Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom, #3)

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Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom #3)

by Devon Monk (Goodreads Author)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 2,842 ratings · 150 reviews

Allison Beckstrom's magic has taken its toll on her, physically marking her and erasing her memories-including those of the man she supposedly loves. But lost memories aren't the only things preying on Allie's thoughts.

Her late father, the prominent businessman-and sorcerer-Daniel Beckstrom, has somehow channeled himself into her very mind. With the help of The Authority,...more

Paperback, 350 pages

Published November 3rd 2009 by Roc (first published October 14th 2009)

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Feb 28, 2012 Beanbag Love rated it 3 of 5 stars

Was going to round this up to four stars, but decided not to.

This is the third installment in the Allie Beckstrom series by Devon Monk. I had one major problem with this book that brought it down by major points.

What's the problem? Allie Beckstrom. She was a menace in this story. A danger to herself and others. Not just a danger but an extreme danger. Every time someone would tell her to do (or not do) something she'd defy them. Why? She knows she doesn't know what the others know but she's tir...more

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Nov 08, 2009 marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this puppy down for anything. once i started i am not sure i even blinked.

this installment of allie's life picks up almost right after book 2. allie is trying to remember the parts of the last few weeks that have been erased by her magic use while settling into her new apartment. she also has to take care of the hounds, pass magical tests by the Authority, rediscover the magic between her and Zay, and her dead father is in her head taking control of her body. not too much to hand...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Tynga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Allie Beckstrom’s life is far from being easy and simple, she really has a knack for getting herself in the worst positions possible and this time around is no different. After a magical incident, more like apocalypse really, she is stuck with a part of her father, somewhere in her mind, and he is doing his very best to take her body over. Annoying you say? But it’s not all she has to deal with, after promising a dying friend to protect the other Hounds in town, she finds herself facing bigger a...more Allie Beckstrom’s life is far from being easy and simple, she really has a knack for getting herself in the worst positions possible and this time around is no different. After a magical incident, more like apocalypse really, she is stuck with a part of her father, somewhere in her mind, and he is doing his very best to take her body over. Annoying you say? But it’s not all she has to deal with, after promising a dying friend to protect the other Hounds in town, she finds herself facing bigger and worst enemies than she ever has before and even though she has new back up in the form of the Authority, can she really trust them?

The Allie Beckstrom series is simply amazing, and quite honestly, each book gets better and better! I love how Devon Monk pushes the limit even farther every time she writes a new book, taking the reader by surprise book after book. Urban Fantasy is at it’s best with Allie and Zayvion on board!

A & Z’s relationship took a huge step back after book one and I was really happy to see their relationship move forward once more in this novel. I like the two of them to pieces and seeing them dance around each other is simply delicious! A new female character was introduced this time around and she will wreck havoc between them, bringing with her viciously interesting moments.

Chase wasn’t the only new character introduced, with Allie joining the Authority and all, and I must say I have a sweet spot for Shamus. He comes across as all fun and games but there is a lot more under his shell and I can’t wait to discover more. Allie also meets a new friend at a restaurant and I liked the touch of humor he brought to this dark world.

Monk was true to herself delivering an intricate and addicting plot once again. I love her way of setting different events into motion and bringing them all together, somehow, by the end of the book. Even though you know she’ll do it, you just never know how all the pieces will fit in the bigger picture, brilliant!

The conclusion was an amazing pyrotechnic show and the consequences should be rather interesting. I’m really anxious to find out all about it in the following book, Magic on the Storm. I also can’t wait to see where Allie & Zayvion will stand *wiggle eyebrow*.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I strongly suggest you do because it’s totally different from any other Urban Fantasy series out there. This world is dark and gritty and magic isn’t all sparkles and bright lights. Magic is dirty and when you use it, there is always a price to pay. The trick is to decided is it worth paying it when every time you use it, there’s a chance you could forget your own name?
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Nov 05, 2009 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you liked Magic In the Blood and Magic to the Bone, you'll definitely want to read Magic in the Shadows. This is the third book in the "Allie Beckstrom" series and it takes place immediately after "Magic in the Blood". I recommend starting with Book 1, but if you're new to the series, there is enough back-story so won't be too confused. The back-story does cause the first part of the book to be a little bit slow, but the rest of the book is fast paced and packed full of action.

"Magic in the S...more

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I strongly suggest you read the previous books in this series (Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood) in order, before reading this book. This story picks up right where Magic in the Blood leaves off.

