I would like to start off by thanking Goodreads and Lisa Maxwell for giving me this amazing opportunity to receive Devil's Thief in exchange for my honest opinion. It has taken me quite a bit longer than expected to get through this one and chime in with my 2 cents BUT life happens and it often impedes my ability to escape through the pages. Anyway, without further ado, here is my most humble opinion on the matter at hand.

My first impression, upon opening the parcel, was of the books' size... it is MASSIVE...this made me a bit giddy because I love love LOVED The Last Magician!! Next impression was about 25% into the book and already I found myself dragging...mentally sloshing through which made me profoundly sad. Undeterred and looking to resurrect my initial interest, I decided to spice things up a bit by purchasing the Audio book. Wellllll......I have to admit that the audiobook helped but not to the extent I had hoped. The alternating POVs were annoying. HEY, sometimes dueling POVs work and sometimes they go down in a blazing comet of confusion. This book, to my deepest chagrin, was the latter.

There were some good aspects though like the writing and world building, both were done well. The historical aspect seemed to be researched extensively and depicted authentically. Another bonus was that there were twisty turns, a story element that I not only look for but venerate.

On the otherhand, my search for a connection with any of the characters proved futile. There was a serious disconnect. This happens to be a major pet peeve of mine (after poor grammar) because it is one of those things that niggles and chafes. If I don't connect with the characters then I don't connect with the story as a whole and that is an unforgivable transgression in my opinion. I won this book through a GoodReads contest and I would have LOVED to rant and gush and rave about Devil's Thief but sadly I cannot.

Over all, this was a decent book. The writing and world building were well crafted and nicely detailed BUT I am saddened to report that it did not come close to the awesomeness of the first book. I might venture on to book# 3 with hopes of some sort literary revitalization but with my TBR pile teetering it seems unlikely.

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell is full of surprises. Every time I thought I had the plot figured out the author would throw me another curve ball. By the end of the book I was wanting more. I want to know all about this world and more about characters, such as Dolph Saunders and Harte Darrigan. Their stories are begging to be told.

However, this story is about Esta. She is one of the few people remaining that have an affinity for real magic, one of the Magues, and a talented one at that. She can manipulate time. She is also a first class thief, she can steal anything. Her teacher and mentor has sent her back in time to steal the book Ars Arcana.  It is the definitive book on magic that contains the secret to destroy the Brink, the magical barrier around New York that lets Magues in, but not out.

The Brink has trapped Magues for over a century now and today magic is almost gone. With the help of the book, the Brink can be brought down and the Magues freed. Of course, things are never as straight forward as they sound. The Ars Arcana is kept under lock and key in a stronghold of the Order, the sworn enemies of the Magues. As great a thief as Esta is, she will need help from Dolph Saunders and his gang. Unbeknownst to her some of Dolph’s people have their reasons for getting the book. In the end, she may have to betray the ones she has come to love in order to complete her mission.

I loved all the characters in the book, even the bad ones. This is what sold me and makes me want more. The story was excellent too. There is a lot going on and the reader could have easily gotten lost in the details. Yet, the author was very good about not throwing information at you all at once. Each tidbit revealed seemed to come at just the right time. It is obvious that careful thought when into the details.

The pace of the plot was perfect. It never felt rushed or forced and there was enough action and tension to keep any reader interested. There was a good balance of all things: characters, plot, setting, etc. I could not have asked for more.

If you are a fan of Leigh Bardogo, author of Six of Crows, you will love this book. I highly recommend with no reservations what so ever. Also, if you enjoy time travel stories and books with badass heroines this is a must for your TBR list.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my book blog at www.thespineview.com.

Update #2 on the books I bought on February

❁ Bought:

Unhooked - Lisa Maxwell 

Passenger - Alexandra Bracken 

After the Woods - Kim Savage 

Infinity Rises - S. Harrison 

Behind Closed Doors - B. A. Paris 

The Shadow Queen - C.J. Redwine 

The Dreamer (The Dreamerland Series Book 1) - E.J. Mellow 

Bird Box - Josh Malerman 

❁ Some of the freebies I got from amazon:

Monday or Tuesday - Virginia Woolf  (and numerous other classics)

Witch Is When It All Began - Adele Abbott 

The Hungering Saga Complete - Heath Pfaff 

Haunted on Bourbon Street - Deanna Chase 

Ruin: Dystopian Romance (Unbelief Series Book 2) - C.B. Stone,Book Covers by Design 

• Missed No #1? Find it here.

March is upon us my fellow book-friends!

I can't believe it's already here, February truly flew by..

☕ This is a preliminary list of books I want to read on March:

1. Mary Poppins: 80th Anniversary Collection - P.L. Travers,Mary Shepard 
2. Red Rising - Pierce Brown 
3. Perfect Ruin - Lauren DeStefano 
4. Unhooked - Lisa Maxwell 
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson   

I don't want to add more as I usually read whatever 'speaks' to me...

My main goal is to read 6-10 books.

Good luck to everyone else participating as well!

Ten Reasons to Read Unhooked