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A review by lit_terary
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
5.0
As always, I find it difficult to review a book that I’ve loved and cared for, but I guess I will have to try.
This book not only was, to me, the best and perfect conclusion to the story but was also the best-crafted chapter in the series by a long shot. For both “A Darker Shade of Magic” and “A Gathering of Shadows” I felt like something was missing: in the former I found a story too much plot driven that didn’t delve deep enough into characters and world; in the latter the exact opposite, as it was deeply character driven and very long without having an actual plot progression until the very last parts of the novel. This final instalment had both: complex and well-planned character studies on the protagonists, allowing us to get to know them and their personal stories and motives and developments more, and also an intriguing, fast-paced well-structured plot that kept me hooked during the entire length of the book.
There was nothing that I didn’t like about this book (apart from Lila Bard, cough cough, but at this point, I’m not even going to talk about her, she’s worn me out), everything was crafted to perfection, and the development of plot and characters was carried beautifully and masterfully. I’ve grown so fond of the protagonists, especially of Kell and Holland, the latter probably being one of my favourite character/character arc ever. Holland’s development throughout the series is simply outstanding, even though calling it a “development” is a little bit misguiding, as he never really went through development, but rather the way the reader gets to experience him gets through a development. We get to know who he is, why he is who is, and what drives him at his core. A truly splendidly written character.
I’ve already talked about the way I feel about this series in my previous reviews (that you can find here 1 and 2).
If you still haven’t picked up this series, I highly recommend you do so (especially if you are new to the genre or are trying to read something more “adult”). This series truly has transported me into another world and has introduced me to some of my ultimate favourite characters. Give it a chance, you won’t regret it!
This book not only was, to me, the best and perfect conclusion to the story but was also the best-crafted chapter in the series by a long shot. For both “A Darker Shade of Magic” and “A Gathering of Shadows” I felt like something was missing: in the former I found a story too much plot driven that didn’t delve deep enough into characters and world; in the latter the exact opposite, as it was deeply character driven and very long without having an actual plot progression until the very last parts of the novel. This final instalment had both: complex and well-planned character studies on the protagonists, allowing us to get to know them and their personal stories and motives and developments more, and also an intriguing, fast-paced well-structured plot that kept me hooked during the entire length of the book.
There was nothing that I didn’t like about this book (apart from Lila Bard, cough cough, but at this point, I’m not even going to talk about her, she’s worn me out), everything was crafted to perfection, and the development of plot and characters was carried beautifully and masterfully. I’ve grown so fond of the protagonists, especially of Kell and Holland, the latter probably being one of my favourite character/character arc ever. Holland’s development throughout the series is simply outstanding, even though calling it a “development” is a little bit misguiding, as he never really went through development, but rather the way the reader gets to experience him gets through a development. We get to know who he is, why he is who is, and what drives him at his core. A truly splendidly written character.
I’ve already talked about the way I feel about this series in my previous reviews (that you can find here 1 and 2).
If you still haven’t picked up this series, I highly recommend you do so (especially if you are new to the genre or are trying to read something more “adult”). This series truly has transported me into another world and has introduced me to some of my ultimate favourite characters. Give it a chance, you won’t regret it!