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A review by lolaslalaland
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
Sequel to A Darker Shade of magic in the Shades of Magic trilogy.
In this second book we mainly follow Delilah Bard in her adventures through this unknown world; as a thief aboard a privateer ship, as a novice mage, and as a girl with trouble trusting anyone due to a harsh past. Lila is a thrill seeking adrenaline addict so it comes as no surprise that when the Element Games come around, she attempts to sneak into them. But she isn't the only one illegally participating in the tournament.
Kell and Rhy face their own troubles with their linked predicament. I found Kell's dilemma in this book to be very emotional for me and truly heartbreaking. The amount of strife he endured was just... sad and lonely and I wish I could give him a hug.
Of course, we encounter a myriad of new characters that are fabulously diverse. Coming from all corners of this fictitious Red London world with different kingdoms. Through the magical games we understand the basic and fragile relationship all the kingdoms have with each other. As someone who enjoys fantasy with political intrigue, I would have wanted a little bit more on this part, but this book isn't about the delicate standing of fantasy politics.
This book is about its characters and a problem that has never quite gone away. But this book isn't about our characters facing it, it's about the set up. And for that reason, I sometimes found it to be slightly lacking in the plot department. There is a lot of background and some truly heartwarming and wrenching moments between our cast, but not a lot of action other than of course the magical games (which I sometimes felt there wasn't enough) and Kell's PoV.
Overall, A Gathering of Shadows was another extremely enjoyable book and I know I would reread it and absolutely love it. V.E. Schwab's writing is by far my favorite thing to read and I cannot wait to get to the third book in this trilogy!
In this second book we mainly follow Delilah Bard in her adventures through this unknown world; as a thief aboard a privateer ship, as a novice mage, and as a girl with trouble trusting anyone due to a harsh past. Lila is a thrill seeking adrenaline addict so it comes as no surprise that when the Element Games come around, she attempts to sneak into them. But she isn't the only one illegally participating in the tournament.
Kell and Rhy face their own troubles with their linked predicament. I found Kell's dilemma in this book to be very emotional for me and truly heartbreaking. The amount of strife he endured was just... sad and lonely and I wish I could give him a hug.
Of course, we encounter a myriad of new characters that are fabulously diverse. Coming from all corners of this fictitious Red London world with different kingdoms. Through the magical games we understand the basic and fragile relationship all the kingdoms have with each other. As someone who enjoys fantasy with political intrigue, I would have wanted a little bit more on this part, but this book isn't about the delicate standing of fantasy politics.
This book is about its characters and a problem that has never quite gone away. But this book isn't about our characters facing it, it's about the set up. And for that reason, I sometimes found it to be slightly lacking in the plot department. There is a lot of background and some truly heartwarming and wrenching moments between our cast, but not a lot of action other than of course the magical games (which I sometimes felt there wasn't enough) and Kell's PoV.
Overall, A Gathering of Shadows was another extremely enjoyable book and I know I would reread it and absolutely love it. V.E. Schwab's writing is by far my favorite thing to read and I cannot wait to get to the third book in this trilogy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Self harm