STEP INTO A UNIVERSE OF DARING ADVENTURE, THRILLING POWER, AND MULTIPLE LONDONS.
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magic city.
There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, ambassador of the Maresh Empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. …
STEP INTO A UNIVERSE OF DARING ADVENTURE, THRILLING POWER, AND MULTIPLE LONDONS.
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magic city.
There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, ambassador of the Maresh Empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. 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.
Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse 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.
This description comes from the publisher. A Darker Shade of Magic is the first book of the Shades of Magic trilogy.
Pretty good, I'll admit I waffled on giving this a 4, but I think it lacked something I can't put my finger on. Enjoyed the characters, and the story. Felt Lila was a bit too over the top, but liked her none the less. It was definitely interesting enough to continue the series.
When I first saw the plot summary for this book, I was really intrigued and I must say A Darker Shade of Magic delivered... somewhat. It took me a while to get into the book. About a third in, I thought, great premise, but I'm not sure I like the execution. Then the tone changed, the plot advanced, and everything started to come together. I was excited. In fact I read the second half of the novel in one sitting. Then, towards the end, I felt a bit disappointed again. The resolution was too easy. Too neat.
V.E. Schwab is an excellent writer. Her world-building is intricate, meticulous and clever. The premise is original and unlike anything I've read in the last few years. I just wish we could have seen more of the world. It was all a bit superficial, with great potential though and I'm excited for the …
When I first saw the plot summary for this book, I was really intrigued and I must say A Darker Shade of Magic delivered... somewhat. It took me a while to get into the book. About a third in, I thought, great premise, but I'm not sure I like the execution. Then the tone changed, the plot advanced, and everything started to come together. I was excited. In fact I read the second half of the novel in one sitting. Then, towards the end, I felt a bit disappointed again. The resolution was too easy. Too neat.
V.E. Schwab is an excellent writer. Her world-building is intricate, meticulous and clever. The premise is original and unlike anything I've read in the last few years. I just wish we could have seen more of the world. It was all a bit superficial, with great potential though and I'm excited for the sequels, but for now... it didn't quite grab me the way I was hoping it would.
