Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy YA
Format: Paperback
Length: 384 pages
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: 24th February 2015
My Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Goodreads | Storygraph
Synopsis:
Kell is one of the last travellers – magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city. There’s Grey London, without magic and ruled by the mad King George III. Red London – where magic is revered, and where Kell was raised alongside the heir to the empire. White London – where people fight to control the remaining magic and magic fights back. And once there was Black London…
Officially Kell is the Red traveller, carrying letters between the monarchs of each London. Unofficially he is a smuggler, a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences. His escape to Grey London leads to a run-in with Delilah, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations, who forces Kell to take her on a proper advcnture. But perilous magic is afoot, and an adventure becomes a mission to save all of the worlds.
My Review:
Love doesn’t buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.
A Darker Shade of Magic is a book that I have seen floating around the bookish community for a while but I only just picked it up and I can’t believe it took me so long.
The story follows Kell, an Antari who has a special kind of magic that allows him to move between worlds. He is from Red London and travels to Grey London and White London, but never goes to Black London! Schwab is a genius, she has created a world that is strange, wonderful and connected. I was sucked into the different London’s; the similarities and differences between them.
The story is told from multiple points of view and I liked that the story introduced each character and showed you who they were. I loved that we got to see the characters both together and separately. Kell is a traveller, with a rare and remarkable ability. He’s an interesting character who follows the rules but also isn’t afraid to break them. It did take me a couple of chapters to become attached to him, but he grew on me.
Lila is a young woman who refuses to be confined by the restrictions her gender poses on her. She is fierce and independent but also fragile. From the moment she was introduced, she was one of my favourite characters. She is grey, she’s neither good nor evil, she’s grey.
Rhy comes across as the stereotypical cocky prince but I’m curious to see where his character goes, I liked the relationship between him and Kell and I hope that we get to see more of that.
The plot has many twists and turns, some of which were somewhat predictable, but others that I didn’t see coming. The story is addictive, and I didn’t want to stop reading it. I only own the first book and I was desperate for the rest of the series to see what happens next.
With incredible writing, intricate worlds, and a fascinating plot this story is exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump, and if you haven’t read it yet…what are you waiting for?
