[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.

[Review] Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Version: HC

Rating: 2.5 stars

Published: February 2nd 2016

Goodreads Synopsis:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.
But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.
The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

 Once Upon a Time spoiled/ruined me for this book. Honestly, OUAT isn't the best show (I haven't watched since Elsa/Anna and the rest of Frozen joined), but it had its good moments. Captain Guyliner, or should I say Captain Hook of OUAT, was the dashing villain-turned-hero. Emma Swan was the butt-kicking Savior of Storybrooke, and Captain Hook is her love interest. It took a few seasons, but there was decent character development on this show. Not that I'm comparing the two Captain Hooks, but one cannot fail to think of this guy when his name is brought up.