Tag Archives: Ilona Andrews

Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews – a Review

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Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews – a Review

 

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Description:
Maud Demille was a daughter of Innkeepers. She knew that a simple life wasn’t in the cards, but she never anticipated what Fate would throw at her.

Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her daughter, Helen, had been exiled for the sins of her husband to the desolate planet of Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud had spent a year and a half avenging his debts. But now all the debts are paid. Rescued by her sister Dina, Maud had swore off all things vampire. Except she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined.

Try as she might, she can’t just walk away from Arland. It doesn’t help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.

To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is a powerful vampire House, and Maud knows that a woman who turned down the proposal from its most beloved son wouldn’t get a warm reception. But Maud Demille never shied from a fight and House Krahr may soon discover that there is more to this human woman than they ever thought possible.

 

 

Review:

Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews is the 4th book in their wonderful Innkeeper Chronicles.  I love this series, and this book is no exception; it was great.  But then again, I love every single book by our illustrious duo (Ilona & Gordon Andrews).  Andrews gave their fans, online chapters of the entire series over many months, and I couldn’t wait for the next chapter.  But when Sweep of the Blade was released as a full version, I purchased it to be able to enjoy reading this again as a full read.

Maud Demille, Dina’s (previous book heroine) sister, was such a fantastic heroine; I just marveled how amazing she was, as well as her love for her daughter and to the extreme she would go to protect her.   Helen was not only adorable, but a budding power in herself. We did meet them both in the last book.  I absolutely loved Arland, as we met him in previous books with Dina, and he is some hot and sexy hunk.

Arland, is the Marshall of House Krahr, which is the most powerful Vampire house among the planets.  Arland has expressed his love to Maud, and though she knows she has fallen for him, she is hesitant to commit, having lost her deceased husband, and survived a horrific time with Helen being outcast; she does accept to go with him to his home planet. 

This is where the fun begins, as Maud will need to meet Arland’s family, and knows that they probably are against her, but trust me, Maud is someone to reckon with, and in time she will win over the family.  She will also prove how smart and savvy she is in dealing with the enemy that is threatening House Krahr.  In many intense and dangerous battles, Maud will surprise us with her tenacity, and eventually becomes a valuable member of House Krahr when she manages to be a step ahead of the enemies.  Arland and Maud’s romance was sweet, but it will be closer to the end when she finally gives in to her feelings.  As much as I loved Arland, and knew he was the perfect man for her; it was Maud who was everything in this story; a fabulous heroine.

Sweep of the Blade is a fun exciting nonstop action-packed story that will pit House Krahr against two other houses teaming up to take over and destroy their house.  Of course, House Krahr is far more powerful then the other houses, and the battles were violent, intense and bloody. Arland and Maud together were unstoppable, as well as the entire Krahr family.  I loved how Maud knew how to get other species to align with them, knowing all their customs, to help House Krahr, but most of all I loved how she knew what the enemy was planning, especially since she knew their language and pretended not to understand. 

I can’t wait to see where Andrews will take us next in this fantastic series. The ending gives us a hint, but not sure if we will return to Dina and her Innkeeper responsibilities, or more with Maud, Arlen and Helen.  Thank you, Ilona and Gordon Andrews, for this wonderful series.

Reviewed by Barb

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Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews – a Review

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Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews – a Review

 

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Description:
Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan’s extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her sister’s happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

 

 

Review:

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews is a novella in their Hidden Legacy series.  I am a big fan of our Ilona Andrews writing duo (Ilona and Gordon Andrews), and have loved every single book/series that they have written.  Everything they write is absolutely amazing.  I loved loved the Hidden Legacy series, and loved Nevada and Mad Rogan; praying that Andrews would be able to continue with this world and the wonderful characters we fell in love with. Needless to say, I am thrilled this series will continue, and soon we will start a trilogy focusing on Nevada’s younger sister, Catalina.

In Diamond Fire, we get to spend more time with Catalina, as the story will be centered on her in the new trilogy.  Nevada and Connor are getting married, and because Nevada keeps firing her wedding planners, Catalina and Arrabelle now have the burden of planning this wedding.   While all this is going on, Conner’s mother has invited all their relatives to stay prior to the wedding.  Shortly after their arrival, a precious family heirloom (diamond tiara), which Nevada is expected to wear (all past Rogan brides have worn the tiara), has been stolen, and Catalina is asked by Mrs. Rogan to find the Tiara and the culprit.

