Well this was fantastic. I was a little skeptical going in, as the multiple Londons seemed like it could be a little kitschy, but boy was I wrong. This was a really fun magical journey that I'm glad I got to experience. I enjoyed some of the various "staples," like the thief you can't help but like (mixed with the snarky female, in this case), the handsome prince, the magical good and bad guys. But I also enjoyed how some things were left out...mainly, no love interests (which was refreshing), but also that Lila's magic didn't just show up at the most opportune time, to save the day. It's both a compelling reason to read the next ones and a nice veer off the normal fantasy "path." I also liked Holland's character, the role he played, and how for both him and Beloc, they beat the magic that controlled them with self-sacrifice (speaking to the "follow out of respect, not fear" mantra of leadership). I also thought that sending Holland to Black London with the stone was a cool way to get rid of it, without anything too cliche needing to happen with Kell and Lila. I actually, because of her glass eye, would be interested to see if we find out in future that they are somehow related... All in all, this was a great adventure, one that Lila's character would be proud to be in (I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still), and I am excited to see where these character's go next.