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A Darker Shade of Magic: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 1)
"Addictive and immersive, this series is a must-read." --Entertainment Weekly
Enter #1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab's beloved Shades of Magic trilogy--a dazzling world of parallel Londons where magic thrives, starves, or lies forgotten,and where power can destroy just as quickly as it can create. Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive. Other books by V. E. Schwab The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Shades of Magic series
A Darker Shade of Magic
A Gathering of Shadows
A Conjuring of Light Villains Duology
Vicious
Vengeful
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Community Reviews
My review from July 2021:
Something tells me that I would have liked this a lot more if I had read it myself instead of listening to the audiobook. The narrator did a good job… but somehow he made it all so BORING. There was just something about his tone that made everyone sound aloof. I might try it again as an actual read, but not entirely sold…
4/4.5 stars!
I really enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. Worldbuilding is something I'm particularly fascinated by, and there was some really awesome worldbuilding in this story. The characters were great, especially Kell and Lila, but I really loved every single supporting character and cared about them and their stories as well. The Danes were terrifying and amazing villains, and the magic was both cool and original. It was nice to read something different than anything currently out there, and this one kept me reading for hours and hours at a time until I finished. I'm definitely excited to read the sequel soon!
UPDATED 6/3/2017
Definitely 4.5 stars at least. Holy worldbuilding! This book totally held up upon reread and I'm glad I did it so I could be refreshed for reading the sequels, which I still need to do. I was really into Lila this time around more than I was before, and I'm really interested to see where she goes with the "power" that they mention she has. This time, I'm actually going to read the sequels soon! XD
I really enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. Worldbuilding is something I'm particularly fascinated by, and there was some really awesome worldbuilding in this story. The characters were great, especially Kell and Lila, but I really loved every single supporting character and cared about them and their stories as well. The Danes were terrifying and amazing villains, and the magic was both cool and original. It was nice to read something different than anything currently out there, and this one kept me reading for hours and hours at a time until I finished. I'm definitely excited to read the sequel soon!
UPDATED 6/3/2017
Definitely 4.5 stars at least. Holy worldbuilding! This book totally held up upon reread and I'm glad I did it so I could be refreshed for reading the sequels, which I still need to do. I was really into Lila this time around more than I was before, and I'm really interested to see where she goes with the "power" that they mention she has. This time, I'm actually going to read the sequels soon! XD
Adored this. I know I’m late to the party but this was such a quick read—the world engaging and so interesting. The plot was… predictable and a little casual but the characters were lovely. I felt Rhy and Kell’s love so much and Lila was so fucking fun! She’s chaos and she’s stubborn as hell. I felt Kell’s feelings without being annoyed by him. I think Schwab has a talent to communicate thoughts/feelings without beating the reader over the head. My only complaint is that I wish we got 50 more pages at the beginning to let me enjoy the world before the action started. Because once it starts, it doesn’t stop with this book. After Kell lands in Grey London and collides with our friend Lila, it’s nothing but action. And I love that! But I wish I got more peace before chaos. My only other complaint was some of the POVs outside our two main characters felt random at times. Not at the beginning but during the middle/end, I did not want to be anywhere but with Kell and Lila. Read this book if you love tension/action; murderous women and fun magic systems—particularly unique takes on the “special” magic people. This is just a hoot. Can’t wait to read the rest!
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