''Devoted'' is the sequel to
''New York Times''-bestselling novel ''
Elixir
An elixir is a sweet liquid used for medical purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's illness. When used as a dosage form, pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orall ...
'' by American entertainer
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Duff, various accolades, including a World Music Awards, World Mus ...
with Elise Allen. It was published and released to booksellers on October 11, 2011. It is the second in an unnamed trilogy by Duff and Allen.
After the release of ''Elixir'' in 2010, Duff stated that she intended to write more in the series. She said, however, that nothing had been put down as yet and that she and her co-writer, Allen, were simply playing around with different ideas. On October 18, 2010, Duff announced on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that she had begun work on the sequel.
''Devoted'' was released on October 11, 2011.
In an interview with
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, Duff stated that "''Devoted'' picks up basically where ''Elixir'' left off, and Clea has a lot of big questions to answer and decisions to make."
[Hilary Duff Is 'Devoted' to New Novel](_blank)
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. Retrieved October 15, 2011 She also said that plans for the third and final book in the
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
were being discussed and that "I don't think it will be as long. It will be a wrap-up, kind of where they are now and what exactly happened to the Elixir, whose hands it's in, what ends up happening with Sage."
Plot
After Sage was kidnapped by the Saviors, Clea is fruitlessly searching for him. In the woods outside her house, a family of ghostly apparitions appears and gives her information on his whereabouts.
Clea and her friend Ben track down a hideout of Cursed Vengeance, the group that has been cursed until Sage's death, in an abandoned subway station. They come to a tenuous agreement to help each other find Sage, but after that they will be at odds again.
Through a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that the ghostly family all consumed the Elixir of Life over 2,000 years ago and have been living in immortality ever since. They've trained their minds to gain psychic powers such as
telekinesis
Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...
and
astral projection
In Western esotericism, esotericism, astral projection (also known as astral travel, soul journey, soul wandering, spiritual journey, spiritual travel) is an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) in which a subtle body, known as the astra ...
, but the Elixir is running out and soon they'll be left in a comatose state. To prevent this, they are helping the Saviors to kill Sage and turn his blood into more Elixir. The youngest daughter, Amelia, is unsure of this path and decides she wants to help Clea save Sage.
Meanwhile, Sage is being held captive by the Saviors and they perform a ritual to break the bond between his soul and Clea's. At the next full moon, they will kill him with a magical dagger and his blood will become more Elixir that others can drink.
Amelia sends a psychic warning to Clea, letting her know where the ritual will be performed on Sage. She warns Cursed Vengeance, who gathers up a small army and leads an attack on the Saviors compound. Amelia uses her psychic powers to fight her family, seemingly killing all of them in the process.
Clea reaches Sage just in time to witness his throat being cut and his blood turning to Elixir in a bowl. In her anguish, she knocks the bowl over, letting the Elixir soak into the ground so no one can have it. The remaining Saviors leave, dejected.
The book ends with the reveal that Sage's soul entered the body of a man killed during the fighting.
Release
''Devoted'' was released in trade paperback on November 6, 2012.
Duff announced in July 2012 that the sequel and final novel in the ''Elixir'' series would be titled ''True'' and was released on April 16, 2013, by
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devoted
2011 American novels
American young adult novels
Hilary Duff
Sequel novels
Simon & Schuster books