Reviews - Темный оттенок магии

32.2k reviews for:

Темный оттенок магии

V.E. Schwab, V.E. Schwab

4.05 AVERAGE

mahike_the_lightweaver's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

natalieshell's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

imikayla72's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3 stars

I see what the story was trying to be, and the characters were likeable for the most part (I really liked Kell's character especially in the beginning), but the execution of it was really dampened by the excessive plot armour and clumsy plot-points.

In regards to the plot, things just felt like they kept happening, without a pause in-between or the characters having a moment to discern their goals or priorities. On top of that, the fighting scenes made me laugh at times, given how avoidant Kell or Lilla's opponents were towards just directly KILLING them. Instead, they came up with the most creative ways of distraction or throwing rocks and water around, never just using a knife and getting it over with (also, given how powerful the antagonists were painted as, you would think they would be powerful enough to kill Kell or Lilla in one fell swoop as they kept saying they wanted to).

Off the top of my head, there were a few major points when plot armour was so blatantly helping the characters: when Kell dispelled the rock and thus its magic (WHICH WAS THE ONLY REASON THE SPELL BETWEEN RHY AND KELL WORKED) and got worried that it would kill Rhy (which would mean it would also kill Kell) but checked his chest and somehow the seal was still working; when Kell was fighting Athos and he just HAPPENED to conjure a snake that he was somehow unable to defend against, while severely wounded Kell very easily stabbed and killed without issue; Lilla merely carving out the rune that was protecting Astrid which broke her shield (not to mention Astrid who prided over her intelligence and protection within her cathedral, just left her vacant body alone in the throne room with only a young boy to guard it while she was in the other London); when Holland pulled Kell back into Red London mid-travel to White London, and somehow Lilla still made it through without him and without getting stuck in the ether; a simple spell dispelling the black magic from the stone and the entirety of Red London saving the day in one fell swoop; Kell opening a door to Black London (no fear of anything coming out of it and into White London) and only sending Holland and the stone there, without having to guide it himself, as he constantly stated throughout the book would have needed to happen (Holland, if not dead, wasn't conscience to intentionally speak to the magic/door to let him through...so how the helly did he do that??). If anything, the way these characters evaded death became expected and gave me a good chuckle. Because...no Lilla, don't worry! Of course you're not going to die! Against the oh so powerful Astrid Dane, nonetheless!

The dialogue was very awkward, and not very distinctive between characters. The romance (if you could call it that?) between Kell and Lilla was sooooo forced and made no sense. Like why was she kissing him in the same day she met him, with no real reaction from Kell at all. They never even mentioned the kiss after that point, which seemed out of character for at least Kell who was very reserved and didn't open up/get close to anyone...I would hope the author doesn't carry this romance into the next book, and maybe Lilla gets with Rhy instead, whom from the single scene they spoke, had much more chemistry with.

ALSO the tropes and plot and characters of this book really melded with so much of the fantasy I've already read throughout my life, and specifically books I've read recently. Lilla's character as a whole just felt like regurgitated female fantasy tropes I've seen so many times. I just read the Dance of Thieves duology, and the whole personality of being a thief/ruthless/careless about murder/closed off/vulnerability issues felt very copy and paste (although that duology felt more natural and fitting for Kazi's character vs. Lilla's). I was deep in a reading slump when I picked this book up, and I'd also tried reading both One Dark Window and Immortal Longings, which alongside ADSOM felt wayyyy too similar (I DNF'd both but hopefully I'll get back to them).

kaitlyne_sargent's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 25%

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book. I really tried and I don’t know if it’s because I was listening to it instead of physically reading it but I was just bored.

oktomeri's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

alexafair's review against another edition

3.0

Read this one for my library’s June challenge. While I didn’t LOVE this book, I did really enjoy it. It was fast-faced and entertaining. While I’m not obsessed with any of the characters, I did enjoy them (and the story enough) to eventually read the second one. I think part of my problem is that all the books I’ve been reading lately have been too similar and they are all melding together with nothing new and exciting.