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A review by sklus
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
3.0
So I've realized that unless it's The Great Gatsby I don't like books set in the 1920s. At least I don't like "realism" in books about the 1920s. When I'm reading my YA Fantasy books to escape from the world, I don't need it to be peppered with "realistic" sexism. I don't need the male protagonist and romantic interest to make creepy comments about the female protagonist saying that "like any man in his right mind could have resisted that" when she opened the door to the bathroom wearing only a towel (307). She wasn't propositioning him; she was just standing in a towel. I don't need for the main character to get yelled at by her love interest or get man-handled by him multiple times throughout the book, even after he grabbed her so hard he left a "red mark" on her skin and seemed to regret behaving like "his father's son" (310). But it's all okay because he admits he doesn't "have a hidden heart of gold. [He's] a bastard in every sense of the word" (387). (It is not all okay.)
But I don't hate all of the book, but I don't think I'm going to continue the series. Some of the characters were really great. I loved Viola and her knives. The fantasy world built in this book was well fleshed out and interesting. The mageus, or people who have an affinity for magic, are an allegory for immigrants. Non-Mageus believe that the "mageus come not with open hearts, willing to throw off the superstitions of their past, but with insidious intent," which is awfully reminiscent of some xenophobic rhetoric we still hear today (*cough* Donald Trump *cough*) (414). Although there are some parts about the allegory I liked and some I didn't, I think overall it was well done, since most of the Mageus are actually first and second generation immigrants and most of the Order is old-money Americans. I also love the premise of a heist in order to end an oppressive organization. The unfortunate part about the heist is that 400 pages of the books built up to it and then it was over and done in less than 50 pages.
With my abundant criticism, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this book. If you can handle more sexism in your historical fantasy books, you may love this book. It's one of my friends favorite books of all time and I trust her opinions on everything fantasy.
But I don't hate all of the book, but I don't think I'm going to continue the series. Some of the characters were really great. I loved Viola and her knives. The fantasy world built in this book was well fleshed out and interesting. The mageus, or people who have an affinity for magic, are an allegory for immigrants. Non-Mageus believe that the "mageus come not with open hearts, willing to throw off the superstitions of their past, but with insidious intent," which is awfully reminiscent of some xenophobic rhetoric we still hear today (*cough* Donald Trump *cough*) (414). Although there are some parts about the allegory I liked and some I didn't, I think overall it was well done, since most of the Mageus are actually first and second generation immigrants and most of the Order is old-money Americans. I also love the premise of a heist in order to end an oppressive organization. The unfortunate part about the heist is that 400 pages of the books built up to it and then it was over and done in less than 50 pages.
With my abundant criticism, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this book. If you can handle more sexism in your historical fantasy books, you may love this book. It's one of my friends favorite books of all time and I trust her opinions on everything fantasy.