Crooked Magic, Crooked City

In the bustling, lawless city of Creije, Tavia Syn survives by selling illegal magic and trickery, always one step ahead of the law and her own conscience. The city is a patchwork of color and danger, ruled by the enigmatic underboss Wesley Thornton Walcott, who keeps the criminal underworld running with ruthless efficiency. Tavia's life is a delicate balance of survival, style, and deception, but everything changes when a strange, powerful riddle emerges from a fortune orb—one she didn't plant. The city's magic is shifting, and Tavia senses that something old and dangerous is waking beneath the surface, threatening to upend the fragile order of her world.

The Elixir's Dark Bargain

Wesley tasks Tavia with selling a mysterious new elixir from the Kingpin, promising her freedom from her life debt for every vial sold. The elixir, rumored to bring happiness, unsettles Tavia, but the promise of escape is too tempting. When she finally sells it, the effects are immediate and terrifying: her friend Saxony, after drinking it, is overtaken by a violent, otherworldly force, and a customer is driven to murder. Both bear a strange mark—the sign of magic sickness, a deadly affliction from the city's past. Tavia realizes the elixir is not what it seems, and that she's been made a pawn in a much larger, more sinister game.

Friends, Foes, and Betrayals

Tavia's world unravels as she seeks help from Wesley, only to find him embroiled in deadly power struggles with rival underbosses. Saxony, revealed to be a Crafter—a rare wielder of true magic—becomes both a target and a key to the city's fate. Karam, the fierce fighter, and Tavia's closest allies are drawn into the conflict, each with their own scars and secrets. Loyalties are tested as the group is forced to confront the truth about the elixir, the Kingpin's ambitions, and the cost of survival in a city where trust is a rare and dangerous commodity.

The Kingpin's Shadow

Wesley is summoned by the Kingpin, Dante Ashwood, a figure more shadow than man, who reveals his plan to use the elixir—crafted from the blood of Crafters—to control minds and wage war against the government. Ashwood's power is rooted in forbidden magic, and his vision is nothing less than the conquest of Uskhanya and the destruction of its Doyen, Fenna Schulze. Wesley, torn between loyalty and horror, realizes that the Kingpin's war will consume everything he loves, including Creije itself. The group must decide whether to fight for their city or become casualties of Ashwood's ambition.

Sickness and Secrets Unleashed

As the elixir spreads, cases of magic sickness erupt across Creije, echoing the tragedies of the past. Tavia is haunted by memories of her mother's death from the same affliction, and the guilt of having unleashed it again. Saxony's true identity as a Crafter is revealed, deepening the rift between friends and exposing her to new dangers. The group's secrets—Wesley's haunted past, Saxony's hidden power, Karam's legacy as a protector—threaten to tear them apart even as they are forced to unite against a common enemy.

Blood Debts and Broken Loyalties

With the city on the brink, Wesley strikes a deal with Vice Doyen Krause: help bring down the Kingpin in exchange for a shot at becoming Kingpin himself. The group forms an uneasy alliance, gathering buskers and Crafters for a last stand. Old debts and betrayals resurface—Saxony's secret mission to spy for her Kin, Karam's estranged family, Tavia's longing for freedom—forcing each to confront what they are willing to sacrifice. As the shadow moon approaches, the lines between friend and foe blur, and the cost of loyalty grows ever steeper.

The Consort's Mind

To find Ashwood's hidden stronghold, the group must break into the mind of his consort, Eirini, using forbidden Crafter magic. Saxony is forced to perform a mind extraction, a spell that risks her sanity and curses her Kin. Inside Eirini's mind, Saxony faces riddles, monsters, and the weight of her own regrets, ultimately killing Eirini to obtain the passphrase. The group escapes with the location of Ashwood's island, but the cost is high: innocence lost, blood spilled, and the knowledge that the only way forward is through more darkness.

