I'm going to try something new for this book. I'm going to update while reading it, a few chapters at a time (chapters read will be in the title line), just to see which I prefer and which is preferable for those reading the blog.
Now on to the book!
In this book, the story is set in Portland, but with magic added. There are magic wells below the Earth's surface which can be tapped in to for use. It is also possible to capture the magical energy (30 years ago they used rods akin to lightening rods, courtesy of Beckstrom of course!) but if stored improperly, it can rot. There are lines running underground throughout the city to supply the residents with magic. Unfortunately, using magic has a negative side effect which manifests itself in a physical way: anything from a headache to full body bruising.
Allie is the strong-willed heroine who disowned her rich daddy and his money. Now she's trying to make her way in the world as a Hound - a magical detective (?) who uses her sense of smell and taste to discover who cast which illegal spell. Since every magic user has a unique signature, a Hound can follow the signature back to the caster. Allie is an idealist with a soft heart, as evidenced in the fact that she stopped speaking to her father because of his immoral magical use; and even though she's perpetually broke, she will still do free jobs for those worse off than herself.
Zayvion is the token love interest, even though he admitted to following Allie for her father (and then promptly quit). So far he seems like a good guy; he even footed the bill for Allie to catch a cab ride home. We'll have to see if he stays in my good books.
Allie's father is a manipulative bastard who thinks he can buy off everyone and anything. Since he's incredibly rich, he can get away with it. However, one of his talents is Influence - literally brainwashing others to do your will. Allie lived under her father's Influence for several years before breaking free and running away from him. Allie also has this talent, but is disgusted by it and seldom uses it.
Allie has a client that she calls friend, a woman by the name of Mama. One of Mama's foster sons, Boy (they're all called Boy), is a young child who is seriously ill. When Allie comes to investigate, she discovers that Boy has been cursed with an Offload spell. This spell will cause the victim to have all the physical manifestations meant for the caster and is highly illegal. When Allie Hounds for the spell, she discovers that the magical signature belongs to her father. Along with Zayvion, she goes to confront her father, whom she hasn't seen for seven years. He uses a Truth spell and denies the accusation but Allie isn't convinced.
Skip off to a side story about a mentally damaged man named Cody. Only the presence of Cody's "smarter" self leads the reader to believe that he's a man and not a small child. Forbidden to use magic, Cody lives in a prison, cut off from his friends and the sunshine. When the Snake man comes along with a bargain - a spell to save Kitten's life - you realize that Cody is able to mimic another caster's unique signature. And the fact that Cody forged one to mimic Allie's dad. To save Kitten, Cody has to forge a signature to match Allie's. While using magic, Cody seems to return to himself and remember who he is and what he is capable of. Once removed from the magic source, Cody is then cut and a bone is placed in his wound. Cody's smarter self warns him that this is death magic. The Snake man then leaves Cody alone with a promise to return later and take him for a car ride.
Back to Allie: surprise, surprise, Allie's magic usage has caused her to crash at Mama's, but not without first making out with Zayvion.
Return to Cody: the Snake man returns and casts a spell on Cody using a bone chunk and a coin. "The coin filled the Snake man's words with power, the bone changed it into something worse. Into death." Cody's smarter self warns him that to live, he must reach for the smarter self and hold on tight. His subconscious then takes over while Cody is sucked into a dark place.
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