Name: The Last Magician
ISBN: 9781481432085

Lisa Maxwell

The Last Magician

Hanna Rybchynska

4,5 stars
Amazing writing and story! I really enjoyed reading about 1900's New York and all magic around the city. The story had a lot of plot twists, some of them predictable and some not so much. 

Esta, a magician capable of bend time, travels to different locations and timelines to collect different magical artifacts for the Professor, the man that she always worked for, and who showed her her abilities. In the present, magical people are rarer and rarer, and Professor is focused also on saving those people, as he saved Esta.

Using an artifact that can amplify her ability, Esta is sent to 1902 with one goal - steal a magical book capable to rescue the magic from disappearing in present days. However, in the past, the book is protected by the Order and a group of magicians organized a heist to steal it. Although, during the heist, the book was stolen by a Magician who betrayed his group and disappeared with it provoking the disappearance of the magic. So, Esta needs to be careful and blend well in the group, help organize the heist, and she needs to con the Magician and return with the book to the present. As we all know, the plan will not go as planned! 

I really liked the main characters, the only thing that annoyed me the most was the love line... I'm a sucker for good romance in fantasy books, but here it was too easy and a little bit superficial! One minute they hated each other, the next they were in love!
 
We have A LOT of main characters and the story was told from different perspectives, nevertheless, it wasn't hard to understand the plot, because it all blend really organically. 

I recommend this book to people who like Cassandra Clare and S. j. Maas.

Maria

- time-travelling heist with magic and secret organizations? had me hooked from the start 
- i genuinely loved all the povs and thought the pacing was great, wasn’t bored despite this book being quite long 
- i loved the idea of a barrier existing that kept people with magic from leaving the city 
- also liked that the magic system (although a bit vague) did have limitations and a heavy price from the very beginning 
- i have to say i didn’t anticipate any of the twists and turns which was very refreshing and did keep me on the edge of my seat all throughout the story
- what didn’t work for me though (and the reason i’m not giving this 5 stars) was the romance subplot; it wasn’t terrible, but despite the fact that i cared about both characters individually i just couldn’t care about their developing relationship. it took a lot of my excitement away from the story
- that being said i loved how the story was layered and i am looking forward to continuing this series

Christine

ykw I don't usually end up shipping the main ship or whatever but I liked this one! for once!!

Danny Werhane

3.5/5 
I really enjoyed the last 30 ish % of this book, however I had a hard time connecting to the characters for the first part of it. I also had a bit of trouble understand the world building and needed a lot more detail. The setting and romance where fantastic throughout the whole book though!

alexandra

4.5/5 • imagine of merge of Six of Crows(ish, because it's actually really different!) with A Darker Shade of Magic vibes, mixed with time travel, slow burn romance, and magic !!!

it took a while for it to get good, but when it did, it got GOOD. the first 70ish pages are a bit rough. you don't know what's going on, the time keeps changing, and you're not sure how the world works. i almost almost put it down but i'm so glad i didn't because IT'S AMAZING. after the hump of confusion at first, i couldn't put it down. it's been a while since i was THIS hooked into a novel and i miss the feeling. 

the characters and slow burn romance is probably my favorite part. it's wonderfully painful. *cries* it's also really interesting because the story is told in multiple POVs, yet you still don't know who to trust. it makes the plot (and the twists) that much more compelling and WHAT?!!-like.

i knew it was going to be good, but i still didn't realize how good. (SO GOOD.) i neeeeeeeed the second book.

Colleen

4 Stars
 
The Last Magician is an exciting, creative story about magic, time travel, treachery, thievery, and the fight to survive.
 
The start of the story was a little confusing. It introduces several characters in different timelines, and it was hard to keep track of initially. I was unsure of who everyone was and how they connected. But as the threads came together and I figured out who the characters were, I was swept away by the story.
 
Even though this story contains time travel, I would definitely classify it as Fantasy rather than SciFi since the time travel is due to a magical ability. Other characters have a variety of magical abilities. In The Last Magician, people with magical affinities are persecuted. There is an ancient society striving to drive them extinct. They create a magical barrier around Manhattan so that anyone with magical affinities who tries to leave the island will be stripped of their power and most likely die in the process. Esta is from modern day Manhattan where the magic has dwindled to almost nothing. She uses her ability to travel back in time and stage several heists in order to steal certain magical artifacts. The majority of the story takes place in
 
Although there was nothing mind-blowingly unique about the story, it was nonetheless different and intriguing. I was engaged throughout the whole story, and it kept me guessing. Part of what made the story interesting was that there are multiple characters and groups with their own agendas. Some of those agendas obviously clash, yet the characters were so easy to empathize with that sometimes it was hard to know who to root for. There is the bold and brash Esta, the buttoned up yet loveable Harte, and the driven and steadfast Dolph as well as a memorable cast of supporting characters. They were complex enough to be interesting. Everyone’s goals revolved around each other and made for an engaging cat and mouse game. There did seem to be a lot of emotionally damaged characters with trust issues, but I suppose that isn’t surprising given their challenging lives.
 
