By: V.E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
This book was AMAZING!!! I seriously loved it so much I cannot even form words right now! First off the book centers around three different londons all from different worlds (I love this idea so much it was like this book was made for me :)) Also the writing was INCREDIBLE! It felt like I could just melt into the different worlds. Not to mention there was also thieving, backstabbing, and dark magic so whats not to love?
This book stole my heart in so many ways but I can describe it all in four letters:
KELL
I absolutely, totally, and completely fell in LOVE with Kell! He is the most interesting and unique character I have read about in quite some time (although I was practically dying from the lack of YA fantasy I've been reading lately) Luckily this book saved me from giving up on reading (the last few books I've read just haven't done it for me lately) Kell restored my faith in YA and was able to bring me back to life. He is just so fascinating, and I am completely intranced by the fact that he has two different color eyes, one black and one blue, I just think that is the perfect small detail too add. This book was able to keep surprising me in really unexpected ways. All the characters were really not what you expected and thats what made me love them!
“He would see her again. He knew he would. Magic bent the world. Pulled it into shape. There were fixed points. Most of the time they were places. But sometimes, rarely, they were people. For someone who never stood still, Lila felt like a pin in Kell's world. One he was sure to snag on.”
Like the fact the Deliah Bard completely crushed female stereotypes in book characters (pants over dresses... heck ya!) Leilah was honestly not my favorite in the beginning. Its not that I didn't like her I just didn't think she was all that interesting but that totally changed later on in the book and she was able to change my perspective on her. I also love Rhy who is Kells unofficial brother (who is also the prince of Red london- which is by far the best of all the londons). He is complete charming and he knows it, plus the fact that Kell would do anything for him... melts my heart!
“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.”
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg.” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg.” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”
This book was just the most unique and head spinning (not mention Fabulous) book and every page made me love it more than the last! If you get the chance PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE check out this book! (Read it! You just have to read it!) You will not regret it!
Jackaby
By: William Ritter
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.
Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.
This book had been sitting on my self for quite some time now and I think the only reason I didn't read it sooner was because I wasn't really sure what to expect. I didn't want it to be too stuffy and eighteenth centruryish but I did know there was some element of supernatural activity and I just didn't know what it was (I mean if it said right off the bat that there was vampires or werewolves I would have been sold) But this book actually pleasantly surprised me with how entertaining it was!
“I have ceased concerning myself with how things look to others, Abigail Rook. I suggest you do the same. In my experience, others are generally wrong.”
I mean both the characters (especially jackaby) were just so delightfully quirky that it made my eyes jump from page to page! The book starts off with Abigail Rook who dreams of nothing but adventure when she comes to town and stumbles into more than she expected when she meets Jackaby. She starts off as his employer and is naturally shocked to find out all the supernatural craziness he's involved with but him and her actually end up working beautifully together even if she can't make out all of his strange ways.
“Does this smell like paprika or gunpowder to you?”
Also the whole town is quite interesting. I especially love how the sherif had it out for Jackaby since the beginning and the two just torment each other constantly Also the fact that Jackaby's last employee is now a duck and he lives with a ghost was totally fun twist.
“The most recent gentleman has proven to be far more resilient and a great deal more helpful. He remains with me in a . . . different capacity."
"What capacity?"
Jackaby's step faltered, and he turned his head away slightly. His mumbled reply was nearly lost to the wind. "He is temporarily waterfowl.”
"What capacity?"
Jackaby's step faltered, and he turned his head away slightly. His mumbled reply was nearly lost to the wind. "He is temporarily waterfowl.”
The writing was also really funny and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the more quirky things just because of how flat out absurd they were!
Overall this was a sold read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something unique and interesting but not too heavy. (I'll probably pick up the second book some time soon) A solid three stars!
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