Welcome to Litsy!

“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.” (Rhy)
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg,” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”

I loved how well developed (& imperfect) the characters and the worlds were in this book. The story was rich but not overly wordy. Such a well balanced story.
#Roll100 #20in4 #BookSpinBingo #MarchMadness #SeriesLove2023 #nobuy2023

Love, love, love the original cover for this book (and those for the entire series) which was designed by my favorite cover designer/art Will Staehle. But I must say, I ALSO really love the cover for the new edition (revealed this morning on Schwab‘s IG) coming out later this year. 😎

The book is set in three separate fiction Londons. Red London, a city in which magic is everywhere. Grey London, a dreary version of London, void of any semblance of magic. White London is a city which has been ravished by the use of magic leaving those who live there in poverty. The book follows Kell, one of the few gifted with the magical blood of Antari. Kell uses his powers to travel between worlds and bridge the gap learning of the past.

Cook characters. Felt descriptive yet concise. Enjoyed it.

I gathered a #sundaystack to try and entice myself to read/reread today. Sometimes I feel like they‘re here to keep me company - like old and new friends… Weird, right?

Excited to cut through this stack! Cheated a little putting Middlemarch as one of this month‘s reads, but it was truly on my TBR so 💁🏽‍♀️😂 #bookspinbingo

“Love doesn‘t keep us from freezing to death, Kell,” she continued, “or starving, or bring knifed for the coins in your pocket. Love doesn‘t buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.“

Purity without balance is its own corruption.

“Some people say magic lives in the mind, others the heart,” said Holland quietly, “but you and I both know it lives in the blood.”

“You believe that magic is an equal. A companion. A friend. But it is not. The stone is proof. You are either magic‘s master, or it‘s slave.”

Hesitation is the death of advantage.

Bad magic, Kell had called it.
No, Lila thought now. Clever Magic.
And clever was much more dangerous than bad any day of the week.

“Sit down before you fall down, magic boy.”

This book was amazing! Very creative and I couldn't put it down.
I cant wait to read the next one

This was an AMAZING re-read, arguably even better than the first time I read it because I already knew the characters and events, which really highlights foreshadowing and how well written the book really is. This made me rediscover my love for these characters and their world and I can‘t wait to read the rest of the series.
Still a 5⭐️ read.

He didn‘t know what to say, so he simply said, “Stay out of trouble.”
She flashed him a smile that said she wouldn‘t, of course.

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 those points were places. But sometimes, rarely, they were people. For someone who never stood still, Lila still felt like a pin in Kell‘s world. One he was sure to snag on.

“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.”

“What are you?” he asked, amazed.
Lila only shrugged. “Stubborn.”

Kell threw his arms around her. And for a second, only a second, she didn‘t pull away, didn‘t pull away, didn‘t threaten to stab him. For a second, and only a second, she hugged him back.

“For luck.”

“Peace,” he said softly, a parting word for a broken man.

“How did you know she wasn‘t me?”
Kell managed an exhausted smile. “Because she said please.”
Lila stared at him, aghast. “Is that a joke?”
Kell shrugged slightly. It took a lot of effort. “I just knew.”

“You‘ve gotten in the way long enough,” said Astrid, raising her hands in front of her.
Lila‘s mouth quirked. “I do seem to have a talent for that.”

“I have a closetful of kings.”

“One adventure at a time.”

“Perhaps I will go with you to the end of the world. After all, you‘ve made me curious.”

“My life is mine to spend.”

“Battles may be fought from the outside in, but wars are won from the inside out.”

“Look after him.”
Lila smiled grimly and tugged up the collar of her coat. “I will.”

Yesss! Love that.

“I bet I can make her understand,” he said, shaking himself in her direction.
Lila‘s eyes narrowed. “Burn in hell, you fu—“
“I wouldn‘t bother with her,” cut in Kell. “She bites.”

A wry smile cut across Lila‘s mouth. “You‘re a smuggler.”
“Says the pickpocket,” Kell snapped defensively.

“No such thing as too many knives.”

“The king and queen may not be my parents, but Rhy is my brother. I would die for him. I would kill for him.”

“Does he get into as much trouble as you do?”
Kell cracked a smile. “Oh, much more. Believe it or not, I‘m the responsible one.”

Magic was a truly beautiful disease. But only when the hosts were strong enough.

And for the first time, Kell saw Lila. Not as she wanted to be, but as she was. A frightened, albeit clever, girl trying desperately to stay alive. One who had likely frozen and starved and fought—and almost certainly killed—to hold on to some semblance of a life, guarding it like a candle in harsh wind.

Hang the fine dresses, she thought. I'll take a ship.

This book was amazing. The selling point for me was definitely the characters, I adore Lila, she's definitely a new favourite character and I can't wait to delve more into this world with her.

The kiss was there and then gone, like one of her smiles.
“What was that for?“ he asked, dazed.
“For luck,“ she said, squaring her shoulders to the wall. “Not that I need it.“

“I'm not going to die,“ she said. “Not till I've seen it.“
“Seen what?“
Her smile widened. “Everything.“

“Another version of London? Is there another version of me?“
Kell frowned. “I've never met anyone like you.“

“Death comes for everyone,“ she said simply. “I'm not afraid of dying. But I am afraid of dying here.“ She swept her hand over the room, the tavern, the city. “I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.“

“You don't know anything about these worlds,“ he said, but the fight was bleeding out of his voice.
“Sure I do,“ countered Lila cheerfully. “There's Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London,“ she recited, ticking them off on her fingers. “See? I'm a fast learner.“

“Why do you really want to do this?“
“Because I'm a fool.“
“Lila--“
“Because I can't stay here,“ she snapped, the smile gone from her face. “Because I want to see the world, even if it's not mine. And because I will save your life.“