Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic--V.E. Schwab

What it's about:

Kell lives in London. Lila also lives in London, but they're not the *same* London. Magic has gone awry, leaving these four different Londons in varying states of magic. Grey London is magicless, Red London lives with magic in a peaceful balance, White London doesn't have enough magic to sate its residents, and Black London...well, we don't talk about Black London. 

Kell is Antari, one of the few capable of traveling in between each of these Londons, carrying messages between the rulers. But messages aren't the only thing he's been bringing back from his travels. When he brings back something he *really* shouldn't have--something dangerous--a boatload of trouble follows him, and chaos, action, and feels ensue.

What I thought:

I LOVED this story. The world was such a cool and unique idea, and the writing was great.
Kellila is the not-quite-canon (yet, muahahaha) ship I never knew I needed. I love Lila and I'm so excited to see what goes down in her storyline in the next book!! Kell is amazing and adorable and I can't wait to see what happens to her next.

I wish there was a little more character development, BUT I know that we'll be getting more in the next book. Kell is loyal and brave and I want to know more about him and his relationship with his family. Lila is pretty bamf but she's clearly not what she seems at first, and I really want to know what will happen when everyone realizes who/what she really is.

This worldbuilding was FANTASTIC. I can't get over how much I loved the idea of the different Londons and how they came to be. The way that was inherently entwined with the magic system was so interesting as well--due to the way the places and people reacted to that magic, different results came to be, and I think that gave a really rich feel to the history of the story.

The story itself was also really entertaining. The language and the way it was written lent itself very well to imagery and it was so easy to imagine the scenery, characters, and different Londons. I especially loved the Dane's throne room (because even though they were evil, they were pretty cool villans). The action scenes were good, and the stuff happening in the background when we weren't with the main characters was a really well done addition.

Rating: 4.5 stars