Don't Miss

• Morrison's Gift Picks
• Holiday Catalog 2009
• NYRB Classics: Save 30%
• Paperback Favorites
  for Book Groups
• Springer Math Sale!
• Subscribe to Indiespensable

More at Powell's

• Featured Signed Editions
• Rare and Collectible Books
• eBooks | Audio | DVDs | Blu-ray

The Courage of Others

1. 
   $16.76 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

   La's Orchestra Saves the World

   Alexander McCall Smith

Synopses & Reviews

Review:

Synopsis:

Synopsis:

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!

Average customer rating based on 3 comments:

Mardel, August 10, 2009 (view all comments by Mardel)
I picked up this book on a whim last year and just loved it. Devon Monk does something new with the magic. In the world she writes about, (set in Oregon) when magic is used, a price needs to be paid, usually a physical one. The payment affects the body with pain, migraines, lost memories etc. However, magic users have learned how to use proxies to pay the price. A black market of magic users offload onto innocent victims.

Allie Beckstrom has learned how to set her own price, using something called a disbursement, allowing her to choose how her body will pay for the magic use, cold, headache, etc. Except sometimes she forgets to set a disbursement. Because of this she has learned to keep a notebook with her that she uses to jot down pertinent facts about what she's been doing or will be doing. She also knows how to "hound" magic use, track down magic "signatures" since everyone has their own signature when they use magic. This is how she makes her living. Her father is the head of a large corporation that sells magic and things to do with magic (experiments, also).

Allie Beckstrom's book begins with her being asked to find out who has almost killed a young child by illegally using him as a proxy. The trail leads her to her father. This begins a long and dangerous path for Allie. She ends up accused of murder, having to go in hiding, has to decide whether or not to trust a man that's been showing up everywhere she has (finds out some things about him also), and much more.

The thing I like about this book is that Allie, although she has great magic power, still pays huge prices for her actions. There is no HEA for her. Good things happen for her and bad things happen to her. She deals with everything as she can. Another thing I like about this book is the narrative style and the dialogue between characters. Never any lame dialogue, which is obsessively important to me.

Once I read this book, I was seriously "jonesing" for more from Devon Monk. But I had to wait until the next book came out, have read that one and wanted to go back to read both over again. I'm waiting for re-reads, though since I have a tremendous TBR pile waiting for me....

Magic to the Bone is a worthwile book.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

report this comment

magicreader, November 21, 2008 (view all comments by magicreader)
While there were some parts of the story I had difficulties with, these were mostly due to the personality of the main character and not a flaw in the storytelling.

I read a lot of fantasy, urban, high, steampunk and whatever else comes my way - so I always like finding new authors to enjoy. I will definitely be following this series.

My biggest quibble is with the cover. I'm not a prude and can definitely enjoy the beauty of the female figure - it seems to be counterintuitive though (and now these days, cliched like the bodice-ripper covers in that other genre). My guess would be that an image like that attached to a title like Magic to the Bone and 16 year old boys will be clamoring to find out what it is about. Unfortunately I doubt that this book would of much interest to 16 year old boys so they will just put it back on the shelf.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

Brenta, November 3, 2008 (view all comments by Brenta)
In a magical Portland, Oregon, Allie Beckstrom's 25th birthday gets off to a rough start. She lives in a world where every magic use exacts a price from its user--migraines, cramps, or memory loss. Before she can even head out to breakfast, one of her frequent clients, Mama, calls her and asks her to identify who cast a magic spell because every magic user has his or her own distinctive signature. Allie's just the person for the job because she works as a Hound--even though, or more likely because--her father is a wealthy businessman who would just as soon she work for him in the Beckstrom family biz. Allie heads into North Portland where there are no lines laid for accessing magic. But, somehow, someone has found a way to Offload the price of casting a magic spell onto a little boy. When Allie Hounds the spell, she sees the unmistakable flavor of her father's magic in that attack.

When Allie confronts her father in his skyscraper office, he denies he did anything to the boy, but, as driven as he is, he's had a shaky track record as far as Allie is concerned. Allie then discovers the hot guy who's been following her works for her father.

The next morning, things go from bad to worse when Allie learns she's being blamed for murder. Soon, Allie's on the run and trying to protect a boy and his cat.

Magic to the Bone is a very enjoyable and original urban fantasy with strong mystery and romance appeal.

What's next in Magic Portland? Magic to the Bone is part of a trilogy. At the end of the novel, you get hints that magic is changing, but, rest assured, there's closure at the end of this book. Magic in the Blood is up next in the series.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(6 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

View all 3 comments

Product Details

ISBN:

9780451462404

Author:

Monk, Devon

Publisher:

Roc

Subject:

Fantasy - Contemporary

Publication Date:

November 2008

Binding:

Mass Market Paperbound

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Pages:

355

Dimensions:

6.60x4.10x1.40 in. .35 lbs.