Review: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4) by Ilona Andrews
Publication Date: May 25, 2010
Publisher: ACE
Number of Pages: 349
Format: Paperback
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Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren't for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose.Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.When she's called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers that there's a new player in town. One who's been around for thousands of years-and who rode to war at the side of Kate's father.This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family.

The fourth book picks up on the night of the dinner date between Kate and Curran. Kate has pulled out all the stops and even puts makeup on. Only one problem, Curran is a no show. When Kate calls the Keep she is informed that he is too busy to talk to her and next time to go through the proper channels. Ouch. Naturally Kate is pissed, no beyond pissed. She's heartbroken.

But magic doesn't wait for Kate to nurse her broken heart, and it seems like someone is targeting shapeshifters...again. It doesn't take long for Kate to realize that her crazy aunt has come to town. And once coming face to face it didn't take long for her aunt to realize who Kate is, especially since Kate and her aunt looks exactly a like. Even though her aunt wanted to destroy her, their meeting before hand I actually enjoyed. Especially since it was kind of nice to see Kate have a somewhat civilized sit down with one family member, since I'm sure she won't get that with her father. Also her life was saved by an unusual shapeshifter. And who hired the shapeshifter comes at a complete shock, but once you think about it makes sense. Kind of hoping we will see her again sometime in the future. I'm curious about a reptile shapeshifter, plus she knew exactly where Jim's safe house was.

And then we have Curran. He refuses to let go of Kate, the night of the dinner was a misunderstanding. But once Kate gives in she realizes that he expects to give all or nothing. Which Kate simply can not do with working for the order. Curran threatens to walk away from it all, but is Kate strong enough to let him go?

Keeping in theme with the last review here's some amazing quotes:

"You don't return your phone calls." The vampire leaned forward, tapping my doodle with a scimitar claw. "Is that a lion with horns and a pitchfork?"
"Yep."
"Is he carrying the moon on his pitchfork?"
"No, it's a pie. What can I do for Atlanta's premier Master of the Dead?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Curran's face. Like looking into a glacier.
"Please relay my greetings to the Beast Lord," I said. "I appreciate his willingness to alter his extremely busy schedule and make an appearance."
Curran showed no emotion. No gloating, no anger, nothing at all. Jim looked at me, looked at Curran, looked back at me again.
"Kate says hi," he said finally.
"I'm ecstatic," Curran said.

"I pulled the plug? You stood me up, you arrogant asshole!"
"You ran away!" He moved toward me. "I deserve an explanation."
Slayer left its sheath almost on its own. It was the fastest draw of my life. One moment empty space lay between us and the next my saber jumped into my hand. "You deserve nothing."
Gold rolled over Curran's eyes, so briefly that had I blinked, I would've missed it. His face gained a slightly bored expression. "Do you honestly think your toothpick can hurt me?"
"Let's find out."
"Let's not." Jim stepped between us.
Curran looked at him. his voice rasped with the beginning of a snarl. "What are you doing?"
"My job."

For the love of God. "I didn't run away. I made you your damn dinner, but you didn't have the decency to show."
Jim's eyebrows crept up. "Dinner?"

"Hey!" Jim barked.
"What?" Curran and I said at almost the same time.
Jim looked at me. "Did you make him dinner?"
He'd find out sooner or later, "Yes."
Jim turned on his foot, went out of the room, and shut the door behind him.
Alrighty, then.
"He thinks we're mated." Curran moved forward, too light light on his feet for a man of his size, his gaze locked on me-a predator stalking its prey. "In the Pack, one doesn't stand between two mates. He's being polite. He doesn't realize you broke it off."

"I'll cal you," he repeated.
"If you call me, I won't pick up the phone."
"You will wait by the phone for my call, and when it rings, you will pick it up and you will speak to me in a civil manner. If you don't know how, ask someone."

"He's making a big deal about never expecting me to behave like a shapeshifter. So I did."
"Are you out of your mind?"
It's not polite to lie to your best friend.
"It's a possibility."

