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A review by lskywalker918
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
4.0
First off, please give this book a chance! I know the action did not finally start until halfway through, but you would be rewarded if you kept going! The storyline was nothing to talk about. It was yet another magic competition. However, Schwab's prose drew you along. She beautifully wove the words together such that we could feel Kell's anguish, Rhy's internal changes, and Lila's uncertainty.
I didn't think the second book in the trilogy could be better than the first. Darker Shade of Magic was a great introduction to this strange world. Gathering of Shadows focused more on the characters. The real plot did not kick in until roughly 50% through with the first half catching us up to what was happening to our characters in the aftermath of the first book. If you kept reading, you would be treated to the emotional whirlwinds as Kell, Rhy, and Lila (and Holland too!) continued to live after all the changes they underwent in the first book.
Kell had played the role of the stoic foil to Rhy's almost reckless spontaneity. His emotions finally came to the boiling point when he realized that he too needed to live his life after all that he had sacrificed. Rhy finally realized how he might have taken his relationship (and bond) with Kell for granted, and sought to find a new purpose in his life. Lila was still finding her place in this new world.
While I was in no rush to find the next book after finishing Darker Shade of Magic, this book ended on a cliffhanger. My heart was left hanging emotionally even as my brain needed to find out the future of this world. Yes, I need to read the next book soon!
I didn't think the second book in the trilogy could be better than the first. Darker Shade of Magic was a great introduction to this strange world. Gathering of Shadows focused more on the characters. The real plot did not kick in until roughly 50% through with the first half catching us up to what was happening to our characters in the aftermath of the first book. If you kept reading, you would be treated to the emotional whirlwinds as Kell, Rhy, and Lila (and Holland too!) continued to live after all the changes they underwent in the first book.
Kell had played the role of the stoic foil to Rhy's almost reckless spontaneity. His emotions finally came to the boiling point when he realized that he too needed to live his life after all that he had sacrificed. Rhy finally realized how he might have taken his relationship (and bond) with Kell for granted, and sought to find a new purpose in his life. Lila was still finding her place in this new world.
While I was in no rush to find the next book after finishing Darker Shade of Magic, this book ended on a cliffhanger. My heart was left hanging emotionally even as my brain needed to find out the future of this world. Yes, I need to read the next book soon!