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Allie Beckstrom #3
Magic in the Shadows
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, a secret organization of magic users, she hopes to gain better control over her own abilities-and find a way to deal with her father...
Her late father, the prominent businessman-and sorcerer-Daniel Beckstrom, has somehow channeled himself into her very mind. With the help of The Authority, a secret organization of magic users, she hopes to gain better control over her own abilities-and find a way to deal with her father...
350 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 3, 2009
129 people are currently reading
2258 people want to read
About the author
Devon Monk
88 books2,060 followersDevon Monk is a national best selling writer of urban fantasy. Her series include Ordinary Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic and Shame and Terric. She also writes the Age of Steam steampunk series, and the occasional short story which can be found in her collection: A Cup of Normal, and in various anthologies. She has one husband, two sons, and lives in Oregon. When not writing, Devon is either drinking too much coffee or knitting silly things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
February 28, 2012
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 tired of being bossed around. Really? It happens again and again and she really does put other people in danger. Even as she realizes she's screwed up she does it over and over.
And by the end I am not convinced she's actually learned a lesson from all of this. It's extremely annoying.
However, Zayvion is particularly good in this book and some new characters are introduced that I really like and look forward to seeing more of. So I'm in for at least another few books. Hopefully this was just a blip in the Allie Beckstrom-verse because I doubt I'll be able to stay interested in the series for the sake of the side characters alone.
Still, it's a good series and I did end up staying up very late to finish it. The story itself was quite good and developed to a really exciting end. Oh, and something that I wasn't too keen on in the first two books is explained and -- hopefully -- dispensed with as far as Allie's concerned. There should be more info about it in later books, but it shouldn't be a narrator problem anymore and that's a good thing.
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 tired of being bossed around. Really? It happens again and again and she really does put other people in danger. Even as she realizes she's screwed up she does it over and over.
And by the end I am not convinced she's actually learned a lesson from all of this. It's extremely annoying.
However, Zayvion is particularly good in this book and some new characters are introduced that I really like and look forward to seeing more of. So I'm in for at least another few books. Hopefully this was just a blip in the Allie Beckstrom-verse because I doubt I'll be able to stay interested in the series for the sake of the side characters alone.
Still, it's a good series and I did end up staying up very late to finish it. The story itself was quite good and developed to a really exciting end. Oh, and something that I wasn't too keen on in the first two books is explained and -- hopefully -- dispensed with as far as Allie's concerned. There should be more info about it in later books, but it shouldn't be a narrator problem anymore and that's a good thing.
May 1, 2018
Completely action packed. Poor Allie- she really needs a day off! Absolutely loved this. The stakes in the story are getting nighters and higher. We learn more about the Authority. And I really really want a pet gargoyle! Recommended series.
May 11, 2018
4.5 Stars... There is so much happening in this addition to the "Allie Beckstrom" series.... Light versus Dark Magic, a pending war on the horizon, the Authority's secrets slowly revealed, the true nature of Zayvion Jones, Soul Complements, battles with ancient beasts, and the depth of Allie's abilities continually being unmasked... I was invested from the very first page; the connection between Allie and Zayvion is powerful and mysterious making me wonder what direction it will ultimately lead; the introduction of some new and very intriguing characters (ie Shamus) keeps the series fresh and interesting; and the action sequences create momentum engaging the readers' attention... This series continues to enthrall me creating questions and making me want to seek answers...Looking forward to continuing this unique magical journey:)
May 13, 2018
3 1/2 stars. This series is getting better to me. I’ll give it one more book to see if I’ll continue.
March 14, 2015
Third in the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series set in an alternate Portland, Oregon, and revolving around a unique Hound who tracks magic spells.
My Take
The premise of the Allie Beckstrom series is fascinating, and I have differing levels of enjoyment for the characters. I am conflicted about Allie herself. I appreciate her morals, her dilemma, but I hate her stubborn stupidity. It's that push-my-way-into-danger trope that really irritates me. She has no skills, can't take instruction, and ends up putting people in danger because of her insistence on being included. She refuses to learn self-defense, because she knows it all.
One of the conflicts Monk has introduced is Allie's father possessing her because he wants to come back to life. He wants to be immortal. And Allie never forgets how he treated her, how he prevented her learning anything about magic. It makes everything her father whispers to her suspect. Allie never knows if he's helping or hindering.
At one point, Daniel takes over Allie's body to try to save them both — because dumbbell doesn't know what she's doing — and she's ticked off at him for doing it. Sure, I can understand not wanting to give up control of one's body. Especially to a man like her father. But, duhhh. Learn the magic. Learn the self-defense. Don't put yourself into stupid situations.
It's both sweet, creepy, and sad that Daniel finally realizes what he lost with his death. That he wishes he had told Violet how much he loved her. The reactions that Allie feels within herself that her father is projecting! His reaction to seeing Kevin's behavior around Violet. Eeek!
Zay tells Allie a lot more about magic and how it came to be public.
What is with Chase? I get that she hates Daniel Beckstrom. Why does she feel a need to take it out on Allie? I think she needs to be Closed. Then there's that test. WHAT is with that? She knows nothing, and they intend to test her? Hasn't Zayvion told them what Chase did at that abandoned building?
Allie and Monk's stupid contradictions bug the heck out of me. Supposedly, Allie can use any of her skills, abilities, to win the test. Then she gets penalized for it. No one tells her what the rules are, and she breaks them to win. They want to penalize her for that. Duh, what? Then again, Monk does provide some interesting conflicts. Having to suffer for using magic is an interesting twist.
The characters around Allie are intriguing. Zayvion is a little bit whipped, but also strong in himself. The Hounds present a conflict of nature, common practice, and Allie trying to honor Price's request. (Davy is such a sweetheart.) The questions raised about Jingo Jingo and his possible involvement in what happened to Daniel. I'm certainly curious as to why he's referred to as a betrayer and there's the question of those ghosts who surround him.
All those people who hate Daniel and therefore Allie. Surely if they know Daniel they know that Allie has avoided him most of her adult life? Why are supposedly intelligent people falling into this one? It would have been more interesting if they were merely very cautious around her. Curious even. But they're ready to lash out and kill her. WTF? And if they're willing to kill off Allie for being a Beckstrom, why aren't they going after Violet? After all, she married one.
I'm intrigued enough to continue reading. I want to know more about how Allie battles her way into the Authority. How she gets on with Detective Stotts. How her relationship with Zay proceeds. If Kevin ever gets off his duff about Violet, lol. I like Shame. He's a cheeky bugger, and I think he'll be fun. I also want to know how caring for the Hounds will go.
Yeah, there are plenty of questions to which I want answers, and with luck, I'll be able to tolerate Allie.
The Story
Even dead, her father is damned pushy, insisting that she find those stolen disks. Disks that can store magic and be used by anyone. Still, this is Allie's first date with Zayvion, and she's determined to concentrate on a good time. No magic. No father peeping through her eyes!
It might help that her best friend in the whole world has just shown up on her doorstep, intent on an errand of mercy.
It's a time for revelations as Zayvion reveals what he believes about the two of them, Stotts has a proposition for her as does her father, Violet laying down the defense law with Allie, and the contradictions about and from her father.
The Characters
Allison Beckstrom is a Hound with a unique ability: her body holds magic. At a cost. A cost of holes in her memory and magical tattoos marking her body. She has inherited her mostly-dead father's successful company, Beckstrom Enterprises. The one he stole out from under his partner, Perry Hoskil. Daniel Beckstrom's body has been buried, but her father's spirit has taken up residence in his daughter. He's determined to come back from the dead with a body — it doesn't have to be his own, and he's crazy powerful in his magic, even as a spirit. Violet Beckstrom is his pregnant widow whose bodyguard, Kevin Cooper, is secretly in love with her.
Zayvion Jones is someone very interested in Allie and a Closer for the Authority. He's also a guardian and the best one to close the gate.
Nola Robbins is Allie's best friend and runs a farm in Burns, 300 miles from any hint of magic. Jupe is her dog. Stone is a gargoyle Allie brings to life. Grant runs Allie's favorite coffee shop, Get Mugged. Mama Rossitto runs a restaurant in St. Johns; Boy is one of her kids and works the counter.
Cody Miller is a Hand gone wrong in Magic to the Bone , 1, and is now in a state mental hospital. The police believe that James Hoskil was the brains behind Cody's crimes.
The Hounds are…
…a unique group of magic users whose ability lies in tracking spells back to the person who cast them. It costs them, and they use alcohol, drugs, pain, and more to ease their pain. Allie is their new leader after events in Magic in the Blood , 2, with Martin Pike. Tomi Nowlan, a loner Hound who cuts, has dumped Davy Silvers, Pike's righthand man and another Hound. Jack Quinn, the bubbly Bea, and Sid are more of the Hounds in this story.
Portland PD and the MERCs
Detective Paul Stotts is the head of the Magical Enforcement Response Corps (MERCs) and has hired Allie in the past to Hound for him. His wife, Aryanna, died a year ago. Officers Garnet, Roberts, and Julian are Stotts' MERC crew.
The Authority is…
…an underground organization that has been around for thousands of years and polices magic users. Unfortunately, few of them agree on how to use magic and a war is brewing. Maeve Flynn uses Blood Magic and will be Allie's teacher. Her husband was killed by Daniel. She runs Feile San Fhomher, a railway station-turned-restaurant that sits on top of one of Portland's four magic wells. Jingo Jingo is a Death magic user (Allie sees a sadly terrifying visual surrounding him), Liddy's second, and Shamus "Shame" Flynn's boss. The mouthy Shame is also Maeve's son. Chase Warren, another Closer, was Zay's old girlfriend who dumped Zay for Greyson. Victor was Zay and Chase's teacher. Kevin and her dad's accountant, Mr. Katz, are part of the test and of the Authority.
Sunny and Terric are Grounders.
The half-man, half-beast Greyson was Chase's boyfriend and is unkillable, trapped in-between both life and death — and one of the magic-users allied with Dr. Gordon. Dr. Frank Gordon was part of the Authority with his own ideas of how to use magic. Including digging up the body of Allie's father, so he could kill him (see Magic in the Blood ). Mikhail was the leader of the Authority before he died; now Sedra, Mikhail's widow, is the current leader. I got the impression that Cody was their son.
The Veiled are the remnants of magic users; when they see magic being used, they eat it. The Hungers are creatures released through the gate.
