Contents:
There, I talked about the main characters personality and their development progression throughout this whole book within one sentence. Seriously, out of everything I ever read, Kell is one of the most boring character of all time. The only thing intriguing about him is his coat and it's always a bad sign when the clothes is more captivating than the person. Finally, the last problem I have with the book is the underwhelming magic and climax. If there's one thing that V. Even all the action scenes in the book are really standard and provides zero intensity. I read the climax sequences with a face and emotion so flat that drinking a hot Chamomile tea will give more reaction to my emotion.
Because of these 3 factors that really shine from aDSoM.
Magic Reloaded: The Dark Side of Magic - Kindle edition by Dr. Reverend Edwin Kent. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or. Maggie Reloaded (Maggie MacKay Magical Tracker Book 7) humor, nasty and strange creatures, new characters, the Dark Dimension and even an evil uncle!! they didn't distract from the events and would, I presume, be part of Book 8.
All 4 version of London have their unique characteristic. And for the love of all that is holy and sacred not this abomination Despite everything, I still like the book enough to finish it and I still have hope for the future sequels. It won't be soon but I will continue with the series eventually with really low expectation. It lacked a touch of brilliance to make the book reach its maximum potential that the concept provides and I sincerely hope the sequels will receive the shade of magic it needs.
Jan 19, Hannah rated it really liked it Shelves: My spoiler free video review is now up!!: Schwab is truly a master when it comes to crafting multidimensional, well rounded, and flawed characters. Rhy is so pure and precious. Kell deserves love and happiness. Lila Bard is my new queen. This was truly one of the most realistic fantasy worlds I've ever read about. I mean that in the sense that the world seemed like My spoiler free video review is now up!!: I mean that in the sense that the world seemed like something that could actually exist.
The world was complex and intricate, but just grounded enough that the concept of 4 parallel London's is something I can truly conceptualize. In other words, it made me believe that the magic was real. As always, Schwab's writing was absolutely engaging. It's concise and simplistic, yet still full of warmth and depth. This book was a bit slower paced but I thought that it matched the world perfectly.
It was fast-paced and action-packed where it needed to be and still took its time to develop the world and characters completely. Needless to say, I loved it. And I can't wait to continue on in the series! May 21, Miranda Reads rated it really liked it Shelves: Being an Antari, he travels between worlds. He knows of four worlds and all four of them have one, conveniently overlapping city: Grey London - Magicless, technology driven. Red London - Magic is considered a gift and is practiced with careful determination White London - Magic is cruel, often needs to be stolen and locked into bodies Black London - Magic is hungry and all-consuming, magic apocalypse happened here.
All magic, artifacts and people from Black London is banned from the other worlds. Kell frequently travels in and out of the Londons - passing along correspondence, adventuring and smuggling artifacts that last bit is hugely illegal. After a visit to the cruel king and queen of White London, Kell is given an innocuous black stone and told to bring it to Red London.
A bit buzzed and confused, he travels between worlds only to discover that the stone is actually a part of Black London. By smuggling the stone, Kell committed treason against the crown of Red London his adopted family but more importantly, the black stone contains remnants of that world's magic - seduction and hunger.
Delilah "Lila" Bard lives in Grey London not that she knows it.
It's the only London without magic and she's spent her entire life looking for a way out. And then Kell lands on her doorstop. I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still. Kell immediately struggles with the power of the stone. And he soon realizes that although he may not want it, help will come to him in the form of one very, very stubborn Lila Bard. I really enjoyed the start to this series!
Schwab had such a unique idea - with the four Londons and their varying degrees of magic - and executed it extremely well. I loved all the details she included - it really made the story come alive. As for the characters Lila at times a bit over the top really balanced out the seriousness and coldness of Kell. The two of them working together had a really natural feel - as evidenced by their free-flowing banter. I was not myself. Audiobook Comments Read by Steven Crossley - and he did a great job. This was a rather well-read audiobook. I do wish he would've had more emotion when it came to his characters but then again, Kell is supposed to be a little stand-offish.
View all 20 comments. Apr 22, Sana rated it really liked it Shelves: I usually end up hating on the most hyped books loved by all my friends.
This book is dark and gripping book full of magic. I loved it and I wanted to give this 5 stars, I really wanted to, but the beginning took some time getting into and it was very dull and boring. The beginning of this book felt like I was reading a textbook. The writing was bland and there was lots of info dump towards the beginning. Later on, I did grasp the idea of the different Londons and magic. This book has such a fantastic world building and once the info dump was over, I understood it all.
Anyways, the book did get better, a lot better when Lila Bard made an appearance. This book is literally almost perfection from multiple Londons, complex sexy coats yes I have issues , badassery, badass female leads, RHY my new husband, guys , KELL, magic, and evil. Another thing that made this book much much more enjoyable for me was turning innocent quotes into dirty quotes. I want to adopt Kell as my new son and go cut some bitches with Lila Bard.
Oh, I would particulary like to cut that Holland bitch right in the face, that would be great! Jun 30, sreeja rated it it was amazing. But in short, this is just perfect. Every page is magic and every scene has a purpose. The characters bring life into this book. The magic system and the writing style is unique and a breath of fresh air. Reading this book feels like stumbling into something wholly new and familiar at the same time.
Reading this was an adventure with magic and drama. Reading this felt like taking on this world, and other worlds , it was such a fun experience. View all 77 comments. Apr 04, Kai rated it it was amazing Shelves: I'm stunned and I'm in awe. Incredible world-building, beautiful language and an intruiging plot make this 5 out of 5 stars. And let's not forget about the "cross-dressing thieves", "sadistics kings and queens " and my favourite the "royal who is equal parts Prince Harry and Jack Harkness".
This novel started as it ended: It is as beautiful from the outside, as it is from the inside. It's the kind of book you want to keep reading and at the same time to never end. This is one of the best examples of world-building there is. A world or better: There is so much to see, so much to feel, so much to find out. A book like this keeps you pondering for quite a while and even longer. Victoria Schwab turns out to be one of my new favorite authors. Find more of my books on Instagram View all 29 comments. So you may notice this book is kind of polarizing within the adult sff community; a little bit And for me personally it is Red London, a land of magic and peace.
White London, a land of turmoil and war and an overuse of magic. And Black London, the land where magic went wrong and burnt out. Only a few people can travel between worlds, and when one of the only two left, Kell, discovers a magic stone that could destroy his world, he and non-magical Lila go on a journey to put it back. Let's get the problems out of the way - the plotting is a mixed bag. This book is a page wild ride. The characters don't even have a quest until around page , and it makes the entire book feel just a bit messy.
Her smile only sharpened. It was nigh-impossible for me to not be engaged in this story. The writing style is SO GOOD, lyrical and gorgeous and with a really nice flow to it; one of my good blogger friends discussed her sentence structure, and it is so fantastic. The worldbuilding is creative and intriguing and perhaps best of all, makes a surprising amount of sense for such a wild concept.
Also, I would die for these characters. Oddly, they didn't totally grow on me until like While I could recognize from the beginning that the leads were well-developed and interesting, it took me a while to feel as if I had a concrete concept of who they are. And then we got to the ending and I was screaming in agony at the thought of these characters dying, and I was like "oh shit" and realized how much I love Kell and Lila and Rhy and how much I care about their relationships.
Schwab does a lot of showing, not telling, which makes the character development a bit more subtle; these characters are based off their motivations perhaps even more than their actual traits. Slow start, flawless payoff. I actually want to talk a little more specifically about these characters because when I think back on this series, they are always what come to mind.
Kell is a grumpy child who we love anyway. Lila is a fucking badass genderfluid thief with a soft side and I love her. Rhy is a bisexual prince [literally] who spends half his time dragging people. Even Holland, the sort-of-villain, is a super dynamic and intriguing character. Oh, and then the relationships: They are perhaps two of the most different people ever and they love each other so much it's beautiful.
Super highly recommended for fans of creative, engaging fantasy. Blog Goodreads Twitter Youtube Aug 03, jessica rated it really liked it. Jan 31, Nat rated it really liked it Shelves: Magic was a living thing—that, everyone knew—but to Kell it felt like more, like a friend, like family.
