Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London. In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. … guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagent international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again-and so to keep magic’s balance, another London must fall… in V.E. Schwab’s A Gathering of Shadows.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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I found this book to be a highly enjoyable fantasy adventure with a slightly darker edge. Both of the main characters were likable, and the supporting characters were given enough personality that they felt real as well. The whole concept of multiple Londons in multiple worlds made for a great story setting, and each London had a very distinct feel to it, which added to the believability of the fictional universe of this book. I’m glad this is a series, because I’ll happily read more of Kell and Lila’s adventures.
This is the second in her SOM series and I loved this one too. It continues the feel of the first book, but also introduces some new characters. The main female character is truly unique in the world of fiction, I love her humor and grit. These books are rich and layered and fun.
I’m just obsessed with V.E. Schwab’s writing. It is unbelievably good. She reminds me in some ways of Erin Morgenstern, another favorite writer of mine, because her worlds are just as stunning and immersive. This sequel was so much more slow-burn than many comparable books in the genre, but I really appreciated it for its careful tension. It is so much less about the action and high stakes (although those are there) and is fully devoted to its characters emotional through lines and beautifully wrought relationships. Kell, Lila and Rye might be some of my favorite characters in literature, and I will never say no to a magicians tournament. Also, that ending is the best kind of cliffhanger, and I’m so glad I don’t have to wait for the finale to come out – I can just dive right in!
NEW. SERIES. OBSESSION. I’m not exaggerating when I say I don’t think I’ve ever loved a book series this much. This is going to be a short review because I literally have no negative comments.
After the ending of A Darker Shade of Magic I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this time around. It was a pretty open-ended ending, but a lot of the loose ends in that book were tied up. Plus, a friend told me the pacing of A Gathering of Shadows was a lot slower, so I just wasn’t sure what direction this was going to go. But OH MY GOD, it was so good! I just???
The warning I got wasn’t wrong, this is a lot slower paced than the first book (well… mostly…). And I can actually understand some of the lower reviews I’ve seen because I’m sure the pacing won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But let me tell you, the anticipation of Kell and Lila’s reunion KEPT ME UP AT NIGHT. My yearning to see Lila return to Red London was all I needed to burn through this book. And even though it doesn’t happen until the very end, I didn’t even mind the wait because we get such an awesome in-depth look into these kick a** characters.
I’m also OBSESSED with this world. The more I learn about it, the more I love, and watching the competition at the end was SO GOOD!! I needed a film adaptation of these books YESTERDAY. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!!!
Just a heads up though: **CLIFFY ENDING ALERT** I was so glad I had already bought the whole trilogy because I needed to read the beginning of book three IMMEDIATELY after that cliffhange. If you’re reading this, make sure you have the third installment at the ready to prevent insanity.
~FINAL WORD~
READ. THIS. SERIES. READ IT. So good! I can’t wait to dive into the next one!!
Almost everyone who reads fantasy novels has either read or heard of this trilogy by V.E. Schwab. When A Darker Shade of Magic first came out, I was intrigued by the cover, but I did not have much free time to read, so I passed it up. When I heard that Owlcrate was doing a set of 4 book tins based on the books, I figured it was probably time to read them. Overall, I don’t necessarily think this series lives up to all the hype it typically receives, but I still think it was worth reading, especially if you enjoy fantasy.
The second book, A Gathering of Shadows, lost me a bit. Overall, I found it slow and tedious. I understand that the author essentially used the second book to better explain the magical system and for character development, but literally nothing happens until the last few chapters of the novel. The one positive of the second book, which kept me reading, was that Lila’s character becomes more complex and you see a lot more of her personality compared to the first book. A Gathering of Shadows certainly filled my desire for seeing more of Lila Bard. In the first book she is an interesting character, but the second book adds so much depth to her. All in all, the second book is surely my least favorite out of the series, but if you enjoy the first, it is probably worth plowing through the second.
All in all, I frequently see people asking whether or not it is worth it to read this trilogy. I personally think that these books were worth reading simply because they are a classic within the fantasy genre, but I will warn you that you likely won’t be blown away. These books are interesting, but not world-shattering. With so many rave reviews of this trilogy I really expected more, but they were decent and now I can finally say that I’ve read them!
The world I fell in love with in A Darker Shade of Magic expands even more in A Gathering of Shadows, as we move beyond our three London cities and to the bigger world: other countries, the vast open ocean, and Black London. A Darker Shade of Magic left us with a semi-resolved conclusion: the immediate danger has passed, both princes are alive if not well, and Lila Bard has seemingly achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate and alight with the new information that magic is possible for her.
