Magic at the Gate

The action-packed fifth Allie Beckstrom novel (after 2009's Magic in the Shadows) amps up the magical mayhem. Just as Allie joins the Authority, a secret group of magical enforcers, internal warfare threatens the organization. Also in danger is Zayvion Jones, Allie's Soul Complement. To save him, she must travel through the gates of Death to retrieve his soul at the cost of her own magic. Unlike most magic users, Allie carries magic within her and doesn't have to draw on the city wells—but technology created by her malevolent father may have made magic portable for everyone, including the Veiled, evil ghosts who think the infinitely reusable magic disks are their route to immortality in the world of the living. Allie's adventures are gripping and engrossing, with an even, clever mix of humor, love, and brutality. (Nov.)