He almost ran me over. Coward. Let's have a partnership, Kate. I offer honestly, Kate. I don't have to outrun the Beast Lord I just pissed off, Kate. I only have to outrun you and hit you wiht my car as I ghttail it out of here.

"I miss you."
This wasn't happening.
"I worry about you." He dipped his head and looked into my eyes. "I worry something stupid will happen and I won't be there and you'll be gone. I worry we won't ever get a chance and it's driving me out of my skull."
No, no, no, no...
We stared at each other. The tiny space between us felt too hot. Muscles bulged on his naked frame. He looked feral.
Mad gold eyes stared into mine. "Do you miss me, Kate?"
I closed my eyes, trying to shut him out. I could lie and then we'd be back to square one. Nothing would be resolved. I'd still be alone, hating him and wanting him.
He grabbed by shoulders and shook me once. "Do you miss me?"
I took the plunge, "Yes."

"Look, you don't get to run my life. We slept together once-"
He held up seven fingers.
"Fine," I squeezed through my teeth. "We had sex seven times in a twenty-four hour period. Just because I'm your lover-"
"Mate."
Words died in my mouth. In shapshifter terms, mate meant monogramy, family, children-a union, civil physical, and spiritual. It meant marriage. Apparently he hadn't given up on that idea.
"Mate," I said finally, tasting the word. He winked at me. Dear God.
I gave him my hard stare. "You're a control freak and I fight all authority. And you want us to mate?"
A wicked spark lit his eyes. "Many, many times."
"What's wrong with you? did I hit you too hard on the head?"
"My mate lives with me," he said. "In the Keep."
"Have you had many mates before?"
He gave me a look reserved for the mentally challenged. "I had lovers."
"So this is a new rule you made up on the spot?"
"That's the perk of being the Beast Lord. You get to make up rules."

I could've picked somebody rational. But no, I had to fall in love with this arrogant idiot. Come to the Keep with me, be my princess. Mourn me when your crazy dad kills me. Yeah, right.

"Little squirrel!You taste like family."
Oh, shit.

Erra chuckled. "I figured out who you are. You're the lost child Im carries on about, when he gets his attacks of melancholy."
Melancholy, right. He mourns the fact he failed to kill me-how charming. "Im?"
"A childhood nickname of your father's. Do you know who I am?"
"The scourge of the ancient world. Plaguebringer. City Eater. My aunt."
 Roland's older sister.

She smiled. "You're too funny to be his. His children tend to take themselves absurdly seriously."

"I will kill him."
Erra's eyebrows rose. "You'd have to go through me first."
I shrugged. "I have to do something for a warm-up."
She laughed softly. "That's the spirit. I do think you might be my favorite niece."

He sighed. "Because certain people aren't altogether rational at the moment. If I came with you, I'd have to answer uncomfortable questions. I ask questions, I don't answer them."
"What kind of questions?"
"Why were you in a vehicle with Kate, alone? What were you wearing? What was she wearing? How long were you there? Did you do something or did you talk? What was the nature of your discussion? Could this trip have been avoided?"
I rubbed my face. "So basically you're scared that His Lordship might get his panties in a bunch?"

So they told him already. "Did you rip anyone to pieces?"
"Not yet, I'm thinking about it."

"We don't live in a safe world. I can't give you the white picket fence, and if I did, you'd set it on fire."
True. "Only if I ran out of kindling."
"Or needed some hardened wooden shards to drive into someone's eye."

"You stayed with me," Curran said.
"Always."

I especially love the last one since it mirrors the quote between them in the last book. Kate was raised to depend on only herself and not to care or let anyone else in. Four books in and we can see that had failed. She has many people in the pack she would die for, she's adopted a kid as her niece, and in this book a dog.

I haven't read a Kate Daniels book yet that I haven't loved. Yes there are times when I want to smack Kate and yell at her. But she has to be one of my favorite heroines ever.

Rating: 5/5