I loved watching Catalina learn to use more of her powers, as well as controlling them.   She is a prime, with siren like powers, making everyone love her, and now she is able to change things, and make them forget.  It is a great way to learn the truths and secrets.   Catalina is turning into a wonderful heroine, different but strong like Nevada.  I can’t wait for her trilogy.

What follows is finding the secrets hidden by the Rogan relatives, and Catalina with help from her family discovers many.  When Catalina has to reveal the betrayals and secrets, everyone will be present.  There is a slight cute surprise for part of the revelations, and Catalina was so good in revealing her findings.

I loved Mrs. Rogan, who has her own powerful and dangerous powers, and I really look forward to her playing a bigger role with Catalina in the future books.  Diamond Fire was a quick and fun read, and wonderful to spend time with all the characters we have come to love.  Diamond Fire was a perfect way to bring Catalina to the forefront, and to give us all a wonderful glimpse at Nevada and Connor getting married.   Hidden Legacy is a fantastic series, wonderful characters, and this novella gives us a taste at what we can look forward to in the future.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews – Review & Giveaway

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 Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews ( Kate Daniels series) – Review & Giveaway

 

 

Magic Triumphs
Kate Daniels series – Book #10
by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: August 28, 2018

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Description:
Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She’s made friends and enemies. She’s found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate’s doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

 

Review:

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews is the 9th and final book in her fantastic Kate Daniels series.   I am sad to see this series end, though we have been prepared in the last few books that the resolution was forthcoming.  I will say that I loved Magic Triumphs, and our Ilona Andrews duo (Ilona and Gordon Andrews) have done a masterful job of bringing this series to a wonderful and satisfying conclusion. 

Kate is now the In-Shinar, who protects and rules Atlanta.  She is the mother of the most adorable child, Conlan, who only recently shifted to a baby lion.  Raaar….  Lol   Conlan is growing up fast, and not even a year old.  He shows so much promise that shocks both Kate and Curran. He almost steals the story.

Kate Daniels has come a long way, and now is almost as powerful as her ultra-powerful god like father.  The two have an uneasy truce, which Kate and Curran expect will end soon in an all-out war.  Over the course of this series, Kate has made many friends and enemies, and now she must bring them together to fight Roland, who still wants to take full control of the world.  But first there is a new danger from a powerful ancient legendary god, who wants to destroy their world and humans, not to mention kill Roland.  With supernatural destruction, and horrific deaths, Kate must bring together unlikely allies; pack, vampires, witches, druids, Hugh & Elara (from Iron and Magic ), and Roland to team up and fight an enemy that is indestructible.  We get to see all the recurring characters that we have come to love; Julie, Derek, Rowena, Dali, Doolittle, Erra, Saiman, Roman & Christopher to name a few.  Will they survive?  Will Roland help? Can they trust Roland?

It is always wonderful to see how much Kate and Curran love each other, and how far they will go to protect one another.  The addition of Conlan makes this bond stronger, as they are even more protective of him; especially with knowing that her father will betray them at some point.

Magic Triumphs was an amazing story that is not only intense and exciting, but with so much pulse pounding action from start to finish that makes this an epic adventure.  Even if she can defeat this god, will she be able to stand up to her father and win?  There is so much happening that you cannot blink even for a minute.  I do not want to give spoilers, as it would ruin the story for you, and this being the finale, it would be an injustice.   I had to go back and read this again, since I wanted to be sure not to miss a thing. 

Magic Triumphs was a wonderful and epic conclusion to this series. Kate Daniels is a fantastic heroine, and I for one will miss her and Curran.  Though this story was her swan song, I do hope that in future books (novellas ) in this world, we will possibly get glimpses of them.