A Closer is an assassin, a memory eraser. Magic demands payment in pain, so for every bit of magic a person uses, they will suffer for it. An Offload is a technique they can use to push that pain onto someone else. Some people accept it for remuneration, some groups are designated as involuntary Offloads, some have no choice.
Complements are two magic users who can work magic together; Soul Complements go a step further with the ability to step into each other's minds, emotions, pains. If they go too far, they forget who they are as individuals and go insane. Contrasts are magic users who can never use magic together as it screws up the spell.
A Hand can forge a caster's signature, make you believe that someone else did the magic. Disbursement is a way of dictating how the user will suffer the backlash. Disks are a way to make magic portable. A Necromorph is a magic user who uses magic to transform from being human to…being something else.
Binding forces someone to do as the caster says. Influence allows the caster to dominate a person. Wells tap into the magic deep inside the earth. Void stones project a calming or negating effect on magic. Swamp-walking is a type of tracking that uses emotion-imbued objects. St. Johns is a neighborhood in Portland that has no magic. Allie says it has an honesty.
There are five disciplines of magic: Death (the balance to Life draws the life energy out of a living thing), Blood, Faith, Life (the oldest), and Flux (most recent; appeared after magic went public).
The Cover and Title
The cover appears to have a background of a fire escape against a smoggy sky with Allie in another midriff- and arm-baring red tank top that exposes her colorful tattoos, wearing black pants, and bearing a long machete. There's another bubble in this one with arcane symbols glowing against its smoky orange-red and green background.
I'm thinking the title is about the Authority, the Magic in the Shadows with the power of life and death.
My Take
The premise of the Allie Beckstrom series is fascinating, and I have differing levels of enjoyment for the characters. I am conflicted about Allie herself. I appreciate her morals, her dilemma, but I hate her stubborn stupidity. It's that push-my-way-into-danger trope that really irritates me. She has no skills, can't take instruction, and ends up putting people in danger because of her insistence on being included. She refuses to learn self-defense, because she knows it all.
One of the conflicts Monk has introduced is Allie's father possessing her because he wants to come back to life. He wants to be immortal. And Allie never forgets how he treated her, how he prevented her learning anything about magic. It makes everything her father whispers to her suspect. Allie never knows if he's helping or hindering.
At one point, Daniel takes over Allie's body to try to save them both — because dumbbell doesn't know what she's doing — and she's ticked off at him for doing it. Sure, I can understand not wanting to give up control of one's body. Especially to a man like her father. But, duhhh. Learn the magic. Learn the self-defense. Don't put yourself into stupid situations.
It's both sweet, creepy, and sad that Daniel finally realizes what he lost with his death. That he wishes he had told Violet how much he loved her. The reactions that Allie feels within herself that her father is projecting! His reaction to seeing Kevin's behavior around Violet. Eeek!
Zay tells Allie a lot more about magic and how it came to be public.
What is with Chase? I get that she hates Daniel Beckstrom. Why does she feel a need to take it out on Allie? I think she needs to be Closed. Then there's that test. WHAT is with that? She knows nothing, and they intend to test her? Hasn't Zayvion told them what Chase did at that abandoned building?
Allie and Monk's stupid contradictions bug the heck out of me. Supposedly, Allie can use any of her skills, abilities, to win the test. Then she gets penalized for it. No one tells her what the rules are, and she breaks them to win. They want to penalize her for that. Duh, what? Then again, Monk does provide some interesting conflicts. Having to suffer for using magic is an interesting twist.
The characters around Allie are intriguing. Zayvion is a little bit whipped, but also strong in himself. The Hounds present a conflict of nature, common practice, and Allie trying to honor Price's request. (Davy is such a sweetheart.) The questions raised about Jingo Jingo and his possible involvement in what happened to Daniel. I'm certainly curious as to why he's referred to as a betrayer and there's the question of those ghosts who surround him.
All those people who hate Daniel and therefore Allie. Surely if they know Daniel they know that Allie has avoided him most of her adult life? Why are supposedly intelligent people falling into this one? It would have been more interesting if they were merely very cautious around her. Curious even. But they're ready to lash out and kill her. WTF? And if they're willing to kill off Allie for being a Beckstrom, why aren't they going after Violet? After all, she married one.
I'm intrigued enough to continue reading. I want to know more about how Allie battles her way into the Authority. How she gets on with Detective Stotts. How her relationship with Zay proceeds. If Kevin ever gets off his duff about Violet, lol. I like Shame. He's a cheeky bugger, and I think he'll be fun. I also want to know how caring for the Hounds will go.
Yeah, there are plenty of questions to which I want answers, and with luck, I'll be able to tolerate Allie.
The Story
Even dead, her father is damned pushy, insisting that she find those stolen disks. Disks that can store magic and be used by anyone. Still, this is Allie's first date with Zayvion, and she's determined to concentrate on a good time. No magic. No father peeping through her eyes!
It might help that her best friend in the whole world has just shown up on her doorstep, intent on an errand of mercy.
It's a time for revelations as Zayvion reveals what he believes about the two of them, Stotts has a proposition for her as does her father, Violet laying down the defense law with Allie, and the contradictions about and from her father.
The Characters
Allison Beckstrom is a Hound with a unique ability: her body holds magic. At a cost. A cost of holes in her memory and magical tattoos marking her body. She has inherited her mostly-dead father's successful company, Beckstrom Enterprises. The one he stole out from under his partner, Perry Hoskil. Daniel Beckstrom's body has been buried, but her father's spirit has taken up residence in his daughter. He's determined to come back from the dead with a body — it doesn't have to be his own, and he's crazy powerful in his magic, even as a spirit. Violet Beckstrom is his pregnant widow whose bodyguard, Kevin Cooper, is secretly in love with her.
Zayvion Jones is someone very interested in Allie and a Closer for the Authority. He's also a guardian and the best one to close the gate.
Nola Robbins is Allie's best friend and runs a farm in Burns, 300 miles from any hint of magic. Jupe is her dog. Stone is a gargoyle Allie brings to life. Grant runs Allie's favorite coffee shop, Get Mugged. Mama Rossitto runs a restaurant in St. Johns; Boy is one of her kids and works the counter.
Cody Miller is a Hand gone wrong in Magic to the Bone , 1, and is now in a state mental hospital. The police believe that James Hoskil was the brains behind Cody's crimes.
The Hounds are…
…a unique group of magic users whose ability lies in tracking spells back to the person who cast them. It costs them, and they use alcohol, drugs, pain, and more to ease their pain. Allie is their new leader after events in Magic in the Blood , 2, with Martin Pike. Tomi Nowlan, a loner Hound who cuts, has dumped Davy Silvers, Pike's righthand man and another Hound. Jack Quinn, the bubbly Bea, and Sid are more of the Hounds in this story.
Portland PD and the MERCs
Detective Paul Stotts is the head of the Magical Enforcement Response Corps (MERCs) and has hired Allie in the past to Hound for him. His wife, Aryanna, died a year ago. Officers Garnet, Roberts, and Julian are Stotts' MERC crew.
The Authority is…
…an underground organization that has been around for thousands of years and polices magic users. Unfortunately, few of them agree on how to use magic and a war is brewing. Maeve Flynn uses Blood Magic and will be Allie's teacher. Her husband was killed by Daniel. She runs Feile San Fhomher, a railway station-turned-restaurant that sits on top of one of Portland's four magic wells. Jingo Jingo is a Death magic user (Allie sees a sadly terrifying visual surrounding him), Liddy's second, and Shamus "Shame" Flynn's boss. The mouthy Shame is also Maeve's son. Chase Warren, another Closer, was Zay's old girlfriend who dumped Zay for Greyson. Victor was Zay and Chase's teacher. Kevin and her dad's accountant, Mr. Katz, are part of the test and of the Authority.
Sunny and Terric are Grounders.
The half-man, half-beast Greyson was Chase's boyfriend and is unkillable, trapped in-between both life and death — and one of the magic-users allied with Dr. Gordon. Dr. Frank Gordon was part of the Authority with his own ideas of how to use magic. Including digging up the body of Allie's father, so he could kill him (see Magic in the Blood ). Mikhail was the leader of the Authority before he died; now Sedra, Mikhail's widow, is the current leader. I got the impression that Cody was their son.
The Veiled are the remnants of magic users; when they see magic being used, they eat it. The Hungers are creatures released through the gate.
A Closer is an assassin, a memory eraser. Magic demands payment in pain, so for every bit of magic a person uses, they will suffer for it. An Offload is a technique they can use to push that pain onto someone else. Some people accept it for remuneration, some groups are designated as involuntary Offloads, some have no choice.
Complements are two magic users who can work magic together; Soul Complements go a step further with the ability to step into each other's minds, emotions, pains. If they go too far, they forget who they are as individuals and go insane. Contrasts are magic users who can never use magic together as it screws up the spell.
A Hand can forge a caster's signature, make you believe that someone else did the magic. Disbursement is a way of dictating how the user will suffer the backlash. Disks are a way to make magic portable. A Necromorph is a magic user who uses magic to transform from being human to…being something else.
Binding forces someone to do as the caster says. Influence allows the caster to dominate a person. Wells tap into the magic deep inside the earth. Void stones project a calming or negating effect on magic. Swamp-walking is a type of tracking that uses emotion-imbued objects. St. Johns is a neighborhood in Portland that has no magic. Allie says it has an honesty.
There are five disciplines of magic: Death (the balance to Life draws the life energy out of a living thing), Blood, Faith, Life (the oldest), and Flux (most recent; appeared after magic went public).
The Cover and Title
The cover appears to have a background of a fire escape against a smoggy sky with Allie in another midriff- and arm-baring red tank top that exposes her colorful tattoos, wearing black pants, and bearing a long machete. There's another bubble in this one with arcane symbols glowing against its smoky orange-red and green background.
I'm thinking the title is about the Authority, the Magic in the Shadows with the power of life and death.
April 27, 2021
I think I speak for everyone here when I say- "We need to call the ghostbusters for Allie's dad", I mean give the girl a break. Bad enough you tried to control her in life, you wanna do it from beyond the grave as well?
Magic in the Shadows was one of the best reads of the series thus far for multiple reasons:
Allie goes through an actual book without memory loss (yayyy)
-Zav lays out his ultimatum to Allie about being serious and wanting her for real (no booty calls)
-Zav and Allie go on a date (like dressed up, I squealed)
-More scenes with the hounds
-Allie actually makes grown-up decisions and adults
-We see what the hell Zav does
-We meet a new characters and a potential new friend who is soooo funny
- Allie's friend Nola pops by for a visit
-We get a short cameo of Cody (I love him) !!!!
