Magic Binds: Kate Daniels, Book 9

before I get into my actual review of this story I need to explain some things :) I actually already finished the whole series and I may have binge read them, so all of the installments may or may not got blurred together in my mind… ;) but hey, I will do my best to separate them at least a little bit :) it happened, because I read this series during a two month long period of time when I struggled with a lot of changes in my personal and professional life, so I read a lot, cause I needed something to relax, but at the same time I was in no mood to write any reviews… so here we are today, when I am doing my best to catch up on those :)Before we get into my thoughts and feelings about this particular installment, here are a few things that are true about all of them and that you can read without any fear of spoilers :)#1 this series is absolutely phenomenal and you all need to read it if you haven’t yet :) I blew through all of the stories in it in record time, cause I was unable to put them down and read something else :)#2 the whole series follow Kate, the main character, and tells one big story… so even though each installment revolves around a smaller event / issue, I highly encourage you to read them all in order, including the novellas and side books that happen along the way, because they all bring something extra to your overall experience :) the reading order of all those stories can be easily found on Goodreads if you look for the series Kate Daniels :) I read them all in that order, as it was recommended to me by my good friend who already finished it, and I am very happy I did that :) of course I can’t force you to listen to me, I’m no #BookPolice ;) it’s just a friendly suggestion ;)#3 a few more words about the series in general :) it’s a paranormal / urban fantasy story, set in an alternate version of our world… in it, there are magic waves that crash over the world, making basically all technology useless for some time… because it’s impossible to predict when exactly they will come and go, it alters the way people live… of course, with magic came all sort of gifts and talents… not to mention magical creatures :) we definitely have vampires and necromancers of some sort who control them, shapeshifters who can change into all sorts of animals, not to mention the fact that we get to see magical influences and practitioners from very different belief systems… it’s a lot to explain and we don’t have that much time to get into all the details right now :) just know it’s phenomenal :) each book is action packed, fast paced and full of surprising twists and turns… I can’t even begin to count the number of times when I gasped in shock because the plot went in a completely different way than I anticipated :) once you get to know this world and these characters, you will be completely hooked… and speaking of characters… ;)#4 diverse and interesting characters are one of the main reasons why I love this series so much :) not only the main one, Kate, goes through a pretty spectacular character development arch throughout the whole series, but along the way we keep meeting new ones… and before you know what happened, you have a whole bunch of people you love and with each book you are quietly chanting “don’t kill any of them, don’t kill any of them” as if that might change some outcomes :) obviously I won’t name anyone right here, because a lot of them might come as a surprise to you… what I will say is that it will be a pleasure to re-read those books again soon, knowing how certain characters end up… that’s all I’m gonna say ;)#5 DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW if you are not caught up on the previous stories… I will be mentioning people and events from previous books next, because I cannot possibly write more about my feelings without them, and you will be spoiled about some major surprising turns… I won’t spoil anything when it comes to the book I am currently reviewing, but everything that happened before is fair game :) you’ve been warned ;)If we’re being completely honest… well… I remember very little details from this particular installment :) but it’s all cause I flew through it in record time… I needed to get to the last two stories in this series :) I know that there’s a wedding… and you will never guess who is the one who will plan it :) there is also a kidnapping of Saiman happening and well, that’s all she wrote… she as in me, cause in the book there is a lot more stuff happening, I just don’t remember it :) I do know that I enjoyed it as much as the rest of the series… hopefully when I will re-read this series in the not so distant future I will be able to read them more slowly and update this review with some more coherent and detailed sentences ;)

