The Last Magician
Published on 18. July 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-1-5344-0531-8 (ISBN)
Description
A New York Times bestseller
"Splendid." -Kirkus Reviews
"Vivid and compelling." -BCCB
"A smart and feisty female protagonist in whom readers will delight." -Booklist
"Will keep you guessing until the very last page." -Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author
Gangs of New York meets Six of Crows in this captivating new series about a girl who must travel back in time to find a mysterious book that could save her future.
Stop the Magician.
Steal the book.
Save the future.
In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic-the Mageus-live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power-and often their lives.
Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she's there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order-and the Brink-before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.
But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.
"Splendid." -Kirkus Reviews
"Vivid and compelling." -BCCB
"A smart and feisty female protagonist in whom readers will delight." -Booklist
"Will keep you guessing until the very last page." -Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author
Gangs of New York meets Six of Crows in this captivating new series about a girl who must travel back in time to find a mysterious book that could save her future.
Stop the Magician.
Steal the book.
Save the future.
In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic-the Mageus-live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power-and often their lives.
Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she's there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order-and the Brink-before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.
But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.
Reviews / Votes
"This twisty tale of alchemy and magic in Gilded Age New York will keep you guessing until the very last page." -- Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author "A gorgeous, timeless, all-consuming tale." -- Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series "A twisty, spellbinding romp. Inserting feuding magical factions into an already tumultuous time in American history, Maxwell's The Last Magician mesmerized me until the very last page." -- Janet B. Taylor, author of Into the Dim and Sparks of Light "Intriguing, romantic, and full of twists, THE LAST MAGICIAN kept me reading late into the night. The richly imagined alternative version of 1901 New York City pulled me in, but the fascinating characters had me turning the pages, desperate to find out what happened to them." -- Anne Blankman, author of the Prisoner of Night and Fog duology Gangs, immigrants, and the rich keeping the poor down, with a twist. In an alternate New York, magic is wielded by the Mageus, whose innate affinities vary widely, and the Order, who disdain but use magic in rituals that limit the Mageus' freedom. For centuries, Mageus have entered but cannot leave Manhattan thanks to the Brink, a magical barrier surrounding the island. Esta's affinity involves manipulating time, and the professor who raised her has sent her from the present day to 1901 to stop the destruction of a book that could potentially destroy the Brink. Shifting third-person perspective follows Esta into the past as she infiltrates Dolph Saunders' gang and becomes involved with Harte Darrigan, the handsome magician who destroyed the book. Crisp pacing and plenty of details tell the story of engaging, if selfish, characters in their late teens and early 20s working at cross purposes for big reasons. The past is slightly romanticized but largely realistic: the Mageus function as a stand-in for any immigrant group subject to prejudice, and Esta's contemporary attitudes shine a light on outdated attitudes, while through the experiences of Chinese Jianyu (the only nonwhite member of Dolph's gang), some of the racial prejudices of the past are confronted. A doorstopper with a total shakeup of an ending: don't miss this splendid series opener. (map) (Historical fantasy. 12-adult) -- Kirkus Reviews * 5/1/17 *More details
Series
Edition
Export
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Ninth Grade and over, Interest Age: From 14 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
f-c scuff-proof matte lam cvr w- no sfx
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5344-0531-8 (9781534405318)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lisa Maxwell is the author of The Last Magician, The Devil's Thief, The Serpent's Curse, Unhooked, Sweet Unrest, and The Gathering Deep. She grew up in Akron, Ohio, and has a PhD in English. She's worked as a teacher, scholar, editor, writer, and bookseller (at Little Professor Book Center in Alabama). When she's not writing books, she's a professor at a local college. She now lives near Washington, DC, with her husband and two sons. You can follow her on Twitter @LisaMaxwellYA or learn more about her upcoming books at Lisa-Maxwell.com.