Allie Beckstrom's life has been invaded. She has gone from a life of intentional solitude, too having a full plate overflowing with family, obligations, responsibilities and friends. Allie's father has come back from the dead in spirit and created a little pocket of existence for himself in Allie...more I strongly suggest you read the previous books in this series (Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood) in order, before reading this book. This story picks up right where Magic in the Blood leaves off.

Allie Beckstrom's life has been invaded. She has gone from a life of intentional solitude, too having a full plate overflowing with family, obligations, responsibilities and friends. Allie's father has come back from the dead in spirit and created a little pocket of existence for himself in Allie's mind. Unfortunately for Allie, she became aware of this horrific fact while she's getting ready for a date with Zayvion; talk about awkward. Who wants their dad along with them on a date with a guy they are lusting after?

Daniel Beckstrom is still as magically powerful in death, as he was when he was alive. He is so powerful, that on occasion, he deliberately takes control over Allie's body. Allie's life gets even more complicated when she realizes she is being stalked by an undead. A creature that was a former human being, but has magically been turned into......something else.

The Authority follows through with their threat of testing Allie's magically ability and decides whether Allie's memories of how to use magic should be "closed" or not. Keeping her promise to Pike, Allie becomes accountable for Hounds, regardless of how disgruntle they are.

I really enjoyed this installment. Devon Monk has done an amazing job of weaving together many sides of a dark and dangerous world, where magic exist and is accessible to everyone. Although the cost for the magical usage is high, the possibilities for its uses are endless.

The relationship between Allie and all the supporting characters was fun and full of delightfully twisted humor. Allie has really grown as a person since the first book. She is still reckless but she now has a sought of maturity that was missing before.

For those Allie and Zayvion fans, this installment is a must read! There is plenty of fantastic interaction between Allie and Zay as a couple. Although they still drive each other crazy, they are interesting, stubborn and mysterious enough that they will never get bored with one another.

This installment was action packed, loaded with magic, exciting and creative. I highly recommend this book and entire series to fellow dark urban fantasy readers and I look forward to the next book Magic on the Strom due out 5/4/2010.

I also recommend:
Bitter Night: A Horngate Witches Book
Spiral Hunt (Evie Scelan)
Angels' Blood
Vicious Circle
Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, Book 1) (less)

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Feb 18, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This has been sitting in my pile (along with all of the rest of its younger siblings) for quite a while now, so picking back up with magical Allie was a bit of a challenge at first. I read so much that I honestly not only didn't remember much coming back in, but that didn't really end up being and issue because there were enough references to events in the past book to jog my memory.

Since this has been out for so long I am not going to bother with a synopsis. I enjoyed Magic in the Shadows, but...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, romance-spans-multiple-books

Is it strange that I'm knee-deep in this series and one of my most prominent, recurring thoughts is, "Argh, Allie, buy a car already!" I mean, the girl is a billionaire or near enough to it - even if her father's will is processing slowly, you'd think she'd have the spare cash to get herself a set of wheels? Instead she's always taking cabs or cadging rides off of people and it's really starting to get on my nerves.

So far I have a love/hate relationship with this series. There are a lot of thin...more Is it strange that I'm knee-deep in this series and one of my most prominent, recurring thoughts is, "Argh, Allie, buy a car already!" I mean, the girl is a billionaire or near enough to it - even if her father's will is processing slowly, you'd think she'd have the spare cash to get herself a set of wheels? Instead she's always taking cabs or cadging rides off of people and it's really starting to get on my nerves.

So far I have a love/hate relationship with this series. There are a lot of things in it that I love, a lot of others - some nitpicky like Allie needing a car, others more substantial - that get on my nerves. Some of them are essential to the series and probably make it better. For example: Allie's relationship with her father. She spends all this time trying to get him out of her head...but a couple of times she gets a real opportunity to kick him out and doesn't take it. That drives me crazy, but it's realistic. It's hard to hate a parent, or condemn a parent's soul to the endless torments of hell.

I did NOT like the storyline centered on Allie joining the Authority. Allie seems really casual about it, like, "Guess I have to join, oh well," a little mocking and suspicious but that's all. I found the Authority increasingly awful as the book went on and I didn't understand why Allie was even going through the motions to join. Especially when (view spoiler) Just generally though, all the Authority people seem high-handed and mean, more like villains than allies.

