A review by lucybbookstuff
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

AHHHHH. Okay okay okay. This book was slow as hell, I have to get that out of the way, but I'm currently REELING from the ending!! Goddamn!!!!

Okay. This book is 500 pages long and about 425 of those were all buildup. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It was definitely some middle book syndrome, transitioning the crazy plot of book 1 into what I'm SURE will be absolute insanity in book 3. But it was just SUCH a jarring change of pace after the ridiculously fast Darker Shade of Magic.

So for that, it gets a lower rating, but I did generally enjoy the plot, and I'm still liking the characters, even when they're fucking killing me (COUGH, Rhy and Lila) and treating my sweet, long-suffering son, Kell, like absolute garbage. I need only good things to happen to Kell from here on out. I know I won't get that wish, but damn it, he deserves it. 😭

I wasn't expecting Holland's whole plot at all. I knew something would be happening with him and White and/or Black London, but I had no idea what. That was cool. I'm very excited (and nervous) to see where book 3 goes.