Hello lovely human beings of whom I now possess the souls of.
A Darker Shade Of Magic has really been a rollercoaster for me. I started reading it months and months ago, and had to give up on it as it couldn’t hold my attention for more than a few pages and I would have to end up reread sections because I would forget people, or I would just have no idea what was going on. However, I brought it to Cornwall with me on a whim and I finished it in two days I think. Well about that time anyway.
I really enjoyed reading it, and was really hooked at times but I wouldn’t give it 5/5 stars. But I really liked it at the same time. I think that I would give or 4/5 stars only because I thought that it took a while to get going and the whole world took a while to get used to and I was rather confused at the beginning.
Kell is one of the last travellers—magicians with the rare ability to travel between parallel universes connected together by one magical city. There’s Grey London, without magic and ruled by the mad King George III. Red London—where magic is revered, and where Kell was brought up along side the heir to the empire. White London—where people fight to control the remaining magic and magic fights back. And once there was Black London. . .
—blurb.
As I said earlier, I really did like this book, but I think that it really did take a while to get going, and when I first read the book I just wasn’t able to sit down and read more than 10 pages at once, let a lone a whole chapter and see some progress in the plot. Once I got about half way through the book I finally noticed the change in pace and the past 80 pages were so gripping; I read it so damn fast.
Kell was a really likeable character*. They all were really, though I would have loved to see more of Rhy as we only really saw him at the beginning and the end and I can’t really picture his character very well.
BUT THE MEANIES!!!!! THE VILLAINS WERE AMAZING. THERE WERE VILLAINS THAT WEREN’T REALLY VILLAINS AND GAHHHHH I LOVED ITTTTTTT. They were so bad and I hate them and I love it at the same time. There were so many evil people and so many dark moments (LOL THE WHOLE BOOK WAS DARK)**
*I LIKED HIM A LOT **perhaps because the book is called ‘a DARKer shade of magic’? Well done me.
There was murder and there was death and it was freaking brilliant.
There’s a lot of humour as well, and I absolutely loved that and there was some flirting and it was mysterious and oooooooooohhoohooooooohoh what’s going to happen next!?
The writing was really well done, as was the world building. Eventually. I feel like in this book, you’re just whacked in to this world and it’s confusing and I liked being confused at times but most of the time I was just like “whaattttt is happening???”
I only really know what happened from page 80 onwards because the beginning is contained with lots of mini-events happening that don’t seem overly important????? LOL NO WONDER I WAS CONFUSED.
Even sometimes throughout the book I had to really concentrate on what I was reading as the wording was strange??? It’s clear that V.E Schwab has a really unique writing style and I’m not sure whether I LOVE LOVE LOVE it yetttttttt, but I definitely find it interesting and different.
At the same time I feel like I was just thrown into this world with little explanation and then I also feel like it took a while to get going.
What did you think of this book?? COMMUNE WITH ME IN THE COMMENTS!
LUUUUUUUUUUUUU
[…] A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab. click here to read my review […]
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I freaking love this series! 😍It’s so amazing and I’m so glad you loved it too! I actually liked the next book even more (the minority opinion I think) you get to meet Alucard. 😊 Schwab is definitely an autobuy author for me at this point. Such good writing and characters. Great review! 😊
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Thank you!
I’m only just getting into her books (despite owning them since last Christmas????) I started ‘this savage song’ last night and OML THIS IS MY NEW FAVOURITE BOOK. AUGUSTTTTTTTT ❤ ❤ I’m only on page 115 and I love him. Her writing and world building is amazing and I’m becoming obsessed ahah
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I love August! He’s so sweet. Plus the whole different kinds of monsters thing was so awesome, I loved the originality. I agree, her writing and world building are always so on point. Defs easy to become obsessed ❤️
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I JUST WANT to give August a massive huggggggggggggggggg. OMG the monsters thing is so cool but my cinnamon roll August ISN’T A BAD PERSONNNN!!!! I hate that people think of him as a monster!!!
YASSSS V.E SCHWAB KNOWS HOW TO GET PEOPLE OBSESSED.
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Yay, Kell is great! Although I love this series, I can definitely see it could be confusing at the start. (Maybe I felt that when I first read it…I can’t actually remember haha.)
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Hahaha!! Kell is fantastic. I’m definitely going to carry on with the series.
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[…] Lu Reads […]
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I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars as well! BUT TRUST ME THE BOOKS GET SOO MUCH BETTER. And in AGOS and ACOL you get all the RHY! I didn’t give it 5 because the characters were amazing but didn’t feel more than that. But I have to say, I LOVE SCHWABS WRITING – master of words right here. Just read the next books – A conjuring of light (#3) is SUPERB and AMAZING.
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I have the next book already, and can’t wait to get into it!! RHYYYYYY I FREAKING LOVE HIM SM. Same here, I felt that the characters were really great, but I didn’t connect with them as much as I would have liked. OMG her writing is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGOS is very character driven but just wait for ACOL! ❤
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OMG you’re getting me so hyped for this series!
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Lol – I’m pretty sure I am now officially the only book blogger out there who has not yet read A Darker Shade of Magic – oh dear. I’m all about villainous characters so I’m definitely making a mental note to FINALLY start this soon!
Wonderfully written review btw! 😀
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Thanks so much!! Honestly, there are BRILLIANT villains in this book so definitely give it a try 😀
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