This story didn’t totally feel like Young Adult. The tone was more serious. And although some of the characters were in their late teens, they talked and acted like adults. Part of this is because of the time period. In 1902, a sixteen-year-old was an adult and would most likely be working full time. The romance in the story also felt more mature. There was not any explicit content, but it felt more NA than YA. So I’m not sure how to shelve this. I definitely loved the back and forth between Esta and Harte though.
 
The story is long (the edition I read was 528 pages), but the chapters are short. And although parts of the story are more of a slow burn, I still felt that the plot moved quickly, and I was never bored. The main reason I am not rating this higher is that the ending was a bit of a stretch. And it was a set up for the sequel, so it left things on an unsatisfying and abrupt note. I did enjoy the story though and plan to read the sequel when it comes out.
 

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

RECOMMENDATIONS
If you like this, try A Darker Shade of Magic

Jamieson

I FINALLY FOUND A SERIES TO FILL THE "IM WAITING FOR THE DIVINERS BOOK 4" HOLE IN MY HEART, GOD BLESS. 

I picked this up on a whim because the audiobook sample sounded good and I needed a book about a heist or thieves for a ReadAThon prompt. I ended up loving it SO MUCH. This book has so many things I love, let us tick them off: historical fantasy, early 20th-century setting, magicians, secret societies and gangs, angsty romance, heists, thieves, morally grey characters, and PLOT TWISTS ALL OVER THE PLACE. And, it's got The Diviners vibes to the max. 


  “his life might have been built on illusions, but his death would be his greatest trick. ”


The Last Magician follows Esta, a thief and magician from modern day New York with an affinity for time. In her New York, magic has been all but wiped out, due to the growing power and influence of an anti-magic group called The Order. But Esta has a chance to stop the order when she is sent back in time, to 1902 New York, to retrieve an ancient book holding the secrets of magic that was destroyed by a magician in the time. Doing so will allow her to stop The Order and destroy the Brink, a dark energy barrier around the island of Manhattan, trapping the magicians inside. But to find the book Esta will have to infiltrate a gang, locate the magician, steal the book, and get back to her own time without getting caught up in the past. 


  “Regret was for people who dragged their past along with them everywhere” 



I really loved what Lisa Maxwell did with this book. She dropped us into a world and just let the tension slowly build. I really enjoyed how we follow Esta in 1902 and don't know anything that is going on, just like her. The way Maxwell weaves together the worldbuilding, the characters and the plot was GREAT. I saw some people say this was boring and had nothing happening but I disagree - Maxwell doesn't need Things to be happening exactly because there is so much happening with the world and the characters, and the tension and plot movement all comes from how everyone is interacting with this world which is - literally trying to kill them. But that aside, I thought this did have excellent plot elements - gangs, heists, secret societies, weapons of mass destruction. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. ESPECIALLY, the end. 

I just loved the whole world of this book.  The set up of New York and the way magic existed in this world was so interesting. I loved the set up of all the magicians being trapped in Manhattan, and how that was affecting the dynamics between the different magic users. The different gangs, and groups, and the exploration of their cultures was also great. I really, really love books that explore how culture develops in groups isolated from the rest of society, and in survival circumstances. I also thought Maxwell did a good job at creating a range of characters who exist in the same conditions but react to and interact with the world so differently. Plus, the 1900s setting was great because I love historical fiction and just like, having fun running amok in history. 


  “Find the Magician,” he told her. “And stop him before he destroys our future.”


I loved the characters in this too! (I’m SORRY I’m just saying I loved I loved I loved to everything but I can’t help it I loved this book). All of them were well written and complex. Most had more of a dark side than anything but their stories and motivations were compelling. Again, I liked that Maxwell slowly revealed their character depths and backstories. Everyone in this is basically a little bit morally skewed due to their situation and I thought Maxwell really drew that out for the reader in an interesting way. 

Esta ➤ Our main character. She’s a thief and a magician with an affinity for time. Adopted by another magician and living in a kind of X-Men style school for magicians, she is sent back in time to find the book her adoptive father needs to save the magicians of her time. I loved Esta!! She’s a bit reckless and unruly at times, and a bit stubborn too but I loved her heart and her charisma! She definitely takes what she wants and I just loved how much she stuck up for herself?? and didn’t give a fuck?? iconic legend?? Anyways she was easily my favourite I love her. 

Dolpe ➤ Leader of the gang Esta infiltrates. Dolphe is hard to pin down in terms of characterisation but I found him intriguing. Of all the characters, he is probably the on working most in shades of grey and it was INTERESTING. 

Harte ➤ A magician who used to work for Dolphe, who Dolphe wants to rejoin the gang to help with their heist. Harte is an interesting character .. I’m not sure if I 100% like him yet? Some actions were .. iffy. But I LOVED his dynamic with Esta. The two have such a hate/love thing going on, it reminds me of Evie and Sam from the Diviners. But I really loved their banter and their scenes together were fun. Harte has the potential to be sweet so I have big hopes for the next book. 

Viola ➤ Member of the gang and an assassin. Her brother works for a rival gang trying to take Dolphe down. She is also a lesbian. I wish she had been in it more because she’s cool and we deserved more scenes of her and Esta together though the few they had were GREAT. 

Nibsy ➤ Dolphe’s right-hand man who takes Esta under his wing. I LOVED NIBS AS A CHARACTER. He is the kind of character I always enjoy (sweet but is also kinda a weasel) Not sure why but I always find them interesting. Like Dolphe, Nibs is a character who kinda has more depth than is revealed which I enjoyed about his character too. 


  “They were sitting on opposite sides of the board, playing each other in hopes of gaining the same prize.” 


I have seen some mixed reviews of the next book but I'm trying not to let them get me down because I have HIGH HOPES. Maxwell has spun such a unique and fun tale here and set up the plot in a way that is going to just lead to more and more reveals. I barely even covered the whole expanse of the plot in this book but there's going to be SO MUCH happening in book two and I'm excited. 

I really loved this book, it drew me in and then just kept the tension and the reveals coming. Maxwell doesn't hand you everything, but I liked her ability to slowly unspool the story and keep me guessing. I was engaged right until the very end, and this managed to excite me in a way I haven't been excited about a new series in a while, so hooray !

Carah Gedeon

This book...I was not expecting to love this book so much. THE ENDING?!?! So good. Everything about this book was so good.

Emily B

4.5 STARS:

As much as I loved this book, I am also very upset. I got spoiled by someone to the major twists at the end (WHHYYYYY?!?) so I cannot comment on the shock value. Still, I can comment on everything else because I really enjoyed this book!

There were two big elements that I found to be the most well done: the characters and the setting. The characters had believable motivations, and while they weren't the deepest, they still had plenty of complexity to them. They seemed very human. I thought that the moments the characters shined brightest were when they were interacting with the place they were in. 

Early 1900s New York City was done with many layers, and as historically accurate one could be when adding magic into the mix. This book did not shy away from showing the problems of the past, but it also highlighted a few times that some problems were  still  persisting in the present. I found it to be refreshing. 

I cannot speak for how the topic of racism was handled as I am not a POC, but I can speak to how the issue of LGBTQ+ was handled as a bisexual woman. All I can say is, this author did her research and tried to portray this diversity with grace and dignity.

The plot was very fun to follow along (even with the spoilers...) and I thought it was paced very well. Even if I wasn't shocked by them, I can say that the twists were ones I wouldn't have seen coming otherwise. Another thing to note is that everything made sense within the rules of the world. It didn't break itself trying to shock.

The one element I didn't really get invested in was the romance. It was fine, they had some believable chemistry, but I was hoping for a bit more, ya know? It wasn't exactly something I hadn't seen before. Still, if you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers romance with sarcastic dark-haired boys, I think you'll enjoy this.

I am going to buy the second book as soon as I can, as I really enjoyed this one. I don't really know anything about the next two, so if they're as twisty as this one, I am hoping I'll be surprised. People weren't kidding when they said this series was underrated. Let's fix that, shall we?

Elisa Bieg

This book has one of the most intriguing urban fantasy setting and premises I have ever come across.

Manhattan in the early 1900 is under the thumb of two powers: the gangs led and populated by Mageus (people with magical powers and affinities of varying types and degrees) and The Order, a secret society trying to exterminate them. 
The Mageus use their powers in secret, and are stuck on the island because of The Brink, an energy boundary following the course of the river, which kills anyone with magic when they try to cross it or even come too close.
From present time, someone is sent back to the 1900 to bring back an artifact that can help destroy The Brink. 

So exciting, right? Expectations are high.
My curiosity was piqued, and I was excited to find another book blending historical fiction and urban fantasy. 

Alas, this didn’t quite deliver for me. At times I thought it would, because there are some very good parts — this book kind of felt like it was blowing hot and cold, to be honest. 

But ultimately, though the setting was awesome and pretty vivid, and the cast of characters interesting, the book fell flat on several counts for me.

The characterization feels a little watery, with everyone having a bit of shape but nobody being quite three-dimensional. Even the MC’s characterization felt weaker than it should have been.

This may be due in part to the dialogue, which is one of the weakest points of the book: rarely have I ever come across such weak dialogue in an otherwise fairly promising book. The author keeps telling us the reactions from the crowd or those present to some of the dialogue, as if guiding our response, like a laugh track.
Sharper dialogue would have done so much to give scenes a brisker pace, and would have helped improve characterization by giving more of an edge to characters that by all accounts really should have been sharp as a blade. 

And there is the pace. If you have read any of my reviews, you know I don’t have a problem with slow narration, as long as it works 
  for
 the story, and not against it. Slower narration can be great if it works with good characterization, helping us identify with the characters; or if it aids in paint the setting and world building more vividly, framing the story. Here it just felt like there was a lot of waiting.

The last 1/3 of the book had me thinking this might become a 4-star read and I’d be rushing to grab the next installment... but alas, the shock of the reveal was lost in a sludge of cumbersome narration, and it felt like there was no pay-off.

This is just a hair above 3 stars for me.
I’m giving it 3 1/2 STARS because I still love the setting and what the author tried to do, but I am underwhelmed and disappointed and won’t be rushing to get the next book any time soon.

Nicole Dykeman

This was wonderful. I’m not usually one for historical books, but I think I’m just in an odd mood and this was a perfectly satisfying historical fantasy book. Esta is adorable, Harte is charming. Viola is a badass. I even had a soft spot for Dolph. 

It was a lovable cast of criminals in an intriguing setting, and the magic system was cool, if a bit underdeveloped. The trope of elemental magic is growing old, and I love seeing characters with unique powers. The magic surrounding the Book and the history of Mageus could have been explained better, though. 

There were two big plot twists in this book, but only one of them surprised me. Still, they were creative, and I definitely appreciated them. I’m excited for the second book in this series.

jess

On the whole, I really did enjoy this book. It was filled with everything I love: history, street gangs, heists, secret societies, time travel ... I was really expecting to love it. The premise was amazing, and I loved it at the beginning, and I loved it at the end. It's certainly ambitious: a heist spanning time periods, with several factions competing against each other, and you can't really be sure if you can trust anyone. 

I don't think this was supposed to happen, but I think my favourite character was Violet, followed by Dolph. Jianyu is a close third. Violet was so determined and badass I couldn't help but fall in love with her a little bit. I liked Esta and Harte - but at the same time I found myself a bit bored by their romance subplot, and since the other characters were older, I constantly forgot that both Harte and Esta were teenagers. The group dynamic between all of them frequently had me on edge. I was always excited to see where the characters would go next and what would happen to them. 

Another really good thing was how Maxwell crafted the world of The Last Magician. I loved it, because New York City in 1902 felt so alive and brimming with magic and crime and debauchery (three of my favourite things in a book). And while at that time prejudices were rampant, they were dealt with nicely without being overbearing either way, so it did feel like 1902. The worldbuilding was really cool and all the explanations around magic were so interesting and I'm eager to learn more in the sequel (please let there be a sequel). Maxwell also included some historical gangs, which was really neat to see - the Five Points Gang was a real gang in Manhattan (and after a quick Google search, Paul Kelly was actually the leader, which is just ... super neat. I love historical domain characters). And the Order felt like a huge, dangerous threat in the world. 

However, I think part of the reason this fell short for me was that despite my best efforts, Six of Crows was always in the back of my mind while reading this. The Amazon blurb even advertises it as similar to Six of Crows. And while it is comparable, the only thing they have in common is street gangs and magic. I was expecting more of a heist and more action, so I found it really slow in the middle and struggled through it. 

In a nutshell, though, I quite enjoyed The Last Magician, and if you're looking for a time-travel novel with gangs and magic and secret societies, this is the one you want. 

