Review: A Darker Shade of Magic

Posted 22nd June 2020 by Emma in Reviews / 0 Comments

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Review: A Darker Shade of MagicA Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Published by Titan Books on 24th February 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, YA Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 401
Format: eBook
Source: I bought it
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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.

One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

I bought this book because I have seen it all over Instagram. This book has a lot of hype and I sadly didn’t get it. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the story and if it didn’t have so much hype then this would be a solid 4 star read and I wouldn’t feel guilty.

I liked Kell. He has a mysterious back story and I am hoping this will be unearthed in the future books. Kell has an important role to go between the different London’s to pass messages between the monarchs. He also does some side smuggling of magical objects. Kell is troubled but also has a cheeky side. I liked that about him.

Lila Bard is a great character and the perfect companion for Kell. She takes no shit and puts Kell in his place on more than one occasion. She is witty and very clever.
I really like Lila’s character.

I loved that there were parallel London’s. I liked hearing the differences between them and about the history of Black London. This is a very unique story. I’ve certainly not read anything else like it. Victoria’s writing is enchanting and she has quite the imagination to think up not 1 but 3 alternative London’s.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing how it all unravels.

About V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is the name Victoria Schwab publishes her adult books under.

Victoria has stated that books published under V.E. Schwab are adult releases and those under Victoria Schwab are YA.

Emma

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