a darker shade of magic by v.e. schwab was one of my latest reads. i decided to purchase the trilogy just after getting my sparks fly illumicrate box which contained pictured coasters of some of the characters. i was really intrigued and started reading the first book as soon as i got it.
a darker shade of magic tells it’s tale from two points of view, kell from red london, an antari that can travel through using blood magic to other londons where he eventually meets lila bard, in grey london. there’s also white london which is full of power hungry, magic hungry people and once upon a time there was black london…
i love the use of magic in this and the links between the magical worlds. i love the feeling of alternate reality books which bring our history into a magical world. it makes magic feel so much more real to me when i read this in fantasy books. it makes me feel like this kind of magic is possible and i absolutely love that.
i really liked kell and lila through this, they’re a really funny duo. a particular scene comes to mind where kell, exasperated by lila says “what is wrong with you?” and i could just picture the scene so well. honestly, you’ll have to read it, but i think you’ll get it when you do. you’ll hear the exact tone he’s saying it in your mind.
i found it was a bit of a slow burn for me but that meant i could dip in and out pretty easily. i liked how the books were sectioned off, each part aound five or so chapters in length and bring the story forward nicely. i’m really looking forward to finding out how the rest of the trilogy pans out too because this felt really complete. i really like books which end in a neat and tidy way but share there’s more to the characters relationships in the future. there’s a real sense of future adventure.
a darker shade of magic is followed by a gathering of shadows and then a conjuring of light. there were some interesting points made in the first book which i’m eager to read about next so the second book is firmly on my to be read pile for april.
One of my goals for 2020 is to read 52 books or around one a week. Some might be new, some are ones I’ve had for a while or been meaning to read, some I haven’t quite finished yet and some will be recommendations from others. You can see all the books I’ve read so far on my Good Reads 2020 Reading Challenge.
Leave a Reply