The Skilled Books in Order

The Skilled is a young adult urban fantasy series by Megan Walker and Janci Patterson, set in a version of Venice where magic is real but carefully hidden from ordinary people. The city is not just a backdrop. Its narrow streets, canals, old buildings, and maze-like routes make every pursuit, secret meeting, and escape feel closer and more dangerous.

At the center is Zan Mardova, a young man born into one of Venice’s powerful magical Families. Zan would rather use his Skills for motorcycle tricks and flying over rooftops than get pulled into Family politics. But the Mardovas rule through secrecy and long-held grudges, and their power comes with obligations that become impossible for Zan to ignore.

The story begins when Zan discovers Ellie, an ordinary person, or “typic,” who has been manipulated by a rival Family. Helping her exposes a larger web of lies and forces Zan to question the loyalty he has always given the Mardovas. His growing connection with Ellie challenges the assumptions that separate Skilled people from everyone else.

Magic has a cost here. The Families guard their abilities, compete for influence, and treat Venice as territory worth fighting over. Zan’s personal problem quickly becomes a wider conflict involving betrayal, rival powers, and the possibility that someone inside his own world cannot be trusted. The series balances magical action with the pressure of family duty and the fear of becoming like the people who raised you.

As the books continue, Zan must face the consequences of violence within his Family and the burden of trying to change an old system from inside it. The threats widen beyond one household, and Venice itself becomes a prize for people who would use power without much concern for who gets hurt. Ellie remains important because she gives Zan a reason to imagine a future beyond the rules he inherited.

Sinking City is the right starting point. It introduces Zan, Ellie, the Mardova Family, and the hidden world beneath Venice’s familiar surface. Rising City carries the conflict into a more urgent stage, with strange new magic, an artifact tied to Zan’s troubles, and a danger moving toward the city. Expect fast pacing, magical rivalries, romance, and a story about choosing what kind of leader, friend, and person to be.