The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell (read an ebook week .TXT) 📕

book. Their insights made me a better writer, and any failings in this book are completely my own.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my first home at S&S and the entire team at Simon Pulse. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Mara Anastas and Liesa Abrams. Mara, especially, supported me and my books from the very beginning, and I will always be grateful to her for the career she helped me build. Thanks as well to my new home at McElderry, who have been awesomely welcoming and supportive as I’ve finished this book.

A million times a million thanks to the awesome readers of The Devil’s Own street team, especially to Amanda Fink, Augustina Zanelli, Daria Covington, Davianna Nieto, Emily Howald, Julieta Ninno, Kayleigh Bowman, Kim McCarty, Sammira Rais-Rohani, and Alessandra Pelligrino. You are all rock stars.

Many thanks to my agent and friend Kathleen Rushall. I am so grateful to have you in my corner. Thank you for keeping me sane and always having my back, even when I don’t have my own. Thank you especially for your patience as I figured out that I can’t work like a machine—I got there eventually. Mostly. Your support and understanding mean everything. Thanks for being a better advocate for me than I am for myself.

To my writer friends who keep me sane in this bizarre business. To the Fiery Bitches: Jaye Robin Brown, Kristen Lippert-Martin, Angele McQuade, Shanna Beasely, Shannon Doleski, Sara Raasch, Olivia Hinebaugh, Danielle Stinson, Mary Thompson, and Anne Blankman. I hate this stupid virus for ruining our time together this spring, but I admire and miss the hell out of you ladies. Next year, or bust. To Helene Dunbar, Christina June, Scarlet Rose, Abbie Fine, Peternelle van Arsdale, Anna Brightly, Vivi Barnes, Flavia Brunetti, Lev C. Rosen, Jenny Pernovich, Kendal Kulper, and the whole community of kind, talented writers—in person and online—who make me better every day. Thank you to the booksellers and teachers and bloggers who have championed this series. I owe my every success to you.

Finally, to my guys. Jason, Max, and Harry. I’m sorry you had to live with this book right along with me for the last two years. You are patience and love and light, and I’m so glad you’re mine. None of this would be worth anything without you.

More from this Series

The Last Magician

Book 1

The Devil's Thief

Book 2

More from the Author

Unhooked

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LISA MAXWELL is the author of the Last Magician series and Unhooked. She grew up in Akron, Ohio, and has a PhD in English. She’s worked as a teacher, scholar, bookseller, editor, and writer. When she’s not writing books, she’s a professor at a local college. She now lives in Virginia with her husband and two sons. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @LisaMaxwellYA or learn more about her upcoming books at Lisa-Maxwell.com.

Visit us at simonandschuster.com/teen

www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Lisa-Maxwell

Lisa-Maxwell.com

Margaret K. McElderry

Simon & Schuster, New York

ALSO BY LISA MAXWELL

Unhooked

The Last Magician series

The Last Magician

The Devil’s Thief

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MARGARET K. McELDERRY BOOKS

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2021 by Lisa Maxwell

Jacket title typography and photo-illustration copyright © 2021 by Craig Howell

Map illustrations copyright © 2017 (pages vi–vii) & 2021 (pages viii–ix) by Drew Willis

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Jacket designed by Russell Gordon

Interior designed by Brad Mead and Mike Rosamilia

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Maxwell, Lisa, 1979- author.

Title: The serpent’s curse / Lisa Maxwell.

Description: First edition. | New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2021] | Series: The last magician ; 3 | Summary: “Esta and Harte race through time and across the country to steal back the remaining elemental stones needed to bind the book’s power, stop the Order, and save the future of the Mageus”—Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020025262 (print) | LCCN 2020025263 (ebook) | ISBN 9781481494489 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781481494502 (ebook)

Subjects: CYAC: Magic—Fiction. | Time travel—Fiction. | Demoniac possession—Fiction. | Gangs—Fiction. | New York (N.Y.)—History—20th century—Fiction.

Classification: LCC PZ7.M44656 Ser 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.M44656 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025262

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025263