I cannot say enough about the Ilona Andrews duo, who once again blows it out of the park. They have given us everything we could possibly want in a finale, and then more, and I bow down to their fantastic expertise.  Magic Triumphs is a must read, especially if you are a Kate Daniels fan.  Bravo to Ilona Andrews.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Ilona Andrews’ publisher is offering a copy of MAGIC TRIUMPHS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please follow Ilona Andrews on Facebook.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from August 27- 31, 2018

 

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The Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews Giveaway Tour

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Magic Triumphs – Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews Giveaway Tour

The Reading Cafe is thrilled to participate in The Kate Daniels Series Giveaway Tour.  The upcoming release (August 28th)  of Magic Triumphs is the final book in this series written by the wonderful duo of Ilona Andrews.

 

Magic Triumphs is almost here! To celebrate, Ace Books and participating blogs will be giving away three copies of each Kate Daniels book every weekday leading up to highly anticipated release on August 28th. Each giveaway will run for three days. Follow the tour and enter to win them all!

 

Ace Books is offering a paper copy of MAGIC BITES to THREE (3) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please follow Ilona Andrews on Facebook.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from August 15- 17, 2018

 

Magic Bites:

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, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

 Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.

 The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings-and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league-but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

 

 

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Together they are the coauthors of the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels urban fantasy series and the romantic urban fantasy novels of the Edge. Find out more about Ilona Andrews online at www.ilona-andrews.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews – a Review

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Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews – a Review

 

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Description:
No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.

Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.

Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she’s trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.

Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?

As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”

Hugh and Elara may do both.

 

Review:

Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews is the 1st book in their new The Iron Covenant series.   I looked forward to reading Hugh’s story, especially after he was no longer part of the Kate Daniels series.   Frankly, I will read anything and everything by our illustrious duo, Ilona and Gordon Andrews.  There has never been a book that has not enthralled me, and Iron and Magic is no exception.

Iron and Magic brings us back into the world we know from the Kate Daniels series, and the man we loved to hate…Hugh d’ Ambray.  I hated Hugh in that series, and had mixed feelings about him being redeemed.  Amazing though, as we got to spend the entire book with him, by the end, I found myself liking him much better, though he was still nasty, self-centered, and sarcastic.  But Hugh has met his match in Elara Harper “The White Lady”.  Elara turned out to be such a fantastic heroine, who was able to stand up and match Hugh at every turn.

Hugh had been exiled by his god, Roland, with it shattering him totally.  His Iron Dog army continues to be loyal to him, and they manage to bring him out of his funk.  Hugh and his army need a base to train and live.  He accepts an offer to bring his men to a land they can be safe and part of; allowing them to have shelter, food, and living spaces.  All Hugh needed to do was marry Elara, the leader of their land and castle.  She needed someone to help protect her people, and Hugh has his army, and an alliance between two people who immediately hated each was built. It was fun to watch the nasty snarky banter between them, as Elara was all ice, and Hugh was simply a bastard.  There were a few dingers between them that had me laughing. But make no mistake, they were married to present a united front, but behind the scenes they were enemies.

What follows is an exciting, wild and violent adventure that will have them working together to fight off the evil vampires and monsters killing the local villages, as well as Roland’s preceptor, Landon Nez coming to destroy them.   This was nonstop action all the way, and I loved so many of the secondary characters that were part of either Elara’s group or Hugh’s Iron Dogs.  I also loved Hugh’s stallion, Bucky.  lol

A slow build romance will begin to start between Elara and Hugh, though I expect to see more of that in the next book.  Elara, thinks of herself as an abomination, besides her being a white warlock; her hidden powers are awesome, which we get to see as she is the leader of the Departed (which we will learn more about in the future).   Hugh learns to deal with his guilt over what he did for Roland, and he remains a master at leading the battles with his Iron Dogs. 

With the final book of the Kate Daniels series Magic Triumphs forthcoming, I expect to see Hugh and perhaps Elara play a part in the finale.   There will be two more books in The Iron Covenant series that will follow in this trilogy.  Iron and Magic was a fantastic story, which we come to expect from Andrews.  I have read every single series by Ilona Andrews duo, and have loved them all.  If you have not read Kate Daniels or the other wonderful series, you are missing gems.

Reviewed by Barb

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Wildfire by Ilona Andrews – a Review

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Wildfire by Ilona Andrews – a Review

 

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Description:
Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…

Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.

