Into the crooked place /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Into the Crooked Place begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom .

The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.

Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She'll do anything to put her crimes behind her.

Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won't stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.

Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city's worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.

And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.

Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic--a weapon she didn't know she had--to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it's too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

This first title in Christo's duology lays the groundwork for major battles to come. Here, as four young crooks fight the influx of a deadly dark magic, they must band together to survive. Tavia is the best busker around, selling her magic elixirs and dreaming of escape from Creije as well as from her boss and former friend, Wesley, now a hard-bitten gangster. Meanwhile, warrior Karam continues winning in the fighting rings, but she never forgets her roots or her attraction to resistance fighter Saxony, who still mourns the loss of her little sister. Christo offers the reader creative and thoughtful backstories for each protagonist, along with fully realized worlds rife with magic. Chapters bear the name of the viewpoint character, and the plot advances through their four alternating perspectives. Everywhere are people of color and acknowledgment of LGBTQ characters nice touches not always seen in fantasy. Though the book's latter half could have benefited from some tightening up, there's much here to attract fantasy devotees.--Debbie Carton Copyright 2010 Booklist

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn't be a fairy. When she's not busy making up stories, she can be found organizing food crawls over London and binge-watching Korean dramas. Alexandra has a BA in Creative Writing and currently lives in England with an abundance of cacti (because they're the only plants she can keep alive). She is also the author of To Kill a Kingdom .