[Book Review] A Gathering Of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

A Darker Shade of Magic Review 

5 STARS 

I am kicking myself hard for not continuing this series when I started it over a half a year ago. I absolutely loved this sequel! 

I love Kell & Lila so much. Granted, I wanted to slap them so many times (especially Lila)  throughout this book, but  I still absolutely loved them. I am not sure if I am completely on board with their romance at this moment in the story. I don't pick up a lot of romantic chemistry between them. As friends, absolutely, I love their dynamic as friends and I love how their friendship has grown. I am not sure if I completely missed the buildup for their friendship to transition into a romantic relationship but for me, one minute they were friends and the next minute (four months later and they haven't seen each other in that time by the way) they're making out. However, I am not too bothered by the romance. It isn't the sole focus of the story and I don't hate them together. I am just shocked by the sudden romantic interest between the two of them for each other. I loved that we got to see more of Kell's brotherhood with Rhy, who is such a sweet character. Their protectiveness of each other and the fact that they love each other so much makes my heart warm and fuzzy. I think their sibling relationship is probably my favorite thing about the story overall. They bicker like brothers and their interactions together are almost always funny and charming. I think another comical friendship I loved was the one between Lila and Alucard, a new character we are introduced to in this book. I thought their friendship of Privateer & Thief worked really well together and I liked that he respected Lila in ways others may not because of her being a girl. I am excited to learn more about Alucard and his family hopefully in A Conjuring of Light. 

The only thing I got frustrated with when it come to this book was Lila.  From her actions when it came to the tournament to the fact that I am not a huge fan of the "she's not like other girls trope" which I think the way she is written teeters on crossing that line. I don't think it's implied in Lila's actions, for example although she prefers more "masculine" clothing, she does wear dresses when the time calls for her to do so. She gripes and complains internally but overall does what she has to do to get the job done. However, very often we are told she isn't like other girls because she prefers fighting and pants over romance and dresses. But instead of it coming out in her actions it is all in her head. She thinks of herself better than other women because of her fashion preferences and hobbies over other girls, and it sometimes got a bit frustrating. This is completely a character flaw, not a writing flaw, and I think it partially comes from the fact that she has been poor all her life and she has a bit of a prejudice to women who parade in incredibly overpriced poofy dresses. It also probably comes from the fact that she's a woman living her life doing male dominated activities (wanting to be a pirate, thieving, fighting) and the fact that being a woman is held over her head often makes her bitter towards women who live the lives (married, children, etc) that people assume she should be living. So I understand why she is the way she is (if I am right) but I think this is going to be a gripe I just have with Lila. I still really love her.

I have read quite a lot of reviews of people being a bit disappointed by the plot of A Gathering of Shadows. In this book the first half or maybe more is pretty slow paced. It's a lot of buildup and character development for the end of the book and next book. Now, I have always said this about myself but I love character driven stories. If I love the characters, I can read about them doing everything and everything no matter how mundane it is. I never for once thought this was boring and I actually think I may have loved the sequel more than the first book. I mean both got 5/5 stars, but still. I loved seeing the relationships grow and I liked seeing & learning more of Red London. I feel like a lot happens in this story, it just isn't as flashy as book one (and from what I hear, probably book three). I one hundred percent believe that all the buildup in A Gathering of Shadows is going to pay off in A Conjuring of Light. 

The writing is amazing as always. Like I said in my A Darker Shade of Magic review, Schwab is easily becoming one of my favorite, if not my favorite, writers. I love her characters, unique premises, and how dark her stories can get. I cannot get enough of her writing and storytelling. I honestly think she is one of the best writers of our time and her books will be classics one day. 

Overall, I highly recommend this series. If you've read ADSOM and haven't continued, I say do it! I hear I am going to be a broken mess by the end of A Conjuring of Light which both terrifies and excites me. I plan on picking it up ASAP so keep your eyes out for that review to be up in a week or so! Happy reading!

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