A Darker Shade of Magic

The book’s world building is very interesting but unfortunately the pacing of the story seems rushed to me, action scene melting into action scene. Also the magic system seemed to have potential but in the end I was disappointed by the way the story concluded

This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier. Synopsis: Kell lives as one of the last two Antari. Antari are magicians able to travel between specific points in parallel worlds. This point is London, of which there are three: Red, Grey, and White. Once there was a Black London which no one speaks of now, save in whispers. Kell’s home is in Red London, called Arnes by the locals of this world. Kell serves as ambassador between the Londons, traveling to White London with constant bloody regime changes and Grey London which exists without magic. Kell also smuggles little trinkets between the worlds. When an exchange goes wrong, Kell escapes to Grey London and gets robbed by Delilah Bard, who then saves him from a deadly enemy. Kell takes her to Red London where dangerous magic and treachery lurk at every turn. Review: I usually don’t pick up alternative world stories as they tend to be confusing. I almost didn’t pick it up the second time I saw it on the Bookery’s shelves. I’m glad I did. The worlds were different enough that I could keep track of which was which. V. E. Schwab uses elemental-based magic, a good grounding point for magical systems. The interplay between the characters proved to be fun. Kell is a magician who can walk between worlds with the dangerous and highly illegal hobby of smuggling. When he unwittingly smuggles a magical object from Black London, events are set in motion that leads him to Delilah Bard, a Grey London pickpocket who wants a proper adventure. What followed kept me turning the pages. I already picked up the two sequels in the series.

Brilliant and fun

I would the book at first slowed paced but towards the middle it came in handy knowing small bits of information about the worlds.

The story is so original and the magic system is amazing. You’ll fall in love with the characters and the world VE Schwab has created.

An excellent book and an even more excellent series. This series has been one of my favorite to read thus so far. The first book perfectly entrances you in the story of the main characters and does an even better job in the second and third book. The characterization is incredible and I felt deeply attached to all of the characters by the end.

As one of my favorite authors, i had high hopes for V.E. Schwab going into this book but was thoroughly impressed nonetheless. Somehow, this wonderful woman made me feel like i was right there beside Kell the whole time. The world is masterfully built, the characters have true to life complexity, and the plot is refreshingly new though it maintains the best features of other popular fantasies. Though I did like Vicious better, this book is a treat.

The writing is well crafted, and keeps the reader interested. Sometimes foreshadowing seems a little on the nose, but overall an enjoyable read.

If you are looking for a unique take on the world of magic, this is a good place to start. The novel's pacing is brisk and the characters intriguing. It is not a complex story, nor is it very deep; however, it never tries to be. It is fun to read, which is exactly what I wanted.

🙏🏾🙌🏾