He was, after all, Antari. I went into this book not knowing much abou Magic was a living thing—that, everyone knew—but to Kell it felt like more, like a friend, like family. I went into this book not knowing much about the plot except that it involved magic and that everyone seemed to love it. A Darker Shade of Magic has amazingly complex characters among my favorites: Prince Rhy, Lila Bard, and of course Kell they made it impossible to put the book down.
This book was so original and creative. I had to stop everything I was doing and just finish it. E Schwab's writing is outstanding. I love close families in YA books. It seemed to me that underneath all the evil and pain that had gotten into his body, there was still a flicker of humanity.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. I felt extremely relieved when Lila and Kell killed both of the twins. The instant before the metal struck him from behind, Holland had stopped fighting. It was only a second, a fraction of a breath, but it had been enough to give Kell the edge, the opening. I was anticipating the two main characters meeting right from the start- and it did not disappoint.
The chemistry between Lila and Kell felt so real. It took a lot of effort. Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat bookspoils with http: View all 5 comments. I'm a fast learner. While there used to be traversing between the Londons, now the doors have been sealed to all except the Antari: One of the last two remaining Antari in the world, Kell, is the unofficial carrier of messages between the three living Londons, but his entire world comes crumbling down around him when he is tricked into taking a magical object that has enemies hunting him down from one city to the next.
When Lila, a young thief and aspiring pirate, is drawn into the middle of his adventure, Kell must learn that the boundaries between good and evil magic aren't as defined as he once thought they were, and he must straddles those boundaries to right what has been made wrong. This book was phenomenal! Kell is one of the most lovable male MCs I've seen in a really long time. He's so loving and protective, despite his ongoing self-identity crises regarding his family. He loves his brother Rhy with a fierceness that I couldn't get enough of, and he's just so genuinely good in his heart that I couldn't help but root for him.
He's one of those MCs that makes me afraid to continue the series because I can't handle anything terrible happening to him. I wouldn't have minded so much if she just stole food or whatever, but trinkets? I revisited this annoyance a few times later in the book, too. Overall, though, I really enjoyed her sassy attitude and the way she refused to let anyone tell her what to do or hold her down. I loved that she insisted on going on an adventure, even if it meant risking her life, and her interactions with Kell were just adorable. He actually made me cry a few times because he just is so pure and innocent and golden.
I know some shit went down, but I really hope we get to learn more about him later in the series. I loved the idea of these parallel cities that the Antari could travel between, and I thought the magic system was beautifully built up. Too many books ignore the foundation for their magic systems and you're kind of left just going, "oh, well, it's magic and that's that," but Schwab didn't do that at all in this book.
The idea of these Antari being sort of the chosen ones who could control blood was just badass as hell, and I really hope that Kell and Holland aren't actually the only ones left. My very first impression from the opening segment, Kell wore a very peculiar coat. It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible.
As I got further into the book, I did find that Victoria's voice is very much her own, but I enjoyed it to no end. It was the perfect balance of straightforward and flowery prose, and it painted a splendid picture while never wasting too much time on the details. You can find this review and more on my blog here!
View all 23 comments. Oct 14, Lia a paper pigeon rated it liked it Shelves: I finally finished this book. I say finally because it took me a lot to get through - and into- it, and I'm not entirely satisfied with what I read. I'm a huge Victoria Schwab's fan, she's both an amazing author and a really kind person that I'd spend days worshiping. Vicious is one of my favorite books of all time and her writing is very original. I can't tell you if I loved it or not, if maybe I should try and reread it in another moment, because maybe I'm too dumb to get So I can't tell you if I loved it or not, if maybe I should try and reread it in another moment, because maybe I'm too dumb to get its awesomeness on the first try, or dump it because it's not my cup of tea.
I don't know a single thing, and in my mind it's a solid three. Not here, not there. It's not a bad book -quite the opposite, actually-, and I do get the hype to some extent, but maybe I wished that it suit my reader needs more than it actually does. The magic system is probably the thing I liked the most, it added that dark atmosphere I always expect in one of VS's books. I can't say the same for the characters, unfortunately, because, aside from Rhy - and sometimes Kell, too- I didn't like any character in particular.
I'm looking at you, Lila. You were a pain. The plot is good, I love London and the way its portrayed, but I had trouble following the writing at times. I found some parts a little dull or anticlimactic, and I had to put it down often because I kept getting distracted by other things. The twists and stabs were absolutely great, though. I can see a lot of her writing in dynamic scenes and I appreciate the author's talent. Overall, this is a good book, and I'm probably going to continue with the trilogy when I have some time. I just feel like something is missing. View all 19 comments.
I can't stop thinking about it and I love it so much. Sep 03, Robin Hobb rated it really liked it. I recently met V. Schwab and found her entertaining and charming. Add all three to Basket. Buy the selected items together This item: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. Sent from and sold by Amazon. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Vicious The Villains Series. This Savage Song Monsters of Verity.
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See our Returns Policy. Moving on, I'd like to point out a certain dubious villain that goes by the name of Holland — the moment we're given a deeper insight to this dark-haired Antari , I was hooked. I've read a lot of fantasy in my time. When I first learned that one of the rulers of Red London had a special talent for controlling the will of others, I was like, "Well, that sucks," and when Kell walked up the fortress steps that were guarded by ten soldiers who were indeed controlled, I thought, "That is such a waste of power. Read reviews that mention darker shade shade of magic red london white london grey london black london kell and lila looking forward world building delilah bard fast paced king and queen dane twins different londons gathering of shadows astrid and athos parallel universes king george travel between worlds felt like.
Don't have a Kindle? Titan Books 27 Feb. Review Inventive fantasy centring on a world with four versions of London, each with a different level of magic. Customers who bought this item also bought. Our Dark Duet Monsters of Verity. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. See all customer images. Read reviews that mention darker shade shade of magic red london white london grey london black london kell and lila looking forward world building delilah bard fast paced king and queen dane twins different londons gathering of shadows astrid and athos parallel universes king george travel between worlds felt like.
Showing of reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I've read a lot of fantasy in my time. But little compares to the pure brilliance of V. Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic. Gorgeous, clever, addictive and unique, I am just so very in love with this book. So please be warned: But I am afraid of dying here.
Grey London is the world that has forgotten all about magic. White London is a world hungry for magic, starving for it, a place leeched of colour. Once there was Black London, but there magic devoured the people, leaving the world dead Kell is running a typical message between worlds when he is asked to deliver a mysterious package.
He accepts, despite his reservations and the fact that this is so very against the rules , and is then ambushed upon arriving in Red London. He flees to Grey London and is found by Lila Bard, a thief, wanted wo man and pirate at heart. Together, they must return the relic to where it belongs. Together, they must save the remaining worlds from the curse of the lost one I honestly don't know where to start with this review.
This review would go a hell of a lot better if I could just get over the blown-mind after effects But since I don't see that time coming any time soon, I'll just get on with it anyway.
Kell was a brilliant hero. Brave, good, strong and also so very flawed, he managed to be both incredibly powerful and yet vulnerable all at once. And Lila was just amazing!
Vicious and blood thirsty and obsessed with knives! I mean, this is really just my kind of girl. She was just so cool and funny and sharp and I loved her to pieces. Be the first to ask a question about The Dark Side of Magic. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. This book is about a girl who uses her powers to freeze people and steal from them. She thinks its ok to do that becauise she has powers.
But its really not so it take a dark man to try to help her learn that it is wrong. Oct 25, mimi nation rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book is a bout a girl who has powers and she keep freezing people to still their stuff but there is the black man he can not be frozen told her that she needed to go see the old man. Oct 26, Sue rated it it was amazing. I am a librarian in a 4th - 6th grade elementary library. I read this book to check it's appropriateness for our school library. This is a great high interest - low reading level book. Julia rated it liked it Dec 15, CamHair rated it really liked it Mar 24, RandySmith rated it really liked it Oct 25, Mhari rated it really liked it Oct 10, Sue Sue rated it it was amazing Apr 12, Mark Barrett rated it liked it Oct 04, Endra rated it it was amazing Dec 11, Deirdre added it Jan 06,