A Gathering of Shadows: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 2)
The second adventure in #1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab's beloved Shades of Magic trilogy—a dazzling world of parallel Londons where the balance of power is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another must die...
Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Essen Tach tournament, and another London is coming back to life...After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning. But magic must always live in balance—and so now, another London will fall.
Other books by V. E. Schwab
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Shades of Magic series
A Darker Shade of Magic
A Gathering of Shadows
A Conjuring of Light
The Fragile Threads of Power
Villains Series
Vicious
Vengeful
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Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
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Readers say *A Gathering of Shadows* offers vivid worldbuilding, strong character dynamics, and thrilling magical action, especially in the second hal...
Binge-reading an entire series isn’t usually my style, but I can’t break away from Lila, Kell, Rhy, and Alucard. The writing is stunning and the action keeps coming. We do get to follow Lila on her travels, but if I had one wish, it would be that we’d gotten more of Lila’s magic training. The Essen Tasch flew by faster than I’d have liked, but it was still exciting. On to book 3! 4 ⭐️ Book #17 in 2026
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So much better than the first book, possibly because the exposition has already been set. I am so glad I get to live in a world where the third book has already been published and I don't have to go through the pain of living. I love that the author acknowledges how diabolical she is being in the Acknowledgements :D
As far as the story goes, I think having the ensemble cast works a lot better in this book since it gives us the ability to view main characters through another lens. The Games were so fun and entertaining to read and I feel like Lila and Kell are growing into themselves. I loved seeing the brotherly bond between Rhy and Kell, very real sibling relationship.
#FreeMyBoyHolland
Also love that even Kell's coat ships him and Lila together.
As far as the story goes, I think having the ensemble cast works a lot better in this book since it gives us the ability to view main characters through another lens. The Games were so fun and entertaining to read and I feel like Lila and Kell are growing into themselves. I loved seeing the brotherly bond between Rhy and Kell, very real sibling relationship.
#FreeMyBoyHolland
Also love that even Kell's coat ships him and Lila together.
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