Book Review: Magic at the Gate

By Sandy Amazeen Nov 22, 2010, 2:51 GMT

Allie Beckstrom\'s lover, Zayvion Jones, is a Guardian of the Gate, imbued with both light and dark magic and responsible for ensuring that those energies don\'t mix. But Zayvion lies in a coma, his soul trapped in death\'s realm. And when Allie discovers that the only way to save Zayvion is to sacrifice her very own magical essence, she makes a decision that may have grave consequences for the entire ...more

Allie Beckstrom has never gotten along with her father and unfortunately, even death hasn’t changed his determination to make her do his bidding. After a magical battle separated Zayvion’s soul from his body leaving it an empty husk, Allie with her gargoyle companion Stone went through Death’s door to retrieve it. A part of Allie’s father dwells inside her and assisted in the quest, which while successful, culminated in her sacrificing the tiny flame of magic that resided within her body. It is a loss Allie keenly feels but no sacrifice is too much to regain Zayvion’s soul to its rightful place.

What isn’t immediately understood is when Allie exited Death’s doorway, something horrible followed her through. As doorways start opening up throughout Portland, the Authority charged with maintaining control over magic use can hardly keep up with closing them. Worse, no one knows if or how many entities have passed through from the other side and even one is too many.

An obvious transition book, the fifth installment of the series features several subplots revolving around Light and Dark magic, which, as Allie is learning, were never meant to be separated. Additionally, the Veiled are taking a larger though still unclear role, the Authority’s policy of isolation and secrecy will have to evolve if they are to prevail against the forces rallying against them. Magic users are being pushed into a position where they must take sides in the major battle about to erupt and through it all, Allie is coming to terms with her father and the loss of her magic. While not as fastest paced as some previous titles and there is little interaction between Allie and Zayvion, several other characters are more extensively developed making for a sound addition to the series.