A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (2015)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (2015)

A story of magic, travel, and adventure between worlds.

Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars

Plot: As ambassador for Red London, Kell travels through worlds into multiple Londons to relay messages. The different versions of the city have varying levels of magic and different rulers that communicate through magicians. But the system of cities and power dynamics is precarious and could be in danger.

Analysis: I really enjoyed the premise of multiple Londons and passing between them with magic. The elemental magic concept is also interesting but not really explored after being introduced.

The characters were pretty flat with not a lot of character development. They had backstories to flesh them out, but there wasn’t a lot of depth beyond basic personality traits.

The pacing was inconsistent and only gripped me about half the time. This book was decent but could have been way better.