The Shattered City - (Last Magician) by Lisa Maxwell

About the Book

Hunted by an ancient evil, Esta and Harte have raced through time and across a continent to track down the artifacts needed to bind the mystical Book's devastating power, and now, with only one artifact left, they must find a way to end the threat they have created or the very heart of magic will die.

Book Synopsis

Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows meets Alexandra Bracken's Passenger in this spellbinding conclusion to the "vivid and compelling" (BCCB) New York Times bestselling Last Magician series.

Unite the Stones
Free the City
Remake the World

Once, Esta believed that she could change the fate of magic. She traveled to the past and stopped the Magician from destroying a mystical book that held the key to freeing her people from the Brink, an energy barrier that traps all Mageus who cross it.

But the Book was more than she bargained for. So was the Magician she was tasked to steal it from.

Hunted by an ancient evil, Esta and Harte have raced through time and across a continent to track down the powerful artifacts they need to bind the Book's devastating power. They've lost family, betrayed friends, and done what they'd both vowed never to do: fallen in love with the one person who could truly destroy them.

Now, with only one artifact left, their search has brought them back to New York, the city where it all began. But nothing in Manhattan is as they left it. Their friends have scattered, their enemies have grown more powerful, and as the deadly Brink beckons, their time is running out.

If they can't find a way to end the threat they've created, then the very heart of magic will die--and it will take the world down with it.

Review Quotes

"A gorgeous, timeless, all-consuming tale."--Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series for THE LAST MAGICIAN

"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 for THE LAST MAGICIAN

"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 for THE LAST MAGICIAN

"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 for THE LAST MAGICIAN

As there are significant plot reveals all the way through (we actually learn a secret about Esta's dad, for example, only about twenty pages from the end), the book never loses urgency, and readers will likely hit the final page wishing for more. Hand this off to fantasy buffs who appreciate historical fiction, since a good deal of the novel takes place in the early twentieth century, and Maxwell's attention to detail makes that time period seem vivid and compelling. --BCCB on THE LAST MAGICIAN "June 2017"

Gangs, immigrants, and the rich keeping the poor down, with a twist. 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. A doorstopper with a total shakeup of an ending: don't miss this splendid series opener. (map) (Historical fantasy. 12-adult) --Kirkus Reviews on THE LAST MAGICIAN "5/1/17"

The writing is deceptively simple, allowing the reader to become immersed in the world without confusion. Shifting points of view within the narrative help characters stand on their own as individuals that the reader cares about. The pacing, suspense, and twisting plot will keep teen readers interested and longing for more. --School Library Connection on THE LAST MAGICIAN "August/September 2017"

This stripped down plot summary does no justice to the captivating and complicated story created by Maxwell. A mix of historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and magic, the well-plotted and tightly paced story moves between present day and 1901 New York, a time of gangs, tenements, turf wars, and a fascination with science and technology as a cure for society's ills. A few historical figures make an appearance, J. P. Morgan, for example, but this is definitely Esta's story, and she is a smart and feisty female protagonist in whom readers will delight. -- Cindy Welch--Booklist online on THE LAST MAGICIAN "May 31, 2017"

About the Author

Lisa Maxwell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Last Magician series and Unhooked. She's worked around words all her life and is currently a professor at a local college. She has strong opinions about pasta and a soft spot for loud music and fast cars. When she's not writing books, you can usually find her going on adventures with her husband and two amazing boys. Though she grew up in Akron, Ohio, she now calls northern Virginia home. Follow her on Instagram @LisaMaxwellYA or sign up for her newsletter to learn more about her upcoming books at Lisa-Maxwell.com.