I keep seeing this pop up everywhere, with everyone pretty much wibbling over it and so, on taking a rare break from reading of real world murder and misdeeds, I thought I’d give it a punt. I’m glad I did, as it turns out that it’s fantasy brain candy of the highest order. A Darker Shade of Magic introduces us to parallel Londons. There’s Grey London – our own in the time of George III, magic-less and crime-ridden. There’s Red London, a prosperous kingdom where […]
Anosche.
If there was any confusion that this series could be filed under YA, A Conjuring of Light obliterates that idea swiftly. The first book introduced the world and characters, the second made us care about them, and the third puts them through absolute hell. But in a good way, closing out the Shades of Magic trilogy and earning its place as one of the greatest fantasy works of all time. Yep, it’s that good. When we last left Kell, Lila, Rhy, and all the rest […]
A tale of three cities
In the world of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy, in which this is the first book, there are parallel worlds. There used to be gateways between them, but now only the magical Antari (identified by having one normal and one fully black eyeball) are able to travel through to the various worlds, using their blood and magical ability. Young Kell, fostered with the royal family in Red London is one of these Antari. In each of the four worlds, there is a London, the geographical […]
A darker shade of yes, please.
Parallel universes are categorically THE BEST, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them done quite like they are here in A Darker Shade of Magic, the first book in Victoria Schwab’s* Shades of Magic series, which just published its third and final book last week. *She writes YA under her real name, and adult fiction under her pseudonym V.E. Schwab. I’m late to the party, especially given how much I love fantasy and parallel universes, but I don’t really care because I now own […]