Allie seem to have a highly variable level of intelligence. One second she's smart and strategic. The next she's dumb as a box of rocks. There's one scene where she tries a spell on a bad guy and the spell doesn't work at all. So Zavion warns her: don't use that spell, it will only make the bad guy stronger. Then, a few chapters later, she ends up in a situation with the same bad guy. She promises to stay back and observe, and then she gets another warning: remember, that kind of magic won't do any good, don't use it! So Allie's like, sure, of course not! What does she do? Yep, she tries the same stupid useless spell and gets herself into trouble.

Stuff like that drives me bonkers. And when you compare scenes like that one, where she only seems to know a grand total of three spells and doesn't apply them very well, verses other scenes where she does incredibly complex magic and achieves seemingly impossible things, I start to wonder if the world building and characters are properly constructed and consistent.

Lastly...much as I like Zayvion Jones as a character and a love interest - three and four books down the line he remains really fascinating and mysterious and charismatic - the opening scene where they go on a fancy date was really boring. Usually Allie and Zayvion have pretty snappy, funny dialogue but that whole sequence dragged like nobody's business. So boo to that.

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Sep 03, 2011 Hope rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detectives, magic-users, urban-fantasy

In this one, Allie and Zay face the gruesome discovery that someone is blending dark and blood magic to cross from death to life. The stolen disks figure heavily in the plot, and we learn more about Daniel Beckstrom's murder... and his refusal to die. On the lighter side, Nola finds a love interest, and Allie frees a gargoyle. Her ability to see that it is alive, and the way she can visualize magic, seem to be unique to her. Cody plays a critical role in the climax, and there are hints that even...more In this one, Allie and Zay face the gruesome discovery that someone is blending dark and blood magic to cross from death to life. The stolen disks figure heavily in the plot, and we learn more about Daniel Beckstrom's murder... and his refusal to die. On the lighter side, Nola finds a love interest, and Allie frees a gargoyle. Her ability to see that it is alive, and the way she can visualize magic, seem to be unique to her. Cody plays a critical role in the climax, and there are hints that even a face off with death cannot cut a savant off from magic forever. (view spoiler)

Allie realizes, again, that a) she's not a killer, (b) Zay's life is probably more important to her than her own survival. Though she doesn't remember it, she made this decision before in the first book when she sacrifices herself to save him. It won't be the last time, either. His willingness to hurt her, no matter how much he doesn't want to, creates more trouble for this reader than Allie, apparently, which really frustrated me. She asks after the fact how far he'd go, and he pauses before an answer that isn't enough for me. She's a life giver, and he's a cold-blooded killer who takes away memories, something that she is profoundly sensitive about -- and should be. Yeah, I'm not real high on Zay right now. He's here for the duration, but from what we've seen, she's a better person than he is.
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Jan 12, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Maybe my tastes have changed because I absolutely loved Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood, but I really didn't like this book. My main issue is the plot. There is some sort of creature running around trying to eat Allie's dad out of her head. This creature appears a few times and takes up maybe 20 pages total, the rest of the book consists of banter, banter, and more banter. There wasn't anything especially appealing about Allie's character in the previous novels, and if anything she has...more Maybe my tastes have changed because I absolutely loved Magic to the Bone and Magic in the Blood, but I really didn't like this book. My main issue is the plot. There is some sort of creature running around trying to eat Allie's dad out of her head. This creature appears a few times and takes up maybe 20 pages total, the rest of the book consists of banter, banter, and more banter. There wasn't anything especially appealing about Allie's character in the previous novels, and if anything she has gotten worse. She doesn't understand much of anything and has an attitude about pretty much everything. I do enjoy flawed characters, but Allie crosses the flawed line and takes a bit of a leap into annoying. None of the other characters are really important enough to be considered. Their personalities don't really stand out, they are more like sidekicks. Speaking of sidekicks, we get to meat Shame in this book, the most annoying, generic, unlikable sidekick I've ever had the misfortune of reading. Putting that aside, what I did love about this series was the cost of magic. Using magic is not just something you do whenever; it takes a huge toll on you. Come to find out it doesn't have to be that painful, and there isn't even any memory loss anymore. When you take away the thing that most appealed to me about the series you have to make up for it somehow to keep my attention, and Magic in the Shadows just didn't live up to expectations. Let me just open to a random page:

"Who is Mikhail, and where did he go?" I asked.
Dad opened his eyes. "He was the leader of the Authority. And he is dead."
"Oh, could you guys get any creepier? I mean, seriously. Why would anyone think raising the dead is a good idea?"

