Reviews with content warning for Blood - A Conjuring of Light

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

145 reviews

schang's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

enbae's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I really wish that 1) there were more books of this series and 2) that more books would have characters who are black, disabled and/or LGBTQ and nobody making a big deal out of it in the story!
Also reading it was so worth it for Alucard alone 😍🥰

Content Warnings

incrediblemelk's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Having picked up A Darker Shade of Magic at random a few years ago and enjoyed it, I borrowed the sequel A Gathering of Shadows from the library and found it very gripping to the point that when I got to the cliffhanger ending, I ran straight to the library and borrowed this, the final book in the trilogy.

I read it in several long luxurious binges. It’s very dramatic and I enjoyed the worldbuilding. The ultimate ending was never in doubt but I found myself sometimes surprised by some of the plot twists. Schwab isn’t afraid to kill off characters to raise the stakes.

That said, this is a very chunky novel and I found myself noticing some of the schlockier moments that pad out the writing. eg people don’t have ‘hair’ when they can have ‘curls’

and there’s a lot of lavish description of the colours and textures of things, and that trope which always annoys me in fantasy fiction of people’s eye colours changing like mood rings.

I don’t think we really needed chapters from Osaron’s perspective as it (he?) was a dull character with only one motivation – consuming power. And it felt like several threads in the novel (to take up the ‘threads of magic’ metaphor that was riffed on again and again here, having never been a major focus of the previous two books) weren’t followed through, eg the Grey London plotline was squared away very briskly and the questions about Kell’s and Lila’s mysterious pasts were brushed over.

Which I guess is fine – I am always complaining that people need every tiny thing in a story explained away to them and so it’s good that some things are left mysterious for the reader to ponder.

Content Warnings

skitch41's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

bookboxbabe's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

too much happened in this book. it was kind of a drag and the ending…kind of sucked. like the book was amazing, but too much was going on and it was repetitive.

too many people died. half of the deaths in the book were for shock value and didn’t serve a higher purpose.

a better ending would have been with maxim defeating osaron, but maybe that’s just me.

and i love kell. my sweet little baby. even though we didn’t even find out who he was before the palace.

Content Warnings

ten_telegrams's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

trintrin's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark tense fast-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

Arnesians had a dozen ways to say hello, but no word for good-bye.

When it came to parting ways, they sometimes said vas ir, which meant in peace, but more often they chose to say anoshe—until another day.

Anoshe was a word for strangers in the street, and lovers between meetings, for parents and children, friends and family. It softened the blow of leaving. Eased the strain of parting. A careful nod to the certainty of today, the mystery of tomorrow. When a friend left, with little chance of seeing home, they said anoshe. When a loved one was dying, they said anoshe When corpses were burned, bodies given back to the earth and souls to the stream, those left grieving said anoshe

Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.

Tears were spilt, smiles were given, nails were bitten, fists were clenched, relief was felt. Beautiful worlds, beautiful characters, beautiful writing, beautiful plot, and a beautiful conclusion.

Anoshe.

Content Warnings

sofiadanielle's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional 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

Ah, the world of Shades of Magic completed and done. I’m honestly saddened by the loss, but so entirely grateful to have read the series.

For me, A Conjuring of Light was definitely the strongest book of the trilogy. Schwab makes 600+ pages fly by- almost in a way that I wish I could slow it all down.

I think I’ll remember this story for a very long time; I’ll hold these characters close with me.

Content Warnings