-Surprise coupling (which I am always down for)
-We finally get to see Allie's powers at work and she starts her formal training
-Allie finally gets a phone she won't destroy (let's see how long that lasts)
-Sneaky inclusion of a new species of paranormal (he could seriously give Zav some competition in the cuteness section)
Magic in the Shadows sets a much darker backdrop than the previous novels with non-stop action, gore scenes, and scandalous truths that will rock the magical world. The plot seems to have ramped up, away from introductions into the heart of the story and I am excited to see how this plays out.
A lot of people had issues with Allie's dad Daniel, being in her mind but I was immensely intrigued by this concept. I think Monk was fair in how the interactions were written, especially at how novel this scenario is, to begin with. I honestly kind of see this as Allie being able to see another side of her dad or to quell some of the misconceptions made about him throughout the years. The one part where she felt his "sexual" desire was infinitely gross and I had to wash my mouth out, but other than that, good job thus far.
My only qualm with this book was with our girl Allie, I honestly wanted to jump into the book at certain scenes and slap her because of how much she annoyed me. She was so silly in her rationale for a lot of this book that I had to take a star off for how ridiculous she behaved. She was knowingly endangering herself and those around her, people are outright telling you life or death information and you are still running headlong into disasterville. I am at a loss as to how to verbalize how stupid she acted in this book.
Despite this I will push through the series because some major ish went down in this book and I cannot wait to read more.
I would highly recommend this for persons interested in Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance with intriguing world-building and amazing characters.
Magic in the Shadows was one of the best reads of the series thus far for multiple reasons:
Allie goes through an actual book without memory loss (yayyy)
-Zav lays out his ultimatum to Allie about being serious and wanting her for real (no booty calls)
-Zav and Allie go on a date (like dressed up, I squealed)
-More scenes with the hounds
-Allie actually makes grown-up decisions and adults
-We see what the hell Zav does
-We meet a new characters and a potential new friend who is soooo funny
- Allie's friend Nola pops by for a visit
-We get a short cameo of Cody (I love him) !!!!
-Surprise coupling (which I am always down for)
-We finally get to see Allie's powers at work and she starts her formal training
-Allie finally gets a phone she won't destroy (let's see how long that lasts)
-Sneaky inclusion of a new species of paranormal (he could seriously give Zav some competition in the cuteness section)
Magic in the Shadows sets a much darker backdrop than the previous novels with non-stop action, gore scenes, and scandalous truths that will rock the magical world. The plot seems to have ramped up, away from introductions into the heart of the story and I am excited to see how this plays out.
A lot of people had issues with Allie's dad Daniel, being in her mind but I was immensely intrigued by this concept. I think Monk was fair in how the interactions were written, especially at how novel this scenario is, to begin with. I honestly kind of see this as Allie being able to see another side of her dad or to quell some of the misconceptions made about him throughout the years. The one part where she felt his "sexual" desire was infinitely gross and I had to wash my mouth out, but other than that, good job thus far.
My only qualm with this book was with our girl Allie, I honestly wanted to jump into the book at certain scenes and slap her because of how much she annoyed me. She was so silly in her rationale for a lot of this book that I had to take a star off for how ridiculous she behaved. She was knowingly endangering herself and those around her, people are outright telling you life or death information and you are still running headlong into disasterville. I am at a loss as to how to verbalize how stupid she acted in this book.
Despite this I will push through the series because some major ish went down in this book and I cannot wait to read more.
I would highly recommend this for persons interested in Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance with intriguing world-building and amazing characters.
December 17, 2010
And we are back with book three in Devon Monk’s awesome ‘Allie Beckstrom’ series, Magic in the Shadows. I know *bows head*not ‘we’…just me. But I am going to make as much noise as I can about this book. Let me just say Magic Fight people! A Magic. Fight!!! But I’ll get to that a little later.
Before I continue, a little warning. I won’t be able to write this review without slipping a couple little spoilers about the first two books in the series. Nothing that will take away from your reading enjoyment, but I still thought I should give you a heads up.
In this installment, Allie is struggling. You see, Allie is no longer alone. Her father’s spirit/soul seems to have taken up residence inside her head. Yup, talk about a mood killer. She has been invited to test to join the Authority (sort of like a secret Magic police force) so you’d think that having her father in her head would be a good thing since he knows pretty much everything when it comes to spells and magic. But Allie is determined to take care of things on her own, without her father’s interference. They didn’t get along when he was alive. In fact she did everything in her power to disassociate herself from him as soon as she was old enough to. But her father isn’t quite ready to die and go away, and he’s about ready to do what it takes to make sure he doesn’t.
Allie really is a great character. She is flawed. She is untrusting to a dangerous degree, and sometimes I wanted to smack her to help her see that not everything has to be a fight. But she is true to her word and tries her best. And her wit! I love her sarcasm and her wit. She causes me to break out in short bursts of out loud laughter every once on a while. Examples of her snarkiness would include:
“Go me.”
“I was demure enough not to flip him off with both fingers.”
“Not so much creepy as sort of barf-inspiring.”
In the previous books, Allie wanted so much to be secluded from her father and his empire that she flat out ignored everything that had to do with him. Then he died, and all of his responsibilities went to her (thanks to that little thing her dad left behind called a last will and testament). Allie wasn’t having it. If her father was involved, she wanted nothing of it. But she wasn’t thinking about all of the other people involved in the big picture. But in this book, she is finally coming around – and I liked it. It was very good to see her become a little more responsible. A little more mature and ready to take on some responsibility. And not just the responsibility for her father’s company, but also for her fellow Hounds (those who track magic spells back to their casters for a living).
We meet a couple of new characters in this book. One of which I want to squeeze but can’t because he’s too hard and the other I want to squeeze but can’t because Pamela has already claimed him. (*mumble grumble* Pamela *mumble grumble*) The first is Stone. He’s a stone gargoyle and he’s cuter than a puppy. The next is Shamus. He’s looking like he going to take on the roll of ‘smart mouth’ in this series. He is Zayvion’s best friend. Clever and sharp with a wicked sense of humor. I am really going to enjoy reading him in future books.
Speaking of Zayvion, we finally find out who and what he is! *cracks open the champagne* He is a lot more open in this book and I was very glad for it. He’s not only open with information about himself, but also about his feelings for Allie. And you get to see his vulnerabilities. Let’s just say that Zayvion has become more human…and that makes him that much more relatable.
One character that I wanted to smack and smack hard was Allie’s dad. Aug! Talk about an egotistical maniac. I just want Allie to figure out how to get rid of him! There is potential there for a great partnership, but dad is just going about it all wrong. And I don’t blame Allie for being suspicious of him. He’s a controlling man who needs to be smacked down a couple of notches.
I like how Devon writes. One of the things I enjoy is how the story’s climax isn’t at the very very end of the book. It takes place a few chapters before ‘the end’ so there is a chance for a bit of a wind down before you reach the end of the book. She leaves you wanting more without feeling like you are experiencing a heart attack. I really appreciate that about these books.
I’ll leave you with this. There is a huge magic fight in this book. It’s epic. It’s “sitting on the edge of your seat, biting off all of your finder nails and maybe even moving on to your toenails” epic. Just…epic.
The fourth book in this series, Magic on the Storm is sitting in my book closet just waiting for me to pick it up. I won’t be able to do that until the New Year but for sure it won’t be sitting there too too much longer. As for Magic in the Shadows, it picks up right where book two left off and carries you with it until the very last page.
Oh, and the magic fight…epic.
4.5 stars
Before I continue, a little warning. I won’t be able to write this review without slipping a couple little spoilers about the first two books in the series. Nothing that will take away from your reading enjoyment, but I still thought I should give you a heads up.
In this installment, Allie is struggling. You see, Allie is no longer alone. Her father’s spirit/soul seems to have taken up residence inside her head. Yup, talk about a mood killer. She has been invited to test to join the Authority (sort of like a secret Magic police force) so you’d think that having her father in her head would be a good thing since he knows pretty much everything when it comes to spells and magic. But Allie is determined to take care of things on her own, without her father’s interference. They didn’t get along when he was alive. In fact she did everything in her power to disassociate herself from him as soon as she was old enough to. But her father isn’t quite ready to die and go away, and he’s about ready to do what it takes to make sure he doesn’t.
Allie really is a great character. She is flawed. She is untrusting to a dangerous degree, and sometimes I wanted to smack her to help her see that not everything has to be a fight. But she is true to her word and tries her best. And her wit! I love her sarcasm and her wit. She causes me to break out in short bursts of out loud laughter every once on a while. Examples of her snarkiness would include:
“Go me.”
“I was demure enough not to flip him off with both fingers.”
“Not so much creepy as sort of barf-inspiring.”
In the previous books, Allie wanted so much to be secluded from her father and his empire that she flat out ignored everything that had to do with him. Then he died, and all of his responsibilities went to her (thanks to that little thing her dad left behind called a last will and testament). Allie wasn’t having it. If her father was involved, she wanted nothing of it. But she wasn’t thinking about all of the other people involved in the big picture. But in this book, she is finally coming around – and I liked it. It was very good to see her become a little more responsible. A little more mature and ready to take on some responsibility. And not just the responsibility for her father’s company, but also for her fellow Hounds (those who track magic spells back to their casters for a living).
We meet a couple of new characters in this book. One of which I want to squeeze but can’t because he’s too hard and the other I want to squeeze but can’t because Pamela has already claimed him. (*mumble grumble* Pamela *mumble grumble*) The first is Stone. He’s a stone gargoyle and he’s cuter than a puppy. The next is Shamus. He’s looking like he going to take on the roll of ‘smart mouth’ in this series. He is Zayvion’s best friend. Clever and sharp with a wicked sense of humor. I am really going to enjoy reading him in future books.
Speaking of Zayvion, we finally find out who and what he is! *cracks open the champagne* He is a lot more open in this book and I was very glad for it. He’s not only open with information about himself, but also about his feelings for Allie. And you get to see his vulnerabilities. Let’s just say that Zayvion has become more human…and that makes him that much more relatable.