This review and more can be found on my blog.

mevi

4 stars

Let me preface this, by saying I bought this book because Peruseproject highly recommended it on her YouTube channel. I started reading this because my fiancé picked a book at random for me to read. I wanted to spice up my reading lol 😉😅

If you like time travel fantasy, definitely pick this up. The magical elements combined with the era of 1900’s was very refreshing.

ANYWAY, the writing style is made for film. The cliffhangers were predictable, but intriguing. I loved the chapter titles sooo much; it prepared me for what was to come. The story was nice, a little predictable at times, but nice. The middle felt like a filler, but helped the reader connect with the characters. The twist at the ending was AMAZING. 

Out of all the characters, I LOVE Viola. She was so badass.

Nicholle Urcuyo 

The Last Magician 4.5/5 

I absolutely Loved this book. The plot and the characters are amazing. The time traveling aspect is written so well that is not in the leat confusing. The way Maxwell weaves together the worldbuilding, the characters and the plot was GREAT. I especially enjoyed seeing the realistic way the theater, immigration and women’s issues were incorporated with the fantasy elements. I loved the set up of all the magicians being trapped in Manhattan, and how that was affecting the dynamics between the different magic users. The different gangs, and groups, and the exploration of their cultures was also great. The magic system in this book was a lot of fun. People did not “do magic”, rather they had a “gift” or “talent” (similar to a super power) that was unique to the individual. Etsa as the main character is a smart and clever girl. I love the way she’s portrayed as a street smart, know-how wise rebel girl. She’s fierce and she can find ways to get herself out of difficult situations. The Last Magician is filled with magic, talent, and so many twists and turns I did not see coming. If you like a little romance and a lot of thieving, then this book is definitely for you.

Sonja H

Und dann gibt es noch die Bücher, bei denen ich mich am Ende frage „warum nur hast du das gelesen?“. Dieses Buch gehört dazu.

Ich kann gar nicht mehr sagen, wo mir „The Last Magician“ zum ersten Mal begegnet ist, ich weiß nur noch, dass ich es etwas schräg fand, dass auf Goodreads die Autorin sich selbst 5 Sterne gibt. Doch da der Roman dort eine sehr gute Wertung hat, muss es wohl irgendwann in meinem Regal gelandet sein – gedruckt natürlich (wie bei vielen englischsprachigen Büchern üblich) auf schlechtem Papier mit schlechtem Kontrast.

Die Figuren sind völlig flach. Sie haben kaum Hintergrundgeschichte, zeigen wenig Emotionen, haben keine überzeugende Motive für ihr Handeln und verstricken sich in allerlei Nebensächlichkeiten.

Es tauchen so viele Namen auf, dass man irgendwann nicht mehr jedem Beachtung schenkt, doch plötzlich entpuppen sich Nebenfiguren als Hauptfiguren und man hat sie so komplett aus den Augen verloren, dass man eigentlich nochmal 100 Seiten zurückblättern müsste, um mehr über sie zu erfahren.

Nichts, aber auch wirklich gar nichts hat mich an dieser Geschichte überzeugen können und ich schiebe es auf meine momentane Abgeschlagenheit, dass ich es tatsächlich bis zum Ende gelesen habe – mehr oder weniger aufmerksam.

Wahrscheinlich bin ich aber nur die falsche Zielgruppe. Ich kann es jedenfalls nicht weiterempfehlen.

Haley Sherman

Magda Silva

Oh MY God! Loved this book. Such a beautiful story and a very well constructed plot. It starts with the title that promises you "The Last Magician" that got me hooked since the moment I heard it especially considering it not only has magic and, the usual, save the world but also has time travel and a kick-ass female character. So how could I not love the damn book? I knew it was going to be amazing. 

If you are looking for a girl that can is a fighter and a survivor above all. Esta was created and written beautifully. Harte, the male lead, also brilliant. You wanna kill him most of the time? Probably but none of the less amazing. The side characters Dolph, Viola, and others were amazing. The villain? Amazing. (view spoiler)[You expect him to be one for almost all the book but in the end, a shocking twist reveals that the villain is someone you have not seen coming but then there is yet another twist that shows you how magnificent is the villain of the story amazing. (hide spoiler)]

Alexa Jade

DNF @ 32% in with tentative plans of trying again at some point? this story seems like it has so much potential but this 32% has fallen really flat for me. :(

Milo Jean

This was great! I knew nothing about it going in, and found myself instantly hooked on the writing style and story. A awesome magic time-traveling thief and it’s a woman? Checked a lot of boxes for me. I also love books with like gangs of thieves so this hit quite a few buzzwords for me. And I personally loved this slow building trust and romance thing going on too. I will be planning to pick up the sequel shortly!

