A Darker Shade of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Crime isn't that complicated," she said. "People steal because taking something gives them something. If they're not in it for the money, they're in it for control. The act of taking, of breaking the rules, makes them feel powerful. They're in it for the sheer defiance." She turned away. "Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that."
Magic. The symbol of power. Who does not like magic? However, there is a twist here. Magic is dying. There are always consequences, after all. No, let me rephrase that. There are four different Londons: Red, Grey, White, and Black. At least that is how Master Kell classifies. So, there are four versions of Londons. One might wonder then if there are four version of a single individual. Oh well, magic is at work. All these different Londons are on different stages of magic, black one being black. Dead. And then there are others, the red one being the most prosperous. Kell is from Red London. He is adopted by the Royal family. However, he thinks of himself as a servant. Rhys seems to be his only family. He is an Antari, only one of the most powerful magician. He shouldn't have a weakness, right? Well, he is a smuggler. If we are to trust, Lila, whom he meets in the Grey London, he just smuggles to feel alive. That's where the danger falls in. Sometimes doing stupid things have unwanted outcomes. It comes at a price or at least it does here...
Overall, when I started reading the book, it was hard to get into due to world building. In this book, Schwab writes in a way that makes the fictional world of weird Londons seem more mundane than they are. Although I felt the pace was slower than I liked, I wasn't disappointed by the book at all. I found the characters riveting, especially Kell and Lila. Obviously, I hated the psycho Danes with all my heart and might. Anyways, the interesting thing about the book is that the pace, in the beginning, is slow, but a point comes when there is a lot of haze and confusion. It is experienced both by characters as well as the readers. Schwab does a great job of creating such an atmosphere.
Just as a note, there is no romance in this book. However, the interaction between Lila and Kell is hard to miss. It is a kind where two anti-heroes meet to save the world except are they?
I hope you would love this book as much as I did. I know that some might be turned down by the beginning, but hold on as I did. It gets better.
View all my reviews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Crime isn't that complicated," she said. "People steal because taking something gives them something. If they're not in it for the money, they're in it for control. The act of taking, of breaking the rules, makes them feel powerful. They're in it for the sheer defiance." She turned away. "Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that."
Magic. The symbol of power. Who does not like magic? However, there is a twist here. Magic is dying. There are always consequences, after all. No, let me rephrase that. There are four different Londons: Red, Grey, White, and Black. At least that is how Master Kell classifies. So, there are four versions of Londons. One might wonder then if there are four version of a single individual. Oh well, magic is at work. All these different Londons are on different stages of magic, black one being black. Dead. And then there are others, the red one being the most prosperous. Kell is from Red London. He is adopted by the Royal family. However, he thinks of himself as a servant. Rhys seems to be his only family. He is an Antari, only one of the most powerful magician. He shouldn't have a weakness, right? Well, he is a smuggler. If we are to trust, Lila, whom he meets in the Grey London, he just smuggles to feel alive. That's where the danger falls in. Sometimes doing stupid things have unwanted outcomes. It comes at a price or at least it does here...
Overall, when I started reading the book, it was hard to get into due to world building. In this book, Schwab writes in a way that makes the fictional world of weird Londons seem more mundane than they are. Although I felt the pace was slower than I liked, I wasn't disappointed by the book at all. I found the characters riveting, especially Kell and Lila. Obviously, I hated the psycho Danes with all my heart and might. Anyways, the interesting thing about the book is that the pace, in the beginning, is slow, but a point comes when there is a lot of haze and confusion. It is experienced both by characters as well as the readers. Schwab does a great job of creating such an atmosphere.
Just as a note, there is no romance in this book. However, the interaction between Lila and Kell is hard to miss. It is a kind where two anti-heroes meet to save the world except are they?
I hope you would love this book as much as I did. I know that some might be turned down by the beginning, but hold on as I did. It gets better.
View all my reviews
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