As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke

 

Review:

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews is the 3rd book in their fantastic Hidden Legacy series.   I love love this series.  I do not want it to end; not with one more book, or 5 more books, … I just want more.  This series has a fantastic couple, powerful magic, and fabulous secondary characters that are simply awesome.  That is not to mention the fantastic world-building, exciting nonstop action filled story line.  I finished this book in one day, staying up later at night; I could not put it down, as it kept me glued to my kindle.

Wildfire picks up shortly after the previous book, White Hot left off.  Nevada, our wonderful fantastic heroine, has decided to tell her family that the time has come for them to have their own house, in order to prevent Victoria Tremaine from taking control of them.  To become a House, they would need to prove they are Primes, which Nevada certainly is.  Catalina and Arrabelle are also Primes, with different magic ability, and by starting House Baylor, they will be protected from their powerful grandmother (Victoria), who just found them.   Connor (Mad Rogan) and Nevada are finally a couple and very much in love.  It is Rogan who convinces Nevada that she needs to do this to protect her family.   But Nevada worries if having the two houses (House Rogan and House Baylor) would destroy their relationship.  

While filing papers to form their house, and prepare for trials to be approved, Nevada takes a case.  Rynda, Rogan’s ex-fiancee, comes to Nevada to help find her missing husband.  Rogan and Nevada will find themselves once again fighting off powerful enemies with strong magical abilities.  In the previous book, we learned there is a conspiracy to take over Houston by some Prime Houses, and they will stop at nothing to prevent Nevada and Rogan from interfering.  There are so many twists in this wild, mind boggling adventure that never stops.  The villains are evil, and the creatures they bring out are unstoppable.  How in the world can they survive?  But Rogan, his team, Nevada and her family are amazing together, as they fight off one heart stopping attack after another.  Whoa!

Most of all, Nevada has grown so much in learning about her magical powers, which she harnesses more and more.  She is a dangerous power that others begin to fear, of course not Rogan, who is powerful enough.  Together they are unbeatable.  I loved when other Prime houses learn about Nevada, and that she is the granddaughter of the feared Victoria Tremaine and want her to join with them, or try to stop her from starting House Baylor.  Near the end, I loved when Nevada and her sisters have to complete in the Prime house the trials.  Awesome fun.   In Wildfire, the romance between Nevada and Rogan came together beautifully and finally nothing was going to separate them.

Now that I finished this book, I need to go back and re-read to savior it all again, and catch parts I may have missed.  Wildfire is that good.  I can’t say enough for the Ilona Andrews duo (Ilona & Gordon) who continue to give us such eye-opening, thrilling, suspenseful, exciting stories that hold our breaths the entire time.  I know this was intended to be a trilogy, but both Burn for Me and White Hot made the best seller list, and I pray the publisher will ask them to do more books.   Nevada and Rogan are so awesome together, and I totally love her family; all the other characters are just as good.  Please please give us more.   If you have not read this series, you need to do so now, and start with Burn for Me.  It is a do not miss from a fabulous writing team, Ilona and Gordon Andrews.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2) by Ilona Andrews -Review and Book Tour

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White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2) by Ilona Andrews-Review and Book Tour

White Hot Banner

WHITE HOT
Hidden Legacy #2
by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance

White Hot

AMAZON |  AMAZON . ca |B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 30, 2017

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she’s used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family’s detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor “Mad” Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice

•••••••••••

Barb’s Review:

White Hot by Ilona Andrews is the 2nd book in their Hidden Legacy series.  I am a big fan of the Ilona Andrews duo (Ilona & Gordon), having read almost all of their books.  I love the Kate Daniels series, and when I read the first book, Burn for Me, in this series, I was hooked.   White Hot is equally as good, and as I started this book, I could not stop reading, it was that great.  As always with anything that Andrews writes, I always want to savior it, but end up reading it non-stop; which does force me to go back and re-read it again.  Ok, now for my review. 

Nevada Baylor and Connor “Mad”Rogan are once again our heroes.  Nevada has not heard from Rogan for months, and despite her family pressuring her to get him to marry her (He is head of his own house as a Prime, and wealthy), she ignores them and continues to run her PI firm. She is offered a case from Cornelius (a member of another house) to find out who murdered his wife, and despite her concerns, she does accept.  This will bring Mad Rogan back into her life, as he is also interested in who was involved in the murders of multiple people.  Mad suspects a few houses are behind the murders, and will join hands with Nevada once again to stop conflict between houses, which could cause massive destruction.

