Working as a Hound-tracing illegal spells back to their casters-has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn't about to quit. Then the police's magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic.
Magic In the Blood (Allie Beckstrom)
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About the Author
Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colorful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. She has sold over fifty short stories to fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and young adult magazines and anthologies. Her stories have been published in five countries and included in a Year's Best Fantasy collection. When not writing, Devon is either knitting, remodeling the house-that-was-once-a-barn, or hosting a family celebration.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This new urban fantasy series from Devon Monk is good in a lot of ways. The heroine, Allie Beckstrom, comes from an incredibly rich (in money and magic) family. Unfortunately, Allie's father is a major control freak with delusions of magical world conquest. Allie strikes out on her own and picks a career as a Hound. Hounds do detective, Private Eye, work by using their magical powers to sense, taste and track spells on criminals and "people of interest". The problem is using magic in this new world Allie lives in creates physical illness, pain and memory loss for the user. A "disbursement" spell can be used before casting magic, so that the magic user can pick their "own poison" so to speak - in other words, they can decide if using magic will cause them a migraine later, a case of the flu, body aches, etc. Without the disbursement spell, things can get quite rough.
In Allie's life, there are entirely too many people interested in her and following her - and not just because of the family money. Allie is just now finding out that she is incredibly powerful (in fact, she still hasn't got it, just the reader and everyone around her), and there are various factions wanting to either use her or contain her.
Allie's love interest is Zayvion Jones. He started out watching her, but in this book has gotten to the point of loving and pursuing her. The problems between the two are many - but a huge lack of trust and memory loss on Allie's part has certainly compounded the problem.
I have enjoyed both books, but Magic in the Blood will be my last of this series. While the writing is excellent, the mysteries cool, Zayvion is beyond awesome and Allie's buddies are great, there is one glaring, overwhelming problem. I hate the memory loss that goes on with Allie everytime she uses big magic. Hours later, she literally has not a clue what happened in the most pivotal moments of her life. She carries a notebook to write down daily events - when she remembers. She comes to terms and grips with Zayvion and other people in her life over and over. She is in constant danger, but is blindly wandering around trying to figure out who to trust, what to do, what was said and who to watch out for. Quite frankly, the memory loss has become a huge detraction to the series and one I can't continue to deal with. I was annoyed with it in the first book, but thought there might be some kind of resolution for it in Magic in the Blood. Not so. If anything, certain critical things have happened to actually carry the annoyance into dislike.
Perhaps other readers will have more patience with this "fatal flaw", but I'm done.
In Allie's life, there are entirely too many people interested in her and following her - and not just because of the family money. Allie is just now finding out that she is incredibly powerful (in fact, she still hasn't got it, just the reader and everyone around her), and there are various factions wanting to either use her or contain her.
Allie's love interest is Zayvion Jones. He started out watching her, but in this book has gotten to the point of loving and pursuing her. The problems between the two are many - but a huge lack of trust and memory loss on Allie's part has certainly compounded the problem.
I have enjoyed both books, but Magic in the Blood will be my last of this series. While the writing is excellent, the mysteries cool, Zayvion is beyond awesome and Allie's buddies are great, there is one glaring, overwhelming problem. I hate the memory loss that goes on with Allie everytime she uses big magic. Hours later, she literally has not a clue what happened in the most pivotal moments of her life. She carries a notebook to write down daily events - when she remembers. She comes to terms and grips with Zayvion and other people in her life over and over. She is in constant danger, but is blindly wandering around trying to figure out who to trust, what to do, what was said and who to watch out for. Quite frankly, the memory loss has become a huge detraction to the series and one I can't continue to deal with. I was annoyed with it in the first book, but thought there might be some kind of resolution for it in Magic in the Blood. Not so. If anything, certain critical things have happened to actually carry the annoyance into dislike.
Perhaps other readers will have more patience with this "fatal flaw", but I'm done.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By ghsu
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If I could, I would've given this book 3 1/2 stars. I like and care about what happens to Allie and really enjoy the world Monk has created. I am looking forward to reading the next book. However, the book did have some major flaws.
Like some of the other reviewers, I'm tired of the memory loss angle. The fact that Allie can't seem to remember pretty much the whole first book makes me wonder why I even bother reading it. Also, Monk left some dangling threads from the previous story that was never picked up in the 2nd book.
I got a bit tired of all the angst. I am ready for Allie to do some major butt kicking and hope that she develops some trust, esp with mysterious Zayvion. I say let the angst go and the trust, love and lust begin. I also got impatient with the way Monk portrayed Portland. As someone who previously lived in Eugene, OR and who was a frequent visitor of Portland, I felt that Portland got the shaft. Sure it rains alot in Oregon but it's also green, lush, beautiful, especially in the summer time. In the next book, I hope to see growth in Allie and to have the story takes strides forward otherwise, Allie and I might just have to break up.
