A review by ofclumsywords
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”

Grey, for the magic-less city. 

Red, for the healthy empire. 

White, for the starving world.

Black, for the lost city. 

Or, as Lila so elegantly puts it: 

Dull London, 

Kell London, 

Creepy London, 

and Dead London. 

This has been on my TBR for years and I’ve heard so many amazing things about this series. And let me tell you, it lived up to all my expectations. The idea of four different Londons, all existing in different worlds and a man who could visit all of them is exactly what drew me to this book. Kell was such a fun character, who acts as if he doesn’t care about anything and yet has such deep loyalty to not only his adoptive family but for his Red London as well. Meanwhile, Lila was such a badass even from the very first chapter where she kills a man who tries to have his way with her. The reader can instantly understand her need to go on an adventure, to escape the harsh reality that comes for an orphaned girl in 1800’s Grey London. Of course the moment Lila meets Kell and discovers he can use magic and comes from a entirely different London she is hooked, demanding to be taken along on a grand adventure. And naturally these two don’t meet by chance and have to stop an evil power that has escaped from Black London and is threatening all the other London’s. 

When a reader choses a fantasy book, they do so to escape reality. And the author not only appeals to that idea but also makes Lila feel the same way the fantasy reader does. By including our world in this book as one of the realities, the author makes the book feel more alive as we get to discover the other London’s along with Lila, who has the same longing all readers have: adventure.