Reviews - A Darker Shade of Magic

31.8k reviews for:

A Darker Shade of Magic

V.E. Schwab

4.05 AVERAGE

melindazumi's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

zshawwwwwwwwwwwwwww's review against another edition

5.0

This book blew my mind. I loved the way Schwab described magic as a disease, and as this was my rebound book after reading The Hot Zone, I couldn't help but be amazed at how her magic's properties all seemed to point towards it as a sort of virus. I would have never thought of that, it is genius. I usually don't like books about different dimensions, worlds, or just science fiction in general, but the minute I picked this book up I knew it was going to be great and it surpassed my expectations. Schwab's artful writing depicts this magnificent tale beautifully, and I am extremely excited to read the sequel. Every moment spent reading this book was exciting and engrossing.

fortndyl's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Fun and easy read! I feel like not much really happened but it was still very compelling.

stormcatx's review against another edition

4.0

I struggled through the beginning but then around 20-30% in, I was hooked. The world is quite interesting and the characters are likable. I felt very disconnected from the story at times. There would be point of views that I felt had nothing to add to the story. Hopefully that information will come in handy with the next book, but for this one, I feel it detracted from the story a bit.

revarian's review against another edition

4.0

V.E. Schwab weaves an intriguing world in A Darker Shade of Magic, playing with the concept of parallel Londons—each with its own relationship to magic. The idea is fascinating, though I sometimes wished the world had been fleshed out a little more to give a greater sense of depth. That being said, the adventure at the heart of the book kept me engaged, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

The characters, particularly Kell and Lila, add to the book’s charm, bringing a mix of danger, wit, and unpredictability to the story. Rhy was one of the most intriguing characters for me, and I was sorry to see that his bright character and charm weren't a bigger part of the cast. I would have loved to see more of him throughout the book. Despite my personal character preferences, the pacing is brisk, making for a fun, action-packed read.

The ending struck an interesting balance—it wrapped up well enough that the book could stand alone, but it also left just enough room to make me eager for the sequel.

Overall, A Darker Shade of Magic is a compelling read with a strong sense of adventure. While I craved a little more worldbuilding depth, the story more than made up for it with its energy and character dynamics. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book!

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