Like some of the other reviewers, I'm tired of the memory loss angle. The fact that Allie can't seem to remember pretty much the whole first book makes me wonder why I even bother reading it. Also, Monk left some dangling threads from the previous story that was never picked up in the 2nd book.
I got a bit tired of all the angst. I am ready for Allie to do some major butt kicking and hope that she develops some trust, esp with mysterious Zayvion. I say let the angst go and the trust, love and lust begin. I also got impatient with the way Monk portrayed Portland. As someone who previously lived in Eugene, OR and who was a frequent visitor of Portland, I felt that Portland got the shaft. Sure it rains alot in Oregon but it's also green, lush, beautiful, especially in the summer time. In the next book, I hope to see growth in Allie and to have the story takes strides forward otherwise, Allie and I might just have to break up.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After the last installment of this series, Allie is experiencing massive memory loss due to the amount of magic she used at the end of the last book. She no longer remembers dating Zayvion, along with a lot of other things. A division of the police department asks for Allie's help in tracking missing teenage girls. Around the same time, a crime lord that Allie helped put away is threatening her.
Let me start by saying a lot of people really like this series, however I do not seem to be one of them. This book wasn't great. There were a lot of times where I felt like people were not talking to Allie when they should. I am getting tired of the secrecy. I have to say that I was not overly impressed with this installment and will probably be skipping any future books.
I am tired of the characters, for some reason I haven't connected to Allie or to Zayvion. There are some interesting plot developments (like the magic enforcement division and Stotts, as well as learning more about the Authority and meeting some of them. Also, I am tired of her father. Basically for some reason this book didn't reach out and grab me and so I will not be reading any more of them. All in all, I would recommend skipping this book and this series, although this book does have more going for it than the last one. Also, even though I didn't enjoy this book, a lot of others did - so they must have seen something I did not. Whatever you read, enjoy!
Let me start by saying a lot of people really like this series, however I do not seem to be one of them. This book wasn't great. There were a lot of times where I felt like people were not talking to Allie when they should. I am getting tired of the secrecy. I have to say that I was not overly impressed with this installment and will probably be skipping any future books.
I am tired of the characters, for some reason I haven't connected to Allie or to Zayvion. There are some interesting plot developments (like the magic enforcement division and Stotts, as well as learning more about the Authority and meeting some of them. Also, I am tired of her father. Basically for some reason this book didn't reach out and grab me and so I will not be reading any more of them. All in all, I would recommend skipping this book and this series, although this book does have more going for it than the last one. Also, even though I didn't enjoy this book, a lot of others did - so they must have seen something I did not. Whatever you read, enjoy!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
awesome Urban Fantasy series!
Excellent installment in the series. I love listening to the audio from audible, the narrator does a fantastic job. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Heather Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Review of Books 1-3! {NO Spoilers}
Allie is a hound, she traces the origin of spells for hire. Her job takes a huge toll on her body and psyche and in this series we find ourselves immersed in her life, her world... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Larissa
5.0 out of 5 stars
allie
great series!!!! magic at a cost, where the heroine is not quite perfect but will do what needs to get done
Published 2 months ago by Yolanda
3.0 out of 5 stars
Why is Allie Beckstrom so dumb?
I liked the first book in this series enough to want to give this one a try, and I was interested enough to finish it, although I had to grit my teeth through a lot of parts, and I... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alexandra Zalewski
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great twist in UF
Magic in the Blood, installment two with Hound Allie Beckstrom, begins after Allie's last adventure in Magic to the Bone, where Allie had awakened from a coma with major memory... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Elizabeth Slater
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two read, but sadly no more to come.
I enjoyed Magic to the Bone (1st book) so I bought the second in the series. Allie is an interesting character. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Pete Barber
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gotta have more Allie!
While Magic in the Blood didn't blow me away to the extent that Magic to the Bone did, it's still a great read. Read more
Published 23 months ago by H. Grove
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Xxxx held very, very still in my Freeze spell and Zayvion slit his...
Allie Beckstrom's life is in turmoil. Nothing new here, but this time it's just a mess. Allie is a "Hound", that is, she is a practitioner of magic, and she uses her olfactory... Read more
Published on May 18, 2011 by Mark Louis Baumgart
4.0 out of 5 stars
Goes even deeper into the magic in Allie's world
This is the second book in the Allie Beckstrom series by Monk. It was a solid book and introduces the reader to even more of the magic in Allie's world. Read more
Published on March 14, 2011 by Karissa Eckert
4.0 out of 5 stars
This series is getting better
As mentioned by lots of other reviewers, the first third of this book was really slow, with discussions of Allie's memory loss and it dragged so much for me, that I put the book... Read more
Published on January 31, 2011 by Michelle Cummings
