I was waiting for Magic to the Bone because I`ve met Devon Monk through the Wordos and been to her secret pirate lair (otherwise known as her *house*)

I was not afraid of being disappointed by her addition to the strong-female-protagonist-urban-fantasy genre, and I was right.

Allie is the daughter of a rich industrialist who got right by inventing various things things to harness wild magic (discovered 30 years ago). When he`s murdered with a spell using her signature, she has to uncover a plot involving magic, secret societies, and her own powers.

Allie is tough and sympathetic without being too tough or pitiful. Her attraction to Zayvion Jones, a mysterious man who helps her for pay, and then for feelings for her, is believable in the time compression (I hate it when main characters get together in a short time without actually building a relationship, a peril of the novel genre, I know. I liked the fact that these two take things slow. I also didn`t miss, as I thought I might, the rather er....explicit....references in their sex scenes. The scenes actually further the plot and illustrate their characters in a tasteful, yet exciting way) that is a novel.

What I did not like is how things were *reset* through her memory loss. It was unavoidable consdering how the magic in this world is set up, but it seems to random. And I couldn`t help thinking that their soul complement should have saved her the worst damage. And I didn`t like all the loose, loose ends out there about where magic comes from, and the societies, and who Zayvion is although I realize it is setting up a series here and that`s usually okay.

Anyway, to sum up; good characters, great world, loved the Portland references, and the sequels are on my automatic buy list.

Recommended for anyone living in Oregon and for fans of the urban fantasy genre.