One character that I wanted to smack and smack hard was Allie’s dad. Aug! Talk about an egotistical maniac. I just want Allie to figure out how to get rid of him! There is potential there for a great partnership, but dad is just going about it all wrong. And I don’t blame Allie for being suspicious of him. He’s a controlling man who needs to be smacked down a couple of notches.
I like how Devon writes. One of the things I enjoy is how the story’s climax isn’t at the very very end of the book. It takes place a few chapters before ‘the end’ so there is a chance for a bit of a wind down before you reach the end of the book. She leaves you wanting more without feeling like you are experiencing a heart attack. I really appreciate that about these books.
I’ll leave you with this. There is a huge magic fight in this book. It’s epic. It’s “sitting on the edge of your seat, biting off all of your finder nails and maybe even moving on to your toenails” epic. Just…epic.
The fourth book in this series, Magic on the Storm is sitting in my book closet just waiting for me to pick it up. I won’t be able to do that until the New Year but for sure it won’t be sitting there too too much longer. As for Magic in the Shadows, it picks up right where book two left off and carries you with it until the very last page.
Oh, and the magic fight…epic.
4.5 stars
November 5, 2009
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 Shadows" is a fun read with a wonderful mix of intrigue and magic. Allie begins to realize that she knows very little about magic, even though she went to school for Business Magic, works as a Hound, and is skilled at identifying a spell's caster. It's nice to see a heroine who is still a neophyte in Book 3 rather than Ms. Invincible.
I love the idea that magic is available to everyone. Some may be more proficient, but you don't have to be born a witch/mage/fairy to cast spells... you just have to be willing to pay the price. I love the idea that magic exacts a price from the user beyond karma, black smut, or the Three Fold Law.
There are a number of exciting new characters in the book. Shamus (Shame), Maggie (Shame's mother), Chase, and the Gargoyle. Shame and the Gargoyle both add a good measure of comic relief to the story. I loved Shame... unique, fun, dark, suffering, hottie... what's not to like?!?
There were a couple things that I thought could have been improved. There wasn't enough focus and resolution to some of the sub-plots. There were several areas where conflict and questions were quickly brushed over, not fully developed, and never really resolved. If the number of sub-plots had been reduced, the other aspects of the story could have been more fully developed.
---------------------------------
Daniel & Violet Beckstrom
---------------------------------
Allie has her father's soul inside her head. She can hear his voice and, at times, he can take control of her body. You'd think that would put a crimp on Allie's love life and result in some possibly awkward situations. Fortunately for Allie, her father never seems around when Zay is there. Why? No clue. There are some indications that her father may not be as bad as she believed. So, was he protecting her or is he the power-hungry dirt-bag she always believed?
In book 2, Allie seemed to be developing a good relationship with Violet, her latest step-mother. In book 3, Allie seems to become more disconnected with Violet. Allie offers Violet the CEO position at her father's company, which fits with Allie's desire to have nothing to do with her father. When the question is raised regarding who could have provided the disks, some doubt is brought into question regarding Violet since she did have access to the secret and restricted technology. In the first two books, Allie was portrayed as standing against the misuse of magic. So, it is slightly out of character that Allie is so eager to have Violet run the company. This could have been a good possible opportunity to add conflict from several different angles - internal conflict since Allie liked her in the previous books and she had thought Violet seemed trustworthy (self-doubt regarding her instincts), conflict between her and her father in her head, conflict between Allie and Violet, conflict between Allie and The Authority(since Violet's body guard is in the Authority), and conflict between Allie and Zay (since Zay used to work for Violet). I look forward to seeing how both of these plots develops in future books.
---------------------------------
Allie and Zayvion
---------------------------------
Allie and Zayvion are trying to re-establish their relationship after Allie's memory loss in "Magic in the Blood". Maybe her loosing those memories is a sign that they aren't really meant to be. I'm not positive that I like Allie and Zayvion together. There's something missing in the relationship - a lack of fire.
We've been told that Allie and Zayvion are "soul complement". In "Magic in the Shadows", we learn a little more about what a "soul complement" is. However, for something supposedly so rare, there seem to be a lot of them. Zayvion & Allie, Shamus passed up his, and Chase has one. So, out of 3 members of the Authority, 3 have soul complements (officially recognized or not). Some of the events in the story also make me wonder if "soul complement" is something quite different than "soul mate".
Some of the conflicts in the relationship between Allie & Zayvion were not fully developed and the resolution of the conflict seemed to be "Whatever, he's my 'soul complement'". There wasn't a feeling that Allie forgave Zay, the issues just vanishes with no resolution. The setup for the conflict is there. Maybe it will be developed in future books and add that spark that seems to be missing between Allie and Zay.
---------------------------------
The Authority
---------------------------------
This is just one messed up organization. They're all over the place and it's hard to feel that there is any reason that they should even exist. They are supposed govern and control the use of magic, punish those who misuse (wipe knowledge of magic), and maintain secrecy of their organization. Even if the underlying goal of some members is to be the strongest magic user, there are several times that they act against their own principals. Their actions should follow their goals and principals. Since the internal conflict and splitting within the organization is still somewhat covert, their actions should appear to follow the organizations primary goals. But it doesn't.
The Authorities' reaction (or lack of) to Chase's betrayal of duty is a good example. Chase is a closer and is supposed to uphold the ideals of the Authority. Chase doesn't seem that high up in the organization so you wouldn't think she could get away with making her own rules. She isn't reprimanded for her actions, she is rewarded and given the power to influence and dictate that Allie's magical test be conducted immediately. Chase blames Allie's father for the bad things that happened in her life and she displaces that aggression onto Allie. If Chase had been reprimanded for her actions, she would have had a more personal reason to dislike Allie. There was good opportunity to escalate and personalize the conflict that was lost.
Another example actions that don't match the overt or covert goals of the Authority can be seen by comparing their actions toward Chase and Cody. Nothing is stated that leads you to believe that Chase has any ties to historical power within the Authority. Chase misuses magic and is rewarded. Cody was tortured, broken, and others misused his magic. As far as we know, he didn't do anything on his own to misuse his magic. Cody may be a danger since he his personality is split and he was already used once, but couldn't they try to mend it? If they can try to help Tomi recover, why couldn't they help Cody? Why does Chase receive preferential treatment? Why wouldn't Chase be facing possible erasure for misusing magic?
---------------------------------
The Hounds, Nola, & Sotts
---------------------------------
Even though this book focuses more on Allie's introduction to The Authority, the Hounds receive quite a bit of attention. Through Allie's interaction with the Hounds, we see how she is growing and adapting to the changes she has recently endured. We see her maturing and starting to care about the well-being of others. Allie's desire to protect Davy and Tomi motivates her to pursue the evil that has entered the city. I like the concept of the Hounds. The physical and emotional sacrifices they make paying the cost of magic in order to help police it's misuse. I would definitely want to see them focused on in one of the books, but this might not have been the right one. Nola could have easily replaced the Hounds in this story without sacrificing any of the main story.
Nola has come to the city to visit Allie and fight for custody of Cody. In "Magic to the Bone", Cody was used by someone for his magic abilities. Nola provided the connection that allowed Cody to be part of the storyline, but she could have stayed on her farm and still been the bridge. Allie never spent any time with Nola and their relationship was not developed.
So, how was the story improved by Nola being in the City rather than staying on the farm? The possible relationship between Nola and Detective Sotts was mentioned a few times but it wasn't developed further. Monk could probably write a spin-off series from this subplot, but it didn't really add anything to this book. The only other thing Nola seemed to be there for was to make Allie food and answer her phone.
I would have liked to see Nola more directly involved in the action of the story. The bad guys didn't seem to have a problem using the Hounds to get to Allie. If they wanted Allie, they could have taken Nola instead. That would still have provided us with the opportunity to see how Allie has grown and changed over time. It also would have given the author the opportunity to show us Allie's feelings toward Nola instead of telling us via monologue.
---------------------------------
Conclusion
---------------------------------
Even though I felt there were some areas of the story that could have been further developed, Monk did a good job of weaving the plot threads together. She successfully links the Hounds to Sotts, Sotts to Nola, Nola to Cody, and Cody to the Authority. Monk carefully interweaves the characters connections to each other and sets the stage for alternate connections. She even provides a link for to the Gargoyle rather than just sticking him in there as as just a source for comic relief.
I really enjoyed the story. It held my attention and it was hard to put down. I look forward to "Magic on the Storm" (May 2010). I can't wait to see how things turn out!
"Magic in the Shadows" is a fun read with a wonderful mix of intrigue and magic. Allie begins to realize that she knows very little about magic, even though she went to school for Business Magic, works as a Hound, and is skilled at identifying a spell's caster. It's nice to see a heroine who is still a neophyte in Book 3 rather than Ms. Invincible.
I love the idea that magic is available to everyone. Some may be more proficient, but you don't have to be born a witch/mage/fairy to cast spells... you just have to be willing to pay the price. I love the idea that magic exacts a price from the user beyond karma, black smut, or the Three Fold Law.
There are a number of exciting new characters in the book. Shamus (Shame), Maggie (Shame's mother), Chase, and the Gargoyle. Shame and the Gargoyle both add a good measure of comic relief to the story. I loved Shame... unique, fun, dark, suffering, hottie... what's not to like?!?
There were a couple things that I thought could have been improved. There wasn't enough focus and resolution to some of the sub-plots. There were several areas where conflict and questions were quickly brushed over, not fully developed, and never really resolved. If the number of sub-plots had been reduced, the other aspects of the story could have been more fully developed.
---------------------------------
Daniel & Violet Beckstrom
---------------------------------
Allie has her father's soul inside her head. She can hear his voice and, at times, he can take control of her body. You'd think that would put a crimp on Allie's love life and result in some possibly awkward situations. Fortunately for Allie, her father never seems around when Zay is there. Why? No clue. There are some indications that her father may not be as bad as she believed. So, was he protecting her or is he the power-hungry dirt-bag she always believed?
In book 2, Allie seemed to be developing a good relationship with Violet, her latest step-mother. In book 3, Allie seems to become more disconnected with Violet. Allie offers Violet the CEO position at her father's company, which fits with Allie's desire to have nothing to do with her father. When the question is raised regarding who could have provided the disks, some doubt is brought into question regarding Violet since she did have access to the secret and restricted technology. In the first two books, Allie was portrayed as standing against the misuse of magic. So, it is slightly out of character that Allie is so eager to have Violet run the company. This could have been a good possible opportunity to add conflict from several different angles - internal conflict since Allie liked her in the previous books and she had thought Violet seemed trustworthy (self-doubt regarding her instincts), conflict between her and her father in her head, conflict between Allie and Violet, conflict between Allie and The Authority(since Violet's body guard is in the Authority), and conflict between Allie and Zay (since Zay used to work for Violet). I look forward to seeing how both of these plots develops in future books.