See, I'm already annoyed. It's like that on any page of the book. The characters are grating, and there is no depth here. The plot takes up a few pages, and the rest of the book is dialogue. I usually like dialogue, but not this unimportant nonsense. To add insult to injury, Allie is turning into a super powerful magic user. She is one of a kind, awesomely powerful, and is going to fix everything. I really dislike those types of urban fantasy plots. Sadly, I won't be continuing this series. It is upsetting because I've been suggesting this series to those who enjoy grittier urban fantasy, and I can't recommend it any longer. (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Have I mentioned that I absolutely love the covers for this series? They're awesome. Just as awesome as what's inside. :)

After reading the second book in the series last week, I couldn't leave this one sitting on my TBR pile for long. I couldn't wait to get stuck into the third. And boy, is it awesome. This series is another one of those that reminds me just why I love the UF genre so much. It's got a little of everything in it. And since I've got a total weakness for gargoyles, I loved the intr...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Kalynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

If Devon Monk could start books as well she finishes them, I would buy and read each of her books the day it came out. That said, this installment of Allie Beckstrom's adventures picks up much more quickly and moves at a better pace than the last. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend that anyone, who has read the first two and is uncertain about whether to continue the series, should give this a chance. If you haven't read the first two, you should do so first. this is absolutely not a stand...more

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May 18, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

Magic in the Shadows starts literally the afternoon after the ending of book #2 (Magic In the Blood). I truly enjoy Allie preparing herself for the date with Zayvion, luckily her best friend, Nola (who comes to the city to clear some administrative process to adopt Cody), helps her so that Allie looks presentable. This beginning is more banal compares to the other two books. It's like a day-to-day date, , even with Allie's father looming over in her head. Of course, it is not long until Allie an...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Nicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, supernatural, sequel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 20, 2010 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not only does Allie have to deal with losing her memories, but now her father's soul is invading her mind as well. She turns to Zayvion, the lover she has no memory of, and the Authority, a secret group of magical enforcers for help getting her father out of her mind. She must tread carefully for not everyone in the order wishes to help her. Meanwhile, one of her hounds gets into trouble, and Allie finds herself in the center of yet another plot for power. In the end it becomes a fight of wills,...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Novels On The Run rated it 4 of 5 stars

MICHELLE'S REVIEW:

RATING : 4.5 SHAMUS AND STONE STARS!!

Talk about Jedi mind tricks. Dear ol dad is really working his mind mojo in this book. I do like this angle that Devon has taken with Allie’s character. For a man that she hadn’t seen for 7 years, to now living within her, listening, watching through her eyes, wow! Great angle, still lots of dad mystery that we need to understand.

I’m still not sure if Daniel is evil or if he is half evil when he wants to be or totally misunderstood. I think...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm still not ready to give this series a 4 star even after (3) books. However, I do appreciate that Ms Monk has added a new character to the mix, whom I actually liked. Shamus Flynn. I think that along with Zay, and Allie, they make a great team, and an even better story line. I Stone, the gargolye that Allie releases by accident. He fast becomes Allies protector, which she is in serious need of. I don't, however, trust Violet, or her body guard Kevin. I think they have alot more evil intention...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-tastic

Now this was more like it. I had been having a real problem feeling fully engaged in the two main characters of this series and I really felt I made a lot of headway in that area with this book. Still not to the happy clappy fan-girl stage of excitement that I get to with other series, but a definite step forward.

The story picks up about 30 seconds after the end of the last book, when Allie had thought she'd heard the voice of her father in her mind and seen a trace of him in her own reflection...more Now this was more like it. I had been having a real problem feeling fully engaged in the two main characters of this series and I really felt I made a lot of headway in that area with this book. Still not to the happy clappy fan-girl stage of excitement that I get to with other series, but a definite step forward.

The story picks up about 30 seconds after the end of the last book, when Allie had thought she'd heard the voice of her father in her mind and seen a trace of him in her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Well.....she wasn't hallucinating, she really has taken on part of her fathers spirit into her own psyche. Neat, huh? Well it might be if Allie didn't actively detest her father and if her father hadn't proved in the last book that he was more than willing to kill Allie and keep her body for himself. Still, no need to panic...

Already this new development was a more promising start, right from page one. And the improvements kept coming. We got to see Allie and Zayvion go out on their first proper date (three books in and after sleeping together- hey, better late than never, right?) And I really enjoyed these scenes. Zayvion is finally answering some of Allie's questions now that she knows who he works for and they tentatively discussed the future and what it means to be soul compliments.