Nevada has the ability to read people and tell if they lie or tell the truth.  She also has learned other amazing abilities, such as forcing someone to answer her questions truthgully; along the way we do learn more about her growing magical powers.  Mad is ultra powerful, and feared by everyone, except Nevada, who really does love him.  I totally adore them together. They are strong, smart, wild, crazy, magically enhanced and together they mindboggling powerful.

The story line with the Prime houses, the magic, the plots to destroy are a bit complicated, but nevertheless you remained engrossed and unable to let the story go.  The secondary characters, especially Nevada’s family (her sisters, mother, grandmother, cousin, etc), Cornelius (his ability to use animals to help), and Augustine are simply amazing.  Even the villains are powerful and bad.  I do not want to give out spoilers, other than to say how great this series is, and how wonderfully it was written by the Andrews duo.  White Hot had a bit of everything; suspense, danger, tension, non-stop action, wild battles, magic, thrilling and scary moments, as well some humor along the way.  Most of all, the two lead characters, Nevada and Mad, are two of the best I have read; their chemistry was totally white hot when they were together.  Sizzling….

I loved every moment of this book, and can’t wait for the next.  However, that being said, it does grieve me that this series ends with the next book.  Darn, I want to revisit and savor Nevada and Mad in more books. If you love Urban Fantasy, then you should be reading this series. It is not a standalone, so you need to start with the first book, Burn for Me, then you can savior White Hot.  If you have not read Ilona Andrews, you need to start now.  They are simply great.

 

 

excerpt

 

“My wife is dead.” His voice shook with barely controlled emotion. His eyes glistened. “She’s my light. She found me in the darkest time of my life and she saw something in me . . . She believed I could be a better man. I didn’t deserve her or the happiness we had. She loved me, Nevada. She loved me so much, in spite of my faults, and I was the luckiest man alive because when I opened my eyes in the morning, I saw her next to me. She had integrity. She was kind and intelligent, and she tried her hardest to do the right thing so this world would be a better place for our child to grow up in. She didn’t deserve this. She deserved to be happy. She deserved a full and long life. Nobody had the right to rob her of it.”
His face contorted with raw pain and grief. I was trying so hard not to cry. “I love her determination. I love her spirit. I’m proud to have been her husband. And now she’s dead. Someone took this wonderful—this truly beautiful—human being and turned her into a corpse. I saw her on the morgue table. She’s just . . . cold and lifeless as if she never was. Everything is gone except for our daughter and my memories. I have to strive to be the man she thought I was. When my daughter grows up, she’ll ask me why her mother was murdered and I’ll have to answer her. I have to account for my actions. I want to tell her that I found those responsible and I made sure they wouldn’t hurt anyone else.”

He brushed moisture from his eyes with a furious swipe of his hand. “Nobody else will do this. Her family doesn’t have the means, my family doesn’t care, and her employer might have murdered her. There is only me. Will you help me? Please.”

He fell silent. He was sitting here asking for my help and I couldn’t throw him out of my office. I just couldn’t. I remembered when Mom sold our house to pay for Dad’s bills. I remembered when we mortgaged the business and kept it from him, because it would’ve killed him faster than any disease. If someone I loved was murdered, I would do the same thing Cornelius did. He had nowhere to turn. If I slammed the door in his face now, I wouldn’t be able to look my reflection in the eye.

I reached into the top drawer of my desk and took out the blue new-client folder. I opened it so it faced him, placed it on the table, and wrote $50,000 in the margins on the front. “This is my retainer. This stays with the agency no matter what happens. It’s nonnegotiable.”

I used my pen to circle the bottom number on the right side. “These are our rates. This job is likely to be high-risk, so the top rate right here will apply. As you can see, it’s a daily and not hourly rate. Depending on the situation, I may have to charge you hazard pay or additional expenses. The retainer acts like a deductible. Once the amount billed to you exceeds it, you will make additional payments in installments of $10,000. After we’re done here, you may want to go to the bank and withdraw at least $20,000 in cash. We may have to bribe people . . .”

