Reviews

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Only show reviews with written explanations

astrodish's review against another edition

5.0

5 fantasy stars ✨

This series is wonderful. I don't even know where to start but this checked all my magic loving boxes.

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bhookjunkhie's review against another edition

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5.0

Holy crap! That was awesome❤️❤️....I could read a few hundred more pages!! Can't wait for more!

caitybell's review against another edition

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5.0

I AM PANICKING BECAUSE AFTER FINISHING THIS BOOK I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE KATE DANIELS NOVEL AND I AM NOT READY!

This book finally leveled out the change in pace and character development that began a couple books back with the big bad finally showing up. It was a different speed and it has taken me a little getting used to it, but this book really helped me get back to what I love most about the series.

I can not (but also kinda want to because omg it can’t be over yet!) wait to read the next book!

leschroniques_delea's review against another edition

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5.0

4,75/5

is_book_loring's review against another edition

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3.0

The writing in this installment is a bit rushed and clumsy at times, and the humor felt off to me. It felt like there are a lot of things needed to packed inside the book to push the story toward the final of the series, but at the same time nothing really happens by the end; Magic Binds is stage preparation for the final showdown. The ending did make up for it, I might need to take a break before the last book, my mental is not ready to part with Kate and this series.

itendswithsmut's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

katyanaish's review against another edition

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5.0

I don't even know what to say. This book was amazing. This series is amazing.

I'm going to cry when it's over. But for now I will bask in my utter joy.

(p.s. Does anyone else finish the new book in this series, but feel utterly unable to leave this world yet, and so immediately re-read from book 1? I do that. Every time. I don't do that with any other series. It's weird... *rolls in pile of KD books* ... not ready to leave yet!)

Re-read April 2017
So good. So, so good. Let's talk about a couple things...

Spoiler

1 - The baby
I'm squeeing, while I'm also freaked out. Because generally, when UF series decide to bring a baby in, either it goes terribly (all drama becomes about the baby, which changes what the series revolves around) or it's over. Now, I know that the 10th book is the last that is contracted, but the writers have been somewhat cagey about whether they will do more. They've said it depends on whether there are more stories they want to tell. And that's cool - I don't want them to drag it out if they aren't telling a story they are passionate about, because this series deserves better - but I just love Kate and Curran, and would miss them. And I'm not particularly interested in continuing the story on with Julie (I know I'm in the minority here, but I find her and her naive bullshit - "I'm going to form a relationship with a 5,000 year old evil wizard because I feel sure that I'm too smart for him to manipulate! If only everyone was as smart as me, I could end this conflict in 15 minutes and then we could all go out for ice cream!" - to be incredibly tiresome, and don't even get me started on her now developing some kind of extra awesome Mary Sue powers) or a different secondary character. I like the one-off stories fleshing out the secondary characters, but they don't hook me in like Kate and Curran do. So I'm excited about the baby, but also nervous that this signals an end to Kate/Curran books.

2 - Nick Feldman
I don't like him. I guess that's not a surprise - Kate and Greg didn't really get along either - but I liked Nick in book 1, and I just don't understand what he's such a dick now. I mean, he's acting like a toddler. He's mad at Kate because of all kinds of shit that she had nothing to do with. Really? You hate her because your dad once loved her mom? That's stupid. Greg didn't leave Anna for Kalina, even. Kalina was dead when Greg left Anna. And in any case, it has nothing to do with Kate. He sounds like a petty child. How can a fucking knight of the Order - a knight-protector, even - allow his fucking childhood parental drama to warp his vision like this?

3 - Some of Kate's friends kind of suck
Long-term friends were disappointing in this book. It hurts because yes, we can all see that Kate is struggling with her power, now that it's all out there and she's connected to the land now. She's being a bit hot-tempered. But it's like they've all forgotten that not only has she never hurt them, she has repeatedly put herself in danger to help them.

