The Devil's Thief (2) (The Last Magician)
In this spellbinding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Last Magician, Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.
Hunt the Stones.
Beware the Thief.
Avenge the Past.
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.
Hunt the Stones.
Beware the Thief.
Avenge the Past.
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.
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Community Reviews
When I read the first book in this series I loved it. You don't find a lot of stories with a time-traveling thief and a bonus magical element. I love the original storytelling and I thought the first installment in this series was absolutely beautiful. I was captured within the bounds of the brink right alongside the characters. I felt their need and drive to escape, to be free. When I finished "The Last Magician" I was even more excited to start the second.
Honestly, right from the beginning, the writing just felt a little off. It doesn't have the same read as the first. Besides that, the story was a little slow and sluggish. I often wanted to skip sections, something I refuse to do. Perhaps it was the addition of the multiple POV's or the constant switch between different timelines. I also felt frustrated with Esta as she seemed to deviate from the main objective of their mission, to collect the stones and change the future. At times I even questioned if the story was planned. It has a very reactive and bumbling flow that seems disjointed with an ending that doesn't seem like an ending at all. Instead, If feels like Lisa Maxwell was writing, realized that she had almost hit 700 pages, and decided to split it.
As to whether the third book is worth the read, I do not yet know. Maxwell left enough questions and loose ends that leave the reader wondering what happens next. Whether that "need to know" is a burning need, is a question within itself. I Think Lisa Maxwell is a terrific writer and I will be taking a look at her other books, but I can't help to think that "The Devil's Thief" could've been so much more.
Honestly, right from the beginning, the writing just felt a little off. It doesn't have the same read as the first. Besides that, the story was a little slow and sluggish. I often wanted to skip sections, something I refuse to do. Perhaps it was the addition of the multiple POV's or the constant switch between different timelines. I also felt frustrated with Esta as she seemed to deviate from the main objective of their mission, to collect the stones and change the future. At times I even questioned if the story was planned. It has a very reactive and bumbling flow that seems disjointed with an ending that doesn't seem like an ending at all. Instead, If feels like Lisa Maxwell was writing, realized that she had almost hit 700 pages, and decided to split it.
As to whether the third book is worth the read, I do not yet know. Maxwell left enough questions and loose ends that leave the reader wondering what happens next. Whether that "need to know" is a burning need, is a question within itself. I Think Lisa Maxwell is a terrific writer and I will be taking a look at her other books, but I can't help to think that "The Devil's Thief" could've been so much more.
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