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.

Blog Book Chat (25) Finished!!

Oh my goodness!  This was on tough book to stop at the break, and I flew through to finish Magic Bleeds!  I don't know if I can wait a month and half to get to Magic Slays.  I'm going to have to read an anthology and Curran POVs to get me through until we chat about the next book.

So, we have come to the conclusion of this amazing book.  All in this book is fair game to talk about, and speculate on.  So lets get to business!

****WARNING:  There will be SPOILERS in the comments, and potentially in the questions too.

To get us started...

Robyn's Questions:
1.)  What do you think of Hugh putting a bodyguard on Kate?
2.)  How will Kate handle being an Alpha?
3.)  Will Andrea stay with the Order?  Maybe she could work for Kate.
4.)  In the next book, will Hugh be the next villain or worse, Roland?  I feel like we won't have a showdown with Roland until the very end.

Melissa's Questions:
1.)  We have learned more about Curran in this book.  Could there be something special about Curran's family?  It seems the long-lived Kate family knows about him.
2.)  What do you think of Kate's new "friends," the boudas?
3.)  Do you think we'll see Naeemah, the crocodile shifter again?  Will she help Kate against Hugh and her dad?
4.)  Where did Grendel go?  What do you think of the Black Dog story with him?

Anything else you would like to touch on, just mention in the comments.  We'll talk about anything in the book.

Teaser Tuesday (113)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

This Week:

I nicked my thumb with the point of a throwing knife and let a drop of my blood fall onto the herbs.  Magic surged through the dried grasses, like fire along a detonation cord, and exploded into the head.

Magic Bleeds
By:  Ilona andrews
81pg

Book Blog Chat (25) Stop 1!

Wow! This was a tough stop.  But we are at the half way point, and the chat is ready to go.

Come join us in the chat! :D

The chat is hosted by Robyn at The Bookoholic Zone.  Hope you join us! :D

Then we will be on to the last half of the book!  Hope you join us.

Book Blog Chat (25) Schedule

Well, Robyn and I are addicted.  You all were right.  I don't, and talking to Robyn she doesn't, want to stop reading these books.

So our next book pick to chat is:

Magic Bleeds
By:  Ilona Andrews
Synopsis:
Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community. 

And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

Schedule
Stop 1 ~ April 5, 2012 ~ End of Chapter 17, 178pg
Stop 2 ~ April 12, 2012 ~ End of book.

Do you think you'll join us?  I know there are many of you who have already read the book, but you could join us for the concluding chat of the book.