---------------------------------
Allie and Zayvion
---------------------------------
Allie and Zayvion are trying to re-establish their relationship after Allie's memory loss in "Magic in the Blood". Maybe her loosing those memories is a sign that they aren't really meant to be. I'm not positive that I like Allie and Zayvion together. There's something missing in the relationship - a lack of fire.
We've been told that Allie and Zayvion are "soul complement". In "Magic in the Shadows", we learn a little more about what a "soul complement" is. However, for something supposedly so rare, there seem to be a lot of them. Zayvion & Allie, Shamus passed up his, and Chase has one. So, out of 3 members of the Authority, 3 have soul complements (officially recognized or not). Some of the events in the story also make me wonder if "soul complement" is something quite different than "soul mate".
Some of the conflicts in the relationship between Allie & Zayvion were not fully developed and the resolution of the conflict seemed to be "Whatever, he's my 'soul complement'". There wasn't a feeling that Allie forgave Zay, the issues just vanishes with no resolution. The setup for the conflict is there. Maybe it will be developed in future books and add that spark that seems to be missing between Allie and Zay.
---------------------------------
The Authority
---------------------------------
This is just one messed up organization. They're all over the place and it's hard to feel that there is any reason that they should even exist. They are supposed govern and control the use of magic, punish those who misuse (wipe knowledge of magic), and maintain secrecy of their organization. Even if the underlying goal of some members is to be the strongest magic user, there are several times that they act against their own principals. Their actions should follow their goals and principals. Since the internal conflict and splitting within the organization is still somewhat covert, their actions should appear to follow the organizations primary goals. But it doesn't.
The Authorities' reaction (or lack of) to Chase's betrayal of duty is a good example. Chase is a closer and is supposed to uphold the ideals of the Authority. Chase doesn't seem that high up in the organization so you wouldn't think she could get away with making her own rules. She isn't reprimanded for her actions, she is rewarded and given the power to influence and dictate that Allie's magical test be conducted immediately. Chase blames Allie's father for the bad things that happened in her life and she displaces that aggression onto Allie. If Chase had been reprimanded for her actions, she would have had a more personal reason to dislike Allie. There was good opportunity to escalate and personalize the conflict that was lost.
Another example actions that don't match the overt or covert goals of the Authority can be seen by comparing their actions toward Chase and Cody. Nothing is stated that leads you to believe that Chase has any ties to historical power within the Authority. Chase misuses magic and is rewarded. Cody was tortured, broken, and others misused his magic. As far as we know, he didn't do anything on his own to misuse his magic. Cody may be a danger since he his personality is split and he was already used once, but couldn't they try to mend it? If they can try to help Tomi recover, why couldn't they help Cody? Why does Chase receive preferential treatment? Why wouldn't Chase be facing possible erasure for misusing magic?
---------------------------------
The Hounds, Nola, & Sotts
---------------------------------
Even though this book focuses more on Allie's introduction to The Authority, the Hounds receive quite a bit of attention. Through Allie's interaction with the Hounds, we see how she is growing and adapting to the changes she has recently endured. We see her maturing and starting to care about the well-being of others. Allie's desire to protect Davy and Tomi motivates her to pursue the evil that has entered the city. I like the concept of the Hounds. The physical and emotional sacrifices they make paying the cost of magic in order to help police it's misuse. I would definitely want to see them focused on in one of the books, but this might not have been the right one. Nola could have easily replaced the Hounds in this story without sacrificing any of the main story.
Nola has come to the city to visit Allie and fight for custody of Cody. In "Magic to the Bone", Cody was used by someone for his magic abilities. Nola provided the connection that allowed Cody to be part of the storyline, but she could have stayed on her farm and still been the bridge. Allie never spent any time with Nola and their relationship was not developed.
So, how was the story improved by Nola being in the City rather than staying on the farm? The possible relationship between Nola and Detective Sotts was mentioned a few times but it wasn't developed further. Monk could probably write a spin-off series from this subplot, but it didn't really add anything to this book. The only other thing Nola seemed to be there for was to make Allie food and answer her phone.
I would have liked to see Nola more directly involved in the action of the story. The bad guys didn't seem to have a problem using the Hounds to get to Allie. If they wanted Allie, they could have taken Nola instead. That would still have provided us with the opportunity to see how Allie has grown and changed over time. It also would have given the author the opportunity to show us Allie's feelings toward Nola instead of telling us via monologue.
---------------------------------
Conclusion
---------------------------------
Even though I felt there were some areas of the story that could have been further developed, Monk did a good job of weaving the plot threads together. She successfully links the Hounds to Sotts, Sotts to Nola, Nola to Cody, and Cody to the Authority. Monk carefully interweaves the characters connections to each other and sets the stage for alternate connections. She even provides a link for to the Gargoyle rather than just sticking him in there as as just a source for comic relief.
I really enjoyed the story. It held my attention and it was hard to put down. I look forward to "Magic on the Storm" (May 2010). I can't wait to see how things turn out!
June 6, 2023
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Magic in the Shadows
Magic has not only physically marked Allie’s skin, but it’s also implanted the remnants of her father’s soul inside her mind. The two never had a good relationship while he was alive and now he’s living inside her head. Allie’s only hope of exercising her father is the secret magical organization called The Authority. But they may wipe her ability to do magic quicker than they will help her. Allie must prove to The Authority she isn’t a danger to herself or society. All the while waging a mental war with her father.
Knowing Allie’s father is living inside her mind, and most likely able to see and hear everything she does, brings an extra level of unsettledness to the story. Allie herself begins to feel awkward and insecure as she begins to question everything she does in her personal and professional life. Of course, it doesn’t help that Allie has no way to escape her father whispering condescension in her ear. Not to mention the memories Devon Monk introduces to the storyline of his treatment of her and his misuse of Influence, making Allie do things in life (and now in his death) she hated.
Though some of the comments he makes about her choices aren’t entirely unfounded. Emphasis on some as his character is entirely controlling and slimy. Allie throws herself at danger. Thankfully she has characters who support her and look out for her well being. But it would help if she listened to their advice. Magic in the Shadows is an action-packed ride, but the incentive for the action needed to deviate away from Allie’s bad choices. It seems to be a common theme throughout these reviews, but the plot is littered with repetitiveness. Between Allie doing everything people told her not to, and the disturbing imagery from her father and the Veiled, the writing needs a refresh.
But there is a plethora of new information given to the reader on the nature of magic and its uses. Not to mention some underlying tension and mystery from secondary characters who make their first appearance in this novel. With an abundance of potential, it’s hard not to demand the next book just to see what direction the story will take. Here’s to hoping with all the exciting new threads introduced, the story will grow less repetitive.
Magic has not only physically marked Allie’s skin, but it’s also implanted the remnants of her father’s soul inside her mind. The two never had a good relationship while he was alive and now he’s living inside her head. Allie’s only hope of exercising her father is the secret magical organization called The Authority. But they may wipe her ability to do magic quicker than they will help her. Allie must prove to The Authority she isn’t a danger to herself or society. All the while waging a mental war with her father.
Knowing Allie’s father is living inside her mind, and most likely able to see and hear everything she does, brings an extra level of unsettledness to the story. Allie herself begins to feel awkward and insecure as she begins to question everything she does in her personal and professional life. Of course, it doesn’t help that Allie has no way to escape her father whispering condescension in her ear. Not to mention the memories Devon Monk introduces to the storyline of his treatment of her and his misuse of Influence, making Allie do things in life (and now in his death) she hated.
Though some of the comments he makes about her choices aren’t entirely unfounded. Emphasis on some as his character is entirely controlling and slimy. Allie throws herself at danger. Thankfully she has characters who support her and look out for her well being. But it would help if she listened to their advice. Magic in the Shadows is an action-packed ride, but the incentive for the action needed to deviate away from Allie’s bad choices. It seems to be a common theme throughout these reviews, but the plot is littered with repetitiveness. Between Allie doing everything people told her not to, and the disturbing imagery from her father and the Veiled, the writing needs a refresh.
But there is a plethora of new information given to the reader on the nature of magic and its uses. Not to mention some underlying tension and mystery from secondary characters who make their first appearance in this novel. With an abundance of potential, it’s hard not to demand the next book just to see what direction the story will take. Here’s to hoping with all the exciting new threads introduced, the story will grow less repetitive.
January 12, 2011
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.
"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.
November 8, 2009
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 handle right?
the new characters of Shame and Stone we probably some of my favorite parts. they are both so completely lovable i hope we see plenty of them in the future. shame just made me laugh every time he opened his mouth. stone kept giving me these hilarious mental pictures of this huge gargoyle licking your feet like a dog.
it was nice to see more of zay's world and his involvement in the authority. he's still mysterious and as yummy as ever but we know more about him and his powers. the intimate scenes between him and allie are probably my fave out of all the para romances. they are so well done. i think it is the way Monk concentrates on the ebb and flow of the magic rather than being graphic.
i do have to admit that with so many new characters and all of their magical flavors i felt like i needed a spread sheet after awhile. it was a lot to keep track of. with the authority and its members being so secretive it was confusing at times. this one does blood magic, but not death magic, while that one does life magic and never blood magic. maybe a flow chart would help?
allie has her hands into so many new pies that this series can really end up anywhere. i cant wait to see which way it all goes.
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 handle right?
the new characters of Shame and Stone we probably some of my favorite parts. they are both so completely lovable i hope we see plenty of them in the future. shame just made me laugh every time he opened his mouth. stone kept giving me these hilarious mental pictures of this huge gargoyle licking your feet like a dog.
it was nice to see more of zay's world and his involvement in the authority. he's still mysterious and as yummy as ever but we know more about him and his powers. the intimate scenes between him and allie are probably my fave out of all the para romances. they are so well done. i think it is the way Monk concentrates on the ebb and flow of the magic rather than being graphic.
i do have to admit that with so many new characters and all of their magical flavors i felt like i needed a spread sheet after awhile. it was a lot to keep track of. with the authority and its members being so secretive it was confusing at times. this one does blood magic, but not death magic, while that one does life magic and never blood magic. maybe a flow chart would help?
allie has her hands into so many new pies that this series can really end up anywhere. i cant wait to see which way it all goes.
