If the conspiracies around Venice—the Doge’s court, secret deals to hand the city to the Egyptian empire, and Merle and Serafin dodging betrayal after betrayal—had you hooked, The Lies of Locke Lamora dives into Camorr, a ruthlessly Venetian city where thieving crews scheme under the noses of nobles and crime lords. Like Merle uncovering Arcimboldo’s treachery and the plot against the Flowing Queen, Locke and his Gentlemen Bastards play perilous long cons that spiral into deadly political maneuvering.

You loved how The Water Mirror reimagines Venice with stone lions, mirrorcraft, and the Flowing Queen. City of Masks brings you to Bellezza—an alternate Venice where a masked Duchessa rules, assassins stalk festival nights, and a grand regatta can decide fates. That same heady blend of waterways, ritual, and secret passages that Merle and Junipa navigate flows through this story’s richly built city.

When the Flowing Queen chooses Merle and forces her to grow from apprentice to protector—while mummies and sphinxes close in—that coming-of-age urgency shines. In Sabriel, a schoolgirl crosses into the Old Kingdom to take up the Abhorsen’s mantle, confronting undead horrors and a great evil much as Merle faces the Egyptian priests and their dark magic. It’s that same leap from sheltered youth to courageous guardian.

If the eerie mirrorcraft, Junipa’s glass eyes, and the mummy priests’ sorcery intrigued you, The Amulet of Samarkand delivers a sharp, witty clash of magicians and enslaved djinn. Like Merle discovering how corrupt magic can be in Venice, Nathaniel learns that every spell exacts a price—especially when a powerful amulet puts him at odds with scheming masters and a sardonic spirit who sees through everyone’s lies.

Merle fleeing Venice with the Flowing Queen inside her—pursued by sphinxes and traitors—mirrors the breathless momentum of A Darker Shade of Magic. Here, Kell smuggles a forbidden stone between parallel Londons, and every step draws more hunters. If you loved the high-stakes escapes and narrow saves that Merle and Serafin pull off, this delivers that same propulsive, chase-driven magic.