A Tale of Two Cities isn't normally a book I associate with magic, but SRB made it make perfect sense! The two cities in this case is one city split it two, light and dark New York, named for the kind of magic that dominates in each. Lucie Manette plays a more active role in this version, trying to navigate both worlds. But the real difficulty comes not from magic so much as the difference between perception and reality. Lucie willingly became a symbol of defiance to save her father, then others take her name and turn her into a symbol for their own aims. Despite that, Lucie herself isn't immune to letting appearances deceive her.

Speaking of appearances, it's not ToTC without Sydney Carton. Here he's a literal rather than figurative doppleganger--but his choices are still going to make you cry.