Book Review: Magic Bleeds

Magic Bleeds

By:  Ilona Andrews

Publisher:  Ace Fantasy

Publish Date:  June 2010

Format:  Paperback 349pgs, pocketbook size

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  4th book in Kate Daniels series; 1st Book ~ Magic Bites, 2nd Book ~ Magic Burns, 3rd book~ Magic Strikes, Short Stories ~ Curran POV 3 & 4

Recommendation:  Oh HELL YES! This is full of action!  Kate is non-stop at trying to kick butt, and die. And the secondary characters we love are here.

Book Synopsis:
Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren't for the magic.  When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start.  But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially, as a liaison with the mercenary guild.  Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle - especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.

When she's called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there's a new player in town.  One who's been around for thousands of years - and rode to war at the side of Kate's father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle.  Because this time Kate will be taking on family...

First Sentence:
No matter how carefully I patted the chopped apples into place, the top crust of my apple pie always looked like I'd tried to bury a dismembered body under it.

My Thoughts and Summary:
We start with a prologue; our dinner of Kate serving Curran.  However, Kate remembers a life long lesson taught to her.  The first chapter is three weeks after the said dinner.  Kate is still heartbroken.  Someone starts a fight at a border bar in neutral territory of Shapeshifters and The People, Steel Horse.  Both groups Kate is currently trying to avoid ~ lead by Curran and Roland.  At the Steel Horse, there is a dead body; infected and growing, spreading, and highly contagious.  Locked in the cellar, a dangerous creature...a dog, that seems harmless and likes Kate.  More attacks happen, The People ask for the Orders help (shocking!) then another attack including a shifters death and the Pack offers their assistance.  Just what Kate needs when her own family is after her.

Kate's personal life is a struggle for her; what she should do and what her heart says it wants, collide.  This is an internal struggle for Kate, and with this we learn more of her past and raising with her day.  Ilona and Gordon are wonderful at creating so many things through the action and happenings; a whole history, character development, and beliefs of a group or two.

I love the suspense used with the arrival of Curran in the books.  It makes me want him around more, and to love him and Kate when they are together.  We might be a little mad at Curran in this one.  But who can really stay mad at Curran?

When a book grabs me like this one did, I ask why.  Why was I so drawn in?  There are so many reasons.  I'm invested in the series and know the characters being the fourth book.  But I love all the book offers; action, fight, humor, love, and a kick butt storyline that keeps me wondering and wanting to find out.  And gives me clues along the way.  I just keep flipping pages!  This was the ABSOLUTE HARDEST book, I've ever read, I really could not put it down.

Coming into this book I wanted more about Roland and Roland in relation to Kate.  I needed that this time.  And I got some of what I wanted.  We didn't get Roland, himself, but we did get closer and learned more in that arena.  That appeased me greatly, and I look forward to getting closer to Roland as the books go.  I want to know more on Roland with Kate and I thought this could get interesting with this area of the story.  It is getting interesting, the connection made to Kate, and more that can come.  I NEED to see what happens with Kate, and with Kate and Curran.

Oh goodness! Just go read the book already!!!


**I read this book for my own enjoyment.
***This review is of my personal opinions.