I’m so pissed at this book. HOW DARE YOU, BOOK. How DARE you be better than the first novel (A Darker Shade of Magic). How DARE you make me care more about the characters. How DARE you introduce even more characters I have to care about. But most of all HOW DARE YOU END ON A CLIFFHANGER.
For serious, you guys, I’m so mad. Mostly because the next book isn’t out and might not even be written yet? So rude. What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Read OTHER books? When all my brain can think about is what’s going to happen to Kell and Lila and Rhy THIS IS UNFAIR.
Anyway. In A Darker Shade of Magic, Kell and Lila crossed paths, setting of a series of amazing events and changing both of their lives (as well as several of the Londons) forever. Lila is from Grey London but, having convinced Kell to carry her back to Red London, neglected to return, instead conning her way onto what she thought was a pirate ship (and, for all intents and purposes, what is actually a pirate ship). She’s also beginning to show an aptitude for magic, something that will get her into a fair share of trouble in this novel. Luckily, she seems to have been born for trouble, so she should be fine.
Kell, on the other hand, has his hands full with another problem…boredom. In the last novel, he tied his life to Rhy’s and now, both are feeling what the other is feeling and neither is particularly enjoying it. Rhy comes up with a scheme to try to get Kell out of his slump. It works for a while, almost too well.
In the midst of all of this, Red London is preparing to host a competition between the world’s greatest magicians, White London is awakening from being under the thrall of the twin monarchs that Kell and Lila disposed of in the previous novel, and Lila’s captain, Alucard Emery, has returned to Red London to the dismay of Kell and delight (maybe) of Rhy. Red London’s king and queen, Rhy’s natural parents and Kell’s adoptive parents, are still reeling from the events of the last novel, and taking it out on Kell. MEANWHILE I was on pins and needles, wondering when Kell and Lila would be reunited. All of this ties together wonderfully, I just wanted more of it, and I don’t want to wait for the next novel to come out, whenever that may be.
So yeah. This book and I are fighting.
This is critical information! This does not sound like my typical type of book, but the premise is very intriguing (and that cover is gorgeous!), so I was all ready to add it to the list. It is now at the back of the list because I also cannot handle cliffhangers. I’ll keep it on the list and give the series a shot once the next book is out.
It took me a bit to get into the first one (lots of set up for future happenings) but the second one was so good. I totally understand wanting to wait until the next one is out, though, I hate starting series that aren’t finished. :(
I totally agree. The thing that got me most though was that in the acknowledgements, the author says “I also want to point out that I made it nine books without invoking the dreaded cliffhanger”. Really?!
Every time I think about waiting until next year to read more of this world, I get so sad. But then I think about how quickly time goes by (and how many books I still have to read) and it makes it a little better?