Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic
Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Schwab
Month: November
Blurb:
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...
This is the first time, in a long while, that I have felt quite emotional about finishing a book. Not crying emotional (that, i've been plenty of times this year) but the bitter sweet emotional of clinging on to the last pages of a book, trying to read each sentence, each word as slowly and carefully as possible to delay the inevitable conclusion of finishing the book. I stumbled coincidently upon a saying for this feeling on instagram today which is probably well known but one i've only just heard of: A Book Hangover. That is exactly what I am suffering from after finishing A Darker Shade of Magic...A book hangover.
Plot
This book took me 72 hours to read and it would have been even less had it not been for the fact that I reluctantly had to spend 8 hours of today at work. Basically there are four London's: White London, Red London, Grey London (our London) and Black London. Once all connected and filled with magic until the Magic in Black London took over all that belong to it's city and in a bid to keep the dark magic from spreading, the other London's blocked their doors and gateways and sealed themselves off from each other. Now, centuries later, a piece of Black London's magic has found it's way into Red London and the two main characters, Kell and Lila must work their way through the other London's to rid them of the darkness.
This plot is quick paced and leaves no time for readers to grow bored. There's definitely no point in this plot where I was struggling to focus or losing interest, the introduction into each different London is intriguing enough to keep you hooked. I loved the concept of different London's and the similarities and differences between them with magic woven in between. The world building in this sense was good however I did wish that there had been more of a backstory or more explanation behind the danger of the Black London's magic. It is explained, but I felt the explanation a bit rushed and it took me a little while to feel the danger wholeheartedly as I was reading. However, the characters were so well built that this quickly became easy for me to forgive.
Characters
Within the first few pages I knew I was going to fall a little bit in love with Kell. He's the perfect fantasy character in the sense that he has a lot of mystery behind him from the start but he's also cool, quick-witted and, well...magic. What surprised me the most about him was that further into the book, you get to see a much more sensitive side to him which I wasn't expecting from the first few chapters. At first, I'll admit it ruined the image I had formed in my head of him but as his friendship with Lila grew it made sense that they both brought out a level of vulnerability in each other which ultimately made them stronger.
When I started reading, I assumed that Lila Bard would end up being Kell's sidekick. But she is as feisty as female protagonists come! In an opposite effect to Kell's character, Lila's hardly wavers from being a strong-headed, independently, ruthless, cutthroat thief and I absolutely loved that. She knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to get it even if all she wants is "to be free". She was the perfect partner for Kell and each time I thought she'd let her shields drop I was continuously surprised. I think V.E. Schwab is an amazing creator of characters!
Writing Style
V.E. Schwab's writing style feels so personal that I felt like she was reading the story to me in a way. Her conversational prose at times was engaging and she has a way of making even the peculiar seem possible. Dialogue is believable and flows easily and her descriptions are clear and precise in a way that paints a picture.
Book Cover
As always, it was the book cover that drew me in first. The black figure told me there was mystery inside this book and I wanted to know who the shadowed figure was. I also liked the three circles at his feet of the three London's and the black mass for Black London.
Overall Conclusion:
A Darker Shade of Magic has brought back my love for fantasy books in a way I've not felt since in ages! It's got me so excited to read more of V.E. Schwab's work, starting with the other two books in this trilogy. If you like magic, royal kingdoms and darkness, this is one for you!
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