Magic in the Storm

It seems like I'm ripping through these books, but the truth is that I read some of them and just waited a few days before posting.  But I am finally caught up in the Allie Beckstrom series.  And wow, did it ever end in a cliff hanger!

The magic in Portland is being drained and a wild storm is approaching.  The Alliance is split into different factions and Terric, Shame's possible Soul Complement, has returned to help save the city.  Allie is called away to hound a scene involving one of her Hounds and at the hospital learns that Greyson has escaped.  Chase and Shame go to hunt Greyson while Zayvion goes to Allie to protect her on the off-chance that Greyson has found her there.  When they arrive to help Shame and Chase, they learn that Shame has been attacked by Chase.  Enlisting the help of Terric, they attempt to locate her.  In the process, Shame is manipulated by Chase to attack Allie and Zayvion takes a big hit, with his soul being sucked in to a gate.  Terric and Shame, both injured, help Allie to keep Zayvion's body alive.

When Allie wakes up the next day, magic is gone.  She learns that her step-mother's house has been ransacked for secret technology: disks that hold magic.  She also learns that the Authority is behind it.  Finally, there's a meeting in the park in St. Johns and Allie is ordered to ground the wild magic to the disks.  And that's when all hell breaks loose.

Chase and Greyson crash the party, splitting the Alliance down the middle.  With the help of Jingo Jingo (a death magic master), Greyson opens a solid gate and the only thing holding back the Hungers is the spirit of Cody.  Allie's dad convinces Allie to rescue Cody and that Allie's mom, of all people, will protect him.  Somehow, through the part of him still attached to Greyson, Allie's dad was able to talk to Allie's mom to strike a bargain.  Anyhow, Allie also learns that by closing the gate, Zayvion will be permanently stuck and will consequently die.  So, what does she do?  She goes in.  Of course.

Umm, yeah.  She has the same reckless attitude and she's still being manipulated by her dad, but at least her heart is in the right spot, even if her head isn't.  So, needless to say, I will be reading the next book, even if it's just to see what happens next.  Sometimes I really hate reading series.