Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Review: Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Series, #4) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds is one of my most anticipated books of the year, and thank all the deities it was not a disappointment. If you're reading the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews then you know this is the fourth book in the series. If you haven't read Magic Bleeds yet, then you better hold on tight and get ready for the ride, believe me it's a great one!

Magic Bleeds begins exactly where Magic Strikes ends, with Kate fixing dinner for Curran and when things don't exactly work out as she expects, getting royally pissed. But as glorious as Kate is in her anger, she manages to control herself, barely. Instead, she takes a call from the Order of Knights of Merciful Aids to investigate a fight and winds up at the Steel Horse where the remnants of a bar room brawl left behind a dead shape shifter and a common decease that has been magically turned into a disgusting plague-like mess! The perpetrator is long gone and Kate is off on a new adventure, and what an adventure it is.

As in the first three books, Andrews doesn't make it easy for Kate as she and her friends take on larger than life mythology based foes. Only this time she'll be delving into ancient Hebrew and Babylonian mythology and scrolls to find her answers and there's family to take into consideration.

But Kate also has to work with the shape shifters throughout her investigation and her relationship with the Beast Lord is more hostile than friendly at the moment. The outcome of that one scene at the beginning of the book sets up Kate and Curran's interactions for the rest of the book, and we're in for a bumpy ride and an explosive outcome when it comes to these two.

Did I love Kate in this book? You bet! Her internal dialogue and reactions when it came to Curran had me rolling on the aisles at times. I do love the way that woman thinks. There has been real growth in Kate's character and that can be seen in Magic Bleeds in spades, although the Kate we first met in Magic Bites is still very much there. Curran is also a huge presence in this book. His reactions to Kate were delicious although I must admit to being surprised at the final outcome to their slow building relationship in this book -- not that I was disappointed or anything, just that it was a tad unexpected.

The crew of recurring secondary characters, Kate's friends and some common foes the shape shifters, the mercenary guild, the necromancers, Andrea and Saiman are back making this story flow. Although I would say that the intriguing Saiman definitely stole every scene where he was included. Some new shifter characters are introduced and through them we get a new perspective into the shape shifter's world.

I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't sure how the Andrews writing team was going to up the ante after Magic Burns and Magic Strikes, but there's no question that they accomplished it with Magic Bleeds. There's absolutely no waste to this book. The multiple threads are weaved and gathered and not one is left hanging, the action is non-stop making the pacing a quick one. The dialogue and character interaction keeps the reader involved from beginning to end and the characterization is outstanding all around.

It's no secret that this is my favorite urban fantasy series and there's a good reason for it, it's an excellent one. I can tell you right now that Magic Bleeds will definitely make it to my top ten favorite books of the year!

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels series (Book 4)
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Grade: A

Visit Ilona Andrews here.

11 comments:

  1. One of the best UF series out there and yet I still haven't started Magic Bleeds. :( I've got a bunch of books I really need to get to first. Must read faster!

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  2. I second to that Leslie!!!

    And how could I resist a book based on such great review like you always do Hils? You gave it an A!!!! I just got the Kindle version from Amazon starting with Magic Bites and bumped this up on top of my TBR list after finishing my NR tonight. I'm excited! Thank you very m

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  3. YES! I loved this book. I'm so looking forward to how everything plays out for the rest of the series. I love Kate! I think she's fantastic.

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  4. Oh Leslie! I can't wait for you to read this book! You waited? I couldn't wait to read it, I was too excited. :D

    Natalie, this is an A series for me! I hope you enjoy it. Kate is just the best and well... Curran is not bad either, lol!

    Mariana. Yes, yes, yes! I can't wait to see what happens next. The wait it was left off leaves lots of things open and well... so many possibilities. Fantastic!

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  5. You've hit the nail right on with "There's absolutely no waste to this book." I love, love, love this series too and am in love with Kate and Curran. I am so amazed by much happened in this one book. Love all the friendships and romance...aaah, such a long way to go until the next book!

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  6. Tabitha, I devoured this book, but there was just so much info in there... you're right! And I know what you mean, one whole year till the next installment. Can't wait. :)

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  7. It seems I have another UF series to try out. I just started the Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series and love it, so I can see me looking for this one asap as well.

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  8. Amy, I hope you give this series a try, it's definitely worth it. It just keeps getting better. :)

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  9. Great review, Hils :D

    The strength of this series is definitively Kate's character. The way she thinks, the way she acts, it's simply good LOL. The Andrews team were able to come up with a hero that could stand up to her :) and finally, they've come up with plots to back it up :)

    I do think Curran should have grovel a bit more :P

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  10. Hilcia, I LOOOOOVE your review and have no doubts that I'm going to feel the same way as you about this story when I read it. Every time I read a book from this series I say it's my favorite UF series... and then I read the next Mercy Thompson book and say THAT's my favorite UF series... and I go back and forth all year long. LOL.

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  11. Nath, I just love Kate... your comment is right on the money. LOL, poor Curran... more groveling? I don't think His Fuzziness knows how. *g*

    Christine, thank you! You have to read it! I can't wait for your reaction to this book. :) I MUST get to Mercy Thompson... there's one I've put off reading for way tooo long. :(

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