Then we get a whole bunch of new characters to sink our teeth into. The lovable Irish rogue Shamus (Shame) Flynn, a gargoyle called Stone and the bitchy ex-girlfriend, Chase, who just has to be gorgeous, doesn't she? I know, sodding typical. I loved all of these new additions and they helped me appreciate the two MC's as I watched them interact with them.

We also got to know more of the members of the Pack- the group of Hounds Pike left Allie in charge of in the last book- and I really like Davey who she has appointed her assistant/second in command.

All in all, this was a vast improvement on the first two books and I hope the trend continues or at least maintains.

Originally Reviewed for Urban Fantasy Book Reviews
http://urbanfantasybookreviews.blogsp...(less)

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Dec 20, 2010 Jessica(Spinecracker) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at http://thespinecracker.blogspot.com/

4.5 stars
Magic in the Shadows is the 3rd installment in the Allie Beckstrom series, and if after reading my first 2 reviews you didn't add this entire series to your TBR pile, maybe a straightforward review is not what you need to see? Maybe you've been burned by series in the past; investing your time and emotions with a set of characters only to lose interest along the way. Maybe I need to disspell those fears right here and now; prove t...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Shdnx rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, urban-fantasy

I was really surprised as to how much I liked this book. The book I read before it was really awesome (although unfortunately never published abroad; it's from a Hungarian author, called J. Goldenlane, and this was her book titled "Farkastestvér" or "Sister of the Wolves" if I had to give a direct translation) - and usually the book that follows an awesome book fails miserably.
Anyway, after the first 20 pages I was sucked into the story and I'd dare to say that this is the best installment of th...more I was really surprised as to how much I liked this book. The book I read before it was really awesome (although unfortunately never published abroad; it's from a Hungarian author, called J. Goldenlane, and this was her book titled "Farkastestvér" or "Sister of the Wolves" if I had to give a direct translation) - and usually the book that follows an awesome book fails miserably.
Anyway, after the first 20 pages I was sucked into the story and I'd dare to say that this is the best installment of the series so far.

The world expands quite a bit in this book. I got the distinct feeling that both of the previous books were just the forerunners (the prequels, if you will) of this one. It is unusual how the author handles the concept of the death - at least, it was unusual for me to read about it. I personally find it absolutely unbelievable - however, it was fun to read about, which is the more important thing.
The handling of magic still seems to be inconsistent. In one scene, Allie gets a terrible migraine for using magic to enhance her sight and hearing - and then in the other, she uses a huge amount of magic (way more than a simple Sight) with little to no cost.

The story was pretty good, it was exciting, but I wouldn't say there were too many unexpected turn of events. Reading it isn't hard on your brain, which I found relaxing this time (exam period, you know), although I'm quite I would have whined about it in other times.

Unfortunately stupidity still plays a considerable role in the book; several near-death situations could have been easily avoided if the characters (especially Allie) had used their brains. I'm very frustrated about this: stupidity is the single worst thing to read about.

There were no revolutionary changes in the characters either. Allie is still dumb, although she's trying to learn how to be responsible (with more or less success). The romance was boring, but thankfully it wasn't over-emphasized.
Stone, the gargoyle was really cute, and it was a fun addition to the story. I think he's the main reason I'm actually giving this book 4 stars. :)

Plenty of new character appear, but they are just shallow side-characters, hardly worth mentioning. I mean, I liked a few of them, but they were minor additions to the story and the world in general.

Overall, a surprising comeback of the series; I was half-expecting its quality to drop considerably, as it sometimes (usually?) happens with series in this genre. If you've been following the series so far, don't stop now.(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Lisa King rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: enjoyed-it

Allison Beckstrom is trying to keep the Hounds safe and together while she is trying to keep herself in one piece. The Authority has her in its sight and will not be denied. She and Zayvion Jones are taking their relationship slow since Allie lost her memories of their previous passion a while back. The disks are lose and havoc ensues.

The book was a bit of a slow-start but picked up the pace until it hit a fevered pitch. I really enjoyed the ride. Allie has a huge stubborn streak which makes she...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Heather (hungrycookiemonster) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, supernatural

I give Magic in the Shadows by Devon Monk 4/5 stars for its ability to keep me interested and bring new meaning to possession.

Though I will give no spoilers for Magic in the Shadows, there are spoilers from the first two prior novels.

