Review: Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Binds
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels, #9
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Pages: 384
Rating:

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

I caught Curran giving me an interested look. Was he actually ... Yep, he was checking me out. Yeah, where were you last night, buddy? I would've stayed awake ... Well, no. Probably not. 

It is no secret that I am obsessed with the Kate Daniels Series and I was blown away how good this book was. Basically SHIT IS FINALLY HAPPENING! Can we all say OMFG! Give me more of this amazing series! I am so ready for more!

In MAGIC BINDS Kate and Curran are getting ready to finally have their wedding. Like actual wedding planning is happening, people! And people are driving Kate crazy, the usual! Haha! But Kate's father has kidnapped Saiman and Kate wants to get him back at any costs. Oh, and we have some development in the big reveal from the previous book, That means close your eyes if you haven't read the previous book!

Yes, he did. Oh he did. Now was really the wrong time to screw with me. My magic shot out of me. All of the anger I'd been trying to keep under the lid boiled out. 

Kate finds out that Roland wants Kate's future child and she is going to go through hell and back to make sure that doesn't happen. So Kate basically needs help to defeat her father from..... *BEEP* (ummm...yeah, you didn't really expect me to spill, did you?) MAGIC BINDS was everything and more! Things I totally didn't expect happened and I loved it all.

We get to have Kate fighting her dark side, we get lots of backstory on Kate's ancestors (which I loved), wedding happenings, and just enjoying Kate and Curran. One thing was this book totally had the final installment feels, but it totally isn't and there's more! I get to enjoy! And the ending?! OMFG! Like I said, SHIT IS FINALLY HAPPENING! AND IT'S GETTING EPIC!

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Review: Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Shifts
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels, #8
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Pages: 352
Rating:

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

I have to say for the record, I never in a million years thought I would be disappointed with a Kate Daniels book, EVER! I swear that 2015 is not my year. I have been disappointed in almost every highly anticipated book of 2015 on my list, but a few. I don't even know where to start with MAGIC SHIFTS. Basically I assumed this book would be different, I mean in the previous book, Kate met her father, Roland and she claimed the city. But, Roland demanded that she also could not be in a position of power that she gets by being the Beast Lord's Consort. So she needed to leave the pack, but she could not leave the pack and still be with Curran, because he is the Beast Lord, so he decided to leave it all. So in this book we are experiencing how it is like for Curran and Kate leading somewhat peaceful lives since the are not apart of the keep any longer.

“Why, of course, Your Majesty. What was I thinking? I will go and do this right away, just please don’t look at me.” “Kate, get in the car.” “Maybe you should growl dramatically. I don’t think I’m intimidated enough.” 

Do I believe the book wasn't as great as the others because Curran and Kate were no longer apart of the keep? Yes and no. I think I was so used to the keep and Curran being Beast Lord. And I don't care what anyone says, Curran will always be the Beast Lord! I mean Kate still calls him, his majesty! I miss the craziness of a lot of the pack members you got in the previous book by driving Kate and sometimes Curran nuts. But we still get to see a lot of the pack members, because the do come and visit Kate and Curran. And anyone who decided they want to leave the keep with Kate and Curran may also do so. Everything just fell so out of place with this. I guess, I just don't like change. Haha!

What really had turned me off was the plot and storyline. A lot of the time it is the focal point of the book, so if the plot is no good, I have trouble even being interested in the book in the first place. This is the first time in a Kate Daniels book that I wasn't into the book because of the plot. It was so fucking boring that I found my myself skimming! Skimming a fucking Kate Daniels book! I don't do that! And this book made me want to do that! And I do feel like this book was a filler book. It felt like a filler book to me because of the nonsense of the plot and the plot had to happen to discover something that is vital to the continuation of this series. Oh, and what the fuck! Did Hugh get written out or something? He's mentioned, but I want my crazy psychopath back!

I would kill him. “Just so I get it right, Jim calls you and says, ‘Hey, we found a horde of ghouls in the MARTA tunnels,’ and your first thought was, ‘Great, I’ll take the kids’?” 

But that does not mean that I did not like the book at all. I semi-liked it because I did love the character developments and great dialogue that Ilona Andrews is famous for. We got Kate, Curran and Julie trying the whole dynamic family thing. Cute. We had pack members who remain completely loyal to Kate and Curran still no matter who the new Beast Lord is. And Oh.my.god. (view spoiler) And I don't care what anyone says, the best moment in this whole book is when George (aka Mahon's daughter) and Curran totally BURN Mahon! He's finally getting a taste of his own medicine on how much a asshole he is! Oh, yeah! Like I said, Best.Moment.Ever. And we do get some Roland, like one freaking scene. Yeah, Daddy's crazy! And Kate finally finds out what he's after and she plans to do everything in her power to prevent it!

All and all, I did like MAGIC SHIFTS, but I didn't love it. I don't expect to love every freaking book in every one of my favorite series, there's bound to be some duds. This one wasn't freaking horrible, it was just okay and didn't pack the punch that the rest of them did for me. This one basically felt like a filler book and felt so unlike the rest of them. But it had great Kate Daniels moments and great dialogue. You'll still laugh and enjoy it. I just want the next one, because of that ending. Things are definitely getting interesting and I can't wait for Kate to grow stronger with her magic being a key factor.

