A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V. E. Schwab
Kell is a blood magician who can travel between the four worlds, each with a different affinity for magic but sharing the anomaly of the name 'London'. When Kell finds a dangerous artefact, he must return it to the darkest form of London before it falls into the wrong hands.
I found the beginning slow with too much exposition, but intriguing nonetheless. At first I struggled to get to grips with the different worlds as they're each very different in description, history, characters - of course there needs to be a lot of world building in a book about multiple worlds, but it made Kell's narrative heavy to read. Yet, it had many redeeming quirks, like the elemental toy and the enchanted coat, which made me think the book could swing either way for me. I kept reading with an open mind.
When Kell bumps into Lila Bard, the book really gets going. Lila's a thief who yearns for adventure, and with very little to lose, she's very happy to get herself tangled up in danger as she seeks the thrills and riches of life. She bounces well off of Kell, adding in a feisty spirit and a bit of humour, taking what could have been a dry fantasy into an entertaining adventure.
Exposition aside, the book is full of adventure, mystery and magic - what's not to love? I would recommend it highly, but only read it when you're ready to properly get into a book. You have to give a little before you get anything back with this one.
Source: Bought it!
5 Stars
Verdict: Slow to start, totally worth it.
Verdict: Slow to start, totally worth it.
Kell is a blood magician who can travel between the four worlds, each with a different affinity for magic but sharing the anomaly of the name 'London'. When Kell finds a dangerous artefact, he must return it to the darkest form of London before it falls into the wrong hands.
I found the beginning slow with too much exposition, but intriguing nonetheless. At first I struggled to get to grips with the different worlds as they're each very different in description, history, characters - of course there needs to be a lot of world building in a book about multiple worlds, but it made Kell's narrative heavy to read. Yet, it had many redeeming quirks, like the elemental toy and the enchanted coat, which made me think the book could swing either way for me. I kept reading with an open mind.
When Kell bumps into Lila Bard, the book really gets going. Lila's a thief who yearns for adventure, and with very little to lose, she's very happy to get herself tangled up in danger as she seeks the thrills and riches of life. She bounces well off of Kell, adding in a feisty spirit and a bit of humour, taking what could have been a dry fantasy into an entertaining adventure.
Exposition aside, the book is full of adventure, mystery and magic - what's not to love? I would recommend it highly, but only read it when you're ready to properly get into a book. You have to give a little before you get anything back with this one.
Source: Bought it!
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