4 Stars
Pros: An interesting and unique concept of different Londons existing beside one another/Kell, Lila, Rhy, almost all the characters were likable
Cons: It got a little corny at the end but for the most part it was a fun and entertaining read.
Full Review:
Kell is one of the few remaining Antari, a breed of people who can travel between three Londons, Red, Grey and White. There was once a Black London, but the power of magic corrupted all who lived there and the city was more or less, razed to the ground. Kell spends most of his time traveling between the Londons, delivering correspondence, and at times, bringing back trinkets for himself, which is expressly forbidden but he feels that he's not harming anyone by collecting small knick knacks.
Though he can travel between the three Londons easily enough, his main dominion is Red London, where he is the adopted son of the King and Queen and his littler brother, Rhy. He was brought to the Palace when he was 5, having nothing more than a knife, engraved with what he believes are his initials, K.L. The royal family of Red London refuse to answer any questions he has about his past and it is a constant source of frustration. He feels alone with no anchor to his past and wishes he could find out what his life was like before he came to the palace.
Being an Antari is not genetic, it is not passed down from Father to Son etc. It is simply something that happens to some and not to others. And Kell is not the only Antari left. There is another, Holland, whose main dominion is White London, a startlingly stark, dangerous, evil place that is ruled by the Dane Twins, brother and sister, Athos and Astrid. They are both cunning and cruel, keeping Holland as a slave to do their bidding. He is the opposite of Kell, cruel, sinister, eerie and even more powerful when it comes to magic.
Kell's entire life is changed when he is summoned to White London to bring correspondence from Red London. As he prepares to return home, a woman approaches him with a letter and a package, begging him to deliver it to her dying brother in Grey London. Though Kell often brings things back with him from travels to the other Londons, he has a feeling there is something off about this particular delivery. But he agrees to do so anyway. And of course, when he gets to the address to deliver the package, he is ambushed.
The package is a small, black stone, with one rune carved into it, Vitari, which is the true name for Magic itself. Kell can feel the power within the stone and when he is attacked by two cutthroats, he inadvertently uses the power in the stone to defend himself. Right away he can tell that the stone is dark, dangerous but powerful and he knows he has to get rid of it, keep it safe, at least do something about it.
After surviving the ambush, though badly wounded, he stumbles into the path of Lila Bard. She is a young girl who is trying to make her way through the world as a pickpocket, wanting to scrounge up enough coin to buy herself a ship and become a true blue pirate. And as she offers Kell her handkerchief to wipe away the blood from his wound, she picks his pocket and steals the stone. Kell immediately goes after her and gets back what is his. But it doesn't end there.
Lila, angry at having lost her prize, goes to a tavern and is confronted by none other than Holland, who could sense the traces of Magic left on her from Kell. He uses her as bait to lure Kell to him and demands he give him the stone. Kell rescues Lila and Holland and Kell fight for the stone and Kell is almost killed but for the timely intervention of Lila. She saves his life and brings him back to the tavern where she's been living, the stone now safely in their possession.
The novel then centers around Kell and Lila needing to travel back to Black London to be rid of the Stone, but of course, there is trouble at every turn. It was a fun, entertaining and interesting read. There are parts of Kell's past that he doesn't know, which obviously intrigues the reader. And the ending leaves off for a sequel, which I've already started and am thoroughly enjoying :).
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