Lily thinks the only thing unique in her life is her blood type, until she gets attacked by a two-headed dog. A strange young man named Regan, also deemed the Guardian of the Gates, saves her and shows her a world she never expected. Alongside her normal London are creatures from myth and fairy tales, and it is Regan's job to protect both sides of the city. When several girls start disappearing, Lily suspects humans aren't the only ones behind it. Together, she and Regan will have to find the girls and save London.

CITY OF HALVES has an interesting premise. I've read other books with a similar idea - a hidden, mystical world existing alongside the normal - but I do like some of the unique spins Lucy Inglis puts on it. The dragons of the gates are especially cool, as is the strange person who knows exactly how to individualize tattoos. However, I do think some of the pieces of this story are ones I've seen too many times elsewhere.

The operation from The Agency that Lily and Regan try to prevent is a little fuzzy. The goals are clear, but I felt the explanation for why they chose this project and how everything connects is a little vague. Even so, I do love Regan and Lily's strategizing. They make an excellent pair, and I love how flirty they are together. The relationship between Lily and her dad is also well done and complex, and they are wonderfully respectful of each other.

While I probably won't pick up CITY OF HALVES again, I did enjoy this story. Lucy Inglis is a good writer who knows how to create some adorably swoony scenes, and I definitely want to read more from her.

Book Summary

Ancient myth collides with modern technology in this gripping urban fantasy.

London. Present day. Girls are disappearing. And strange things are roaming the streets.

When sixteen-year-old Lily is attacked by a two-headed dog, she’s saved by hot, tattooed, and not-quite-human Regan. As Guardian of the Gates, it’s his job to protect both halves of the City—new and old—from restless creatures that threaten its very existence. But an influx of these mythological beasts has Regan worried that something terrible—and immense—is about to happen.

The missing girls may have something to do with the monsters wandering around London, but what do they have in common? Can Lily and Regan find the girls and discover the truth in time to save London from being torn apart?