Review: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews and a GIVEAWAY!!

Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.

And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher.

It's no secret that I have much love for this series and this author duo. I don't like everything that even my most favorite authors write. I just don't and I don't expect to. However, I honestly don't think there is one thing that Ilona Andrews has written that I haven't liked and in most cases LOVED.

Magic Bleeds is an important book in the series. Kate has been in hiding for years but she's played it a bit fast and loose in the last books, taking chances with her secrets to protect the growing number of people that she considers friends. Kate is a protector by nature. She's willing to fight and die to keep the ones she is loyal to safe. That's one of the things that I've loved about her from the beginning. And in this book she has to decide if her secrets are worth risking those she loves. She has to decide if she should cut and run or if she should stand and fight and take a chance on a real future. It's emotional and sometimes hard to read, but like the hard choices Kate makes, it's worth it in the end.

Kate is one of my favorite protags out there. She's prickly, she's tough, she kills the shit outta bad guys and she LIKES it. I respect that. She doesn't pretend to be something she's not. She doesn't spend pages and chapters bemoaning what she is and isn't. She knows her strengths and her weaknesses and works with them. Yeah, she's stubborn as hell and sometimes noble to a fault, but she's real and relatable and you can't help rooting for her to kick ass and win the day. She's also vulnerable and conflicted at times. She's loving and protective and loyal. You do not want her for an enemy but you would be so lucky to have her as a friend. She's not perfect at the whole relationships thing, but then she's never had them before. She's learning as she goes and she makes mistakes but it's not for lack of trying. Kate is an all in kinda girl. She will never love or hate you half way. You'll always know where you stand with her.

Kate and Curran go through a lot in this book. Do they have what it takes to come out on top? Well, one thing you can be sure of, they're not going out without a fight. And I love that. They are so alike and different enough to make for challenges and to compliment each other.

The villain in this one is fabulously done. I have a real problem with cheesetastic villains and I have called authors out on it before, but this was definitely not the case here. Readers will not be disappointed with how this book plays out.

The support cast of secondary characters are present and accounted for in this one. In my opinion, Jim really shines in MB. It's really awesome to see Jim and Kate together. I love their scenes.

I'm going to end without hopefully giving too much away and simply say that Ilona and Gordon do not disappoint in Magic Bleeds. It is dark, funny (I laughed out loud at some parts), gritty, romantic and leaves you staring at the calendar and counting down the days til the next one.

My final grade: A

Now, I happen to be in possession of a signed set of the Kate Daniels series which also includes a copy of Magic Bleeds (that may or may not be signed, we'll see).

I am giving away the set of four books to a lucky commenter.

Rules: This is going to be open only to the continental US, sorry guys.
You need to be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.
Contest is open until 6/4 at 11:59 PM PST.

Good luck!