October 23, 2010
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 intentions, than good. In this story Allie's dead father has found a way to attach himself to her thoughts and memories and tries to take over her body and mind to find his killer. Along the way, she has to protect her fellow Hounds, work with the police's MERC group, stay alive, and finally get trained by the mysterious Maive. The Authority still doesn't trust Allie, but, with a war coming their way from a former Authority leader, they won't have any choice but to allow Allie admittance to their magic group. Now, if you are a PNR enthusiasts, you will be joyed beyond words at the interaction between Zay and Allie. Some of you would even say, About time! ::shurg:: I could do without the love scenes myself, and get to the point where Allie is actually on her feet and fighting back, instead of constantly being knocked on her butt all the time. Oh the memory thing? Hmmmmmmmm....nuff said.
December 30, 2010
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 introduction of Stone. He's so cute. lol.
Anyway, I won't talk about the story because I posted the blurb above. Besides, if I get started, I won't stop and the post will be riddled with spoilers. :/ I am going to say that I love the amount of growth that Allie goes through in each book. I also love that although she's stubborn and very determined to do things her way, she's still open to compromise and new adventures. Like what she's embarked on with the Authority. Yikes. I know there's going to be some hard times for her there, but with Zay beside her, I think she'll survive.
Though that creepy Dad of hers still bugs me... Now I have to wait until May for the next installment. Can't wait to see the cover, too. This book was awesome. The Allie Beckstrom series is another must-read series, IMO.
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 introduction of Stone. He's so cute. lol.
Anyway, I won't talk about the story because I posted the blurb above. Besides, if I get started, I won't stop and the post will be riddled with spoilers. :/ I am going to say that I love the amount of growth that Allie goes through in each book. I also love that although she's stubborn and very determined to do things her way, she's still open to compromise and new adventures. Like what she's embarked on with the Authority. Yikes. I know there's going to be some hard times for her there, but with Zay beside her, I think she'll survive.
Though that creepy Dad of hers still bugs me... Now I have to wait until May for the next installment. Can't wait to see the cover, too. This book was awesome. The Allie Beckstrom series is another must-read series, IMO.
June 28, 2015
One would think that once dead, a person stays dead. Not so for Allie. First finding out her father is possibly killing proxies illegally. Then he is killed and she's accused. Now she's possessed by her dad. She just can't get a break.
I read this book in one sitting and immediately picked up the next book and read it. I have no idea why I waited so long to read this series. I like Allie. She's young at times and she tries her best. She is still in the age where everything is black and white. She's an idealist and rather judgmental. Been there, done that. Now as she experiences more and sees the different nuances and as to weigh the pros and cons of her decisions, she understands that it isn't so easy. She's also learning about a whole new world which was previous hidden.
Now she may have some purpose in her life instead of just "sticking" it to her dad in her rebel w/o a cause manner. Now she sees how she fits into a society dedicated to keeping magic a secret and how that makes life suddenly much more complicated.
Ms. Monk does a nice job of creating complex characters with a past I want to know about. The world building is great. It's familiar as with other Urban Fantasies, yet different enough that it feels fresh. Looking forward to the next book.
I read this book in one sitting and immediately picked up the next book and read it. I have no idea why I waited so long to read this series. I like Allie. She's young at times and she tries her best. She is still in the age where everything is black and white. She's an idealist and rather judgmental. Been there, done that. Now as she experiences more and sees the different nuances and as to weigh the pros and cons of her decisions, she understands that it isn't so easy. She's also learning about a whole new world which was previous hidden.
Now she may have some purpose in her life instead of just "sticking" it to her dad in her rebel w/o a cause manner. Now she sees how she fits into a society dedicated to keeping magic a secret and how that makes life suddenly much more complicated.
Ms. Monk does a nice job of creating complex characters with a past I want to know about. The world building is great. It's familiar as with other Urban Fantasies, yet different enough that it feels fresh. Looking forward to the next book.
June 2, 2019
Because of how the last book ended, I was hoping that this one would have a hint of creepiness in it due to the fact that Daniel is poking about in Allie’s head. I thought that perhaps while he’s in there maybe she could learn more about him and about magic. That they could eventually learn to work together, and maybe they could perhaps find even ground. That would’ve been nice to see, but it never happens.
As with the first two novels, Allie’s back to acting like a complete and total idiot. I’m honestly surprised she’s still alive at this point, but that’s plot armor for you. So Nola comes to stay with Alison for a bit as she’s trying to get custody of Cody. Apparently he was taken away for evaluation and Nola wants him back! The poor kid.
While Nola is getting a little friendly with the handsome and cursed detective Stotts, Allie is trying to get her relationship with Zayvion back on track, which isn’t easy to do because of the dad situation. It makes the whole dating thing understandably awkward.
Despite the strange circumstances, Allie and Zayvion go out on a date were they both encounter something frightening on their way to dinner. This something is a man-like beast creature; pale, long-limbed, unhinged jaws with big fangs, and animal green eyes. This disturbing nightmare on four legs is hunched over in an alleyway eating the remains of a dog (poor puppy!), when it hears their approach and spots them. Then the fight is on! So right from the beginning Allie walks straight into trouble. Shocker.
And while this man beast is incredibly unnerving, there’s a smell nearby that Allie knows; it’s the smell of strawberry gum. That’s Tomi’s scent! What is her scent doing around a monster like this? Thanks to Zayvion’s quick thinking, they both manage to escape the encounter mostly unscathed. Except for one thing.
The beast spoke to Allie. It knows her father is in her head, he can sense him, and he wants to kill Daniel like he did the first time. So not only is there a mad beast out on the loose eating animals and perhaps people, but now it’s gonna to be gunning for Allie because of her father's spirit lingering in her head. Oh joy! And if that’s not enough to deal with, she also has to figure out what Tomi’s smell was doing in the alleyway.
Later on when she talks to Davy, he confides in her that Tomi is running with a bad crowd and is in a lot of trouble. Yikes. What has that Hound gotten herself into? And that is the main plot chunk of the story. Finding out what this thing is and how to try and stop it from wreaking havoc on the city and it’s denizens.
There are some other side plots that happen as well, such as the affections blooming between Nola and Stotts, getting Cody back into Nola’s custody, the gargoyle scenario, and Allie being pretty much bullied into working for the Authority. I personally don’t trust the Authority one bit, but I suppose Allie doesn’t have much of a choice. Those bigwigs are shifty, power hungry bastards.
The idea that a group of people can erase someone's memories whenever they so choose because they may deem someone as dangerous is absolutely terrible and can be horrifically abused. It’s a HUGE red flag.
And to make it all worse, Allie is just kind of walking through all this stuff blindly while hoping for the best. Which is incredibly stupid. She has no defense or combat training, heck, she doesn’t even carry a gun for protection and still thinks she’ll be okay simply by winging it. What a dunce!
Naturally she later learns that that’s not the case. Unsurprisingly she gets saved by the side characters, and starts to learn more about the beast. And some of what she learns is quite ugly. But not everything is as it seems of course. The Authority is sketchy as all get out, and I have to wonder if Daniel knew that.
Throughout the entire book he warns his daughter of things, and of course Allie is too stubborn and bitchy to listen. She has such a grudge against her dad, this juvenile attitude towards him, that she seems to miss out on a lot of what he’s saying. Plus she also seems to be blind to the fact that he does love her.
He may not have been all that decent of a person, but after reading this book and noticing the actions he took, Daniel was really just trying to protect her from all the ugliness of the world and what it would do to Alison. If only she would have listened!
The ending raises a lot of questions. Again the Authority are not a very moral group and I don’t like what they make the MC do. Their whole philosophy of ‘Do as we say or we take away your memories’ is disturbing and doesn’t make me believe that they are good people. While performing a test for the faction, things continue to get worse when a gateway opens up to the other side. To the death realm.
With all the the strong mages working together, they’re eventually able to close the rift, but it comes at a price. What it means in the grand scheme of things, Allie isn’t sure but she’s starting to notice a terrible trend. Life, death and possible immortality. A new bad guy has shown himself and has no intention of staying in the realm of the dead any longer. He wants out and will do anything he can to return to the land of the living.
And that’s kinda all that happens in the novel. Now this sounds like it would be an interesting book and it does have engrossing plot points, but the pace and action are ruined by all the descriptive words. Why does there always need to be about 7 words that mean the exact same thing to describe something? The redundancy is completely unnecessary! So while action is happening between the pages, it feels like it takes forever because of how the author decides to describe things. It’s such a slog!
I actually got pretty bored while reading this book and couldn’t wait to finish it. There are some good ideas jotted down in this novel, but the execution of it keeps me from liking it. The slowness of it, and Allie’s stubborn bitchy behavior really brings down the ‘fun’ element of the story. I swear she’s bipolar! One moment she’s angry and acting childish, and then the next she wants to jump Zayvion. It makes no sense!
Anyways, as you can see I wasn’t a huge fan of this book, or series. I gave it a shot, I really did. But I think this is where I stop. I just don’t enjoy the MC and her behavior, the amazingly boring love interest, or all the filler paragraphs that litter the pages. This drag out writing style is simply not for me.
As with the first two novels, Allie’s back to acting like a complete and total idiot. I’m honestly surprised she’s still alive at this point, but that’s plot armor for you. So Nola comes to stay with Alison for a bit as she’s trying to get custody of Cody. Apparently he was taken away for evaluation and Nola wants him back! The poor kid.
While Nola is getting a little friendly with the handsome and cursed detective Stotts, Allie is trying to get her relationship with Zayvion back on track, which isn’t easy to do because of the dad situation. It makes the whole dating thing understandably awkward.
Despite the strange circumstances, Allie and Zayvion go out on a date were they both encounter something frightening on their way to dinner. This something is a man-like beast creature; pale, long-limbed, unhinged jaws with big fangs, and animal green eyes. This disturbing nightmare on four legs is hunched over in an alleyway eating the remains of a dog (poor puppy!), when it hears their approach and spots them. Then the fight is on! So right from the beginning Allie walks straight into trouble. Shocker.
And while this man beast is incredibly unnerving, there’s a smell nearby that Allie knows; it’s the smell of strawberry gum. That’s Tomi’s scent! What is her scent doing around a monster like this? Thanks to Zayvion’s quick thinking, they both manage to escape the encounter mostly unscathed. Except for one thing.
