Magic Without MercyAuthor: Devon Monk
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: ROC
Allie Beckstrom series #8
ISBN: #978-0451464484
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (358 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
We knew as soon as we stepped out on those streets, we were walking blind into a war. All of us were going to bear the pain for the magic we called upon. And I was going to have to bear the pain for carrying a weapon that made me face what I had become. A killer.
Allison Beckstrom’s talent for tracking spells has put her up against some of the darkest elements in the world of magic, but she’s never faced anything like this.
Magic itself has been poisoned, and Allie’s undead father may have left the only cure in the hands of a madman. Hunted by the Authority–the secret council that enforces magic’s laws–wanted by the police, and unable to use magic, she’s got to find the cure before the sickness spreads beyond any power to stop it.
But when a Death magic user seeks to destroy the only antidote, Allie and her fellow renegades must stand and fight to defend the innocent and save all magic…
What Una is talking about:
I am hooked on the Allie Beckstrom series. It is really great gritty urban fantasy. Life isn’t pretty; sometimes decisions are hard and have long lasting consequences. Ms. Monk does not disappoint in her latest installment — Magic Without Mercy is another nail-biting thriller.
Please note that if you haven’t read the previous novels, there will be spoilers in this review. This is a series that really needs to be started from the beginning. Each subsequent novel builds on the last and much will be lost if you try to jump in.
Allie is on the run from both the police — after being framed for embezzlement, and from the Authority — for killing Bartholomew. However, she is not without friends or support. Zayvion and Shame, along with others who realize the Authority has turned its back on its mission, are working with Allie to find out how magic has been poisoned and how to fix it – if that is even possible. With the continuing support of the hounds, Allie works to try to find out what is going on, only to be faced by the Authority who want to stop her from succeeding.
Seriously, I could not put down Magic Without Mercy. Ms. Monk has created a character that I am just drawn to. Allie is fascinating. She struggles with both the weight of the decision she made to kill Bartholomew and the knowledge that her friends walk beside her – risking their lives for her. She is still unable to use magic, yet she can see it as clearly as day. Allie’s internal struggle is real and the reader can easily place himself in her shoes.
However, there are still many questions from the previous novels that still puzzle me. Will she ever regain her small magic she was able to keep inside? Will she ever be able to use magic again? Will she ever be able to exorcise her father from her head? As frustrating as these lingering questions are…the fact that sometimes questions linger gives a foundation of reality to the series and keeps me reading.
From the huge cliffhanger, one major question may be answered in the next novel: are Leander and Isabell in cahoots with her father? Needless to say, I cannot wait until the next novel. I wonder when Allie might get not only a break, but find out about why she is so special.
Una’s Rating:
Loved it – enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Reviews of Books in this Series:
[…] Personal favorite – a must read (A+) Purchase Info: Magic for a Price (Book 9) Reviews in the Series: Magic at the Gate (Book 5) Magic on the Hunt (Book 6) Magic on the Line (Book 7) Magic Without Mercy (Book 8) […]