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

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

A terrific premise for a fantasy universe - I love the idea of a connected, similar-but-different series of Londons, but this book felt almost entirely like world-building for subsequent novels in the series. While it's great that this is a cohesive part of a whole and look forward to where the rest of the series goes, I think it misses out on being truly great since it doesn't stand on its own.