City of Spells by Alexandra Christo

Imprint: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 352
ISBN: 1250318408
Published: March 9th 2021

Tour Hosted By: Book Terminal Tours

Rating: 3.5 stars

(I received an ARC from the publisher free of charge from Netgalley, but this does not impact my review in any way.)

City of Spells is full of dark magic and deep secrets.

What a fun second book. It was pleasantly more fast-paced than the first, which I enjoyed. This time, in addition to the Crooked crew, we have a POV from Zekia, the sister of Saxony who aligned herself with the Kingpin, Dante Ashwood. And I just adored the banter and growing bonds between her and Wesley.

He’d never had anything he hadn’t stolen or taken with blood. Except for magic. Magic had always felt so very much his, even when it was just a trick bag or a charm he kept in his back pocket. Each and every one felt like air in his lungs. Now he finally knew why.

“I heard a lot about you,” Bastian said.
Wesley tried to make his voice sound breezy. “I bet none of it was good.”

Speaking of Wesley, our favorite underboss is back and better than ever, and watching the gang reunite with him was so sweet, because he’s a character that certainly grows on you. And watching him come into his magic and its power was such a great twist.

“She changed from wanting to run from Creije and its criminals, to fighting to save it and organize her comrades into an army.”

Personally, I loved the growth and development of Tavia and Wesley. While all our characters are the morally grey questionable sort, Tavia and Wesley go from wanting things of their own volition to wanting things for the good of their friends, family, and city. And even better, the really want to do these things together!

The slow burn romance between them was… *chef’s kiss*. Honestly, why don’t more stories take a while to get around to the kiss? It’s so much more satisfying.

Reading both Into the Crooked Place and City of Spells reminded me of the DnD campaigns I used to have with my friends. The con artist, the thief, the mage, the monk. All morally grey characters looking for trouble, when trouble eventually finds them.

Just like in the first book, everyone is tested and bonds are reforged. The found family trope will always get me, no matter what.

And speaking of secrets… there were some really big ones that were dropped in this book! Definitely took me by surprise.

Although what I would have wanted to know is… whether Wesley really was related to Ashwood. I mean, the guy spent the whole last fight telling him so, but we never get confirmation.

If you want a satisfying conclusion to a magical and dark duology, with found family to boot, read City of Spells!

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Mood Board for City of Spells

Actually struggled a bit to make this one but I'm satisfied with the outcome? Tried really hard to evoke a steampunk but make it DND vibe that I felt like City of Spells and Into the Crooked Kingdom had.

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About the Book

City of Spells, the follow-up to Alexandra Christo's gritty YA fantasy, Into the Crooked Place, finds the world on the brink of war and four unlikely allies facing sacrifices they had never imagined.

After the loss of Wesley and the horrifying reveal that Zekia is helping the Kingpin of her own free will, Tavia, Saxony, and Karam flee to Saxony's home to rebuild their rebellion. Meanwhile, trapped in the Kingpin's darkness, Wesley must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind and find a way back to his friends before it's too late.

As the Kingpin's dark magic spreads and his army conquers Creije, these four unlikely friends have to decide just how far they’ll go―and how much they are willing to sacrifice―to win.

Buy Links

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Christo

Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn’t be a fairy. When she’s not busy making up stories, she can be found organizing food crawls over London and binge-watching Korean dramas. Alexandra has a BA in Creative Writing and currently lives in England with an abundance of cacti (because they’re the only plants she can keep alive). She is also the author of To Kill a Kingdom.