The Last Magician (Volume 1)

So I first wanted to read it as it was set in the early 1900’s and I love historical fiction and this book had magic and was about a heist! So it already had me intrigued. When I started reading it I knew I would love this book and I was completely hooked.“The only rule that counted was to not get caught.”The first few chapters are set in different time periods as we meet all the characters and get a feel for the story. It can seem confusing at first but I was able to figure things out fairly quickly and with the multiple points of view were able to see a wider view of the world and the way the magic system works than if we had only seen things from one of them.I loved the setting so much it was so vivid and we got to see so much of New York and not just the glittery parts but also the poorer parts where things aren’t so rosy and life is difficult. The world building was really great and we get to see more and more of the world and see it become more complex and intricate.The characters themselves are all amazing, it was hard to hate any character even the villain. They were all complex and had great character building. They were each given time to develop as the story progressed and each had their own back stories and storylines interwoven into the main story wonderfully. It didn’t feel forced or that we were given unnecessary information which might have clogged up the story.My favourite character was of course Esta, who has the ability to manipulate time and can travel between different time periods. She has to live in the early 1900’s and even though she was from our present day so it was fun to see how she had to adjust to being a woman in that time. She is funny, sassy and I love that we got to see a vulnerable side to her, who doubts her ability but persists nonetheless. It was one of the things I loved about her.“But then, people usually do miss what’s right in front of them.”My other favourite character is Harte Darrigan who is sassy and acts as though he doesn’t care about others and always likes to stay in control of the situation but we also see a more vulnerable side. His and Esta’s banter and rivalry was one of my favourite parts of the story and we get to see how their relationship develops.The story itself develops at a good pace and we get to see it build to the ending which left me shocked as it was so unexpected. The story is a heist and full of deception where each character has their own motives and plans despite working together as a team, no-one is who they claim to be and we have to figure out who we can trust. The revelation of the villain was so surprising and unexpected too which just goes to show that no-one can be trusted in this book!“But then, liars do make the best magicians, and he happened to be exceptional.”We also get a sense of urgency for Esta to complete her job as she has a news clipping from the future which keeps changing depending on the actions and changes that happen in the past. It was a nice addition to create more suspense and keep us on the edge of our seats.I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, magic, time travelling and heists!

I absolutely loved this YA fantasy about time-travel, New York gangs, heists, and magic. The New York setting was beautifully atmospheric, especially the sections set in 1902 and hooked me immediately with its immediacy and rich detail. Esta was a brilliant main character and one I grew to love. Her ability to manipulate time was such fun yet it never felt like an easy-out in any difficult situation. I fell in love with the magician Harte Darrigan and his interactions with Esta were my favourite part. The cast of characters was unforgettable and each one stood out. Viola and Jianyu were my favourite supporting characters and I hope we see more of them in the next book. I'm also interested in exploring Esta's history and family a little more at some point following the reveals of this book.I hurtled through this 500-page book with its intrigue, plotting and betrayals. The last 100 pages contained twist after twist meaning I couldn't put it down until I'd finished at 4 am. For such a big book, it never felt like it dragged. I can't wait for 'The Devil's Thief' later this year, especially with it now being a race against time for Esta and her new crew. I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a slightly different YA fantasy or for fans of 'Six of Crows'.

OMG you know that feeling a few chapters into a book when you just know you’ve found a new favourite book, that’s how I felt reading this book.I was honestly so engrossed with this story and every time I had to stop reading I would think constantly about what I had just read, I’m just so in love with this book it is honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while and I know it is one of my new favourite series even without having read the second book yet but I’m honestly so excited to start the next book.Like it kept me constantly wanting to know what was coming and I gasped when the big plot twists were revealed near the end of the book, I cant recommend this book enough

I thought this was great. Before I even started reading the plot sounded really interesting, I mean, it has magic and a time travel element so of course I wanted to read it. And the slow burn romance was just everything, a new favourite of mine for sure.Esta was amazing and Harte,,, I love him, and I have to mention Viola here, who I also loved. I think it's just something about girls with knives.

