A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab Review
Hello Again!
It's Thursday which means it's time for another review! This time I decided to review A Darker Shade of Magic, which is the second book I have buddy read with my book club. This novel was really enjoyable and is probably my favorite book of 2018 so far. Read on to see what I liked about think book. Enjoy!
Synopsis
"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."
-GoodReads
Review
I read this book as a part of a buddy read with the Bookish Boss Book Club, our second buddy read we had done. I had no expectations coming into this book. I had heard it was quite good and knew that the series had a cult following, but so many series do. I was truly blown away by this book and by its writing style which I adored.
One of the things I loved most about this book was the world the author created. The way it was introduced was not overly complicated but left room to be discovered more fully in later books. Another thing the author does well is explaining how magic works in this universe. World building can be tricky but she navigates it with ease, providing us with an un-complicated explanation for things which I really enjoyed.
With two main protagonists, it can be hard to get good character development, however, the author uses great detail to explain a character's actions when they are alone and their inner dialogue as well. By the time the two protagonists meet up, it feels as though we know them pretty well. There are also few secondary characters which adds to the development of the smaller cast of characters we meet.
Another way this book was different from others was the way that it was split up by chapters and sections. There were 14 sections or parts in the book which were then split up into small chapters. It made for a quick read and a great way to see where you were in the novel.
I really enjoyed the way the author writes, switching from perspective to perspective because it allowed you to get a vantage point of the story from more than one angle. It also made for edge of your seat action as she would switch point of views right when something exciting was going to happen. There were quite a few twists near the end of the novel (and some theories I'm speculating on). It was a an action packed ride from start to finish unlike anything I've ever read.
Conclusion
This book was one of the best novels I have read in quite some time. With a great story that didn't try to be more than it was, this is a great read for anyone who enjoys magic or fantasy.
Length: At 398 pages, I wish it was twice as long! Luckily there are 2 more novels in the series.
Story Development: The story moved smoothly and linearly.
Romance: There was an undertone but it was not the main plot point.
Protagonist Strength: Excellent (for both!)
Re-readable? Definitely!
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars
