Kirjahaku

"Using magic, meant it used you back. Forget the fairytale hocus pocus, sparkles and pixie dust crap. Magic, like booze, sex, and drugs, gave as good as it got"Everything has a cost. And every act of magic exacts a price from its user, maybe a two-day migraine, or losing the memory of your first kiss. But some people want to use magic without paying and they Offload the cost onto innocents. When that happens, it falls to a Hound to identify the spell's caster - and Allie Beckstrom is the best there is.Daughter of a prominent Portland businessman, Allie would rather moonlight as a Hound than accept the family fortune - and the strings that come with it. But when she discovers a little boy dying from a magic Offload that has her father's signature all over it, Allie is thrown into the high stakes world of corporate espionage and black magic . . .

Allie Beckstrom knows that there's a price to pay for using magic . . . She's suffered her fair share of migraines and gaps in her memory during her time working as a Hound, tracing spells back to their casters. But now Allie's been visibly marked by magic with a mysterious iridescent tattoo. She's not only lost all memory of how she got it, but also of the man that she's supposedly fallen in love with. Oh, and as usual, she's completely broke.So when the criminal magic enforcement division of the police asks her to consult on a missing persons case, things start to look up. At first, it seems to be a fairly straightforward way of earning some money - but like most things in Allie's life it soon turns into a dangerous mix of underworld criminals, ghosts and blood magic. This time Allie is going to discover it takes more than magic to survive . . .

'Every time you use magic, it uses you back. Sure, you could magic yourself a photographic memory for that big test, for that big interview, for that big stock market job. And all it cost you was a nice case of liver failure. Or the memory of your lover's name.'Magic is Allie Beckstom's blessing and curse. As a Hound, she uses her gifts to track down practitioners who abuse their power, and then stops them from inflicting harm on unsuspecting innocents. Unfortunately her spells have taken a toll on her, physically marking her and erasing her memories - including those of the man she loves.But lost memories aren't the only things preying on Allie's thoughts. Her late father, a prominent businessman - and sorcerer - has somehow channeled himself into her 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 . . .

Magic hunter Allie Beckstrom returns in Magic on the Storm, the fourth instalment of this fantastic US urban fantasy series by Devon Monk - perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton and Karen Chance.'Magic stirred in me . . . I closed my eyes, wanting to lose myself to it. Wanting to use magic in every way I could. But that would be bad. I had enough magic inside me; I could burn down a city. And I didn't want to do that . . .'Allie Beckstrom knows better than most that when magic's involved, you always pay. Whether the price is migraines, amnesia, or muscle aches, she is committed to her work as a Hound, tracing illegal spells back to their casters. But her job is about to get much more dangerous.There's a stom of apocalyptic force bearing down on Portland, and when it hits, all the magic in the area will turn unstable and destructive. To stop it from taking out the entire city, Allie and her lover, the mysterious Zayvion Jones, must work with the Authority - the enigmatic arbiters of all things magic - and make a stand against a magical wild storm that will obliterate all in its path.If you love urban fantasy, then Magic on the Storm by Devon Monk is a must have read.'Gritty setting, compelling, fully realized characters, and a frightening system of magic-with-a-price that left me awed' Rachel Vincent'Loved it. Fiendishly original and a stay-up-all-night read' Patricia BriggsDevon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colourful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. Devon's previous novels, Magic to the Bone, Magic in the Blood and Magic in the Shadows, have also been published by Penguin. Visit her on the web at www.devonmonk.com.

Devon Monk's feisty heroine, Allie Beckstrom, returns in Magic Without Mercy, the penultimate novel in this magical urban fantasy series.'We knew as soon as we stepped out on those streets, we were walking blind, into a war. All of us were going to have to bear the pain of paying the price for the magic we called upon. And I was going to have to bear the pain of 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 who enforces the 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 thing that can heal magic, Allie and her fellow renegades must stand and fight to defend the innocent and save all magic . . .If you love urban fantasy with a magical twist, then you'll love Devon Monk's Magic Without Mercy.'Fiendishly original and a stay-up-all-night read' Patricia Briggs'Allie's adventures are gripping and engrossing, with an even, clever mix of humour, love, and brutality' Publishers Weekly'Devon Monk's writing is addictive, and the only cure is more, more, more' Rachel VincentDevon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colourful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. Devon's previous novels, Magic to the Bone, Magic in the Blood, Magic in the Shadows and Magic on the Storm have also been published by Penguin. Visit her on the web at www.devonmonk.com.

Magic for a Price is the latest book in this fantastic urban fantasy series featuring Allie Beckstrom by Devon Monk that's perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton and Karen Chance.'We were about to enter a war with two of the most powerful creatures who had ever used magic. And we were nowhere near ready for this fight.'For most of her life, Allison Beckstrom has used magic and accepted the heavy price it exacts. But now that all magic is poisoned, it's no longer just using people - it's killing them.With Portland about to descend into chaos, Allie needs to find a way to purify the wells of tainted magic beneath the city. But the only options left to her are grim: attempt to close down magic forever, or follow her father's plan to set magic into the right hands - even though she's learned to never trust his word.In her final stand against death, darkness, and her own deepest fears, Allie must fight smart and choose well, or pay the ultimate price.Magic for a Price is the gripping finale to the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series by Devon Monk - and is one not to be missed.Praise for Devon Monk:'Devon Monk's writing is addictive, and the only cure is more, more, more!' Rachel Vincent'Fiendishly original and a stay-up-all-night read' Patricia Briggs'Allie's adventures are gripping and engrossing, with an even, clever mix of humour, love and brutality' Publishers WeeklyDevon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colourful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. Devon's previous novels, Magic to the Bone, Magic in the Blood, Magic in the Shadows, Magic on the Storm and Magic Without Mercy, have also been published by Penguin. Find out more on the web at www.devonmonk.com and www.berkleyuk.com .