I've read half a book and nothing happened. So I guess I'm not in a mood to finish it. The only thing I would mention is the author's weird attitude to abusive behavior. First, the MC's guardian tells her smth like "I adopted you for your gift could be useful for me; but you failed and I send you on a dangerous mission all alone, so you could wash away your guilt". And she's like - yeah sure, no prob. Second, a stranger grabs her and kisses her, and feels pleased and excited. Really? This is what you tell your YA readers, Lisa Maxwell? I wonder how many girls with traumatic experience were triggered by this shit. Shame on you, Lisa.

Toni Turner

Damn. This book was fantastic!
It was like nothing I've ever read, but gave off the vibe of so many things I adore. It has characters I'd die for and a story and world that I could daydream about for the rest of my life. It has the kind of magic you want to believe our world has hidden somewhere, but the anxiety inducing evils that have you sitting at the edge of your seat and taking breaks when the fiction world starts to pour into our own. Please read this. If you like magic and stories about aspects of humanity like society, love, devotion and deceit, please please read this now.

Sheila Goicea

You full review can be viewed on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

  
    His life might have been built on illusions, but his death would be his greatest trick. Because for once there would be no deception. For once it would be only the truth. His ultimate escape.
  

Present-day New York City holds more secrets than one may think. Century-old organizations, generational feuds, an invisible force surrounding the city that traps and isolates magicians within its grasp...

Known as the Mageus, this small group of individuals have different magical abilities. Esta, being one of the few to have been born with such an affinity, is able to bend time to her will. Working against the Order of Ortus Aurea, Esta frequently jumps through time to take important artifacts and weaken her enemy's position. In doing so, she unknowingly prepares herself for her biggest task yet---to go back one hundred years to steal the book that holds the secrets of the Order and to the Brink, itself. 

As she travels back in time, she realizes that the task at hand is much more difficult than she originally thought. Having to assimilate with the politics of the era, she finds herself ensnared with the lives of those who lived before her. 

--------------------------------

For a 500-something page book, I don't have much to say on it. Even writing this review is difficult for me. 



...and I'm sorry, but I am!

There is no doubt that this was well written with a beautiful plot premise. However, I found the plot to be overly-predictable and too drawn out for my taste. There definitely were some twists---unfortunately I guessed the big one right from the get go. 



I found that the plot actually worked against itself. Instead of building tension throughout, it was anticlimactic and never had a "big reveal" at the end. Clues and information where exposed throughout the text, taking away from the apogee.

I will not deny the elaborate and beautiful magic system built and intertwined throughout the length of this text. I very much appreciate the work that an author puts into the details of there plots, and that is definitely reflected here. 

  
    This was what Professor Lachlan had saved her for. This was why he'd rescued her, kept her out of the system, and had given her the only home she remembered. If she couldn't do this one thing he asked of her, where would she go? Who would she be?
  

Our main character Esta is the oh-so-typical strong female character---which is fine, but I'm getting a little tired of this cliche. I'm sorry Esta, it's me, not you. Rather capable, she was well versed in the arts of language, manipulation, thievery and time travel. Not to mention, sass. Esta, employed by Professor Lachlan, is used to being under pressure and delivering on the difficult tasks assigned to her, no matter what. She has everything to lose if she doesn't. Delivering the book is not only her hardest task, but also the one to challenge her loyalty when she finally encounters the last Magician, Harte Darrigan.

Set in present-day New York, and early 1900s New York, the reader gets to witness the gloomy, gang-riddled society that ran the streets in that time, and just how dangerous it is to be on the "wrong side."

I believe this book may call for a reread in the near future. Maybe after knowing the entire story, I will appreciate all of the revelations throughout that much more. Seeing how this book doesn't end in finality, I'll definitely need to reread it before moving forward with this series, if it proves to be one. 

Vulgarity: Moderate.
Sexual content: Some.
Violence: Some.

For now, 2.5 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Malin Tälle

Had high expectations for this book and overall liked it. It had an interesting plot and was set in an interesting world and I really liked Esta as a strong main character. However, it felt unnecessary long, and despite the length many of the characters felt very underdeveloped. Only Esta and Harte felt like real characters, the others I knew too little about to really care about that much. I wish the author could have spent more time on building the relationship between the characters. With better developed character this book would definitely deserve a higher rating!