What I’m Reading – The Serpent’s Curse by Lisa Maxwell

I’ve been waiting to read The Serpent’s Curse by Lisa Maxwell for a while. With The Last Magician and The Devil’s Thief (the first two books in the series) under my belt, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the third installation.

Previous Book Reviews

The Last Magician

The Devil’s Thief

I have loved this series since first picking up The Last Magician last year. There’s a badass female protagonist, an unstoppable gang of rebels/outcasts, and magic all around. From Esta to Harte and even our friends left back within the confines of the Brink – this series is filled with characters working together (whether they even realize it) to overthrow a corrupt government, fight against terrible unknown forces, and save magic.

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE Lisa Maxwell fan, and this series is the reason why.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend picking up book one in the series as soon as you can.

Synopsis

Evade the Serpent.
Heed the Curse.
Rewrite the Present.

Esta isn’t a stranger to high-stakes heists. She’s a seasoned thief who has no reservations about using her affinity for time to give her an edge, and she’s trained her whole life for one mission: travel back to 1902 New York, steal the ancient Book of Mysteries, and use its power to destroy the Brink and free the Mageus from the Order’s control.

But the Book held a danger that no one anticipated—Seshat, an angry goddess was trapped within its pages. Now that terrible power lives within Harte, and if given the chance, Seshat will use Esta to destroy the world and take her revenge.

Only Esta and Harte stand in her way.

Yet in their search to recover the elemental stones needed to bind Seshat’s power, Esta and Harte have found themselves stranded in time with a continent between them. As Esta fights to get back to Harte, the Order is no longer the only obstacle standing in her way.

Saving Harte—and magic itself—will put even Esta’s skills to the test. And all the while, another danger grows, one more terrible than both Seshat and the Order combined…

#FemaleAuthorFriday – Lisa Maxwell

Welcome to the Disappear Here Book Blog’s first ever #FemaleAuthorFriday. In an effort to post more than book reviews, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite female authors on the blog. 

I began this blog with a review of Lisa Maxwell’s The Last Magician, so it only feels right to begin this series with her as well. 

I first stumbled upon Lisa Maxwell in Barnes and Noble in Northern Virginia, right outside of Washington, D.C. I enjoy reading all of the recommendation cards scattered around book stores and there was a book titled The Last Magician with a note highlighting that the author was local to the area. 

I’m not sure if the synopsis stood out to me at that moment, but supporting a local author – yes, please. 

Once I began the novel, a love story began (between myself and Lisa, of course). I read the first novel in the series, eagerly picked up the second novel The Devil’s Thief (my review here), and now the third novel The Serpent’s Curse is next on my TBR. 

Side note, Lisa Maxwell also likes and comments on things I tag her in on Instagram. I know that may seem like a silly thing to some, but it makes me so happy I can barely contain myself when it happens. 

I won’t rehash her whole bio, you can read it here on her website, but one more cool fact is that she lived in Birmingham, AL, for a while – which is where I am now. Almost like we switched places. Maybe some of her motivation to start that first novel will rub off on me while I’m here for the next few years.

I’ve included the synopsis of her novels below, but if you like magic, badass female protagonists, a good love story that isn’t the central focus of the plot but OH SO perfect, and a fun adventure around the U.S. – The Last Magician series is for you. (Full disclaimer, I have not read her novel Unhooked.)

Unhooked

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home. Her mother believes they are being hunted by brutal monsters, and those delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. Gwen’s only saving grace is that her best friend, Olivia, is with her for the summer.

But shortly after their arrival, the girls are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and dragged into a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey. And Gwen begins to realize that maybe her mother isn’t so crazy after all…

Gwen discovers that this new world she inhabits is called Neverland, but it’s nothing like the Neverland you’ve heard about in stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through your fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and tries to find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the captivating pirate who promises to keep her safe.

Caught in the ultimate battle between good and evil, with time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to finally face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But can she save Neverland without losing herself?

The Last Magician

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 1901 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.

The Devil’s Thief

Esta’s parents were murdered. Her life was stolen. And everything she knew about magic was a lie. She thought the Book of Mysteries held the key to freeing the Mageus from the Order’s grasp, but the danger within its pages was greater than she ever imagined.

Now the Book’s furious power lives inside Harte. If he can’t control it, it will rip apart the world to get its revenge, and it will use Esta to do it.

To bind the power, Esta and Harte must track down four elemental stones scattered across the continent. But the world outside the city is like nothing they expected. There are Mageus beyond the Brink not willing to live in the shadows—and the Order isn’t alone in its mission to crush them.

In St. Louis, the extravagant World’s Fair hides the first stone, but an old enemy is out for revenge and a new enemy is emerging. And back in New York, Viola and Jianyu must defeat a traitor in a city on the verge of chaos.

As past and future collide, time is running out to rewrite history—even for a time-traveling thief.

The Serpent’s Curse

Esta isn’t a stranger to high-stakes heists. She’s a seasoned thief who has no reservations about using her affinity for time to give her an edge, and she’s trained her whole life for one mission: travel back to 1902 New York, steal the ancient Book of Mysteries, and use its power to destroy the Brink and free the Mageus from the Order’s control.

But the Book held a danger that no one anticipated—Seshat, an angry goddess was trapped within its pages. Now that terrible power lives within Harte, and if given the chance, Seshat will use Esta to destroy the world and take her revenge.

Only Esta and Harte stand in her way.

Yet in their search to recover the elemental stones needed to bind Seshat’s power, Esta and Harte have found themselves stranded in time with a continent between them. As Esta fights to get back to Harte, the Order is no longer the only obstacle standing in her way.

