5 stars

Kate's family is seriously scary. So is Kate. Love this series. Love Kate. Love Curran

Full review to follow

I think Magic Bleeds, the fourth novel in the Kate Daniels series, is my favorite. I loved everything about this book. The story, the characters, the mythology, the action. All of it combined to make a novel that was hard to put down!

 

Kate Daniels is probably my favorite female protagonist. She is fierce and strong. She knows her own mind and she isn't afraid to speak it. She is smart and independent. She is funny and brave and everything I want to be.

 

All of these things make her the kind of person that won't back down from a fight when it is for something she believes in. And that is truly the premise of the novel. She finds herself fighting the battle of her life and it forces life-changing decisions on her, decisions she never dreamt she would be in a position to have to make.

 

This story, while just as full of action as the others, felt somehow more personal. Kate has spent a lifetime avoiding personal relationships, whether romantic or friendships. But there comes a time when those things develop and now she has to make the worst kinds of choices.

 

A lot of questions are answered in this book, but by no means is the story over!!

 

Overall: The best yet!

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I am so in love with this book and the series as a whole. I didn't think that it would be possible to love this book any more than I did the first time that I read it but it seems that I was wrong. I liked it even more this time. I know where the series is headed so looking back at earlier books and remembering the events that laid the groundwork for later books is just so entertaining.

I love Kate. She is a strong, kick-ass character that cares deeply about others and tries to do what is right. She doesn't always put herself first and is willing to sacrifice in order to help others. She takes on a lot of responsibility even for things that many would walk away from without any guilt. In this book, we get to see her admit to herself that she wants things for herself. When those things are at risk, she will fight as hard as she can to keep them.

As much as I love Kate, I might like Curran even a little more. My husband knows when I am reading one of these books because I have been known to look at him and ask him why he can't change into a lion. I don't think that he is impressed by these kinds of questions. So the fact that Curran is a lion AND the beast lord is just plain cool but there is so much more that I love about Curran. He knows what he wants and is willing to be patient in order to get it. He is fierce needed but he always brings a sense of quiet strength anytime he is part of a scene. And he loves Kate.

The story is exciting in this book. It was really pretty cool to go back and read this book again after reading the newest book in the series, Magic Binds. I really wanted to go back and see a certain character the first time they were featured in the series. This book is really a turning point in the series. There are a lot of things that change in this book. Really most of the big things in Kate's life change in this book. Kate and Curran finally become a couple. She makes an important decision regarding her work. Even her living situation changes.

I loved the narration. It is so odd to me that I didn't like the narrator for this series when I listened to the first two books because now I think she is perfect for the series. I think that Renee Raudman's narration added to the enjoyment of this book for me during this re-read. She handles a lot of characters really well and uses a wide range of voices during the story. The emotions of the characters really shine through in the narration. I actually listened to this audiobook for hours at a time and loved every moment of it.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone. This is a series that really needs to be read in order since each book builds on the previous books. This is a series that I will re-read many times because it is really just that good. The writing team of Ilona Andrews have created such an amazing cast of characters in a unique world and I can't wait to continue with my re-read.

Initial Thoughts
So damn good. I am amazed by how good this book really is. I absolutely loved it the first time I read and I think I like it even more now.

I got to read my favourite psychopath again, and Saiman making a huge mistake, and Kate and Curran's ship finally launch. What's not to love?

 

I took special notice this time of how much Erra remarks that Kate could, should, nature says, be hers.

I turned the gas off and got out two blue metal plates.

 

She has the blue plates he yearned for since a kid. Awesome little detail.