Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
REVIEW: Wowie, wow, wow, WOW!!!! This book has been on my TBR for years but I've just never gotten around toe reading it and let me just say......WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?!?!?!? Schwab's writing transports you into every location, every fight scene, every moment of this book. I savored this book and took my time reading it instead of barreling through. I felt like I traveled to every of version of London with Kell. There are so many incredible characters in this book from the angry and mysterious Holland to the despicable Dane twins. But the absolute show stealer of this book is Delilah Bard herself. What a bad ass character! She's strong and yet lets herself be vulnerable. She takes it upon herself to tag along with Kell and on multiple occasions it's a good thing she does. She's fierce, adventurous, and brave and I can't wait to see where the next book takes her. This book was a million out of 5 stars for me and I'm chomping at the bit to finish the series!!
Publication Date: February 25, 2015
Victoria “V.E.” Schwab is the #1 NYT, USA, and Indie bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including Vicious, the Shades of Magic series, and This Savage Song. Her work has received critical acclaim, been featured by EW and The New York Times, been translated into more than a dozen languages, and been optioned for TV and Film. The Independent calls her the “natural successor to Diana Wynne Jones” and touts her “enviable, almost Gaimanesque ability to switch between styles, genres, and tones.”
She is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary and Jon Cassir at CAA.
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