Regrets and Revelations

As they journey to Ashwood's island, the group is forced to confront their deepest regrets in a magical trial. Each must relive the moment that haunts them most—Tavia's choice to join the underworld, Wesley's betrayal of a Crafter girl, Saxony's family's death, Karam's break with her father. The trials test their resolve and unity, revealing the scars that bind and divide them. Only by facing their pasts can they hope to survive the war ahead, but not all wounds can be healed, and not all sins can be forgiven.

The Gathering Storm

The group recruits Crafters from Granka and buskers from Creije, forging an uneasy alliance of crooks and magic-wielders. Karam confronts her family and her legacy, Saxony faces the judgment of her Kin, and Wesley discovers he may be more than human—a true Crafter, his power hidden by a blood curse. As the shadow moon rises, amplifying all magic, the group prepares for war, knowing that betrayal and death may come from within as easily as from without.

Crafters and Crooks United

With time running out, the group perfects a weapon—time barrels that can freeze enemies in place—and sets out for Ashwood's island fortress. The alliance is fragile, held together by shared purpose and the threat of annihilation. Tavia steps into leadership, Karam trains the army, Saxony and Arjun unite the Crafters, and Wesley balances ambition with guilt. The journey is perilous, marked by storms, monsters, and the ever-present risk of betrayal. As they near the island, the final battle looms.

The Shadow Moon Rises

Under the shadow moon, the group launches their assault on Ashwood's fortress. The moon amplifies all magic, turning the battlefield into chaos. Time barrels explode, freezing Ashwood's army, but the Kingpin's power is immense, and his Crafters—led by Saxony's sister Zekia—fight with fanatical loyalty. Wesley's true Crafter power awakens, and the lines between hero and villain blur. Sacrifices are made, alliances shattered, and the cost of victory becomes unbearably high.

War on the Kingpin's Isle

The battle rages through the castle and its crypts, with Karam and Arjun facing shadow demons, Saxony confronting her sister, and Tavia fighting for her life. The Kingpin is wounded but not destroyed, and Zekia's power threatens to consume Wesley. In a desperate gambit, the group unleashes all their magic, but the cost is steep: friends are lost, trust is broken, and the Kingpin escapes with Zekia and Wesley in tow. The island collapses, and the survivors flee, battered and forever changed.

Sacrifice and Survival

In the aftermath, the group mourns their dead and reckons with the betrayals that nearly destroyed them. Saxony is haunted by her sister's choices, Karam by the loss of her Kin, Tavia by the knowledge that she cannot save everyone, and Wesley by the darkness within himself. The alliance holds, but only barely, as new threats emerge and old wounds fester. The war is not over; the Kingpin is still at large, and the realms are more divided than ever.

The Price of Power

As the survivors regroup, they face the consequences of their choices. Tavia steps into leadership, determined to unite the Crafters and buskers for the next phase of the war. Saxony vows to save her sister, no matter the cost. Karam shoulders the burden of her family's legacy, and Wesley, now a prisoner of Zekia and the Kingpin, is tormented by magic and memory. The cost of power is clear: no one escapes unscathed, and the line between savior and monster grows ever thinner.

Aftermath: New Alliances, Old Wounds

The group seeks refuge in Rishiya, gathering new allies and preparing for the next battle. Tavia and Karam forge a bond of trust, Saxony faces the judgment of her Kin, and the survivors struggle to heal. The Kingpin's influence spreads, and the realms teeter on the brink of chaos. Old wounds fester, new alliances form, and the war for the soul of magic is far from over.

The Kingpin's Next Move

In the shadows, Zekia and the Kingpin plot their next move, with Wesley as their captive and pawn. The Kingpin's magic grows ever more twisted, and Zekia's power threatens to reshape the world. The survivors must rally, or risk losing everything to the darkness that waits just beyond the crooked place.

Characters

Tavia Syn

Tavia is a streetwise busker who survives by selling illegal magic and trickery in Creije. Scarred by her mother's death from magic sickness, she is fiercely independent, moral beneath her bravado, and desperate for freedom from her life debt. Her relationships with Wesley (her former friend and underboss), Saxony (her best friend and secret Crafter), and Karam (her fierce protector) are the emotional core of the story. Tavia's journey is one of guilt, redemption, and reluctant leadership—she is forced to confront her own complicity in the city's darkness and ultimately steps up to unite Crafters and crooks against the Kingpin. Her arc is defined by her struggle to reconcile survival with conscience, and her longing for a home and family she can trust.

