matter how serious the plot gets, their banter can evoke a surprised giggle out of me. 
 The destruction and reconstruction of what we know of Kate's past. This was such a shock - in a good way - and nothing I expected at ALL. Fabulously woven by the authors. 
 We get the set up to have Kate get some magic training. 
 We learn that Curran - without a doubt - is with Kate for love, and not just as an ally. It was never really a question in my mind, but it was in Kate's. It's answered. 
 Ample character growth for several side/supporting characters. 
 Action. As always, lots of it. 
 (view spoiler)[ Knowledge that far more people know Kate is Roland's daughter than we and she expected (hide spoiler)]. 
 A pretty freaking fabulous plot. 
 What I didn't like: 
 The side plot with Julie. Major Spoiler (view spoiler)[ One of the large reoccurring statements in this book was that regular "vanilla" humans are weak and lack significant ways to protect themselves from those stronger than them or the ability to really affect any kind of social/monetary mobility in their lives and livelihoods. In this new world, only the magically blessed have "power". 
 Julie is weak and human, and though she has magic of a sort, it's not particularly terrifying to others and it doesn't afford her a lot of protection. Obviously, since she is weak and human and doesn't present a threat to others, she must be killed/maimed/injured because they can and she's in the way. I don't disagree with the theme or the logic of that in this setting, in this world. I do disagree with how it played out. 
 After Julie arrives at The Cutting Edge office, Kate should have sent her home to the Keep. It was the logical thing to do. Julie had just walked 100 miles to Atlanta from the boarding school and spent 3 nights camping out doors where I'm sure she didn't have normal amenities. Surely, she'd be tired. 
 And, mostly importantly, Kate KNEW that the Volhv she'd captured (who got away) was going to be attacking the office once a Magic wave surfaced to get back his staff. Why would she leave Julie there when he might strike while Kate was absent? Wards or no, shifters to protect her or no. If the office was a target... get her the hell out! Just didn't make sense to me. 
 Secondly, the result of her being infected with Lyc-V set my teeth on edge. Either she was going to become a shifter, which would make her a shifter and therefore not human weak and therefore not someone who needed as much looking after by Kate (an okay solution I suppose, but predictable), or...she was going to die. Except, neither of those things happened. 
 Kate, who heretofore has minimal magic training and has used it only minimally (though she has great power), was able to pull off a spell to cleanse Julie of said Lyc-V. In the process, she makes Julie hers "in truth", instead of by adoption, with the mixing of her blood with Julie's. Really? This is acceptable to Kate? The blood she's paranoid about is now running through Julie's veins. And that's okay? Um... suuuure. Now Julie will have to be as paranoid as Kate about her blood and she will now be of far more interest to Roland. Now, she's not just Kate's charity case, she's Kate's kid. While there might not have been a distinction to Kate (emotionally), there will be to Roland. He might have just killed her before. But, now. Yikes. 
 Oh, and a side effect of this spell is that Kate had to use the power-word "Obey" on Julie. Which means that Julie can now never disobey a directed order from Kate. Effectively curbing her free will. She is a slave to Kate, though she doesn't know it. Even though Kate would never treat her that way, that doesn't limit what it means. Kate is her "Master". I assume Julie will find out in next book by a carelessly phrased request/order from Kate. Either that or: Julie will be the next up and coming Kate, magically speaking. Kate's blood will have warped Julie into "something else". I dunno about the future, that's obviously up to the authors. But, this whole plot line bothered me because logically the setting was: Julie would die or be a shifter. The magic... didn't seem plausible to me since Kate lacked the training. Anyway, moving on (hide spoiler)]. 
 Kissing near entrails. Can I get an "Eww Eww"? Yucky, really. *shudders* 
 Large absence of Dali/Jim. They are favorite characters of mine, and I sorely missed them.