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Review: Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews

Title: Burn For Me
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Hidden Legacy, #1
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Pages: 384
Rating:

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

"Now I have something to prove to you," he said. "I promise you, I will win, and by the time I'm done, you won't walk, you'll run to jump into my bed." 

I have been waiting for this book for so long and it's finally here and it was so good. I will read anything that Ilona Andrews writes, because the story is always amazing with great plot, dialogue and characters you will love.

In this new world, it is all about the magic and our heroine Nevada Baylor is forced to take on a assignment that is extremely dangerous and one where she may die where she is searching for fire starter, Adam Pierce, but if she doesn't she and her family loose everything. Mad Rogan is also looking for Adam for entirely different reasons. He kidnapps Nevada to gain any and all information she has on Adam, but Nevada is one tough cookie and won't give in to this man, and so they work together to get Adam Pierce.

“You seem to be under the impression that I work for you and you can give me orders. Let me fix that." I hung up.” 

I loved our heroine Nevada Taylor, she the typical Ilona Andrews heroine. She's somewhat normal and would do anything for her family and to keep them safe, and she's totally bad ass at times. And wants to be with someone who loves her or will truly care for me, but she finds herself wildly attracted to Mad Rogan who she doesn't want to start a relationship with at all.Well, Mad Rogan plans to win that battle with Nevada and have her.

Mad Rogan is kinda a sociopath, but one of those good sociopath's you want to love. He has this idea where he does not follow the law. He basically is the law, if he decides someone is threatening him and he finds them annoying he will kill them, and that is not okay with Nevada. But in someway Nevada brings in strength and light to him in his darkest moments and he is very attracted to her and declares he will win her at any cost.

"I just realized I shouldn't be in the same vehicle with you. In fact, I shouldn't have called you in the first place, so I'm trying very hard to rewind time." He grinned. I"ve amused the dragon. Whee. 

In Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series I really enjoyed the run and chase, sexual tension, and "I will make you mine" part of the series, and I am looking forward to that in the Hidden Legacy series as well. For me, it's the best part of books like these. So I am being tortured waiting for next book in this series and I cannot wait to get more Nevada and Mad Rogan.

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Review: Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Breaks
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels, #7
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Pages: 302
Rating:

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

"Your sword is made out of your grandmother’s bones?” “Okay, I see how it sounds weird when you say it in that tone of voice…”

I was so very excited and nervous to read MAGIC BREAKS. Excited, because finally I get my hands on another Kate Daniels book and nervous, because I've heard very scary things. You must be warned that some spoilers will be included because it's just not possible to review this book then, except saying how awesome it was, but I want to say so much more!

In the previous book Hugh D'Ambery finally makes his appearance and in this book Hugh still has his sick obsession with Kate and will do anything, kill anybody to get his hands on her and present her to Roland. And of all times Curran is away on business. MAGIC BREAKS is a little different from the previous books, but I still devoured and loved it. We have some minor characters we get to know more. We get to know more or see the rat Alpha, Robert and he is tired of being in the dark about Kate.

A character new from the previous book, Desandra is in the pack now and wants to challenge Jennifer for the role of Alpha. I seriously didn't remember much about the last book with the new characters, so I barely remember her. But, HOT DAMN! I like Desandra. She brought more life into the book in some parts and I loved it. And I loved her showing up Jennifer, because Jennifer is a total bitch, wants everyone to feel sorry for her, because her husband died and she isn't doing her duty as the Wolf Clan Alpha. Desandra deserves the role. So, the back and forth between the fate of Wolf Clan was awesome! Happy with the outcome!

Curran’s eyes went gold. His voice dropped into a rough growl. “If you’re going to shoot, make sure to empty the clip, because after you’re done, I’ll shove that gun up your ass sideways.” Blue Jacket blinked. “Can you even do that?” I asked. “Let’s find out.” Curran stared at the thug. “Well? Shoot, so we can start this experiment.”

My big thing that drove me insane was that Curran was absent for more than half of the book. That didn't sit well with me because I am a Curran Fanatic. You basically see him in the first chapter and won't see him again until you get through half of the book. That probably needed to happen though for storyline development. I freaking love Hugh and I welcome more of his craziness. I love Andrew's characters to death, every one of them!

And finally! We finally meet Roland! I know he's suppose to be the bad guy, but I like him! We get introduced to him, but we don't really know his agenda, because he was introduced close to the end of the book. And all we know right now is that he wants to get to know his daughter. But who knows? I need to get to know more about his character. I just freaking want more of this awesome series!

I don't know what to say about Kate and Curran! Curran was absent, but from what we did get he's still madly in love with Kate and he makes a big sacrifice for Kate and it will be interesting to see what the fallout of that decision will be. By the time I finished this book, I was in happy happy joy joy mode, because I believe there is so much more to come and I'm excited for it!

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