This was an excellent read! My book arrived damaged, with dents (almost holes) in the front cover, but the story itself was amazing. The twists, turns, and revelations you don't expect, the time travel with actual consequences in the present, a great female lead, a wonderful group of supporting characters that I adore.. give me the sequel now! :D

I really wanted to like this book. The worldbuilding was okay, but I didn't get on with the style of writing. Lots of telling and not much showing and in the end I couldn't finish it.

This book really grabs you from the start and keeps your attention right to the very plot twist end! Really interesting and well thought out characters - Dolph is awesome - and a story that sets things up perfectly for the sequel.

Ich muss sagen, dass ich The Last Magician zunächst gar nicht auf dem Schirm hatte. Das kam erst durch die wiederholten Empfehlungen auf Booktube und dann bin ich schließlich schwach geworden - ich bereue es keine Sekunde! Dieses Buch hat mich von der ersten Seite an mitgerissen, obwohl ich eigentlich kein Fan der Zeitreise-Thematik bin, aber hier hat es mich vollkommen überzeugt. Ich mochte die verschiedenen Charaktere, hatte zu jedem ein genaues Bild vor Augen und dazu kam noch die authentisch kreierte Atmosphäre eines New Yorks des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts. Falls man es meinen Worten nicht heraushört - ich bin begeistert! Das war MEIN HIGHLIGHT 2017! :D Lest es!

Before I began reading The Last Magician I wasn’t sure of what to expect of this novel. There is so much to explore! This book is telling a story of a whole new world with hundreds of unexpected lifes to discover. It took some time for me to get through reading this book. One of the reasons was the impressive worldbuilding and the construct of magic Lisa Maxfield has created. I needed to get used to the rules and the logic of her magical world. Every inch of information was important for the continuing story. If I’d have missed a part or didn’t get it the right way, I wouldn’t have understood the course of the plot. This book wasn’t just about a magical story. It combines magic with crime in the coolest way possible: through time traveling.“But then, liars do make the best magicians, and he happened to be exceptional.”The Last Magician | Lisa MaxwellThe beginning is already telling an important fact about the whole plot and with every following page I was getting curiouser and wanted to know how everything will lead to this point of departure. After I finished reading one chapter after another I was overthinking my own theories concerning the prologue. Lisa Maxfield was feeding us with little sparkles of information which were messing up my own theories. I was turning back to the beginning every now and then to check if my ideas were on the right track or wether I was getting everything the wrong way. It was exciting to read like this through the story.“But then, liars do make the best magicians, and he happened to be exceptional.”The Last Magician | Lisa MaxfieldThe story is playing in my most favorite town of the world: New York City. I was so excited to enter this city through the eyes of the narrator. And as though this wouldn’t be enough the novel is also told in two different time zones: In the past and the present. The time traveling theme is making the entire plot extremely fascinating. By jumping between those time zones the story is becoming a riddle. Every time we switch in a different zone something changed. Every time I wasn’t sure who to trust. Why did this and that change? Why did those peoples behavior change? Is it important in any kind of way for the story or is Lisa Maxfield just playing tricks on our mind?He wasn’t sorry for using their fears and hopes, their prejudices and their sense of righteousness against them. For distracting them from the truth. He was simply surviving in a world that hated what he was.The Last Magician | Lisa Maxfield | p. 161I found myself in a conflict between magicians and those who didn’t posses magic. Who couldn’t control it. Magic is strictly prohibited in New York City and everyone who is caught will find themself killed. It is dangerous and yet the most exciting part! Through telling the story out of diverse different narrators everything is getting more interesting by getting to know everyones own story. One second everything seems utterly clear and in the next moment Lisa Maxfield mixed everything up and lead us in a complete different direction. I was never certain what so expect.„So, am I going to be taking the couch, or are you going to be a gentleman and give me your bed?“ she asked, batting her eyes innocently. „The only way you’re getting into my bed is if I’m in there with you,“ he told her.The Last Magician | Lisa Maxfield | p. 298Esta, the protagonist, and Harte were making me laugh and love this book so much. I loved the way they fought against each other. They were never sure wether they could trust one another. And to be honest: I wasn’t sure myself until the very end. Nothing was ever clearly explained which was making the whole plot so exciting!It’s not only the tale of those two that was making this book so special. Every now and then Lisa Maxfield includes little stories that will break your heart just like that. She is writing about so many lives, fates and promises that I was surprised in the end by knowing that this book was only 500 pages long. It felt like so much more. All those people will haunt you for quite a while. They will live in your thoughts and make you smile every know and then.Because the hope for a different future was that powerful.The Last Magician | Lisa MaxfieldI was trying to solve the riddle of this plot and still got utterly surprised by the final outcome. It was astonishing. Impressive in the way everything finally made sense. I wasn’t expecting anything of it! And I can’t wait to read the second book to get to know what the final riddle is about.

