A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. SchwabKell 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 … 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.
“A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale…This is a book to treasure.”—Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy
Shades of Magic series
1. A Darker Shade of Magic
2. A Gathering of Shadows
3. A Conjuring of Light
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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1. The writing is AMAZING! Many times I’ve found myself skimming over excessive details in paragraphs. However, in this book I read every word. The setting, dialogue, and clothes were so awesome that I pictured every description given to me. After I finished the book, I had the intense desire to draw every aspect of Schwab’s worlds. The book is also quite clean; there is no explicit sexual encounters and I only found one excessive swear word. The only dirty aspect is the blood and gore.
2. The characters are COMPELLING! I loved getting to know Kell, Holland, Lila, and Rhy. I actually want more of their backstories, but then the book would be all background and no plot. They all had so much chemistry and tension between them. I loved watching the characters grow and evolve with the trials and connections they made.
3. The world-building is FANTASTIC! A Darker Shade of Magic is set in London. Not just London, England, but four different Londons: Grey London, Red London, White London, and Black London. Each London is different and set in a different world, with different countries. They are all connected and contain similar landmarks, but are very unique in the people, clothes, atmosphere, and monarchs.
4. The magic is DANGEROUS! The magic literally takes on a life of its own in this story. The uses of magic and its foundations are also very well developed. A reader understands the limitations and consequences of using magic. With Kell being the exceptional at controlling the elements and doors, I wonder how the common folk use the magic on a day-to-day basis. The only other thing that was lacking was more of Kell’s training and some of the language.
5. It’s all about the ACTION! There is never a dull moment in this book, even in the beginning when the plot is building up to the main conflict. It is also about action rather than romance. While there is flirting, playful banter, kissing and tension between the main characters, there is no romantic relationship fully established. I enjoyed how the book focused on the real peril and formed relationships naturally—without instalove.
DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? ABSOLUTELY!!! 5/5 STARS!
Stellar fantasy – wonderfully inventive, rich world building, beautifully flowing prose, and fascinating characters.
A Darker Shade of Magic is a perfectly balanced read. There is just the right amount of humor, villainy, fantasy, and world building in it.
Schwab takes the concept of magic and gives it her own personal water mark. Everything about the book is great and I will read the whole series. If I have one negative thing to say about the book, it is that I didn’t feel especially bonded to it. I will read the whole series, but it’s one of those I will read the other books “when I get around to it.” Kind of deals.
I will read book 2 on audiobook format only because I think if done right the different made up languages and accents would be fun to listen to.
An interesting premise of parallel worlds that enjoy (or lack) magic and their connection to one another. It took a little longer to finish A Darker Shade of Magic and I don’t know if that was due to the dry writing style or because I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. A good novel though that had some cool magic tricks.
An interesting set of magical principles…
An entertaining read.
I wish that female authors didn’t have to hide the fact of their gender under their initials.
I fell in love with these characters and can’t stop thinking about them. I’m already half way through the next book in the series, and wishing I had waited until I finished my current WIP before I started, because this is going to seriously cut into my writing time and/or take a huge force of will to let me be productive until I’ve finished all three books.
A series in which to lose yourself.
4.5/5 Stars
I really don’t know how to put my thoughts into words right now. This book was amazing! I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have high expectations going into this one, what with all the hype surrounding this series. There is such high praise for it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think that the hype, in the end, kind of tainted my expectations a bit. Don’t get me wrong because I loved this book. But I feel that without all the heightened expectations I may have enjoyed this book more.
Expectations aside, this is one fantasy world that you won’t want to miss out on experiencing, that’s for sure. The world building in this is phenomenal! It was so atmospheric and complex. The magic system in this book is very distinct and alive and interesting. I am still in awe of Schwab’s flawless, imaginative world. I very much loved the way that fantasy was woven into history to create this unbelievable world.
I think that the area where I had the only disconnect was with the characters. Which is odd for me to say because I loved the characters. I loved them, yet I felt very detached from them at the same time. I don’t even know how that is possible, but that is how I felt while reading this. I think that the characters were very real. They had flaws, problems of their own, and they could stand on their own in terms of the story. I think that what made them feel so isolated from me was the way they interact. I think that if there were more emotion between the characters then I would have felt more invested in them. The relationship between the two main characters just felt underdeveloped. Though, the author must have done something right because they are also extremely likable.
The plot was convincing enough as a whole. There were many moments that I felt compelled to know what happened next, but there were also moments that I wasn’t. The story didn’t exactly stand still though. It kept moving and the pace was adequate. There were definitely plot twists that I didn’t expect, so things stayed interesting. I felt that the ending could have used more fire behind it. It felt like it just stopped at the end without any reason to go on to the next book.
Overall, this is definitely a book to be experienced! Despite my personal disconnect with the characters, I highly recommend this read. Even with that disconnect, I absolutely loved this book! Schwab is a remarkable storyteller and a skillful weaver of worlds. I am excited to continue this series and experience more worlds by this author!
This book introduces readers to a unique concept of four Londons, all existing simultaneously and all with varying degrees of magic. Kell is one of only two “Antari”, wizards who can travel between the worlds. Because this ability is so rare, the Antari are both “owned” by the royalty of the two most powerful Londons, Red London with its profusion of balanced magic, and White London with its desperate desire to accumulate and control magic. When Kell, who has a bad (and strictly forbidden) habit of bringing trinkets back to his home in Red London from the other worlds, gets tricked into transporting an artifact that shouldn’t exist from Black London, whose magic had destroyed it centuries before, he sets off a chain of events that could destroy everything he knows and loves. His only salvation may come in the unexpected and highly unlikely form of Lila, a streetwise pickpocket with a penchant for cross-dressing from Gray London, the version closest to our own and almost completely devoid of magic.
This was a truly enjoyable read. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy!
I ended up reading the whole trilogy. If you start book 2, be sure to have book 3 on hand. The wait would be excruciating if you’re into the series.
I fell in love with this book from the first page.
This book is an incredible read for anyone who loves the idea of parallel worlds, magic and great character development. This trilogy made me feel so connected with the characters and the journey that they had to go through (emotionally). This is truly an incredible start to a beautiful trilogy. My favourite trilogy of all time.
Okay I know I’m close to three years late but wHATEVER, WE’RE DOING THIS ANYWAY
I can’t explain fluently why and how I love this. It’s too good for words.
The writing was concise and to the point without being outright BLUNT, which makes it both easy to read and easy to understand. I don’t understand why everyone says they didn’t connect with the characters, because I immediately felt a connection with all of them. From the first sentence, I was enraptured and dying to know what comes next. Let me tell you something, I got next to no sleep because I forgot the time and just immersed myself in the world. Speaking of the world, I can honestly say that there has never been another book to be so creatively, enticingly built. I traveled right alongside Kell and Lila (both of whom I absolutely LOVE), and I could practically smell the flowers of Red London or the hot metal and blood of White London.
I can tell I won’t be letting go of this one for a while.
Definitely a new classic and a new favorite!
Oh, and? I. Love. Kell’s. Coat. So much.
It took me awhile to get hooked, but once I did, I had a hard time not reading late into the night. Great world building and characters.
Kept me guessing to the last page
This book is kind of hard to describe, but I will give it a go. Kell is a magician who can travel between Londons. There are four different Londons, Grey, Red, White and the missing Black. Kell is from Red London, and is tasked with delivering messages and basically being an ambassador between the monarchs of the different Londons. This job gives him the opportunity for his favorite pass time which is smuggling artifacts & items between the Londons. This particular hobby is strictly forbidden, but Kell continues to do it. It eventually gets him into real trouble when an item of great power is stolen by a girl in Grey London named Delilah who is a pick pocket with bigger aspirations of adventure.
Really liked this book. The concept of 4 different Londons, all of them having a different relationship to magic, is inventive and interesting. The descriptions of the worlds were picturesque and vivid. The characters were wonderful. I will definitely keep reading the series.
Lots to love in this engaging historical fantasy novel — dark magic, compelling characters, and fabulous fashions. Can’t wait to delve into the sequel!
One of the best books i have ever read!
It’s a great story premise and I know I’m going to read the whole series, but as I’ve noticed with this author’s books, the main two characters get all the development while everyone else gets whatever is most convenient for the plot.
One of my favorite series ever and that’s saying something. Right up there for me with Garth Nix and Neil Gaiman.