Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
349 pages
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Magic Bleeds starts off where Magic Strikes (Book 3) leaves off. To prevent spoilers, I will just say that what you are anticipating after finishing Magic Strikes you will read about in the first few pages of Magic Bleeds. Kate is still working for the Order as a consultant and Curran is still running The Pack as Beast Lord. The story starts off with Kate being called in to investigate a fight at a local bar. She discovers that not only is it a fight with major carnage, the behavior of the bar patrons is not typical of a normal bar fight. Through her investigation she finds that the person responsible for the bar fight is linked to her in a very unique way and is ready to put Kate to ultimate test and fight of her life.Where do I start with this book? Well, it’s the last one that is published at the moment and while Ilona Andrews has a contract for three more books, her fans are left pining for the moment when the next book is released. And pine we will because this book lived up to what the series has been so far and has what I have been looking for…a much more layered story. Kate and Curran’s relationship finally comes to a head and she has to decide if her lifestyle can mesh with Curran’s responsibilities as the head of The Pack. Kate’s background finally gets described in full force in this book and sets up the subsequent books for an ultimate battle that is sure to be nail biting.
The one thing in this book that kept it from being my favorite in the series was the development in Kate and Curran’s relationship. There is a minor spoiler here about the development, so scan down to the next paragraph if you don’t want to see! I was appalled at how Kate and Curran finally end up together. It was a fairly violent fight scene that ended in them consummating their relationship. Why does it have to be violent? It was just a big turn off for me and kept me from truly enjoying the rest of the book as much as I probably would have if it had not included a fight (in fact, that’s the only reason it didn’t get 4.5 or 5 stars from me). After this initial scene, their relationship does normalize. I should note that the world is a very different world and Kate is a tough mercenary-type so the scene fits in with her tough upbringing. I wouldn’t let this turn you off of the books by any means. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
The battles in the book are awesome and Kate breaks the mold with toughness. Even with the romantic storyline that has developed throughout the series, it hasn’t taken over Kate’s ability to handle herself. She is tough as nails and is an excellent swordfighter, and her supernatural abilities are beginning to be explained more and take shape more than ever. She still exhibits her characteristic snark through part of the book, but it quickly becomes a much more serious story where Kate and the rest of her friends are in real danger and face a foe that is the most menacing yet. I actually had serious doubts about who would and wouldn’t survive in this book!
I cannot wait for the fifth book in the series to come out. As of September 2010, Ilona Andrews’ website says that the fifth book is still untitled and is under contract. It’s a good thing that I haven’t read her On the Edge series yet because I am aching for more from this husband and wife writing team! This series has been infinitely fun, and I am waiting to see how the overall story arc is going to come together in the next three books. Through these four, the suspense has just built up rather than fizzle out like some series tend to do. If you are looking for a series that takes you on a wild ride, I highly recommend picking up these books! Kate Daniels is no wallflower, and I love it!
*Notice of Disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin Books.
**I am a Book Depository and IndieBound afilliate so If you purchase any of the books I have featured through the links I posted or from the banners in my left hand sidebar, I get a small commission from them. I am in no way compensated for the reviews I post of my books.
Links of Note
- I read this as a mini read-a-long with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book. Click here to read her review of Magic Bleeds.
- My Review of Magic Bites (Book 1: Kate Daniels)
- My Review of Magic Burns (Book 2: Kate Daniels)
- My Review of Magic Strikes (Book 3: Kate Daniels)
- Chachic posted about a Curran's POV short story on her blog that Ilona Andrews wrote. Here is the link to Chachic's Book Nook for the info.
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