Mesmo quando eu dou nota cinco, raramente não tenho nenhuma crítica para algum livro. Então, se você estiver com dúvida se deve ou não ler este daqui, pode ler minha resenha que ela não vai ter só elogios e não vou dar nenhum spoiler.Esse livro é uma mistura muito bem feita de ficção histórica com fantasia e viagem no tempo. Não é daqueles em que os personagens viajam no tempo várias vezes, mas satisfaz os leitores (como eu) que amam esse tipo de coisa! A ficção histórica dele não é sua melhor parte, mas é uma base muito boa para o desenrolar da história. E, claro, fantasia é seu gênero principal. A escrita da autora é muito boa, mas em alguns momentos raros, senti falta de cenas mais detalhadas (principalmente em questão das emoções dos personagens).Durante uma grande parte do livro, tive a impressão de que ele era uma mistura de Passenger (da Alexandra Bracken) com Six of Crows (da Leigh Bardugo), mas de um jeito bom! Como nesses livros, os personagens de O Último dos Magos foram bem construídos e desenvolvidos, com histórias de vida e personalidades únicas (salvo um detalhe aqui e ali). Eles teriam sido a melhor qualidade do livro, se não fosse pelo jeito que a história lida com a magia.Sério. Eu definitivamente não esperava que fosse me surpreender com isso. Magia é algo usado em tantos livros, que é muito difícil encontrar um em que ela seja diferente, mas sem ser estranha. Todos os detalhes dela aqui são bem definidos e, apesar de eu nunca tê-la visto assim, fizeram totalmente sentido! Tanto, aliás, que é daquelas que dá para apostar que talvez sejam verdade mesmo!O enredo do livro é muito bom também! Achei complexo como deveria ser, com cenas que exploram detalhes interessantes do passado. Tive um único problema com o ritmo, que se manteve quase igual o tempo todo, mas deu uma pequena corrida em algumas cenas mais próximas do final, que teriam ficado bem mais interessantes se tivessem sido exploradas com mais calma. Eu tinha quase certeza absoluta de que seria um livro único, mas fiquei muito feliz de descobrir que vai ter pelo menos uma sequência! Primeiro, porque não daria tempo de resolver tudo antes de acabar (sabe quando faltam umas vinte páginas e você começa a entrar em pânico, porque o que você queria que acontecesse ainda não aconteceu?). Essa história é mais complexa do que parece à primeira vista, tem ramificações demais para serem solucionadas em um livro. Até mesmo a relação entre os personagens principais merecia uma sequência. E, segundo, porque eu realmente me apaguei à história e a esse mundo, que foi bem construído demais para acabar aqui.Outra seja, o livro é divertido, é interessante e complexo e muitas vezes me deixou bem apreensiva. Os personagens e a magia, que poderiam facilmente cair em clichê, se mantiveram longe disso e só prometem uma história ainda melhor para o segundo livro. Mas nem tudo foi perfeito, então vamos às críticas?A Esta (que tem um péssimo nome para um livro publicado também no Brasil) na maior parte do tempo é exatamente o tipo de personagem feminina que eu quero ver em livros. Ela é forte, confiante, independente, salva a si mesma e, ainda assim, não perde sua sensibilidade e tem suas fraquezas. Uma das suas melhores características é como ela observa as pessoas. Mas meu problema com ela é que ela tem um ponto cego. E, tudo bem, todo mundo tem, mas ela é cautelosa e inteligente demais em muita coisa para nunca ter olhado para certas partes dessa história, entende? Baseado no que ela se mostrou pelo resto do livro, eu esperava que ela fosse pelo menos mais esperta em algumas horas mais perto do final, que fosse questionar algumas coisas. Esse foi o único detalhe em que ela deixou a desejar.Os outros personagens são bem coerentes, o Harte principalmente, e adorei as revelações que foram aparecendo. Mas, às vezes, tive a impressão de que a autora estava tentando criar tantos problemas que ficou difícil focar em uma missão só. Claro que todas elas se resumiam basicamente a um objetivo, mas alguns detalhes eram desnecessários e só serviam para confundir mesmo na hora de organizar exatamente o que estava acontecendo. Quase parei para fazer um mapa de quem estava ameaçando quem e como.Outra crítica que eu tenho para o livro é que ele cria muita tensão e problema para um final que aconteceu um pouco rápido. Tem reviravolta, tem coisas a mais para serem solucionadas e tal, mas ainda senti que esse livro precisava ter um clímax mais emocionante para ele, com a própria Esta mais presente. Infelizmente, não posso explicar exatamente como, senão seria spoiler. Também acho que teria sido bem mais interessante se ele tivesse sido contado na primeira pessoa para personagens diferentes, mesmo que a narração na terceira não tenha atrapalhado em nada.Gostei bastante de O Último dos Magos, me apeguei demais a tudo no livro. Espero muito que o próximo seja publicado logo, porque este daqui cumpriu o que prometeu e chegou muito perto de ser excelente! E espero que mais pessoas cheguem a conhecê-lo! Se você está pensando em ler, pode ir sem medo, mas esteja aberto a detalhes sutis inteligentes, reviravoltas inesperadas e uma complexidade que precisa de pelo menos outro livro para ser explorada completamente. E cuidado para não se apaixonar pelos personagens como eu!

