Told in alternating timelines of 1902 and 1983 Brooklyn, each time focuses on different people. Esta and Harte move forward to 1983 where they can go to the future, get away from the enemy, and figure out how to solve the problems of the Brink and the evil Nibsy Lorcan. Viola and Jianyu are in 1902 with Nibsy. All of the main characters from the past books of this series are mentioned in different timelines. The characters eventually all end up in the same timeline together. The storyline consists of turmoil and struggles to right the wrongs of the past and give freedoms to the people who have an affinity for magic. An intelligent time travel fantasy.

Likes/dislikes:
The many timelines, characters and struggles almost need a chart to keep track of. This is the fourth book of The Last Magician series and it just adds another layer to the whole concept and plot. If this series is going to be read, the books should be read together without much time between to help keep it all straight. I like the diversity of the characters and their strengths.

Mature content: PG-13 for drug use by side character, kissing
Language: R for 53 swears and 1 f-bomb
Violence: PG-13 for villain shooting himself, explosions that killed people.
Ethnicity/other info: The ethnicity is mixed with white, Italian, Oriental and Black. There is a lesbian couple that kisses.

I am so disappointed with how this series evolved over time. The Last Magician was one of my favorite books when I read the ARC when it was released a few years ago. This book suffers from the same problems I had with books two and three; it is too long, the side characters truly add nothing to the story, and the story is repetitive. From page 206 on I counted 10 instances where a chapter ended with the characters falling into yet another trap set by one of the multiple antagonists. There were more chapters where this occurred before page 206 but I was too lazy to go back and reread to count them all.

By book four I had zero interest in Esta and Harte and their overly dramatic love for each other. There was a whole pregnancy subplot that was added only to be discarded in the second half of the book, Maybe the author forgot about it herself but for how much Harte was concerned about it I am surprised it was never resolved.

The big reveal at the end of the book made books 2 and 3 feel entirely pointless to me but I did enjoy making jokes about how similar the final character reveal was to Bruno from Encanto.

Overall, I wish the Last Magician could have been a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read. It is the conclusion to the series.

The conclusion of the last magician series. I truly did not enjoy this book. I feel the plot lagged and the dialogue was tiresome. I had to force myself to finish reading it. I’m sure it has its audience though.

Well, one day late isn't bad.

Esta and Harte work to gather the artifacts and the Book from Jack Grew/Thoth in 1920 and then the 1980s. Meanwhile, back in 1902, Viola, Jianyu, Cela, Abel, and the rest of their group try to determine who got the ring after their botched mission. Nibsy gains control of Dolph's cane and uses it to cement his leadership of the Devil's Own. 1902 Jack Grew is determined to finish his machine and kill all the Mageus and bring down the Inner Circle. Who will survive the attempt to put the magic from the Book back where it belongs, and what will be sacrificed?

The Shattered City is a gorgeous, timeless, all-consuming tale with a twisty, spellbinding romp that pulled me in from the beginning.

Esta and Harte have been through a lot. They have traveled through time and throughout the land to collect powerful artifacts that are needed to control the Book’s power. They have lost even more … family, friends, and their hearts. They are down to their last artifact. Their hunt has brought them back to where everything started … New York City. The city has changed, their friends have left, and time is not on their side. Will they be able to save magic? What will they be asked to sacrifice along the way?

The Shattered City is the fourth book in The Last Magician series. This fantasy novel jumps around in time and characters, so readers will benefit from a pause between chapters to orient themselves with these changes. I will admit that this volume was very long, but not many pages were wasted on unnecessary story elements; Maxwell just had a lot of ground to cover and it appears she didn’t want this split into two books. The Shattered City was a good conclusion to the story, but the book itself was ho-hum.