As Magic at the Gate opens, Guardian of the Gate Zayvion Jones lies in an otherworldly induced coma and in order to retrieve his soul, Allison Beckstrom has decided to step thru the gate to Death in order to retieve his soul.As she does, she carries along the essence of her dead father Daniel, and her companion a gargoyle named Stone. We all remember that Allie was told not to be a hero by Zavy. Like that will stop a determined woman who wants her man back.Allie has little choice but to trust her father, both the old, and the new, which was really strange. Both of them use Influence to compel Allie to follow them to Zayvion's soul. Again, if you follow the series, you have this Jaws moment where you absolutely know that her father is going to betray her yet again in order to get his immortality he wants so badly.Once they find Zayvion's soul, Allie realizes that her Dad has lied to her yet again (BINGO!) He has been working with Mikhail (the former head of the Authority), and now Mikhail wants the small magic in Allie's soul in order to release Zavy's soul. Mikhail has also been draining Zavy's soul and feeding it to the Hungers. But that's not all, once Mikhael gets ahold of Allie's small magic there's still the problem of getting Zavy's soul back to his body. Resolution: Put it into Stone.Mystery: Who did Mikhail actually give Allie's soul magic to? And what is the magic that Allie now carries with her that is part death?But, the story is far from over. Once Allie succeeds in putting Zavy into Stone, and travels back to the real world and there's a war still brewing with the Authority smack dab in the middle of it and in fractures from members who betrayed them. There are gates being opened all over the city; the authority is still in shambles and nobody is coming to their aid. There is also some of the most powerful veiled who have somehow gotten a hold of the disks that were charged with the wild magic. These disks give them corporeal bodies and make them almost indestructible since they can draw on magic without any price at all. Alas, that's not even close to being all. Something escaped death and is following Allie. Jingo Jingo makes a return appearance and seems to be in league with her father. There are three seperate stories Ms Monk has created. 1. Allie in Death land. 2. Allies return to the real world and the subsequent reunion with Zavy and the others. 3. The big battle between the Authority and the Veiled and their followers.Thoughts and conclusions:1. I too missed the interraction between Zavy and Allie. It was nice that he came back in time for the final battle between the Authority and the Veiled. 2. I truly want the storyline with her father possessing Allie's body to end. It has gone on long enough. This is not the Morgan Kingsley series where she is stuck with him until she dies. 3. Jingo Jingo and Allie's father truly are working together? Really? Interesting that in the end Beckstrom decides to help the Authority and admit that he knows how to find Jingo Jingo, and others.4. Shamus and Terric need to get a clue and realize that, yes, they are Soul Compliments regardless of the Ick factor Shamus seems to be carrying with him.5. The return of Pike was pretty neat, but was it really necessary to the bottom line of the story? Don't get me wrong it was nice to see him again, and he did warn Allie that things were coming, but in the general scheme of things, so.......Hero of the story: Shamus by a long shot.
GizmosReviews
As Magic at the Gate opens, Guardian of the Gate Zayvion Jones lies in an otherworldly induced coma and in order to retrieve his soul, Allison Beckstrom has decided to step thru the gate to Death in order to retieve his soul.As she does, she carries along the essence of her dead father Daniel, and her companion a gargoyle named Stone. We all remember that Allie was told not to be a hero by Zavy. Like that will stop a determined woman who wants her man back.Allie has little choice but to trust her father, both the old, and the new, which was really strange. Both of them use Influence to compel Allie to follow them to Zayvion's soul. Again, if you follow the series, you have this Jaws moment where you absolutely know that her father is going to betray her yet again in order to get his immortality he wants so badly.Once they find Zayvion's soul, Allie realizes that her Dad has lied to her yet again (BINGO!) He has been working with Mikhail (the former head of the Authority), and now Mikhail wants the small magic in Allie's soul in order to release Zavy's soul. Mikhail has also been draining Zavy's soul and feeding it to the Hungers. But that's not all, once Mikhael gets ahold of Allie's small magic there's still the problem of getting Zavy's soul back to his body. Resolution: Put it into Stone.Mystery: Who did Mikhail actually give Allie's soul magic to? And what is the magic that Allie now carries with her that is part death?But, the story is far from over. Once Allie succeeds in putting Zavy into Stone, and travels back to the real world and there's a war still brewing with the Authority smack dab in the middle of it and in fractures from members who betrayed them. There are gates being opened all over the city; the authority is still in shambles and nobody is coming to their aid. There is also some of the most powerful veiled who have somehow gotten a hold of the disks that were charged with the wild magic. These disks give them corporeal bodies and make them almost indestructible since they can draw on magic without any price at all. Alas, that's not even close to being all. Something escaped death and is following Allie. Jingo Jingo makes a return appearance and seems to be in league with her father. There are three seperate stories Ms Monk has created. 1. Allie in Death land. 2. Allies return to the real world and the subsequent reunion with Zavy and the others. 3. The big battle between the Authority and the Veiled and their followers.Thoughts and conclusions:1. I too missed the interraction between Zavy and Allie. It was nice that he came back in time for the final battle between the Authority and the Veiled. 2. I truly want the storyline with her father possessing Allie's body to end. It has gone on long enough. This is not the Morgan Kingsley series where she is stuck with him until she dies. 3. Jingo Jingo and Allie's father truly are working together? Really? Interesting that in the end Beckstrom decides to help the Authority and admit that he knows how to find Jingo Jingo, and others.4. Shamus and Terric need to get a clue and realize that, yes, they are Soul Compliments regardless of the Ick factor Shamus seems to be carrying with him.5. The return of Pike was pretty neat, but was it really necessary to the bottom line of the story? Don't get me wrong it was nice to see him again, and he did warn Allie that things were coming, but in the general scheme of things, so.......Hero of the story: Shamus by a long shot.