Saving Harte—and magic itself—will put even Esta’s skills to the test. And all the while, another danger grows, one more terrible than both Seshat and the Order combined…

Book Review – The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Rating: 4 / 5

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell picks up right where we left off in The Last Magician (read my review here). Esta and Harte are running from the Order, and Jack Grew. They have to find the stolen artifacts before they get into the wrong hands. Early in the novel, they jump two years into the future and, due to some complications, the book maintains a steady leap between 1902 and 1904 throughout the novel. 

The novel is told from the perspective of Esta, Harte, Jianyu, Viola, Nibsy, and more as the story unfolds. In St. Louis, Esta and Harte work to obtain the Djinni’s Star while the remaining pieces of Dolph Sander’s team remain (by no choice of their own) in New York City to find Delphi’s Tear. There are twists, turns, and all out moments where you want to SCREAM at Lisa Maxwell. 

One of my favorite parts of this book is having a chance to learn more about our supporting characters – Viola, Jianyu, and Nibsy. The Last Magician gave us small backstories for these characters, but reading from their perspective really let’s us dive into Jianyu’s nostalgia for his home country, Viola’s loyalties and desires, and Nibsy’s affinity and overall plan to take control of the artifacts and, ultimately, magic. 

Esta and Harte also finally give us what we want, an acknowledgement of their feelings and connection to one another. This is one of the more bumpy and complicated pieces of the novel, but I love a slow build that is all tension and no satisfaction. I will be shipping Esta and Harte forever. There are a lot of potential power couples in this novel, but in the spirit of keeping to my promise above about no spoilers – I will keep quiet for now. Once you read the book, let me know and we can discuss.

This novel took me a while to read. It’s hefty (nearly 700 pages) and requires a serious level of concentration. We are jumping through time and from character to character, which brings me to my next point. 

I haven’t decided yet if I love or hate the constant change in time and perspective. The subheaders and writing style make it very easy to follow who is talking and what timeline we are in. But sometimes you only get one (or less) page with a character before you are jumping to the next. It builds tension and suspense in such an aggressive way. It kept me reading, pushing forward, and wanting to know more. But it always made me want MORE. Right when I was getting there – so close – CHANGE. 

I highly recommend this series, starting with The Last Magician followed by The Devil’s Thief. I’ll be picking up the third book in the series later this year when it’s released. 

Buy The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell here at Old Town Books (Alexandria, VA) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read either book in The Last Magician series? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Book Review – The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Genre: Young Adult; Sci-Fi; Fantasy

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

I consume a lot of fantasy and sci-fi literature, movies, television shows, and video games. While I love a good sappy sparkly vampire story, it’s rare that a world, story, or universe created by an author feels real and like home. The older I’ve gotten the less I’ve been able to completely disappear into the depths of Mordor or the halls of Hogwarts. They are wonderful stories, but I don’t find myself pulled to them in dreams like I did when I was a child. 

This novel did just that. Lisa Maxwell builds a beautiful new take on magic in this mixed Fantasy/Sci-Fi world. If you are a lover of young adult or fantasy literature, I highly recommend this book. When I wasn’t sneaking a few pages into my day whenever I could (yay motherhood!) I was walking the streets of New York City in my dreams. I was alongside Esta and the other Mageus, shying away from the Brink and plotting to take down the Order. 

Ultimately, this is a story about a young girl, Esta, eager to prove herself while trying to figure out who she is and what she really wants. (Like young girls do) she struggles between her personal desires and how she was raised. It was refreshing to have a strong female character whose struggle wasn’t centered around being a woman. So often stories are told because there is a woman and she is strong and she’s doing something only a strong woman could do, but I find it frustrating that it’s “special” when a woman conquers a challenging obstacle. 

I never felt like this story was only important because a woman was at the center. This is such an intangible element to attempt to describe, but this made me hopeful for the future of literature and storytelling. I am so tired of feeling like it’s a novelty to have a powerful female lead. Women are just extraordinary, everyday. It’s not a novelty, it’s just reality. 

Esta’s choices lead us on a journey with many twists and turns, but they happen organically. Lisa Maxwell was never forcing an Ah-Ha moment on us just for the shock factor. The story flows and feels genuine.

Like most novels that shift between narrators, it took me a few chapters to find the flow. But the narrators have unique voices and, when you meet each character, the transition between becomes seamless. I found myself eager to hear from the different points of view in the scene. The impact helps to round out the picture and build tension, which remains from the first page through the last.

The push-and-pull of tension (sexual and otherwise) throughout the novel created a sexiness without any real “sexy” scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for an erotic novel (hello Christian Grey), but, thankfully, Lisa Maxwell didn’t try to force it into the story. The tension is ever-present and not always romantic. It pushes the story along and makes you want to keep reading more.

The last note I have is related to the time travel this novel is centered around. Generally, time travel as a plot device makes me uneasy. There is always something that doesn’t sit right with me, a loophole not discussed or explored, or the move back into the past erasing the entire story you just read (looking at you School for Psychics Book 2). However, in The Last Magician, it works. There isn’t a lot of digging into the science and there are no multiple timelines. Do something – the future is impacted. The story keeps it simple, which I appreciate, but doesn’t ignore the impact of changing the past.

If you are looking for a novel (and potentially series – stay tuned) to pull you in from front to back, this is the one. The Last Magician is a beautiful story and a new take on magic. The sights, sounds, and people feel familiar but with a unique flavor. This book will remain on my “recommend-to-a-friend” list.

Buy The Last Magician here on Amazon (or at your local bookstore)!

Have you read The Last Magician? Let’s talk about it. Leave a comment or send me a message letting me know what you thought of the novel.