Wesley Thornton Walcott

Wesley is the enigmatic underboss of Creije, a master of deception, violence, and survival. Raised by the Kingpin after a brutal childhood, he is both a product and a victim of the city's cruelty. Wesley is tormented by the ghostly voice of Zekia in his mind, a symbol of his guilt and fractured psyche. His relationships with Tavia (his closest friend and possible love), Saxony (his rival and eventual enemy), and the Kingpin (his surrogate father and nemesis) drive his internal conflict. Wesley's arc is a descent into—and struggle against—darkness: he discovers he is a true Crafter, his power hidden by a blood curse, and must choose between becoming the monster he fears or forging a new path. His choices shape the fate of the city and the realms.

Saxony Akintola

Saxony is a Rishiyat Crafter hiding in plain sight, working at the Crook and secretly spying for her Kin. Driven by the loss of her family and the disappearance of her sister Zekia, she is torn between loyalty to her people and her friendships with Tavia and Karam. Saxony's arc is one of self-discovery and sacrifice: she is forced to use forbidden magic, betray her friends, and confront the darkness within her own Kin. Her relationship with Karam is a source of strength and vulnerability, while her rivalry with Wesley exposes her own capacity for ruthlessness. Saxony's journey is defined by her quest to save her sister and her people, even as she risks becoming what she hates.

Karam Talwar

Karam is a fierce fighter from Granka, descended from a line of sacred warriors sworn to protect Crafters. She is stoic, loyal, and deadly, with a dry wit and a deep sense of duty. Karam's relationship with Saxony is both romantic and fraught, shaped by shared trauma and the weight of family expectations. Her arc is one of reconciliation—with her past, her family, and her own capacity for violence. Karam is the backbone of the group, training the army and leading by example, but she is haunted by the loss of her Kin and the fear of failing those she loves. Her journey is about finding purpose beyond vengeance and forging a new legacy.

Dante Ashwood (The Kingpin)

Ashwood is the Kingpin of Uskhanya, a figure of legend and terror, more shadow than man. His power is rooted in forbidden magic, stolen from Crafters, and his ambition is nothing less than the conquest of the realms. Ashwood is both a surrogate father to Wesley and his greatest enemy, embodying the seductive allure and ultimate corruption of power. He is a master of psychological warfare, using the elixir to control minds and sow chaos. Ashwood's presence is a constant threat, driving the plot and forcing every character to confront their own darkness.

Zekia Akintola

Zekia is Saxony's younger sister, once destined to be Liege of her Kin, now the Kingpin's left hand and creator of the mind-controlling elixir. Gifted with the rarest form of magic, she is both victim and villain, her mind twisted by captivity and power. Zekia's relationship with Saxony is the emotional heart of the story's second half, embodying the tragedy of lost innocence and the dangers of unchecked ambition. Her psychic connection to Wesley is a source of both torment and plot propulsion, and her choices shape the future of magic itself.

Arjun

Arjun is Karam's childhood friend and the second of the Grankan Kin. A Spiritcrafter, he is both a warrior and a scholar, torn between tradition and the demands of war. Arjun's arc is one of loss and reluctant leadership: after the destruction of his Kin, he must step up as Liege and forge new alliances. His relationship with Karam is brotherly, marked by shared history and mutual respect. Arjun embodies the struggle to balance honor with survival, and his journey is about finding hope in the ashes of defeat.

Asees

Asees is the formidable leader of the Grankan Crafters, a woman of strength, tradition, and deep responsibility. She is wary of outsiders and slow to trust, but ultimately chooses to aid the group in their war against the Kingpin. Asees's arc is one of sacrifice and adaptation: she must balance the safety of her people with the demands of a changing world. Her fate—captured and controlled by Ashwood—serves as a warning of the costs of both action and inaction.

