About the Book
-
Author:
- Lisa Maxwell
- Voices:
- Cis Boy
- Cis Girl
- Straight
- White (Non-Specified)
Cover Story: Snakes on a Cover
BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
Talky Talk: Too Many Cooks
Factor: The World’s Fair
Anti-Bonus Factor: Bridge Book Blues
Relationship Status: Missing Something
Danger, Will Robinson! The Devil’s Thief is the second book in the Last Magician series. If you have not read the first book—The Last Magician—turn away now, as there might be spoilers in this review. If you have read the book, however, feel free to continue below.
Cover Story: Snakes on a Cover
Although it’s not the snake who seems to be super popular on covers right now, there is a snake on this cover. (Two or three, actually, but only one of them’s alive.) I don’t usually mind snakes, but this mass of bodies is a little unsettling. (Are they writhing? I feel like they’re writhing.) And on a whole, this cover feels more like a Michael Crichton/Preston Childs thriller than a YA historical fantasy.
The Deal:
Esta’s whole life has been turned upside down in 1902, so what’s taking it one step further and trying to escape New York City and the oppressive “protection” of the Brink while on a mission to retrieve the rest of the elemental stones they stole from the Order?
When she and Harte Darrigan—currently housing the power of the Book of Mysteries, a power that’s very interested in Esta—disappear off the Brooklyn Bridge, most people think they’re dead. But thanks to Esta’s affinity, they make it to St. Louis, where the first stone is waiting. But getting it back won’t be nearly as easy as either of them had hoped.
BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
Although Esta’s still the main main character of The Devil’s Thief, there are a lot more points of view we’re privy to in this book. Some of them are BFF charm worthy—like Esta, who continues to be a plucky and headstrong young woman who I’d very much like to know—but there are others, like Jack Grew, who are an absolute Hell No.
Swoonworthy Scale: (An average of) 6
Esta and Harte had some killer enemistry in The Last Magician, and I was hoping for an escalation in The Devil’s Thief. Unfortunately, the power from the Book that hitched a ride in Harte’s body makes it very hard for Harte to distinguish his true feelings from those of the power. Obviously, there are massive consent issues here, but Maxwell deals with them well. (When they do eventually get together, though … fireworks!)
There’s also a super sweet/complicated romance that begins in this second book, and I am here for it.
Talky Talk: Too Many Cooks
I mentioned this is BFF Charm above, but there are a lot of POVs telling the story in The Devil’s Thief. What makes it even more complicated is that some of them are in different years, and some of them are the same person in different years. I understand why Maxwell went this route; it’s nigh impossible to tell a story that’s set in multiple locations in first person with only one POV, but I did get POV switching fatigue before I was even ⅔ of the way through the book. Especially since some of them didn’t seem all that necessary?
The unique magical system I enjoyed so much in The Last Magician is still present in The Devil’s Thief, but it’s muddied somewhat by the introduction of Mageus outside of the Brink/New York City and the mythology of the Book. Also, the quest Esta and Harte are on for the stones—the main point of the whole novel—is constantly thwarted by someone or something. It was a little like reading one of those epic video games where you’re tasked with saving the world ASAP(!!!), but you have a ton of side missions to do along the way.
Factor: The World’s Fair
Living in a world in which the Internet makes it easy to learn about other cultures and constantly keep up to date with the latest news from the other side of the globe, the idea of a World’s Fair is a very curious one. On the one hand, it would have been an absolute spectacle, and I can only imagine how giant my eyes would have gotten had I attended as a person from that time. On the other, they were often glorified visions of the white patriarchy. Maxwell loosely depicts the one in St. Louis as an element in Esta and Harte’s quest, but I found myself wanting to know more, especially about the more problematic aspects (like the Native Americans “on display”). The book has an author’s note that goes into more detail about the fair and said issues, which I appreciate.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Bridge Book Blues
This book is more than 600 pages long. The fact that it felt like such a bridge book is a serious tick in the Con column.
Relationship Status: Missing Something
I really liked our first date, Book, but this time was missing that spark. I hope we can rekindle it on our next date—yes, I want to have one; I need to see your story through—but I’m feeling pretty hesitant about taking this much further.
Literary Matchmaking
Libba Bray’s The Diviners is another historical fantasy series with strong female characters and some fantastical elements.
The first book in this series reminded me more of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, but the heist/quest themes are still present in The Devil’s Thief.
The characters in Alison Goodman’s Lady Helen series might be dealing with more demonic elements than Esta and crew, but the series have similar feels.
FTC Full Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book with my own money and got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. The Devil’s Thief is available now.
