Title: Magic Bleeds
Series: Kate Daniel Series - Book 4
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Swords and Beastly stuff
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publication date: 25 May 2010
Pages: 384
The Blurb: From Amazon -
Kate Daniels works for the Order of the 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 midway 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 Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family...
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I remember being in one of my binge-book buying modes when I picked up these two "urban-ish" fantasy books a while back. I was in a trigger-happy-Amazon-buying mood at the time, and when the books arrived, I was not too sure that they were for me.
Series: Kate Daniel Series - Book 4
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Swords and Beastly stuff
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publication date: 25 May 2010
Pages: 384
The Blurb: From Amazon -
Kate Daniels works for the Order of the 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 midway 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 Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember being in one of my binge-book buying modes when I picked up these two "urban-ish" fantasy books a while back. I was in a trigger-happy-Amazon-buying mood at the time, and when the books arrived, I was not too sure that they were for me.
One of the books happened to be Ilona Andrew's "Magic Bites". At that particular time, I didn't really think much of the cover. It seemed a little too low-brow for my snobbish-self (I'm a terrible human, this is true), even as the blurb intrigued me to no end, however I ended up reading the other book first. I loved that other one quite a bit -Lisa Shearin's Raine Benaras book - excellent book, you should totally pick it up.
So I avoided reading the book for a whole week (the horror!), but eventually gave in as I felt the keen eye of the Lion poring at my back at every interval. Cue 2 hours later, and I was glad I read it. It was FANTASTIC. It is now one of my favourite series - FULL TO THE STOP - and perish the thought about the cover being not so great. I love it. I love everything about the series.WHO DARE SAYS ANTHING BAD ABOUT IT?!
Such is the life of one that clearly goes bananas over a good book. But hey, people have gone to war over much less. ;-)
And so began my love affair with the Kate Daniels series.
Having read the first three in the series, it was with breathless anticipation that I awaited for the fourth. An aptly titled Magic Bleeds.
For three books, we have watched this relationship grow between the Lady Sword and her Beastly Lord. For three books we have enjoyed the witty rapport between the two and have enjoyed the laughter and much tears. And so arrives this wonderful story, wrapped up in paper and loving words from the great duo known as Ilona Andrews. I can safely say, this is one of my all time favourite books and I do not say this lightly. They have writen a wonderfully engaging book, without a word out of place or in excess. For that I commend them greatly, and moreso than that, my arm commends them even more given the number of times I have carried that book along with me during my travels on the tube at work.
Now onto the book itself and why it rocks.
- Kate is as wonderful as ever. A bundle of fierce and vulnerability which makes her incredibly real to her readers. She's brave, sometimes reckless in her pursuit to save others, and a real heart of gold underneath that scratchy surface. One of my favourite quote of hers comes at the end, and it shows how much she has in her for those that she cares about most. It had me in tears and will no doubt be one of my favourite lines for a long time.
- The Beast Lord, the wonderful swoonsome Curran, is just as fierce with an edge of softness and a whole lot of bite. He also has words that melt you! Yet they're not flowery poetry of yore. Rather, they appear to come from the heart and are oh so sincere and it makes you fall in love with this fun character ever more.
- Jim, for he is big and badass and so incredibly funny in the most coolest of ways. Just don't niggle him back. He will no doubt make you pay in kind. :p
- Derek, Saiman, Dr Doolittle, Andrea, Dali and a whole bunch of characters that we have loved before are back. And better than ever.
- But best of all, is the villain. Toughest of them all and we thought the ending of Magic Strikes was particularly difficult.
There is so much much I can say about this book, but I would rather not. For the lovers of the KD series, no doubt you have read this as soon as it was out. For everyone else, do pick it up, I urge you even. You will not regret it.