Magic in the Shadows:

Allie Beckstorm is back again with all her humor and terrible luck. This time, the Authority, who we have heard about in the past two books but have not really seen, are finally ready to test Allie to see if she is worthy of becoming a me...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Littlechoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-challenge-2011, reviewed

This my favourite book in this series. The world building is fantastic and I’m loving all the history of Magic. The secondary characters are more prominent and fleshed out a little more than in books 1 and 2, although there are lots of them, and they all have different roles, it doesn’t make it too confusing. I loves Shamus. He is definitely my favourite and I really do hope to see more of him in future books. However, Allie is still grating on my nerves. Her attitude sometimes is damn right ann...more

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May 21, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: allie-beckstrom

Magic In The Shadows is the third book in the Allie Beckstrom series. Allie delves deeper into the Authority, the rulers of magic, while investigating Tomi's unusual behavior.

What I Liked:

The expansion of the cast. The book introduced many new characters. Highlights include: Stone the Toilet Whisperer, Shamus, the Necromorph, and Jingo Jingo.

Allie's character development. Allie takes on more responsibilities - the Hounds, etc, and makes decisions about her life - Beckstrom Enterprises, self-defe...more

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Feb 17, 2013 momokaachan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series

I am really enjoying this series. The world-building is good, the MC is (at least to me) very likable, the boyfriend is to die for (I keep picturing Dean Cain from the occasional descriptions - I wonder if I am close), and the rest of the supporting cast - good and evil - makes for a very entertaining read.

One of the things I like best about Allie is how real she seems. Her mental dialogue is sometimes snarky, sometimes sweet, and with non-sequiters that pop up at the oddest times. AND she knows...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Nora-adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 04, 2011 Rita Webb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2011

When Allie starts hearing her dead father's voice, she realizes that his ghost has possessed her. It's a battle to stay in control of her body and feelings when he keeps intruding...especially when his widow (Allie's step-mother) is around. The writing on this was amazing. I loved watching the internal struggle as she tries to function in public.

I love how Devon Monk plays out Allie's memory losses from her use of magic. There are things that we as readers witnessed that Allie can no longer reme...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book #48 of 2011.

This book picks up immediately where book #2 left off. Allie trusts Zay more and thankfully she hasn't lost any more of her memories. Zay takes Allie on a "real" date where she (accidentally) picks up a pet gargoyle she calls Stone. I'm a fan of the gargoyle, even if his presense made me wonder what exactly was going on in the story that there was time to pick up a stray gargoyle... Allie learns more about Zay and more about the authority and we meet Shame (Shamus), one of Zay'...more

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Mar 21, 2010 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-the-library, finished-in-2010

Just as good as the other two in the series. I'm really enjoying the way Devon Monk is changing Allie as a character without falling into the 'all powerful uber heroine' routine.

Found myself laughing a lot while reading this book. Shamus and Stone were just two of the most perfect characters Monk could've thrown into Allie's path. And I think Allie's life will be better for it.

Certainly more building of the romance between Allie and Zav plus we learn plenty more about the Authority in this book....more

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Dec 15, 2012 Fern rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I absolutely loved this book the pace never let off once and we finally got answers to lots of our questions. Allie really came into her own in this book and yes she got beat up a stupid amount of times again but she is still kicking along. I'm beginning to wonder if Violet is as sweet and innocence as she is making out or if there is something else behind her. Also love Shame he seems like he is going to be the comic relief character and a really loveable one at that. So glad to finally know ab...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Vic rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: format-audiobook, tag-urban-fantasy

Audiobook. 3.75 - I like this book better than the others in some ways and a little less in others. I like the secondary characters that have popped up and seeing more of this Authority. I loved Stone. But, is Allie TSTL? I mean, when she's even saying, "I know I don't know how to fight this thing and I've been told throwing my magic at it is bad, but I've got to do something." And then throws magic and people are in more danger (including her), is it time to start rooting for the monsters? I ma...more

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About Devon Monk

Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. She writes the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series and the Age of Steam steampunk series. Her collection of short stories, A CUP OF NORMAL is a finalist for the Mythopoeic and Endeavour Awards. When not writing,...more

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Books by Devon Monk

Magic In the Blood (Allie Beckstrom, #2)

Magic on the Storm (Allie Beckstrom, #4)

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Quotes from Magic in the Shadows

“The Mum has the temper of a demon with a diaper rash. (Shamus)” — 20 people liked it

“... he trotted down the hallway on all fours and started in on his second favorite pastime, conversations with plumbing. Just what I needed: Stone, the Toilet Whisperer.” — 9 people liked it

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Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom #3)

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