The Illumian entry trick is the Improved Power Sigil (Krau) feat, also in Races of Destiny.
I'm still better off with a Sorcerer, I believe. Plus I hate Illumian flavor -- I don't want to be a bald guy whose head glows like a friggin' lamp.
Spells > All in D&D. Given the option between level 9 spells and more binding, take the spells.
Yeah, but when my selection is as limited as it is... I mean, if I go down the 9th-level spell route, I'll have a single 9th-level, 2 8th-level, and 3 7th-level spells known. Can you point me out to a single 9th-level spell that's so good it's worth taking over everything else? Wish's XP cost is prohibitive, and Shapechange doesn't do a smear of good if you don't know what to change into (like me).
EDIT: Looking further at my options, if I increase the binder side (preferrably by means of KotSS -- I can select a damn good vestige as my patron vestige, PLUS no bad pact with it means I always get that nifty extra spell slot per day), my BAB goes up (always a good thing; my current build means I have +6 BAB at 13th level, which is HORRID), and my HP goes up (again, a good thing considering the Anima Mage's squishy d4 HD). Since I'm not so well-informed on sorcerer PrCs, are there any that'd be worth taking up to 7th level (or a combination thereof)? Considering the Anima Mage's vestige metamagic, it'd be better if it were a PrC that focused on metamagic.