Monsters, gods, and mayhem...Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the Valkyries, werewolves, gill-men and other paranormal creatures who call the small beach town of Ordinary, Oregon their home. It's the vacationing gods who keep her up at night.With the famous rhubarb festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she's finally caught the attention of Ryder Bailey, the one man she should never love.No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god.Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That's gonna take some work.

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea...Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon-just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there. But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries. Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all god, and uncovering an ancient vampire's terrifying past isn't how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is falling back in love with the one man she should never trust.

Keep your gods close and your monsters closer...Police Chief Delaney Reed thinks she knows all of Ordinary, Oregon's secrets. Gods on vacation, lovelorn ghosts, friendly neighborhood monsters? Check.But some secrets run deeper than even she knows. To take down an ancient vampire hell-bent on revenge, she will have to make the hardest decision of her life: give up the book of dark magic that can destroy them all, or surrender her mortal soul.As she weighs her options, Delaney discovers she can no longer tell the difference between allies keeping secrets and enemies telling the truth. Questioning loyalties and running out of time, Delaney must choose sides before a kidnapping turns into murder, before rival crochet and knit gangs start a war, and before the full moon rises to signal the beginning of Ordinary's end.

Three novellas now in paperback Rock Candy, Paper Stars, Scissor Kisses have been previously published in ebook format. Just an Ordinary Halloween...Police officer Jean Reed doesn't normally mind pulling the graveyard shift in Ordinary Oregon. But one mob of cursed gnomes, one haunted harbor festival, and one chilling visit from Death makes this October stranger than most.One magical holiday. Some assembly required...Police Chief Delaney Reed loves the holidays in Ordinary, Oregon. But when a demon, a dragon, and a god bearing unusual gifts get thrown on top of her to do list, Delaney must roll up her sleeves and make this holiday unforgettable. This Valentine's Day there's more than hearts at risk...Police officer Myra Reed prefers her life orderly, predictable, and logical. But she must take on a stalker, a crossroads deal, and a dangerous spell that could reveal the one secret she's buried deep: she might be falling in love with a demon.

Random Hazard has a stupid name and a terrible secret: he's a wizard. Wizards aren't allowed to play in the NHL, but Random Hazard will do anything for a chance to play pro hockey. When his teammate is about to get brained by a puck going fast enough to kill, Random has no choice but to use magic.Yes, he saved the guy's life, but he destroyed his own. Kicked out of the NHL, the only thing left for him is West Hell, a freak league of shifters and drifters more blood sport than hockey.Being the first wizard in a league full of monsters might get him killed. Or it just might finally prove that magic and hockey do mix...

Myra Reed's life is going great. Being a cop is great. Guarding the library of arcane secrets is great. Even dealing with the monsters and gods vacationing in the little beach town of Ordinary, Oregon is great. Then the demon, Bathin, strolls into town and steals Myra's sister's soul. So much for great. Luckily, Myra has a plan to evict the demon and save her sister's soul. Step one: shut down the portals to hell popping up in town. Step two: get rid of the pink know-it-all unicorn. Step three: don't die while teaching Death how to be a cop. Oh, and there's a step four. Absolutely, positively, no matter what, do not fall in love with the handsome, charming, jerk of a demon she's trying to kick out of town. Logically, it's a good plan. But when it comes to Bathin, Myra's very illogical heart has some plans of its own. Great.

In a town like Ordinary, anything can happen. Unfortunately for Delaney Reed, it usually does...Sheriff Delaney Reed's little beach town where gods vacation and monsters reside is finally back to normal. No possessed souls, no vortexes to hell, and absolutely no one's turned into a frog lately. Then the queen of demons appears in her backseat begging to hide out in Ordinary, and Delaney knows her peace and quiet is over and out.Dealing with a demon fugitive isn't the only thing on Delaney's plate. She's also trying to figure out why her boyfriend, Ryder Bailey, has been sneaking out of town every night and why her sisters are keeping secrets. But when the gods in town begin to act funny, Delaney knows something strange is going on.It might have something to do with two powerful magical items that suddenly go missing. Or it might have something to do with those little gaps of time Delaney's been losing, and the memories she can't quite recall...

Betrayals and secrets, devils and saviors, fae folk and foul, and a magic stronger than even the gods can tame...Lovers Lula and Brogan Gauge have dealt with magic, monsters, and gods for eighty years. Bound to travel the lonely roads of Route 66, Brogan's a spirit with no chance of leaving the earthly realm while Lula, neither human nor monster, is only half-alive.Their search for a way to break their curse might finally come to an end if the ghost in Illinois is telling the truth about a magical journal.Lula and Brogan aren't alone in wanting the journal. If they don't get to it first, their chance at freedom might just turn into the fight of their un-lives...

Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle supernatural disasters. With gods vacationing in her little town of Ordinary, Oregon, and monsters living alongside humans, she's had plenty of practice. But trying to handle something so normal, so average, so very ordinary as planning her own wedding to the man she loves? Delaney is totally out of her depth.When a car falls out of the sky and lands on the beach, Delaney is more than happy to push guest lists and venue dates out of her mind. The car appears empty, but someone has slipped into Ordinary with stolen weapons from the gods. Someone who has the ability to look like any god, monster, or human in town. Someone who might set off a supernatural disaster even Delaney can't handle.