[Review] The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Rating: 2.5 stars

Published: July 18th 2017

Format: HC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.
In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.
Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.
But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Welcome to a world where magic coexists in the modern world! In NYC nonetheless! Well, it's not really a peaceful coexistence, as the Mageus - those with magic, are confined to Manhattan with a barrier known as the Brink. Trying to leave is a certain death. In order to save her people from being trapped on the island with the maleficent Order who is hunting them and dwindling their numbers, Esta, a time-traveling Mageus thief, sets out for the year 1902, where she must steal an ancient book with the ability to break the barrier. But just everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and Esta finds herself trapped in 1902 working with some shady and mysterious characters to get the book she wants.

Raisa's Recap - New York Comic Con 2017

Wonderland Novels attended NYCC last week, Friday and Saturday. It was an amazing experience, and I definitely recommend that everyone should try to go.

First off, I cosplayed both days. Friday I went as a Follower of the Apocalypse from Fallout: New Vegas, and Saturday I was Mitsuha Miyamizu from Your Name. My cosplays weren't as complex and detailed as the others I saw, but still, a few people recognized me and asked for pics!

[Blog Tour] Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Hey guys! I'll be reviewing Invictus as part of Rockstar Book Tours Blog Tour! Without further ado, here's the review

About the Book:

Title: INVICTUS

Author: Ryan Graudin

Pub. Date: September 26, 2017

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

[Review] Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

Series: Shattered Realms #1

Rating: 3 stars

Format: ARC Paperback

Published: April 5th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

A burning vengeance.
Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. The son of the queen of the Fells, Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?
A blood-based curse.
Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.
Destiny’s fiery hand.
Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.
Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death. 

I absolutely adored the Seven Realms series, which came before Flamecaster. Action, romance, and a main heroine who shared the same name as me? Sign me up.

Flamecaster follows the generation after - Ash, or Adrian sul'Han, is the son of Queen Raisa and High Wizard Han. We enter the book with the family mourning the loss of the princess heir Hana. Alternating POVs reveal our heroine Jenna Bandelow, a rogue spy with an unknown past and a magemark hidden under her hair. The two of them come together in Arden, both seeking revenge on the cruel king Montaigne. We also have Lila Barrowhill and Destin Karn, whose shifty allegiances to the king make us wonder whom they really are.