This is book 5 in Michael Pryor's incredibly addictive The Laws of Magic series. The story is a mirror-world of our own in the early 1900s before England and Germany were at war. It has many similar historical aspects as the problems between the countries escalate until an assassination leads to war declared. The difference between our world and Albion is the existence of magic.
Think barely-post-Victorian, devious political plots, an evil 'wizard' and countries in danger - this is the daily life of Aubrey, George and Caroline. They're Albion's best hope for survival - a magic-user, a journalist and a suffragette. No, Albion isn't doomed - not yet.
It's hard to explain how exciting these books are without giving away any spoilers. The dialogue is fast and witty, there's no unnecessary fillers and it's hard to put the book down until the last page is read. Even then I was thinking about the story for weeks after and now I'm anxiously awaiting the next book. They're truly a seriously great read.
