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adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On round two, we think we know this world, but there is much to continue to explore and unearth. Again, Schwab is truly great at World building in a satisfying way that does reward readers for paying attention to detail. That being said, this book really does feel like that middle chapter in a story, whether that be due to the sudden cliffhanger at the end or the fact of how long it takes for the main event of the book "The Essen Tasch" to begin roughly 340 pages into the story. Don't get me wrong, I like all the subtle drama and back and forth viewpoints of events (which works out really well in some chapters where the event picks up from different POV seamlessly), but for how much the event is talked up, it's a relatively short-lived part of this story. I'm genuinely more intrigued by Lila as we keep going forward, albeit sometimes ya just wanna yell when she makes some choices. Rhy seems like a more well rounded character in this outing and the brotherly conflict and care seems much more genuine. Now to seek out book 3 to find out what Osaron, White/Red London, and Kell/Lila/Rhy have in store!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Stalking, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love everything about the Essen Tasch and getting to explore the culture that is entwined with the magic systems in this world. A riveting continuation of what is proving to be a memorable story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Violence, Murder
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Four months after the events of A Darker Shade of Magic, Kell, Lila, and Prince Rhy are all dealing with the fallout and consequences of their actions. As Red London prepares for the Element Games, reunions are on the horizon for our main characters. While everyone has new tricks up their sleeves for the games, something sinister is brewing in another London...
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic and I'm realizing it was due to all of our characters' relationships and interactions with each other. This book separates out some characters for a majority of the book and because of that, it felt pretty slow to me for a while. I thought that it took a while to get to the actual plot of the book, and even then, this book felt like mostly filler in the trilogy? I enjoyed the Element Games and wished that had lasted longer or even been the bulk of the book. I loved the addition of our new pirate character, Alucard, though! He was instantly charming and fun and I wanted to find out more about him immediately. And as always, I still love Lila, Kell, and Rhy! All in all, I still liked this book overall, but would like to see a bit more action in the final book!
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic and I'm realizing it was due to all of our characters' relationships and interactions with each other. This book separates out some characters for a majority of the book and because of that, it felt pretty slow to me for a while. I thought that it took a while to get to the actual plot of the book, and even then, this book felt like mostly filler in the trilogy? I enjoyed the Element Games and wished that had lasted longer or even been the bulk of the book. I loved the addition of our new pirate character, Alucard, though! He was instantly charming and fun and I wanted to find out more about him immediately. And as always, I still love Lila, Kell, and Rhy! All in all, I still liked this book overall, but would like to see a bit more action in the final book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Death
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oddly enough I thought Lila was a little annoying in the first book. Only enough the roles were switched in the second one between her and Kell lol
Just thought it’d be fun to share
Just thought it’d be fun to share
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Death, Kidnapping
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Self harm, Sexism, Torture
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
V. W. Schwab did it again. Usually the second book in a trilogy is weaker but I can’t say that about this book.
Pirated, tragic love, a magical tournament, unexpected twists and deceptions. What more can one ask for?
Pirated, tragic love, a magical tournament, unexpected twists and deceptions. What more can one ask for?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this up because I have had this trilogy on my bookshelves for years.
"A Gathering of Shadows" continues to follow Kell and Delilah. Four months have passed since the epic conclusion of " A Darker Shade of Magic", and Kell is still trying to get back to a somewhat normal life. Rhy seems to be doing better, but Kell feels so guilty for the events that occurred, and he has given up traveling between the different Londons all together. Red London is preparing to host their infamous Element Games, a competition aimed to bring the neighboring countries together. Red London may be all fun and games, but another London is rebuilding with sinister motives.
This sequel was interesting to read because Kell and Delilah are not initially together, so their narratives are following both of their individual stories. The reader knows that these two have a connection, but with Kell and Delilah separated, the reader is left waiting anxiously to see how they will be reunited, and what that means for them.
I really enjoyed the Element Games in this novel. The games provided just the right amount of tension and whimsy and it was wonderful to see characters explore the depths of their gifts.
Delilah was so much fun to read from! She is such a strong protagonist and can really hold her own. She really got to explore her strength in this story, and I loved seeing her conquer any and all challenges thrown her way.
Kell's narrative felt darker to read from, because he is dealing with a lot more tension in his immediate world.
I think it is fairly obvious Kell and Delilah are going to be reunited in some way, and I loved the anticipation the author built for their inevitable reunion. Kell and Delilah have so many moments of almost crossing paths and it made their eventual meeting all the sweeter.
The ending left me with so many questions, and I am dying to see what becomes of the Londons, Delilah, and most importantly, Kell.
"A Gathering of Shadows" continues to follow Kell and Delilah. Four months have passed since the epic conclusion of " A Darker Shade of Magic", and Kell is still trying to get back to a somewhat normal life. Rhy seems to be doing better, but Kell feels so guilty for the events that occurred, and he has given up traveling between the different Londons all together. Red London is preparing to host their infamous Element Games, a competition aimed to bring the neighboring countries together. Red London may be all fun and games, but another London is rebuilding with sinister motives.
This sequel was interesting to read because Kell and Delilah are not initially together, so their narratives are following both of their individual stories. The reader knows that these two have a connection, but with Kell and Delilah separated, the reader is left waiting anxiously to see how they will be reunited, and what that means for them.
I really enjoyed the Element Games in this novel. The games provided just the right amount of tension and whimsy and it was wonderful to see characters explore the depths of their gifts.
Delilah was so much fun to read from! She is such a strong protagonist and can really hold her own. She really got to explore her strength in this story, and I loved seeing her conquer any and all challenges thrown her way.
Kell's narrative felt darker to read from, because he is dealing with a lot more tension in his immediate world.
I think it is fairly obvious Kell and Delilah are going to be reunited in some way, and I loved the anticipation the author built for their inevitable reunion. Kell and Delilah have so many moments of almost crossing paths and it made their eventual meeting all the sweeter.
The ending left me with so many questions, and I am dying to see what becomes of the Londons, Delilah, and most importantly, Kell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol