MAGIC BINDS is book 9 in the infinitely excellent urban fantasy Kate Daniels series by husband and wife writers Ilona Andrews. It's hard to conceive that book 9 is even better than all the preceding books, but, defying the law of averages for a book series, Magic Binds is the strongest book yet in my opinion. I loved Kate Daniels (such a smartass mercenary!) immediately in book 1, and my love for the characters and the series has only grown deeper and stronger as the series progresses. Magic Binds is a book that I hugged excitedly to my breast murmuring "My Precious" as soon as I got it in my hot little hands. I tried to read it as slowly as possible, because I don't want it to end.

Kate Daniels and her fiancé, the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart, are now living together, separated from the shapeshifter Pack that Curran used to rule. They are heads of a Mercenary Guild that tackles problems no one else wants to in this world of dangerous magic. They are trying to keep their created-not-blood family safe. They are planning their shortly-upcoming wedding. And, oh by the way, they are battling Kate's father, the evil Nimrod, as he tries to take Atlanta from Kate on his way to conquering the planet. There is a crap ton of stuff going on here, with lots of balls being juggled that keeps the story marching along tautly. The excellently-placed snark and flat-out humor provides a lovely counterpoint to the growing tension as lots of crazy and dangerous things happen. This book will keep you on your toes!

This is a series that should definitely be read in order. The good news is, if you are just discovering this amazing world now, you have 9 books plus a number of novellas to wallow in gleefully. I re-read this series to date about once a year because I adore it so much. This epic series deserves every wonderful superlative in the book. We're clearly approaching the big battle between Kate and her father for the fate of the world, and I'm on tenterhooks to know what will happen next. MAGIC BINDS is a must-read urban fantasy showcasing the unbelievable exceptionality of Ilona Andrews, and a book you simply cannot afford to miss.