I Can’t Hold It In Any Longer: Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Publication: September 20th 2016 by: Ace

Series: Kate Daniels #9

Genres: Adult Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural, Mythology

Format: eARC Source: Publisher via Netgalley

My Rating: 

ADD TO GOODREADS

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…

 

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing an early copy of this book to review. This does not influence my review or opinions of the book.*

~Review~

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It is, by far, the best in the series. It had everything that I could have ever hoped for: action, mystery, surprises, mythology/lore….. I just don’t know what else to say. This is the moment that we’ve been waiting on since the first book. I can’t stress enough how much I love this one, guys. If this book doesn’t rock your socks off, then I just don’t know what will. You think you know Kate’s power? You think that Magic Breaks was a pivotal moment? Well, think again. I had no idea of the complexity of Kate’s magic. It is dark but, also, radiant. When I say that this girl put her power to the test, I say it with meaning. Not only does Kate show her worth, but some of my favorite characters shock the hell out of me. It is taking everything in me not to spoil this for you all. When you read it, you’ll know why.

Magic Binds starts off with one of my most cautious characters: Roman. That volhv and the darkness that surrounds him makes me very wary, but he shows another side to his character in this installment. He’s very misunderstood by people that know him, but Kate and Curran just stroke that ego of his with one word: wedding. I was surprised by his actions in this one, but he has become one of my most favorite characters.

In light of Saiman’s kidnapping, at the hands of Roland, Atlanta is under siege. What we have is a control freak of a father and a headstrong daughter. What does he want with Saiman? Well, one can only guess that it’s power. If you’ve read Magic Stars, then you know who Roland has been talking to. Not good. But….. these characters play big roles. I wasn’t expecting half of what went down. Hearts get broken, mysteries get solved, a new life begins, a betrayal that shocked the hell out of me, and enemies become allies. I have never been so scared to see how a book would end, as I was while reading this. This book tore at my heart strings from start to finish. I want to say more, but even mentioning a tiny bit of something will spoil the whole book. My suggestion? Go back over everything you know about EVERY key player in this series, and hope for the best. That’s it. 

Ilona Andrews always bring it with the mythology, but there’s something quite different about this one. Maybe it’s the danger to the city of Atlanta. Maybe it’s the danger to Kate and her family; I don’t know, but I love all the things that came out to play in this book. Call me crazy, but Teddy Jo can have my soul. LOL! It was so good to see him out in the open and not just talking to Kate over the phone. All my favorite characters really turned this book into something I can’t describe. The pacing never slows down from start to finish, which made it an even more heart-stopping read. I gasped, laughed, screamed, and teared up all the way through. The only complaint I have is that it ended. I wouldn’t say that it’s a cliffhanger ending because the way it ended is something that was mentioned a lot throughout the story. But, still….. I screamed for more. This book is a prelude to what is to come in the final book, and I hope that it will be just as amazing as this one. I have never gotten so many feels in my life.

Put aside whatever preconceived notions you have about this world and the characters who have come (and gone *winks*). This is a no holds barred, take it how you like it read. Struggle for power is the catalyst for this entire series, but it’s all about to come to a head. I fear for Kate right now. Her magic is both glorious and dark, and it is terrifying to see her struggle. And struggle she did. She made decisions that affects everyone around her. She and Curran have limits, and those limits are tested. There are moments to cherish here, as there have been in previous books. There are also moments to fear. Character growth is an understatement. Julie has grown a lot since she came on the scene, but this was totally unexpected. And I won’t even mention the one character who had me screaming. I was like, what the what!!! Mind equals blown. Jesus, that was the greatest moment, even if it was scary for the other characters. Again, Ilona Andrews takes this book to a whole other level. The mythology is so well done, and I Googled it to learn more about this character. Can it be topped? We shall see.

I had such a great experience reading this book. I can’t recommend it enough to everyone who has followed this series over the years, and to new readers like me. Yes, I only just started this series last October, but once I got into it, there was no turning back. So, thank you to all my blogger friends who recommended this series to me. It is my favorite urban fantasy, and I can’t count how many times I’ve reread each book. I highly recommend reading Magic Binds. It is the best read of the year, IMO. I can’t wait to read the final (?) book in this series. God, the wait is already getting to me. In the meantime, I guess I’ll be rereading this series again before the next one releases.

P.S. -Take heed to the Steed. Best. Moment. Ever!!!

 

Also In This Series: Magic Bites | Magic Burns | Magic Strikes | Magic Bleeds + Curran POV Collection | Magic Slays | Magic Rises | Gunmetal Magic | Magic Dreams | Magic Gifts | Magic Breaks | Magic Shifts | Magic Stars