My head is still trying to grasp all the things that happened in this book and more importantly the question of "What happens next??” As for the question, I don't know and trying to guess what the authors will come up with would be the textbook definition of "exercise in futility".OK, to get things started and to raise the stress level of the reader, we get an oracle who sees all kinds of horrible things in Kate's future and almost no way to avoid them which sets this book off on a series of small adventures leading up to a middle sized adventure which leads to an epic battle, so what could we add?Did you forget the wedding? Yes, the wedding which they choose the most unlikely priest who has never been asked to do a wedding and becomes a "wedding planner" and he and others pursue Kate all through the book to add some serious humor to a very stressful story. It is things like this that make this book rise above almost every other series in this genre, they can make you laugh at the best and worst times.Let’s not forget about Roland, the loving Father and homicidal megalomaniac that has been the monster since book 1 pretty much but has become a mixed bag over the last few books. Is he the horrible monster or just a misunderstood psychopath? Well, you get a lot more information in this book and just when you think you know all the answers The Andrews Mafia give it a twist to make you run for your Advil. We do get a LOT more history of Roland in this book than we have in this whole series up until now.One of the things in every almost every novel in this genre I have ever read is any character with enormous powers has to fight their own inner demons to avoid becoming a monster and this happens with Kate a lot in this book but it is SO subtle at the time that you don't realize she has crossed a line until it is pointed out to you and THAT folks is just plain old good writing.Another thing I have noticed in recent books is that a few characters I really liked have become somewhat unlikable but still remain uneasy friends. They take this small tidbit of a plot twist and blow it into the stratosphere in this one, you will not believe who Kate is bringing home for a visit.You been wondering about Christopher you say? Answers will be forthcoming and it is just one of MANY surprises in this book.I keep wondering about Julie and what the future plans for her are, she is still a bit of an unknown power and she is still spending time with Roland. When I think of this series ending it is more than a bit depressing but I can see this carrying on with Julie as the lead character in the future.Let us get back to the wedding planning, it is pure chaos and in addition to all the "girly" stuff that Kate must suffer through Roland wants to attend and make it into a feast for the ages. Ya gotta love family LOL. If all the monsters and evil villains can't kill Kate, this wedding might do it.I think I will end this horribly long review with a question .... where is Hugh, we don't see him at all in this book and I don't believe for a minute that he is really gone. Is that April Fool joke about him getting his own book going to become a reality?Bottom Line: WTF can I say that has not already been said, I get tired of saying how this one is better than the last. I have already run out of superlatives and to repeat how awesome/exceptional/amazing/[ fill in the blank ] this series is just makes me look inept. Let’s just call it in a class with maybe 3-4 other series at most and give it 5 Stars only because they don't allow more.My Favorite Line (and you have to read it in context to enjoy it): “My impersonation of a peacock is proceeding as planned.”

If you are a Kate Daniels fan, high price aside, you need to read this book.If you are an urban fantasy fan who is just discovering Kate Daniels, this series is a must-read. It has the kickass heroine fighting miscellaneous supernatural baddies trope but delves deeper into fantasy and further from paranormal romance territory than many similar series. This series is one of the foundations of the kickass heroine subgenre, in fact, right up there with anita blake and sookie stackhouse but with a richer world mythology than those two series. So if you like the sound of that, start at book one and don't stop.I've loved every book in the series so far, but this one in particular strays from the murder solving formula that most of these kind of books deal with and as such felt really fresh. I've read A LOT of urban fantasy dross but this book is in another league. Its like pure urban fantasy, distilled and bottled, and it is delicious. Character development, magic, action, humour, epic battles, a truly thrilling overarching plot involving Kate's father and her bloodline/destiny, this book has it all and at a breakneck pace to boot. There is never a dull moment and for a lot of it my heart was genuinely pounding as I read. Prepare to lose yourself for a few hours if you buy this. There is no stopping til it ends and then you'll need the next one.

Ilona and Gordon Andrews do it again! Seriously, all other authors of paranormal suspence should bow down and sing their praises. Funny, heartbreakingly sad, insightful into human nature and just pure joy to read.It is extremely rare for a long-running series to even maintain a standard, let alone keep improving, but this series is the exception that proves the rule. Alas, only one more book to go.Please, do yourselves a favour if you've not read any of this series, buy the first one and prepare for reading bliss.

love all of Ilona Andrews work i have read them all in book form just going through them all on audio such a differnce the narrater really takes you into the story of Kate and the Beastmaster lovely mix of people some laugh out loud moments would recomend

Wonderfully written and beautifully executed - this series gets better and better. More character development which is exciting, terrifying and heartbreaking. These characters are so vividly, perfectly drawn - it's a testament to the brilliance of these authors that in a world of gods, monsters, vampires and even woolly mammoths - the protagonists are so utterly human. The adventure and the battles are epic and brought to life in gory detail, but as always, it's the relationships between Kate, Curran, their family and friends which make this series the masterpiece it is. I laughed, I cried - I loved it. Possibly the single best book in the series so far - and given they're all 5-star, that's saying something!

i liked how it was written and how the story developed. still i would have liked to seee hugh in this book but he isnt. I can't wait to see what happens in the last book, im off to buy it.