A review by samchase112
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

adventurous 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

4.25

Whew, what a ride! The second in the Shades of Magic trilogy… I have been waiting years to get to finally read this book, and I'm so so glad I stuck to it (and just bought the damn box set). This world, these characters, are so much freaking fun to read about. Lila is a devilish, crazy character, while Kell… Kell! I just love him. And their world, their banter, their connection, their adventures — it's all the fantasy goodness I crave. The first 70% of this did drag a bit, without Lila and Kell's interaction; I said in an update that the buildup was sweet — and it was, but only for so long, until it became overkill and I was sitting there waiting for fireworks. Good thing the ending 1000% delivered on those promised explosions, and left me itching for the final book. So, yes, A Gathering of Shadows (a perfect sequel name; shadows appeared in bk 1, gather in bk 2, and explode in bk 3) suffered from the sophomore slump/sequel slump/book-two-of-a-trilogy slump… and yet it was still oh so good.
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