A Gathering of Shadows (A Darker Shade of Magic Book 2) by V.E. Schwab (Epub)

Description

Kell is plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, he is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila. As Red London prepares for the Element Games – an extravagant international competition of magic – a certain pirate ship draws closer. But another London is coming back to life, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning. Black London has risen again – and so to keep magic’s balance, another London must fall.

User’s Reviews

Review Entertainment Weekly’s 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now RT Book Reviews’ Choice 2016 Best Fantasy NovelBuzzfeed Most Anticipated BooksBustle Most Anticipated BooksBusiness Insider Most Anticipated BooksPop Sugar Books We Can’t Wait to ReadRT Book Reviews Top Pick! Review”A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale…This is a book to treasure.”―Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy”Rich details illuminate every dimension of an extravagant city flooded with magic, and intriguing personalities evolve into complex characters…between [the characters those] the vivid setting, and the climactic cliffhanger, Schwab already has us anticipating the rest of the series.” ―Entertainment Weekly, Grade A, on A Gathering of Shadows”Compulsively readable…her characters make the book. Just as Kell has layers, Lila is a satisfyingly rich invention…the stakes feel higher because Schwab takes the time to make a world worth getting lost in. Darker Shade Of Magicresolves its plot thoroughly, but still feels like it could be the seed of a lengthy series. With so many worlds on the map, there’s plenty left to discover.” ―NPR on A Darker Shade of Magic”Schwab is a fantastic writer, and this book moves along quickly: it’s an easy world to immerse oneself in, and the four Londons that we get to visit are a treat to behold: they’re vibrant, interesting and detailed. The worldbuilding here is spectacular, and it’s worth picking up the book for this alone. (Well, and the fantastic cover.)The series is set to be adapted into a television series, and both books will be perfect for that.” ―io9 on A Gathering of Shadows”This is how fantasy should be done.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A Gathering of Shadows”Full of magic, intrigue, adventure, deception, a bit of piracy…this will engage both adult and young adult fantasy readers alike.” ―Booklist on A Gathering of Shadows –This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Review Entertainment Weekly’s 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now RT Book Reviews’ Choice 2016 Best Fantasy NovelBuzzfeed Most Anticipated BooksBustle Most Anticipated BooksBusiness Insider Most Anticipated BooksPop Sugar Books We Can’t Wait to ReadRT Book Reviews Top Pick! Review”A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale…This is a book to treasure.”―Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy”Rich details illuminate every dimension of an extravagant city flooded with magic, and intriguing personalities evolve into complex characters…between [the characters those] the vivid setting, and the climactic cliffhanger, Schwab already has us anticipating the rest of the series.” ―Entertainment Weekly, Grade A, on A Gathering of Shadows”Compulsively readable…her characters make the book. Just as Kell has layers, Lila is a satisfyingly rich invention…the stakes feel higher because Schwab takes the time to make a world worth getting lost in. Darker Shade Of Magicresolves its plot thoroughly, but still feels like it could be the seed of a lengthy series. With so many worlds on the map, there’s plenty left to discover.” ―NPR on A Darker Shade of Magic”Schwab is a fantastic writer, and this book moves along quickly: it’s an easy world to immerse oneself in, and the four Londons that we get to visit are a treat to behold: they’re vibrant, interesting and detailed. The worldbuilding here is spectacular, and it’s worth picking up the book for this alone. (Well, and the fantastic cover.)The series is set to be adapted into a television series, and both books will be perfect for that.” ―io9 on A Gathering of Shadows”This is how fantasy should be done.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on A Gathering of Shadows”Full of magic, intrigue, adventure, deception, a bit of piracy…this will engage both adult and young adult fantasy readers alike.” ―Booklist on A Gathering of Shadows –This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Near the end of Gathering of Shadows, Lila Bard ironically expresses: “Call me crazy, but I think we do the best living when the stakes are high.” I imagine those who agree with this sentiment, will leave GoS much like I did: disappointed, uninspired and bored.The book’s predecessor, A Darker Shade of Magic, was fun, inventive, and exciting from cover to cover. It was evident from the start that Schwab had a clear vision for where the story was headed. The book was action packed and thrilling, with a snappy pacing and witty dialogue. Much of that came from the interactions between Kell and Lila, both of whom I found to be charming and interesting. I couldn’t say the same this time around.For starters, literally nothing happens for the first third of this book. Reading it, I couldn’t help but wonder if Schwab was making up the plot as she went, scurrying to get something back to her editor to hit a deadline. Then, after watching a rerun of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire she ultimately decided “Wizard Tournament! That’s it!” Which, in theory, still sounds like a lot of fun—heck, I enjoy a good magical battle royale as much as the next millennial, vying for another Hunger Games—but in reality only actually lasts for a tenth of the actual page count.Additionally, there really isn’t any real significance behind these games, besides some retconned political intrigue, which wasn’t particularly memorable, or even pertinent to the endgame. All we know is that Lila, who is suddenly a master magician, MUST compete in the games. Not for any real reason; she just wants to show the reader how badass she is (which she must prove over and over and over again, all while wrestling over whether she can still be a badass feminist if she also loves a man).Lila has no real motive behind any of her actions throughout the book. Whatever charm she had in the first book is gone here, as is her banter with Kell, who just spends 80% of the book brooding/pining over having lost Lila. This time around, Lila is reckless and selfish, as she waltzes about from ship to ship, outsmarting and outmaneuvering all her foes like some sort of superhero, but facing even fewer consequences for the scorched earth she leaves behind.I also wasn’t a fan of the new lead character Alucard, who is given a bloated introduction as Lila is whisked away into his company. Conveniently, it just so happens that he used to have a steamy thing going with Prince Rhy, so naturally we’ll have a nice tidy reunion with all the characters. Somehow, he also manages to train Lila into becoming one of the greatest magicians in all of Red London, making all of her adversaries stumble like Storm Trooper extras.I did find the White London side story with Holland and Okja interesting. I just wish Schwab had led with this and brought them back into Red London sooner. What we ended up getting was a half finished book, ending where it should have started and leaving readers scratching their heads, wondering what shadows—if any—were gathered, and where all the magic from the precious book went.