Vice Doyen Armin Krause

Krause is the Vice Doyen of Uskhanya, a bureaucrat caught between the law and the underworld. He is pragmatic, shrewd, and willing to make deals with devils if it serves his interests. Krause's alliance with Wesley is uneasy, marked by mutual distrust and necessity. He represents the limitations of institutional power in the face of true magic and the moral compromises required to survive in a crooked world.

Deniel Emilsson

Deniel is an ordinary man who becomes one of the first victims of the elixir's mind control, driven to murder and madness. His descent into violence and eventual death at the hands of the authorities is a microcosm of the city's sickness and the Kingpin's spreading influence. Deniel's arc is brief but powerful, embodying the human cost of the war for magic and the dangers of unchecked power.

Plot Devices

Dual Narrative Structure

The story is told through the alternating viewpoints of Tavia, Wesley, Saxony, and Karam, each with their own voice, secrets, and motivations. This structure allows the reader to experience the world from inside the heads of both heroes and antiheroes, deepening the emotional stakes and highlighting the interconnectedness of their fates. The shifting perspectives also serve to build suspense, reveal hidden truths, and explore the psychological complexity of each character.

Magic as Addiction and Weapon

Magic in Creije is both a commodity and a curse, a source of power and a vector of corruption. The elixir, crafted from Crafter blood, is both a drug and a weapon, offering happiness at the cost of autonomy. The return of magic sickness echoes real-world epidemics and the dangers of unchecked technological or social change. Magic's role as both salvation and destruction is central to the plot, driving characters to both heroism and villainy.

Foreshadowing and Prophecy

The story is laced with riddles, prophecies, and visions—most notably the fortune orb's cryptic warning and the recurring motif of the shadow moon, which amplifies magic and signals the coming war. These devices create a sense of inevitability and tension, as characters struggle to interpret and resist the futures foretold for them. The use of prophecy also raises questions about fate, free will, and the possibility of redemption.

Regret and Psychological Trials

The magical trial of regrets forces each character to confront their deepest wounds and worst choices, serving as both a plot device and a metaphor for trauma and healing. These trials are not just obstacles but opportunities for growth, forcing the characters to accept responsibility, forgive themselves and others, and choose who they want to become. The psychological depth of these trials elevates the story beyond simple adventure, making it a meditation on guilt, forgiveness, and the cost of survival.

Betrayal and Shifting Alliances

The plot is driven by betrayals—Saxony's secret mission, Wesley's haunted past, the Kingpin's manipulation, Zekia's turn to darkness. Alliances are constantly shifting, and trust is both a weapon and a vulnerability. The story explores the difficulty of forging true bonds in a world built on lies, and the ways in which love, loyalty, and ambition can both save and destroy.

The Price of Power

The story repeatedly asks what characters are willing to sacrifice for power, freedom, or love. The cost of magic, leadership, and survival is measured in blood and betrayal. The line between hero and monster is blurred, and the possibility of redemption is always uncertain. The narrative structure, with its focus on psychological depth and moral ambiguity, reinforces the theme that power always comes at a price.

Analysis

Into the Crooked Place is a dark, character-driven fantasy that explores the cost of survival, the seduction and danger of power, and the possibility of redemption in a world built on lies. Through its ensemble cast of crooks, Crafters, and outcasts, the novel interrogates the nature of trust, the weight of regret, and the blurred line between heroism and villainy. Magic is both a metaphor for addiction and a literal weapon, its promise of happiness always shadowed by the threat of corruption. The story's structure—alternating perspectives, psychological trials, and shifting alliances—mirrors the fractured, uncertain world the characters inhabit. At its heart, the book is about the struggle to find family, purpose, and hope in a world that seems determined to break them. The lessons are hard-won: that true power lies not in domination but in unity, that forgiveness is as necessary as justice, and that even in the crookedest of places, it is possible to choose who you become. The ending, with its unresolved conflicts and lingering wounds, sets the stage for further battles, but also for the possibility of healing and change.

Last updated: October 7, 2025