January 1, 2025
In an alternate 19th-century England, the banning of alchemology--the use of magic to alter mechanical devices--has driven buyers and alchemologists to the dark market. When Zaria Mendoza's father died, she inherited his alchemology notes and a list of illegal commissions. Completing the outstanding orders allows 18-year-old Zaria to scrape by, but manipulating magic comes at a steep cost to her health. Desperate to be rid of her father's debts and escape London's slums with her best friend, Jules Zhao, Zaria accepts an offer from Kane Durante, a young man tasked with stealing a necklace from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Failure isn't an option for Kane, the adopted son of Alexander Ward, who rules the city's underbelly. Kane has grimly accepted his fate as Ward's successor, but he jumps at the chance to free Fletcher Collins, his only friend, from Ward's control, something Ward promises in exchange for the necklace. Much of the book is spent exploring Zaria's and Kane's motives through secret-laden third-person chapters that reveal the pair's feelings of unworthiness in relation to their friends. The story lightly addresses themes of economic inequality and British imperialism as it inches its way toward a heist that unfolds in a flurry of nail-biting twists and turns. The cast is ethnically diverse: Zaria had a Spanish father and English mother, Kane's parents were Italian, Jules is British Chinese, and Fletcher is Irish. For patient readers seeking a moody, character-driven fantasy.(Historical fantasy. 13-18)
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Starred review from December 9, 2024
Lobb (Disciples of Chaos) imbues a
classic heist with magic, romance, and intrigue to form a richly imaginative fantasy adventure. When Zaria Mendoza’s famed alchemologist father dies, he leaves Zaria strapped with bills to pay and a long line of clients demanding the completion of their contracts. Soon she finds herself brushing shoulders with London’s criminal underground, where she meets Kane Durante, a con artist employed by Alexander Ward, the crime lord in charge of London’s black market for magical items. She’s not prepared for Kane’s request that she use her alchemological talents to help him steal a famous necklace from the Great Exhibition for his terrifying boss—or for the explosive chemistry between them. But as powerful forces put the duo in harm’s way for their own ends, Kane must decide whether to trust Zaria, and what that trust will cost. Lobb conjures a fascinating alternate-world Victorian London via blazing prose and tried-and-true fantasy elements. The tension never lets up in this electric tale that’s equal parts clever heist, searing romance, and pulse-pounding action-adventure with crossover potential that will entice fans of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard Sequence. Main characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Friedman,
InkWell Management.
February 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 Zaria has taken over her father's commissions to provide alchemological weapons to the dark market. His passion for creating magic passed to her, but it also came with the price of eating her soul. After she hands over an acid-shooting gun to con man Kane Durante, he knows he's found his mark. With the Great Exhibition opening soon, Kane plans to extract the priceless Waterhouse necklace, despite the thousands of guests and a security force unlike London has ever seen. He asks Zaria for explosives and a key to open the jewel case in exchange for the rest of the jewels in the exhibit. Zaria needs to settle her father's debts, but her life is draining away quickly, and the only way to prevent it is to use a special, everlasting source of primateria--like the red jewel in the Waterhouse necklace. Lobb's lush prose creates a gilded frame around a fiery romance, and while the sparks never quite catch, a star-crossed double cross will have readers burning through this enchanting heist set in an alternative Victorian London.
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February 14, 2025
Gr 8 Up-Zaria Mendoza, 18, receives her father's banned alchemy business upon his death. Selling magic proves to be a challenge as she must use the dark market in order to survive and keep the business afloat. While struggling, she meets Kane Durante, a charming con man who offers her the opportunity to help him steal a prized necklace in exchange for the freedom of his only friend, Fletcher Collins. The book is set in what seems like an alternative 19th-century London, and readers will feel as though they have stepped back in time with modern characters giving the novel a historical yet mystical feel. The magic is unique and entertaining, as it is shot out of revolvers. As the heist to find the necklace unfolds, Zaria and Kane fall for each other and secrets and motives are revealed, giving readers an inside peek into their shady lives. Plenty of twists and turns keep readers engaged as the pace of the novel increases and comes to a close. After a cliff-hanger ending, readers will hope for a sequel. Characters are diverse: Zaria is Spanish and English; Kane is Italian; Jules, Zaria's friend, is Chinese; Fletcher is Irish. VERDICT For fans of a slow-burn romance, temperamental characters, and a fast-paced heist surrounded by unique magic. Recommended.-Karen Alexander
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