Magic for a Price (edition 2012)

I never wanted these to end. Fantastic finish to one of my new very favorite series. ( )

I've had a mixed relationship with the Allie Beckstrom series, and MAGIC FOR A PRICE addressed many of my issues. But a nine book build up to get answers means high expectations, and my own reaction was mixed to say the least. Monk makes sweeping changes to her world, something I wish had happened earlier in the series. I would have liked MAGIC FOR A PRICE so much more if I could see Allie and company dealing with the consequences of their battle. As a series finale, however, I didn’t care enough about these conflicts, stretched long and thin over nine books, to make the resolution pack significant punch. ( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
allthingsuf.com

I’ve had a fraught relationship with the Allie Beckstrom series, and MAGIC FOR A PRICE addressed many of my issues. But a nine book build up to get answers means high expectations, and my own reaction was mixed to say the least. I enjoyed MAGIC FOR A PRICE very much as an individual book, but it’s ending suffered significantly from my issues with the series as a whole.

In past books I felt like the action moved too slow, with Allie facing the same magical problems over and over. This contributed to my difficulty in keeping track of which books I had read before as the events and descriptions from Allie’s perspective changed so little I always struggled to find my place in the series. This isn’t a problem at all in MAGIC FOR A PRICE. Monk interweaves new action with unobtrusive references to past events, making it very easy to refresh my memory on the series while moving forward with the plot.

And Monk does make sweeping changes to her world in MAGIC FOR A PRICE, something I wish had happened earlier in the series. I would have liked this book so much more if I could see Allie and company dealing with the consequences of their battle in future books. As a series finale, however, I didn’t care enough about these conflicts, stretched long and thin over nine books, to make the resolution pack significant punch. The magical architecture Monk has created is unparalleled, the relationships (between both living and dead) are unique and nuanced, but there is some elemental aspect of pacing and character that is missing for me. It’s telling that my affection for Stone is so much stronger than my interest in Allie’s love life, or that my curiosity is so much stronger for the Hounds than the Assembly. This series and I have been just half a step out of sync the whole way through.

For readers who have enjoyed the incremental plotlines while staying invested in the mystery of Allie’s past and relationship with her father, MAGIC FOR A PRICE will be a bittersweet treat that answers longstanding questions while bringing the series to a close. I enjoyed this individual book very much, though my relationship with the Allie Beckstrom series as a whole stays where it started, conflicted.

Sexual Content: Brief scene of sensuality. ( )

This is final book in the Allie Beckstrom series and what a ride it’s been! This book does an excellent job of tying up the main storyline while staying realistic. Definitely don’t start with this book, go back and read the rest of the series first or you will be totally lost.

Jingo Jingo may be dead but magic is still poisoned. When Allie and crew find out that the head of Seattle Authority has been possessed by the Soul Complements Leander/Isabelle time becomes of the essence. Leander/Isabelle want to shut down Portland and control all magic. Allie and crew must cure magic and ensure that Portland isn’t blown to pieces if they are ever to survive as a city.

This was a fast-paced and engaging conclusion to this series. Allie, Zayvion, Shame, and Terric are all pushed to their breaking points and forced to do the impossible to save magic. I continue to enjoy the creative magic system and how every spell has a price to pay.

The action scenes were awesome and there is a ton of magic wielding going on. Shame and Terric finally use magic as Soul Complements and they do some pretty darn awesome things with it.

Allie is forced to work a lot with her dad to figure out how to purify the wells. During the process of the well purification and the final stand off with Leander/Isabelle Allie finally learns her dad’s master plan. As a result of this we learn more about Allie’s history and her father.

Zayvion also does some awesome magic, but serves more as support to Allie than anything else. There isn’t much romance here because so much is going on and the characters are so beat up the whole time. Still it is obvious that Allie and Zay have a loving relationship based on mutual respect.

Shame and Terric were really the ones that stole the show. They are finally coming to terms with their magical relationship and finding some peace...it’s a pretty bumpy ride to get to that point but a pretty awesome one too. There are rumors that a book/series from Shame/Terric’s POV may be in the works...that would be so cool!

Overall an excellent conclusion to this series, fans of the series should be pleased. This book is well-written, easy to read and fast-paced. Magic, action, and mystery are all perfectly balanced. I will definitely be checking out future series by Devon Monk and do hope that we do see a story on Shame and Terric in the future. This is a solid urban fantasy series and I recommend to those who are urban fantasy fans. ( )