This book isn’t quite as explosive as the first one, less action-packed sequences but still with a solid backbone to keep it moving along. My only quibble with it is that it takes a bit to get going; there’s quite a few sequences that don’t add anything to the plot. I definitely didn’t mind reading them, the writing is still fresh and honestly, I’ll never turn down more of Lila’s clever escapades, but the plot doesn’t move along as quickly as A Darker Shade of Magic, and perhaps fumbles a bit with the length of time it takes to properly introduce the main event of the story: the Element Games. But once we get there, we ricochet right back into the action Schwab is so good at. Games are pretty common in SFF, with the Hunger Games being the defining games of a generation, and I’m to understand that newer titles like Throne of Glass make use of them as well. The Element Games feature champions from each of the three major countries fighting against one another in mostly non-lethal magical combat, and while they are not stunningly original in the idea, with Schwab’s trademark fast-paced style and superb action sequences I found them just as exciting. Joining these games are our two main characters: Kell, in disguise in an effort to burn off some of the magical energy that’s been swirling inside him since he made his pact with Rhy, and Lila, who thought it would be fun and surreptitiously took the place of another competitor.
I’m still loving the contrast between our two main characters, which becomes more and more apparent in this novel as Lila takes to the open sea and Kell finds himself confined to the castle. Lila finds that the pirating life, while exciting, is missing something important, even with a new friend in Alucard, her captain. Kell, meanwhile, chafes under the responsibilities that come with having his life tethered to Rhy, who doesn’t like the situation any more than he does. Their personalities are so defined that it’s easy to see how they would balance each other out, leading to some deliciously frustrating scenarios where you just want to yell at them for not being together. Kell and Rhy, like I thought, have a more important relationship in this novel and we get to see them develop together, their once brotherly relationship taking on an unhealthy aspect in the way their lives are now irrevocably tied to one another. Rhy’s flippant and charming personality doesn’t fade, but isn’t something as simple as “seductive prettyboy hides secret angst”. He gets his own story, difficulties, and love in a storyline I found myself surprisingly invested in, given that I found him fun but not overly interesting in the last book. Now that the worldbuilding is mostly finished, A Darker Shade of Magic having done all the heavy lifting, this novel is much more focused on its characters and their arcs. They don’t spend as much time together as they did in the last novel, but that just gives them time to breathe and makes the inevitable reunion all the sweeter.
That’s not to say that the world still isn’t fascinating. Lila’s adventures on the seas take her to a new world of piracy and privateering, giving us more insights into the political system of the country of Arnes. We get to see the world on the open waters, as well as the places Alucard takes her, new markets with magical intrigue. There is some worldbuilding here in creating the neighboring countries of Faro and Vask, who close in on Arnes on either side. While they were mentioned in the last book, I believe, this book does a lot more with the varying cultures, languages, and peoples that come from the two other countries. We see their nobility, their fighters, the way they interact with the Arnesians, and it makes the world seem fuller for it. These details aren’t vitally important to the narrative, but creating a realistic and developed world that takes into account the differing ways people live is important to me and a lot of readers, and I appreciated it.
A Gathering of Shadows isn’t quite as exciting as its predecessor; there’s a lot of setup involved for A Conjuring of Light and the true evil doesn’t really come into play until later in the book, past when villains are normally introduced. Parts of the novel were interesting but perhaps could’ve been trimmed down more, but it was easy to forgive as the characters are so interesting to read about and spend time with. You won’t be getting the same kind of action as you did in A Darker Shade, but the novel is still almost as good, certainly much better than many mid-trilogy books I’ve read, and sets us up for what is sure to be an explosive finale.
review blog
This was a very disappointing sequel that I bored me to no end and I really ended up not caring for the characters, especially Lilah. She got to be so annoying this book. I don’t find her to be interesting or all that spectacular. I think Kell and Rhy’s storyline was dwindled down to them two whining about being bonded to one another and what means for their futures. The story was slow and I feel like everything that happened was of no importance whatsoever. The only exciting part were the small snippets we get of a character that I will not name. It was a waste of time to have to wait till pretty much the very end of the book for anything exciting to happen all for the story to end the way it did. This did not make me look forward to last book in this series. We’ll see.
While this one is more of a slow-burn than the first, this second act takes its time developing a bunch of new characters as well as exploring the original ones with more depth. Though it is more predictable, it packs a satisfying punch, and I enjoyed it immensely.
