A Darker Shade of Magic
I knew I would eventually want to pick up another V. E. Schwab book after finishing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I’m glad that I selected A Darker Shade of Magic to continue my Schwab reading journey because I really enjoyed it. It’s set in a 4 parallel worlds, all of which somehow have a London essentially in the same place in each of those worlds. Grey London (from the era of George III) has no magic. Red London, where Kell, one of our main character is from, has well-balanced magic. White London has become chaotic and cruel as its magic wanes. And no one goes to Black London, which was consumed by magic and sealed off from the other worlds, and all of its artifacts supposedly destroyed. Most of the doors between these worlds were closed, but a special kind of magician called Antari, of which Kell is one, can travel between. There is only one other living Antari, from White London, because they have slowly been dying out for unknown reasons. The rulers of Red and White London use Antari to communicate with each other and Grey London, though it’s also unknown why it feels important for them to maintain some kind of relationship with each other. Kell illegally smuggles items between the Londons during his trips, and when he unknowingly brings a stone from Black London back to Red London, it sets off the main plot of the book.
The book is primarily told from the perspectives of Kell and of Lila, a thief from Grey London who becomes part of the adventure because she is yearning to escape her life: “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still” (though she’s not looking to escape the thieving part, which she enjoys). Lila was a lot of fun. She’s smart, a good fighter, and witty. One of my favorite parts of the book is when she summarizes Kell’s descriptions of the Londons: “There’s Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London.” She starts out being just out for herself and grows without losing that tinge of selfishness that’s part of who she is. Schwab writes nuanced characters, and even one of the villains is written with some complexity.
I also liked that Kell isn’t really a “chosen one” figure. He makes a hard choice because it’s the right thing to do, becoming a reluctant hero: “Kell would rather have faced an army than the unmanned doors and whatever waited on the other side. Every step forward that went unchecked, unobstructed, only made him more nervous for the next.” By the end of the novel, Kell and Lila were reminding me in a way of Frodo and Sam – the former doing the right thing and the latter helping because she doesn’t think Kell will be able to do it without her. Though I would emphasize that while part of that dynamic is reminiscent of the Frodo/Sam partnership in Lord of the Rings, it’s not devotion that drives Lila, who is very much her own character.
The novel is well-paced, moving along at a steady clip throughout. It never seemed to lag, even during more character-driven sections, which I attribute partly to Schwab’s skill in crafting interesting characters but also to the sense of danger that lends an air of anxiety to early parts of the book because you know Kell is doing something that could, and eventually does, land him in hot water. It was a solid hook.
The novel could serve as a standalone. There aren’t any cliffhangers, and I think many people will be content with the ending and could easily stop there. But Schwab writes compelling enough characters and worlds that I eagerly started the next book.
A Gathering of Shadows
Set 4 months after the end of the previous book, A Gathering of Shadows starts with Lila as we discover how she has been making her way in the world of Red London. She is now part of a crew on a pirate (ahem) privateer’s ship and is becoming comfortable and friendly with the other crew members and her captain, which actually makes her very uncomfortable. She is also learning to use magic. Meanwhile, back in Red London, Kell and Rhy are both struggling with the aftermath of the events of the first book. They went through something traumatic and nearly fatal, and that has taken its toll. Kell in particular is feeling restless and struggling with the need to be in control. His relationship with the King and Queen has also changed as it becomes clear that they don’t really view him as the son they claimed he was.
And in White London, changes are happening.
After the chapters devoted to detailing what Lila has been doing, the pace slows somewhat as characters start to prepare for the Element Games, a magical competition held every 3 years and this year being hosted in Red London. The pace picks up again when the games start, and the games themselves were interesting. It was fun to see what elements the competitors chose to work with and how they utilized those elements in magical battle. Kell and Lila both end up competing.
Lila’s recklessness takes center stage in this novel. She doesn’t do well with caring about others and staying in one place too long, and she makes a major decision that’s hard to agree with, although I was rooting for her afterwards. She is also exploring the bounds of her magical abilities and pushing herself perhaps too far while ignoring everyone’s concern and advice. She is certainly a flawed character – as are all the rest of them, probably – but it works because it makes her interesting to read about, and Schwab walks the line carefully enough that I never came to dislike Lila even if I didn’t like some of her morally gray (at best) actions.
This was an entertaining read that, for most of it, is lower stakes than the first one. It ends on a major cliffhanger, but fortunately I have the next one ready and waiting, and I can’t wait to see how it all works out.
A Conjuring of Light
The conclusion to the trilogy picks up right where the previous book left off. Lila is on her way to rescue Kell while Rhy is suffering the effects of what Kell is experiencing. Osaron, in Holland’s body, leaves White London and invades Red London. The focus of the plot is on the characters devising a way to defeat him.
Osaron is an incredible threat. His power is so vast that I couldn’t imagine how the characters were going to defeat him, and I couldn’t wait to see what Schwab came up with. This an action-packed book that manages to combine character development with a well-moving plot. Schwab continues using multiple POVs, focusing on Kell, Lila – now coming to terms with the full realization that she is Antari, Rhy, and Holland.
We learn a lot more about Holland and his past in this one, and it’s sad. I have a lot of empathy for him and can understand his choices, even knowing the consequences. Most of his life was traumatic and tragic, and I really appreciated how things ended for him in this novel.
I really enjoyed this book and the series as a whole. There characters are complex and fairly well-developed, the plot is engaging, and the books move along pretty quickly. I’m excited that there is a new(er) book by Schwab that revisits this world.
CBR16 Bingo Pride for A Darker Shade of Magic – Schwab is gay, Games for the Element Games in A Gathering of Shadows, Liberate for A Conjuring of Light; BINGO for column 3