A Darker Shade of Magic

Set in London, or in several of them to be more precise, this book by V.E. Schwab is about MAGIC. Kell is one of only two Antari alive who can transport between the worlds of Red, White, and Grey London. Black London may still exist but the doors have all been locked and the access keys destroyed--or at least that was what was supposed to happen. When Magic took a dark turn and began to control people, the other worlds of Red, White, and Grey London isolated Black London to protect themselves. In the intervening centuries, Grey London has stagnated with little trace of magic to be found. Mad King George is on the throne. White London is ruled by whoever can wrest the power of the throne for themselves. At the time the book is set, the rulers are siblings Athos and Astrid Dane, scheming and cruel tyrants who have enslaved their population. Only in Red London, Kell's home, do magic and the people happily co-exist and thrive. But someone has found a talisman from Black London and tricks Kell into bringing it into Red London, opening the doors to attack.
Kell appears to be outmaneuvered and overpowered in trying to get the talisman back to Black London before more harm is done; however, a clever girl thief from Gray London, Lila Bard, returns the favor of Kell saving her life by rescuing him several times over. All Lila ever wanted was to own her own ship and sail the world. Now she has more adventures than she could have wished for or imagined, but she does not hesitate. Together, they might just save the worlds. 
This book reminds me of two others I have read. UnLunDun by China Mieville, also deals with different versions of London that exist in parallel universes. A good read I reviewed years ago for the children's literature database (attached below if you're interested). The other, more recent, is the book in Patricia Briggs' "Sianim" series called When Demons Walk--I have a blog post for this one. This also involves a woman thief who comes to the aid of a magician.

Review of UnLunDun: Twelve-year-old Deeba never imagined where she would end up the night she accompanied her best friend, Zanna, into the basement of the housing complex. But things had been getting stranger and stranger for her friend, with wild animals bowing to her, total strangers greeting her with reverence, and her name showing up in bridge graffiti. With the turn of a wheel Zanna and Deeba are transported to a fantastical world made up of all the things that are broken or discarded by the inhabitants of their former hometown, London; it is the shadow city, unLondon, where none of the rules of their previous lives apply. Animate milk cartons become pets, specially trained rubbish bins are soldiers, double-decker buses fly, words become creatures, and people dress in clothes made from the pages of books. Your best friends may not be fully human, like half-ghost-half-boy Hemi. Although Zanna is the Chosen One described in the prophecy book, the Smog has stolen her memory and it is left to Deeba to save unLondon from being taken over by evil forces. In his first young adult novel, Mieville creates a wildly imaginative setting and story on a par with Terry Pratchett s Discworld series. This hefty work has a serious message about pollution and the mindset of disposability, but it s also a good adventure--with intrepid young male and female protagonists--that will appeal to fantasy fans of both genders. 2007, Del Rey/Ballantine Books/Random House, $17.95. Ages 12 to 18.
(PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2007.)