Readcommendations

by V.E. Schwab
Reviewed by S.A. 

There is so much I want to say about this book, yet so little that I can without giving it away. It’s safe to assume that if you’re looking to read it, it’s likely that you’re enjoyed (or, dare I say, devoured) the previous installments of the Darker Shade of Magic trilogy. Followers of my instagram and tumblr have been hearing me rant and rave about how excited I was for it to finally come out, and now that I’ve read it, I desperately wish for someone I can blabber on about it with.

* Review spoiler free for A Conjuring of Light, but if you haven’t read the rest of the series you might want to stop here*

Summary

Witness the fate of beloved heroes – and enemies.

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED…
The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

WHO WILL CRUMBLE?
Kell – once assumed to be the last surviving Antari – begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

WHO WILL RISE?
Lila Bard, once a commonplace – but never common – thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?
And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

Musings

I could not have asked for a more fitting and beautiful ending to this stunning series. The book is as fast paced as the first novel, maybe even more so: it’s the end of the world, in simple terms, and our beloved Kell, Lila, Alucard and Rhy are trying to hold it together. All with the help of one surprising ally: Holland. Together, they have to find a way to trap Osaron and put everything back in place.

With the major discovery at the end of A Gathering of Shadows pertaining to Lila’s magic, the world is really turned upside down. And she has got to learn to master her skills fast, since there’s no time to train her properly. She, Kell and Holland are the world’s best bet to win against Osaron.

We learn a whole lot more about the nature of this villain, his motivations and powers. But he’s not the only one in trying to take London: Rhy has to deal with some political adversaries trying to take advantage of the situation so as to overrun his kingdom. Not an easy thing to manage when walking outside could potentially turn you into the puppet of an evil being.

Schwab also delivers on some promises of hers: we get more of Lila being a badass pirate (favorite lady of fiction, right there) and a certain relationship we’ve been shipping finally… well, I did promise no spoilers, right?

The ending was beautiful, but honestly, I’m still dying for more. The author closes off the series quite nicely, but still leaves us with a few questions. I hope our beloved characters come back: the world she’s crafted is too fantastic to leave!

Note from Sarah: you might be wondering why, if I’ve been raving about this book so much, I’ve taken so dang long to read it. Well, it’s because I really didn’t want the series to end. I both wanted to know what happens next and didn’t want to bring myself closer to the end! First book this has happened to me in a while.