“Thank you.”

“This is a bad idea. Please reconsider.”

He shook his head. “No.”

I walked him through the privacy policy and had him sign all of the waivers. “What happens once we find whoever is responsible?”

“I’ll take care of things from there.”

“Meaning you’ll kill your wife’s murderer.”

“It’s the way Houses handle things,” Cornelius said.

“Well, I’m not a House. I’m a person with a family, and I respect and try to obey the laws of this country. I won’t hesitate to defend you or myself, but I won’t condone murder.”

“Understood,” Cornelius said. “How do we start?”

“I need to be able to speak to Matthias Forsberg. I need face-to-face time so I can ask him some questions. I can make the necessary calls tomorrow, but he’ll refuse to see me.”

“You don’t have the social status and you work for his competitor.” Cornelius nodded. “Matthias is an active participant in the Assembly. He never misses a session. Tomorrow happens to be December 15th. The session starts at 9:00 a.m.”

“I don’t have admission to the Assembly.” The Assembly was an unofficial executive body that governed the magic users at state and national levels. The Texas State Assembly met in Houston. A family had to have at least two Prime-caliber magic users in three generations to be considered a House and each House had a single seat. Technically the Assembly had no power within the US government, but, practically, when the Houses spoke in one collective voice, both Congress and the White House listened.

“A family name has to be good for something, right?”

Cornelius smiled. It never reached his eyes. They stayed bitter and haunted. “As a Significant and a scion of a House, I’m free to attend the Assembly and bring a companion of my choice. I intend to be an active participant in this investigation, Ms. Baylor.”

“Call me Nevada,” I told him. “Good. Then we’ll meet here tomorrow at seven.”

 

About the author

“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.) They have co-authored two New York Times and USA Today bestselling series—the urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and the romantic urban fantasy of The Edge—and are working on the next volumes for both. They live in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

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Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews – Review & Giveaway

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Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews – Review & Giveaway

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Magic Binds
Kate Daniels series – Book #9
by Ilona Andrews
Release Date: September 20, 2016

Magic BindsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
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…

 

 

Review:

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews is the 9th book in her fantastic Kate Daniels series.  The mark of a great series is when you read each book, you can’t put it down; but when you see the story moving too fast, you force yourself to slow down, so that you can savior it a little bit longer. Kate Daniels is one of these series.  Magic Binds is once again a fabulous story written so wonderfully by the Ilona Andrews duo ( Ilona & Gordon Andrews).  Magic Binds was fantastic; maybe even the best one yet.

In Magic Binds, Kate is preparing for her wedding to Curran, or shall we say, her friends are.  In the last few books, we have learned more about Roland, Kate’s ultra powerful father, who wants to rule the world.  As they try to talk civilly to each other and profess their love, we also know that this will end in death for one of them.  Things are escalated when the Oracle warns Kate that her vision shows that if she marries Curran, he will die, which will also include the vision of her son’s (she has no son, this is a future prognosis) death by Roland.  Time is of essence, as war is on the horizon, much sooner than expected.

Kate will use everything in her power to find a way to stop Roland, which is just about impossible.  She will face a god; she will go as far as bringing someone she killed to help her; prove that she is just as powerful as her father to gain the support of the pack, vampires and the guild.  Many of our favorites will play a big part in this story; Julie, Derek, Jim, Ghastek, Saiman, Jim, Roman, Dalia, Christopher, just to name a few. 

To tell too much more would be spoilers. This was a pulse pounding intense exciting story line that was non-stop action all the way.  Kate rises up to everything we knew she could do, and then some. The last half of the book was so great; you could not put the book down, even if I wanted it to last longer and keep savoring it.  Kate Daniels proves over and over that she is one of the best kick-ass heroines in the literary world.  I love her and Curran together, as a couple they too are one of the best.  Magic Binds was a sensational read, and Andrews has outdone themselves.  Bravo!  I do not how much longer this series will go, but I am praying we have many books left.  If you have not read this series, this is another gem you should not be missing.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Giveaway

Ilona Andrews’ publisher is offering a Hardcover copy of MAGIC BINDS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from September 19- 23, 2016

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