Reviews with content warning for Death - Die Verzauberung der Schatten

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Die Verzauberung der Schatten by V.E. Schwab

53 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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.

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brep23's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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sandwiiche's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

hello what was this?? i waited so long to read about the tournament but it ended being like 20% of the book??? also where was the character development? i just felt like nothing happened in this book and that it was all filler

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taylorreads17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

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erebus53's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a read that I made for TheStoryGraph Onboarding challenge for 2024; the idea was that I browse a user "similar to myself", and read something that they rated as a 5 Star read. I had to scroll through quite a few of their 5 Star reads to find something I hadn't read yet! And lo, it's part 2 of a series I read part 1 of so I was enthused by the idea.

Kel and Rhy are doing some messy stuff... their love lives are even worse.

I was amused in this one to see some of the development of Delilah Bard, a waif from Grey London who doesn't have any training in magical skill, there having been little to no magic to speak of in her home lands. Crewing up with the dashing (and hilariously named) Alucard Emery, she learns some magical stuff and picks up some local lingo.

In a spiral that has me feeling suspicious about her impulsive and dauntless character she decides to not let anything stand in her way as she kicks *rs* and, occasionally, takes names.

Big tournament.. intrigue.. stuff happening in the alternate Londons as one king dies and another rises, and another is formed.. it all looks like the set up for even more exciting happenings in the next chapter.

Honestly.. some of the reasons these kids do stuff just seem completely OUT THERE... but the convoluted mess that comes of these decisions makes for some tense and intriguing stuff.
My money is on

Delilah following the same sort of path as Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, making pacts with dark forces and going full Darth Rosenberg, in the next one.

at least that's my guess.

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