Book Review: Magic Binds

Magic Binds expands on Kate's origins and once again tests the iron bonds of her and Curran's relationship. Their daughter, Julie, has a refreshing amount of screen time, and we learn more about her mysterious lineage.

Kate's biggest challenge in this book feels less about saving Atlanta—which she's tasked with again—than avoiding the planner for the grand wedding she'd rather avoid. Like most of us (okay, maybe just the grooms), Kate has no interest in a big affair and would rather keep it intimate. Also like most of us (okay, maybe just the grooms), she learns the hard way that weddings aren't about her and Curran's happiness but that of their friends and family. Still, it's hard to take when a persistent seamstress is distracting you from plotting to save her life and everyone she holds dear. Say it with me, "Perspective..."

My biggest problem with this book (I'm nit-picking now because I really did enjoy it) wasn't the writing or plot. I listened to the audio version. For some reason, the voice actress feels that most people with a foreign accent, which is upwards of 80% of the characters in the book, require excessive pauses between every. Single. Word. I frankly don't know anyone who talks like that, and it became so distracting towards the end that I almost stopped listening and went back to the eBook. Almost. =P Credit to the voice actress: Ilona Andrews' Atlanta is a cultural melting pot that makes San Francisco seem positively monochrome by comparison. How she managed all those accents without tying her tongue in a knot is beyond me.

If you're a Kate Daniels fan and have read this far, this is a must-read that advances the plot in Kate's sassy, defiant way, edging to a series conclusion that is now just visible on the horizon, though whether that red glow is the sun rising or an atomic bomb is still anyone's guess.