“But then, liars do make the best magicians, and he happened to be exceptional.”Old New York. Crime gangs. Secret societies. A feisty female protagonist. Time travel. A fascinating magic system. Ancient magical artifacts. Alchemy. Magicians. Heists. Love-hate tensions. Deals. Double crosses. *Pauses to take a breath*I loved this so much. It's like the author took a peek in my head, made a list of all my favorite tropes and wrote this specifically for me. The last time I remember feeling this way was after reading Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. And yes, this has some serious SoC vibes. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Which is saying something because this is a tome at over 500 pages. However, at no point did it ever feel like it was dragging or slowing down. It is brilliantly written. The plot is unique, wonderfully complex supported by a cast of diverse, well rounded characters. We have no clue which way the story is going to go even when some of the twists start revealing themselves. The world building is fantastic. It feels like you are right there in old New York, magic crackling all around you and you can feel the chill of the Brink down your spine.I am still so shook I can't even put together a more in depth review. Just go for it.Rating: 5 starsFollow me on Goodreads for more reviews. Link in bio.

4.5/5💫oh my gosh !!!!!! what a beautifully written fantasy world. it’s soo good that i can’t stop thinking about it. i’m definitely gonna remember this book for a long long time. heck yeah!!!!!💫they’re so many different elements in this book which kept me hooked until the end,like.......alchemy, magic, occult, time travel, gangsters, heist, romance, sassy characters, intriguing plots.......& so much more.💫Throughout the book i felt like i was living in the NYC in 1900’s, sucking every moment of the book with much intrigued atmosphere & it gives you all that vibe of something dark is gonna happen as you turn every page.💫oh my !!! how can i forget.....the most amazing part which got my attention was romance, oh my gosh !!!! it wasn’t even enough, i need more of it. like more & more & lots more. hopefully the next installment will give me what i want.💫Let’s talk about characters, they’re so complex, diverse & well shaped with author’s writing. i absolutely loved every character but most importantly my favorite was the harte darrigan’s character........he’s one of a kind definitely & so pleasingly interesting whenever he’s around Esta.💫characters felt a lot more matured than their age.....atleast for me 🤷🏻‍♂️💫Duh !!!! but i’m just obsessed.💫definitely the ending left me with a strange sort of cliffhanger which is for good i guess....... but nonetheless just pick it up cuz it’s a freaking gem.

I liked it so much. The concept of the story is so great.

A melhor parte do livro foi os últimos 4 capítulos.QUE PLOT TWIST FOI ESSE?? Morri.

