Maybe that was a cover for her actual motivations. …okay, maybe I’m giving her too little credit. The worst example: why she wants to travel through all of the alternate Londons with Kell? “Because I’m bored.” I get that she’s a teenager, but wouldn’t leading a life of crime and starving on the streets give somebody some semblance of direction in life? Every decision that she made hinged on the fact that there would be no consequences, and most of it was fleeting, shallow, and far too spur of the moment. What I didn’t care for in particular was her motivations. She fell straight into the “not like other girls” trope, and most of her mannerisms didn’t fail to make me cringe. I loved almost all of the other characters, but I hated Lila. All of the supporting characters were similarly charming, bringing all sorts of unique elements to the plot. Yeah, he’s more than a little edgy, but it was lovable in a Kaz Brekker kind of way. From his distinct appearance (MAN I need to draw him) to his quiet loyalty to his magic prowess, it’s hard not to love him. And gripping it was–yeah, I know I just griped about the ✨magical rock✨, but I seriously couldn’t put this one down.įor the most part, I adored the characters! Kell was a fantastic protagonist. Lucky for us, there’s far more than that Schwab supplies the book with enough political intrigue, fantasy lore, banter, and intense conflict to make the plot full enough to sustain a gripping story. Having a good portion of the plot center around a ✨magical rock✨ is dangerous in and of itself, and even though this ✨magical rock✨ had some serious ✨magical consequences✨, it did feel a bit like a sorry excuse for a plot. The central plot of A Darker Shade of Magic was a little bit weak, but it made up for it with tons of action and snappy dialogue. Hopefully.) Her imagery is nothing short of magical (no pun intended), and the worldbuilding to support each London made the environment that much more believable. (I have no sense for Black London, though, but I have a feeling I’ll learn more about it in the coming books. Each London had its own intricate mythology, and each was fleshed out to the degree that none of them felt rushed over. Her prose was so immersive that I could feel magic in the air, smell rain and ash, and see a river tinted red as though it were all surrounding me. Schwab’s writing was the star of the show here, no questions asked. To my surprise, A Darker Shade of Magic hooked me almost instantly with its unique characters and dangerous magic! I read This Savage Song about four years ago and remembered next to nothing about it, and so I had no sense about how I would feel about V.E.

Going into this book, I had little to no expectations. TW/CW: murder, blood, graphic violence, public executions

A darker shade of magic plot