That ending! Really? I have to know more this very moment or I will just die! How could Schwab do this to me?
This book had a different feeling for me from the first book. I didn’t like it quite as much as the first, though I do love this series. This book just didn’t resonate as strongly with me. The flow was a bit different to me. I think that the reason I feel this way is because the focus of this book lies on the character’s internal struggles more. Kell and Lila are apart for most of the book and it affects the overall mood of the story. Their interactions in the first book were among my favorite parts, so without having that in this one I was simply, for the lack of a better word, sad.
That aside, I did love the series of events in this book just as much as the first. The plot was just as thick. And though I yearned for more Kell/Lila time, the happenings up to their meeting were engaging and fulfilling.
I loved the characters just as much as in the first book. Alucard is a character that really grew on me. This book was a lot of characters figuring out what they want. Out of life, from themselves. And even what they don’t want. It was a time of discovery.
I liked both of the romances. Brief as they were. And even the romantic tension that wasn’t really romance. I just wish that there had been more. The romance felt too fleeting. Like if I closed my eyes it would disappear. I think that it could have been stronger.
As far as world-building, I liked the inclusion of the other cultures from Kell’s world. During the Essen Tasch the other kingdoms come to Arnes and we get to glimpse some of their differences and similarities.
Overall, I think that this book suffers from middle-book-slump. The momentum definitely changes in the second book compared to the first one. It doesn’t take away from the series as a whole though. That characters are still strong and the plot still has compelling significance. I would recommend reading the second book of Shades of Magic if you enjoyed the first book. Though I warn that even if it may feel boring at the beginning it is worth trudging on to the end. Almost like delaying gratification. I don’t doubt that the third book is going to be the game changer. I will definitely be reading it!
It was no surprise that I loved ‘A Gathering of Shadows’ just as much as ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’. Like its predecessor, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and devouring page after page. I didn’t want it to end… but knowing the conclusion of this phenominal—and I honestly, sincerely, with all my heart mean PHENOMINAL—series is just a book away, leaves me slightly more at ease. Look no further for your next read. This is it.
I am really enjoying this series. The cast of characters has grown in this book, and made the returning characters even more interesting. I did think that this middle book of the trilogy lagged a bit in the beginning, but I found it well worth the wait once the games truly began, so to speak. Our heroes, Kell and Lila, return and excel in some surprising ways.
In addition to advising patience with the opening of the book, I would also recommend having the third book, A Conjuring of Light, at the ready when you finish this one. If you’re like me, you won’t want to wait to find out what happens next.
Lila has been working as a theif aboard the “privateer” ship the Night Spire, captained by the magician Alucard Emery. He has been teaching her how to use her magic, as well as providing her with an occupation and some much needed advendture.
Kell has been confined to the palace after tying his life to Prince Rhy’s. He is plagued by guilt for what he has done, but more than that he feels trapped and bored. The only respite he gets is when he goes to “Grey London” on diplomatic errands, but even that is not what it used to be as George III has died, and Kell does not really care for George IV.
Prince Rhy is hosting the Essen Tasch or Elemental Games. It is a tournament held every three years between select magicians from the three empires in “Red London’s” world. Captain Alucard Emery has received and invitation to compete, so he is returning to “Red” London with Lila. Prince Rhy has managed to sneak Kell into the games, as Kell is not allowed to compete because he is to powerful, but Rhy feels like Kell needs something to cheer him up.
The world building in this series is amazing. It is interesting that all of the main characters seem to be chasing what their idea of freedom is. The addition of Alucard was great, and I loved his interactions and relationships with the other characters.
My compaint is this book took FOREVER to get going. When it finally got interesting it abruptly ended with a cliffhanger. So far I like the series, but this book could have been better.
My only problems were the fact that the whole “God-isn’t-real-because-you-can’t-see-Him” was constantly reiterated and that much of it felt like filler. I did love that we got to see more of Rhy, and the new characters as well as the ones we all know and love got more development (if that’s even possible). I think it’s quite impossible to not love Kell from the moment you read about him. I’ll definitely read the third book, because the books are still amazing and tHAT CLIFFHANGER UGH, but it was not as earth-shattering as the first. Still threw many, MANY twists, surprises, and witty conversations in my face, and I soaked it up like a SPONGE.
While the premise of the first book in the series felt really original (multiple worlds that all contain a London, and magicians who can travel between them), this one wasn’t as strong in the plot department (magical tournament and people entering with false identities). It also sort of dragged at the beginning, but the characters were great and it ended on a cliffhanger.