This is one amazing book. The book delivered by Amazon was in good condition when delivered and the book wasn't damaged at all

Great book, unexpected turns at every corner. Not what I expected at all. Would recommend reading. What a wild adventure.

contenta con la compra, es buena lectura y de buena calidad

Good read

Excellent condition I wouldn't even know the book had been used before

Interesting story

I really wanted to like this book. It came highly recommended by 2 of my favorite YouTube book reviewers. But, this ended up being a real slog to get through, and I probably won't be buying the 2nd book in the series.Pacing. This book is fairly lengthy for YA. It begins fairly briskly, but then s-l-o-w-s down for the next several hundred pages, before rushing to an incomplete ending. The central heist takes a back seat to long descriptions of the world; these are well written, and quite engaging, but the heist itself, and the magic-world, receive little commentary. As other reviewers have noted, the "magic" is mostly concealed--so, the 3rd person narrator doesn't really describe the magic, it's uses, consequences, etc.Characters: I had real problems with the heroine, Esta. She's been trained since childhood in unarmed combat and theft by stealth. But, she has no discipline, and argues with teammembers during critical times (frequently in the midst of hazardous operations). If someone grabs her by the arm, she is helplessly captured, and cannot break free. The author writes her into some really dangerous situations, but Esta's reactions are more damsel-in-distress than trained and experienced thief. For all characters, no one trusts anyone else, and this is repeated throughout the book, and frequently. Romance is at the grade-school level, though this is YA lit, and the actors are young adults. There is a lesbian almost-couple, but that is all implied, and never realized. The Asian major character is a highlight, and the European immigrants are also well protrayed, but these are generally the exceptions.Gender. Even though Esta--our main character--is certainly a young woman, most of the female characters are weak. Even Esta is continually abused, and assualted. There are several deaths; most of them are women. Most of the deprivation is suffered by women. Now, this may have been historically accurate, but the result can be dark and relentless.The author does write well, and I found the generic world-building beautifully descriptive, if dark. I do wish the magical world received the same attention. I mostly wish the young-adult characters weren't artificially hamstrung with low maturity.

I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while, but the Shelflove Crate Annual Readathon pushed me to it along with an email I got letting me know the second book in the series is due to be released this year. I read The Last Magician for challenge 8 of the readathon, which was meant to be A Book Involving Time. I don’t remember any specific TW/CWs for this one so let’s just dive right in!The characters in this novel were all really well developed. Each individual character is so three dimensional and realistic that I have trouble imagining them as fictional characters and not real people. The use of multiple points of view was slightly confusing at first because I wasn’t expecting it and I wasn’t reading the physical version, but I quickly got used to the idea. Also, I have three words for you: Slow. Burn. Romance. 😍The Last Magician is set in New York City during various times, present day all the way back to 1902. I really like how Lisa Maxwell was able to layer it all so that the world is the same but also very different between these two times. She also managed to layer in another world with it that was a creation all her own, though now that I’m thinking on it gives me a bit of the good ole Wizarding World feel. I’ve not personally been to New York City, which I feel is odd given I’m originally from upstate, but I did feel like I could have been walking down the streets alongside these characters.I got Six of Crows feels in quite a few spots, so this is great for lovers of the Grishaverse, but it’s definitely distinct so the comparison stops there. It’s just a feeling I got while reading that was very perfect for readers of and I felt I had to share. Thinking on it while writing this review, I’m going to go ahead and say that The Last Magician is basically a Six of Crows meets the Wizarding World and I, for one, am 120% here for it.The story itself is absolutely brilliant and flows incredibly well, though as I said before I did get a little confused at the beginning of the audiobook because of the varying points of view taking place in different times of the same city. It was basically one plot twist after another and I just loved every single moment of it.The audiobook version of The Last Magician was narrated by Candace Thaxton and I was not at all fond of her reading. Her voice was a bit … scratchy? That alone wouldn’t have been a problem but the way she read the novel really bothered me. Her inflection didn’t fit the story at all and it ended up bugging me enough that I put the audiobook version away and read the second half of the novel in its hardcover physical version. I’ll probably avoid listening to her work in the future.In general this book is fantastic and I have no idea what took me so long to read it but I won’t make that same mistake with the sequel. I’m definitely looking forward to that and anything else Lisa Maxwell writes because I just enjoyed this novel beginning to end. I may even reread it when the sequel comes out just because it was that darn good!