The beast spoke to Allie. It knows her father is in her head, he can sense him, and he wants to kill Daniel like he did the first time. So not only is there a mad beast out on the loose eating animals and perhaps people, but now it’s gonna to be gunning for Allie because of her father's spirit lingering in her head. Oh joy! And if that’s not enough to deal with, she also has to figure out what Tomi’s smell was doing in the alleyway.
Later on when she talks to Davy, he confides in her that Tomi is running with a bad crowd and is in a lot of trouble. Yikes. What has that Hound gotten herself into? And that is the main plot chunk of the story. Finding out what this thing is and how to try and stop it from wreaking havoc on the city and it’s denizens.
There are some other side plots that happen as well, such as the affections blooming between Nola and Stotts, getting Cody back into Nola’s custody, the gargoyle scenario, and Allie being pretty much bullied into working for the Authority. I personally don’t trust the Authority one bit, but I suppose Allie doesn’t have much of a choice. Those bigwigs are shifty, power hungry bastards.
The idea that a group of people can erase someone's memories whenever they so choose because they may deem someone as dangerous is absolutely terrible and can be horrifically abused. It’s a HUGE red flag.
And to make it all worse, Allie is just kind of walking through all this stuff blindly while hoping for the best. Which is incredibly stupid. She has no defense or combat training, heck, she doesn’t even carry a gun for protection and still thinks she’ll be okay simply by winging it. What a dunce!
Naturally she later learns that that’s not the case. Unsurprisingly she gets saved by the side characters, and starts to learn more about the beast. And some of what she learns is quite ugly. But not everything is as it seems of course. The Authority is sketchy as all get out, and I have to wonder if Daniel knew that.
Throughout the entire book he warns his daughter of things, and of course Allie is too stubborn and bitchy to listen. She has such a grudge against her dad, this juvenile attitude towards him, that she seems to miss out on a lot of what he’s saying. Plus she also seems to be blind to the fact that he does love her.
He may not have been all that decent of a person, but after reading this book and noticing the actions he took, Daniel was really just trying to protect her from all the ugliness of the world and what it would do to Alison. If only she would have listened!
The ending raises a lot of questions. Again the Authority are not a very moral group and I don’t like what they make the MC do. Their whole philosophy of ‘Do as we say or we take away your memories’ is disturbing and doesn’t make me believe that they are good people. While performing a test for the faction, things continue to get worse when a gateway opens up to the other side. To the death realm.
With all the the strong mages working together, they’re eventually able to close the rift, but it comes at a price. What it means in the grand scheme of things, Allie isn’t sure but she’s starting to notice a terrible trend. Life, death and possible immortality. A new bad guy has shown himself and has no intention of staying in the realm of the dead any longer. He wants out and will do anything he can to return to the land of the living.
And that’s kinda all that happens in the novel. Now this sounds like it would be an interesting book and it does have engrossing plot points, but the pace and action are ruined by all the descriptive words. Why does there always need to be about 7 words that mean the exact same thing to describe something? The redundancy is completely unnecessary! So while action is happening between the pages, it feels like it takes forever because of how the author decides to describe things. It’s such a slog!
I actually got pretty bored while reading this book and couldn’t wait to finish it. There are some good ideas jotted down in this novel, but the execution of it keeps me from liking it. The slowness of it, and Allie’s stubborn bitchy behavior really brings down the ‘fun’ element of the story. I swear she’s bipolar! One moment she’s angry and acting childish, and then the next she wants to jump Zayvion. It makes no sense!
Anyways, as you can see I wasn’t a huge fan of this book, or series. I gave it a shot, I really did. But I think this is where I stop. I just don’t enjoy the MC and her behavior, the amazingly boring love interest, or all the filler paragraphs that litter the pages. This drag out writing style is simply not for me.
October 7, 2014
Une série qui est décidément loin d'être décevante !
May 29, 2018
Poor Allie. She suffering a nightmare ... her recently deceased father is living in her head and he likes to make his presence known. I am enjoying this series very much. Allie is just broken enough to be an interesting character although she is occasionally prone to TSTL decisions that really seem a little out of character for someone who is cautious to the Nth degree. I am thoroughly enjoying her evolving relationship with Zayvion. Can't wait to see where this goes next.
April 14, 2012
Some spoiler alerts!!
Ok.. well.. I liked the book over all.. The pace was a bit better than the last 2.
The story picks up exactly where the last one left off, in the bathroom mirror. Allie has to deal with her dead dad being in her head while some crazy half dead creature thingy is causing a ruckus around town and trying to kill Allie (well her father, who's stuck in her head). The accident with the gargoyle (which when described sounds like it looks a lot like the crazy half dead creature thingy) turned out to be a twist I think Allie was even surprised by. And, I love Stone, btw.. Zayvion is slowly working back into my good graces. However, Allie seems to conveniently forget things that he does, says, or doesn't do, even when her memories are still in tact about the events. I'm still confused as to why Zay was involved with the goings on at Mama's when it seemed as though he betrayed her.. I have some ideas, but I'd like it to be cleared up. Actually Allie seems to conveniently forget lots of important things when her memories are still intact. Like the fact that she loses her memories at all, and that she thought she had been 'closed'.. THEN manages NOT to ask the person who's probably responsible for that (Zayvion Jones), if that is in fact what happened. That's just one example.. there are plenty others. I think my biggest question at this point is... IF Allie is basically a conduit for magic, can absorb it and hold it and let it flow through her and such, shouldn't she be able to absorb spells that are thrown at her? Kind of like the 'veiled' and the 'hunger' thingies? Just a thought.
Ok, so then we have this situation with Davy. Great kid. Loyal. Determined. I hope everything works out with him, for the better.. which is probably without Tomi. I know the girl got in a bad way and got used and all, but once she's better, I don't know if they would be good for each other.. and since she was cleaned up or 'closed' or whatever, will she even still be able to hound?
Meeting Shamus was probably my favorite part of the story, and every part with him afterwards. High-larious.. hehe.. His mom, Maeve, in a way kind of reminds me of (I can't remember her name) the old woman from the Sabina Kane series. Adam's aunt or something. (will fill this part in at a later date)
I'm not sure I like Nola getting with Stotts. She's all 'non-magic' and he's all 'consumed with magic'.. Interesting to see how THAT turns out. I feel really bad for Cody.. both Cody's. And what was that btw? Him, one of him, jumping into the gate like that? Did he do the 'walking on both sides' thing the other guy was trying to do?
Allie.. Oh, Allie.. How I so wish you'd stop getting your ass kicked. Good job on the whole 'test' situation, however, I'm hoping that in the next book, you're not quite such a punk. It's exhausting having to read about all your injuries all the time. Granted, you take it like a champ, (the pain), I still hate seeing you have your ass handed to you at every turn. Oh, and buy a car.. or a bike,,, or a motorcycle.. SOMETHING!!! And please, for all that is holy, stop asking so many questions at once! I mean really. How can anyone start answering you at all when you throw 10 questions at em in one breath?
In general, I really enjoyed this book, and the series up to this point. I love the witty banter and the way Allie thinks... probably because she reminds me of me in a way.
Ok.. well.. I liked the book over all.. The pace was a bit better than the last 2.
The story picks up exactly where the last one left off, in the bathroom mirror. Allie has to deal with her dead dad being in her head while some crazy half dead creature thingy is causing a ruckus around town and trying to kill Allie (well her father, who's stuck in her head). The accident with the gargoyle (which when described sounds like it looks a lot like the crazy half dead creature thingy) turned out to be a twist I think Allie was even surprised by. And, I love Stone, btw.. Zayvion is slowly working back into my good graces. However, Allie seems to conveniently forget things that he does, says, or doesn't do, even when her memories are still in tact about the events. I'm still confused as to why Zay was involved with the goings on at Mama's when it seemed as though he betrayed her.. I have some ideas, but I'd like it to be cleared up. Actually Allie seems to conveniently forget lots of important things when her memories are still intact. Like the fact that she loses her memories at all, and that she thought she had been 'closed'.. THEN manages NOT to ask the person who's probably responsible for that (Zayvion Jones), if that is in fact what happened. That's just one example.. there are plenty others. I think my biggest question at this point is... IF Allie is basically a conduit for magic, can absorb it and hold it and let it flow through her and such, shouldn't she be able to absorb spells that are thrown at her? Kind of like the 'veiled' and the 'hunger' thingies? Just a thought.
Ok, so then we have this situation with Davy. Great kid. Loyal. Determined. I hope everything works out with him, for the better.. which is probably without Tomi. I know the girl got in a bad way and got used and all, but once she's better, I don't know if they would be good for each other.. and since she was cleaned up or 'closed' or whatever, will she even still be able to hound?
Meeting Shamus was probably my favorite part of the story, and every part with him afterwards. High-larious.. hehe.. His mom, Maeve, in a way kind of reminds me of (I can't remember her name) the old woman from the Sabina Kane series. Adam's aunt or something. (will fill this part in at a later date)
I'm not sure I like Nola getting with Stotts. She's all 'non-magic' and he's all 'consumed with magic'.. Interesting to see how THAT turns out. I feel really bad for Cody.. both Cody's. And what was that btw? Him, one of him, jumping into the gate like that? Did he do the 'walking on both sides' thing the other guy was trying to do?
Allie.. Oh, Allie.. How I so wish you'd stop getting your ass kicked. Good job on the whole 'test' situation, however, I'm hoping that in the next book, you're not quite such a punk. It's exhausting having to read about all your injuries all the time. Granted, you take it like a champ, (the pain), I still hate seeing you have your ass handed to you at every turn. Oh, and buy a car.. or a bike,,, or a motorcycle.. SOMETHING!!! And please, for all that is holy, stop asking so many questions at once! I mean really. How can anyone start answering you at all when you throw 10 questions at em in one breath?
In general, I really enjoyed this book, and the series up to this point. I love the witty banter and the way Allie thinks... probably because she reminds me of me in a way.
March 22, 2012
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?
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?
January 19, 2011
I really enjoy the Allie Beckstrom novels. I had to originally put this book down as I was at the will of the library and got swamped. But once I'm able to get into these books, I really enjoy the stories and want to keep reading it until the end. This book fleshes out the world of magic much more and the world that Allie's boyfriend, Zayvion, was a part of. I really love the way the history and universe of magic these books has put into motion. I'll admit the fact that Allie's dad is residing in her head is more than a little creepy - but it's supposed to feel that way, so the reader reacts the same way Allie does at many moments.