Firstly, Jim. I think Jim is struggling with some kind of Beast Lord version of the Shar himself, because he's been a full-on douchebag since he took over the Pack. Him telling Kate he'd kill her if she crossed his line is bullshit, and it is especially bullshit after everything they've been through, and all the shit he's pulled on her (suggesting to use her as bait for Bran, having his people beat the shit out of her during the Midnight Games shitshow). Kate has always had his back, and why he felt like he needed to take Kate down a peg yet again is beyond me. And maybe Kate went too far, with the comment about if she becomes her father, he'll pledge himself to her and be happy to do it, but this has always been Kate. When she gets stressed or pushed, she mouths off. Jim has seen that again and again, as she and Curran bashed against each other repeatedly before getting together. So for Jim to take that winking comment (and she did literally wink) and run with it into some horrible headspace where she's a monster and a threat ... that's just shitty. Jim needs to get the fuck over himself, and put his ego in check. Frankly, I think he's a shitty Beast Lord. He's made a series of bad choices, and burning down Roland's castle was just stupid. How about make a real plan? Like Curran said, if he was Beast Lord he wouldn't go in until he had a plan he knew would take Roland down, because he wouldn't just throw his people away for nothing. But noooooo, Jim just brought war to Atlanta, and had no actual plan to keep his people from getting nuked (because he refused to bend his giant ego enough to talk to Kate and Curran ... his people had to fucking go behind his back). He's a shitty Beast Lord and a shitty friend, and he's going to get them all killed.

Secondly, Derek. He disappointed me in this book. He leaped to this ridiculous conclusion that Kate had enslaved Adora, and it came entirely out of left field. Like, hello asshole, the words you heard are literally translated as "You are no longer a slave." He didn't even ASK what happened. He just went off on Kate. She deserves better. She's never lied to him, and he's seen her throw herself into danger again and again to help people. He was tremendously unfair. And he never owned up to that. At least Jim apologized (though Dali forced him to, so I'm not giving him much credit).

And we've got other examples here. Barabas jumping all over her case for not just like, bending over and licking Roland's boots to avoid a war, while staring at field full of crucified children. (As an aside, it's fucking annoying that Barabas bitched at Kate for being baited into an argument with Roland, but had not one single word to say about Jim falling for the bait and risking everything to wave his big dick around and burn Roland's house down.) Andrea also gave her the stink eye a few times. I feel like it has to hurt Kate that her friends are suddenly so scared of her that they leap to the worst possible conclusion at every opportunity. It's also got to make her wonder why she threw everything away for them, exposing herself to her father to help them.

4 - But other Kate friends are awesome
Roman is awesome in this book. As is Christopher, Teddy Jo, Dali, Robert, and so many others... including Mahon, who has made a complete about-face and is awesome. This series has an enormous secondary cast and I love them. They add so much.

5 - Erra is really awesome, and Roland is a great villain
Terrifying, for sure. But awesome. I really enjoy her character. And it is so great watching this like... Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde Roland. He has so many layers to his plans and motivations that he's fascinating. There are times when he seems to really care for her - the conversation they had on the balcony at Cutting Edge was really one of the best quiet scenes of the book. But we know that he's probably playing that up, somewhat, because he can't kill her ... so it's easier for him if she feels like he likes her a little bit. But still, I think he does care, in his way. And then there are times when he's a total sociopath. Yeesh.

Also, on Erra ... that bit at the end, that Kate and Erra were discussing with the witches ... so, they're getting a body for Erra, right? Is that what folks think is going on? I think that's what is going on. And Curran is going to freak, haha.

6 - Where is Hugh?
I think the fact that Kate rescued his second-in-command will be important. Otherwise, that's a bit of an odd thread. But if Hugh cares about his people - and he seems to - that will matter to him. I'm interested to see how it plays.

7 - Curran ate a god.
I'm suspicious that the baby is going to have an extra-special batch of powers, fueled by Curran's god-dinner.

Okay, that's probably about enough ... I've gone on and on for a re-read update. It's just because I love this series, and would happily talk about it all day. There are things I'm unhappy with - mostly, the friends being shitty - but those are things that are organic to the series. Meaning, it isn't that I'm bitching that someone did something out of character. I'm just disappointed that these characters I love (particularly Jim and Derek) made these choices.

I would very much like for both Jim and Nick Feldman to pull their heads out of their butts for the next book.

Re-read April 2018
HUGH WATCH! - in addition to saving his right-hand dude, which as I mentioned above, will likely matter greatly to Hugh ... now that I've read some snippets from Hugh's books, I caught that bit about the White Warlock at the end. I was wondering how they were going to fold Hugh back into the story in such a way that Curran wouldn't instantly kill him. Innnnnnterrrrrresting...