What I love most about these books is the character of Allie. She's tough and smart, but she still gets scared and isn't invincible. And despite all of these things, she still throws herself into harm's way when someone is in danger. She cares about people, more than she'd like to admit, and it shows with her choices, even when they backfire.
She's still learning and making mistakes, but it usually comes from a good place.
And really, I'm nothing if not a reader who is loyal to characters I love, especially strong female characters.
What I love most about these books is the character of Allie. She's tough and smart, but she still gets scared and isn't invincible. And despite all of these things, she still throws herself into harm's way when someone is in danger. She cares about people, more than she'd like to admit, and it shows with her choices, even when they backfire.
She's still learning and making mistakes, but it usually comes from a good place.
And really, I'm nothing if not a reader who is loyal to characters I love, especially strong female characters.
August 1, 2019
(After finishing)
I have to tap out on this series. The heroine repeatedly puts herself and others in danger by ignoring what she's told to do or not do. Ugh. Also, the info dump worldbuilding made it hard to listen to, especially the big one before the ultimate showdown. And the pacing was so slow. Looking at reviews, it seems like the Too Stupid To Live aspect is going to continue, so I'm done. I'll try later series by the same author to see if experience has improved things.
(Earlier)
Listening to this may be an error. The worldbuilding is pretty slow and repetitive, and every part of the plot is presented at the same rate. Walking somewhere takes about as much time as a fight scene, for instance, so I feel like I'm listening to events in real time. It might be better to read this, so that I can zoom through parts that I find tedious.
I have to tap out on this series. The heroine repeatedly puts herself and others in danger by ignoring what she's told to do or not do. Ugh. Also, the info dump worldbuilding made it hard to listen to, especially the big one before the ultimate showdown. And the pacing was so slow. Looking at reviews, it seems like the Too Stupid To Live aspect is going to continue, so I'm done. I'll try later series by the same author to see if experience has improved things.
(Earlier)
Listening to this may be an error. The worldbuilding is pretty slow and repetitive, and every part of the plot is presented at the same rate. Walking somewhere takes about as much time as a fight scene, for instance, so I feel like I'm listening to events in real time. It might be better to read this, so that I can zoom through parts that I find tedious.
April 17, 2011
Devon Monk delivers another exciting page turner in Magic in the Shadows. Magic in the Shadows picks up where the second book Magic in the Blood left off with Allie discovering that her father was not out of her life as she thought. This third book in the series brings the Authority, a council that governs the users of magic, into play and Allie finds herself beoming a person of interest to them. This book also introduces some new secondary characters such as Shamus and Stone along with the return of other favorite characters such as Zayvion, Nola, Davy, Cody, and Stotts. Overall this book was an exciting read, and I would definitely recommend it. I am looking forward to checking out the next book in this series.
February 5, 2022
Ratings - abandoned series:
#1 Magic to the Bone: ★★★★☆
#2 Magic in the Blood: ★★★☆☆
#3 Magic in the Shadows (this book): ★★★☆☆
#4 Magic on the Storm: ★★★☆☆
#5 Magic at the Gate: ★★☆☆☆
#6 Magic on the Hunt: ★☆☆☆☆ / DNF
#1 Magic to the Bone: ★★★★☆
#2 Magic in the Blood: ★★★☆☆
#3 Magic in the Shadows (this book): ★★★☆☆
#4 Magic on the Storm: ★★★☆☆
#5 Magic at the Gate: ★★☆☆☆
#6 Magic on the Hunt: ★☆☆☆☆ / DNF
December 7, 2009
I've really enjoyed this series! Allie has such a great voice and I find myself smiling at her thoughts and comments all the time.
The addition of several characters was great, I think Shamus & Stone are wonderful and can't wait to read more about them.
Zayvion is still the sexy beast he was in previous books and I was finally able to figure out why he felt a little familiar - he reminds me of David from Caine's Weather Warden series. They are both confident, mysterious, powerful & sexy as hell!
If you haven't started this series I have just one question... WHY NOT?!? :D
The addition of several characters was great, I think Shamus & Stone are wonderful and can't wait to read more about them.
Zayvion is still the sexy beast he was in previous books and I was finally able to figure out why he felt a little familiar - he reminds me of David from Caine's Weather Warden series. They are both confident, mysterious, powerful & sexy as hell!
If you haven't started this series I have just one question... WHY NOT?!? :D
August 9, 2017
I really wanted to like this book, but Allie Beckstrom is one of the stupidest, most annoying-est, bullingest, fool-ass, big talking, can't back it up type person I've ever had the reason to read and dislike. As she is telling the reader one thing, she is doing another. She goes on at great length telling the reader how much she's a loner and can't be responsible for other people as she is angrily digging her nose into other people's lives. If met her with in five minutes I'd be walking away or telling how many ways and what direction she could F* off.
March 3, 2013
I love Allie and her sarcasm and her stubbornness. This third book was no different and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Shamus is a great addition to the cast of characters and I hope to see more of him in the future. :)
February 23, 2016
This isn't a horrible series, but it just isn't doing it for me. I never really started caring for Allie or any of the other characters, and without any feeling for them, everything else turns grey and lifeless.
July 31, 2012
Rounded up due to Stone, he's adorable. Zayvions is starting to get more interesting rather than annoying at last, loved Shamus too.
November 11, 2023
Dans ce roman, nous retrouvons Allie là ou nous l’avions laissée à la fin du tome 2 : au courant de l’existence de l’Autorité mais avec des sacrés trous de mémoire causés par la magie. Au vu de sa capacité à manier la magie, l’Autorité souhaite qu’Allie passe un test qui déterminera si oui ou non elle à la bénédiction pour utiliser la magie. Zayvion Jones l’accompagnera dans ses apprentissages ainsi que dans les différents affrontements prenant place dans ce tome. Comme si cela ne suffisait pas, il semblerait que son père décédé soit bien décidé à la hanter en s’adressant à elle dans sa tête. Allie réussira-t-elle le test de l’Autorité ? Sa relation oubliée avec Zayvion reprendra-t-elle ? Quels ennuis et ennemis auront-ils à affronter ?
J’ai beaucoup adoré replonger dans cet univers sombre ou toute magie à un prix ! On y apprend beaucoup de choses sur les différents personnages et entités ; Zayvion, le père d’Allie, l’Autorité et même la magie elle-même. Ce tome est donc riche en révélations et découvertes. Il n’est pourtant pas non plus dépourvu d’action car au milieu de ces révélations, de nombreux rebondissements et combats surviennent. Allie doit soudainement prendre plus de responsabilité que ce soit dans sa vie personnelle ou professionnelle, elle doit prendre soin des Traqueurs comme elle l’a promis mais aussi voir quoi faire concernant l’empire de son père. Les nouveaux personnages que l’on découvre sont chouettes également, enfin surtout Shamus qui m’a fait rire à chacune de ses apparitions et Stone. L’évolution dans la relation d’Allie et Zayvion est plaisante à suivre également. J’ai donc passé un très bon moment de lecture avec ce roman et je me réjouis de découvrir ce que la suite nous réserve !
J’ai beaucoup adoré replonger dans cet univers sombre ou toute magie à un prix ! On y apprend beaucoup de choses sur les différents personnages et entités ; Zayvion, le père d’Allie, l’Autorité et même la magie elle-même. Ce tome est donc riche en révélations et découvertes. Il n’est pourtant pas non plus dépourvu d’action car au milieu de ces révélations, de nombreux rebondissements et combats surviennent. Allie doit soudainement prendre plus de responsabilité que ce soit dans sa vie personnelle ou professionnelle, elle doit prendre soin des Traqueurs comme elle l’a promis mais aussi voir quoi faire concernant l’empire de son père. Les nouveaux personnages que l’on découvre sont chouettes également, enfin surtout Shamus qui m’a fait rire à chacune de ses apparitions et Stone. L’évolution dans la relation d’Allie et Zayvion est plaisante à suivre également. J’ai donc passé un très bon moment de lecture avec ce roman et je me réjouis de découvrir ce que la suite nous réserve !
December 23, 2020
Magic in the Shadows is the third book in the Allie Beckstrom series written by Devon Monk. It centers on Allison Angel "Allie" Beckstrom, a Hound, who solves cases of corporate espionage, black magic, ghostly apparitions, and dead spirits who want to come back to life.
Allie is a Hound – someone who traces the use of magic and tracks down those who abuse their magical powers. Her own use of magic has marked her in distinctive ways as she has magical tattoos all over her arms and body, and recent events have caused her to lose her memory, including those of the man she loves – the man who is intimately involved with the Authority, that group of magic users who control most of the magic use in the world, and the man who may be her ticket into joining them. It doesn't help that Allie’s dead father, Daniel Beckstrom, inhabits her mind, trying to convince her to use her power even more. Furthermore, a vicious creature is trying to kill her as well.
Magic in the Shadows is written rather well. Monk has further expanded her world in continuing the backlash of using magic of Allie Beckstorm – the main protagonist as her vicious circle of using it starts to widen. However, the narrative was a tad repetitive, as it nicely reminds readers as to what happened in the first two installments, albeit it is not consistent in doing so. Overall, it feels like a transitional installment as it seems that greater things are on the horizon.
All in all, Magic in the Shadows is written rather well and is a good and promising continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Allie is a Hound – someone who traces the use of magic and tracks down those who abuse their magical powers. Her own use of magic has marked her in distinctive ways as she has magical tattoos all over her arms and body, and recent events have caused her to lose her memory, including those of the man she loves – the man who is intimately involved with the Authority, that group of magic users who control most of the magic use in the world, and the man who may be her ticket into joining them. It doesn't help that Allie’s dead father, Daniel Beckstrom, inhabits her mind, trying to convince her to use her power even more. Furthermore, a vicious creature is trying to kill her as well.
Magic in the Shadows is written rather well. Monk has further expanded her world in continuing the backlash of using magic of Allie Beckstorm – the main protagonist as her vicious circle of using it starts to widen. However, the narrative was a tad repetitive, as it nicely reminds readers as to what happened in the first two installments, albeit it is not consistent in doing so. Overall, it feels like a transitional installment as it seems that greater things are on the horizon.
All in all, Magic in the Shadows is written rather well and is a good and promising continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
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