⭐ “A Darker Shade of Magic” was one of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year, so I was so excited to read the sequel with my friends again and dive back into these magical London’s, and snuggle up next to my favorite sad boi—Kell—and most deadly and clever of thieves—Lila. “A Gathering of Shadows” takes place 4 months after the end of the first book, and all our favorites are dealing with the repercussions of that epic battle. Well, except Lila, she does what she wants, consequences be damned, but more on that later. Kell remains in the palace with Rhy, who he sacrificed everything for. But instead of being thanked for this sacrifice, his adopted family drops all pretenses of Kell being their son. And while Rhy and Kell struggle to find a new balance, to move on, to come to terms with what their lives are now, Lila lives her dreams by being part of a pirate crew, finally “getting” her own ship. Which also introduces us to a new main character—Alucard. Who is really everything you want in a pirate so I loved his introduction to the story. I loved the all too real pain of what Kell goes through now, ostracized and trapped in his gilded cage of guilt and power, but, where I ADORED Lila in the first book, in the sequel, I found myself wanting to shake her.Here’s the thing with Lila, in the first book, her confidence and thievery is clever. She’s in a new and exciting world and is determined to see it all, to never be doubted again. I was here for that, and still am. And this book does start with Lila being her most wonderful, clever, and deadly self! But then things shift and Lila turns from clever to reckless and selfish, and she knows it. She never stops to consider anything, including the fact that she is still new to this world, the magic, and even the language. She does attempt to learn, but ultimately, she staunchly refuses to listen to those who have been dealing with magic all their lives, who know this world in and out. Each one warns her, begs her not to do things, tells her what she’s doing is dangerous and that there are laws to magic, but Lila—and Schwab really—have decided that rules do not apply to Lila and I… don’t like that. Lila is just doing what she wants, costs be damned, and she gets rewarded for that, while everyone else—including poor Kell—are the only ones suffering for the consequences of their actions, constantly trying to atone.This second book was a lot slower than its predecessor as well, the main focus being on the magical competition that Alucard is returning to London for. Think the Goblet of Fire on steroids in terms of magical spectacle. There are no real stakes to the games, it’s just a bit of political posturing for the other nations around Red London, so while the competition is fun, and I enjoyed watching these magicians flex their power, there was no sense of danger the way there was in the first book. “A Gathering of Shadows” is purely a character study, which I like, but ultimately this storyline felt more like a companion book rather than something meant to push the plot forward. At least until the very end where things get very exciting, very real, and Kell’s angst finally gets the better of his judgement. Which I don’t blame him for, and am frankly surprised he didn’t give everyone the proverbial finger much sooner. But, ultimately, I found myself far more frustrated and low-key furious at certain characters (not just Lila, either) that this book was hard to enjoy in parts, and that kills me.Don’t get me wrong, I DID like this book. I thought Alucard was fun and he gives me serious Stormhund vibes in terms of sassy-pirate-noble. I liked watching Kell and Rhy struggle, and loved getting Rhy’s perspective this time. But the actual plot-line dragged, parts of the story got redundant with constantly reminding us that only Kell gets to shoulder the blame from what occurred in the previous book, and with Lila becoming so self-centered and determined to tell the experts on magic that “she’s not like most girls”, that the end of the book left a bitter taste in my mouth. And that’s not to mention the fact that I knew the big “twists” well before they happened. Now whether that means they were too obvious or I’m just getting better at seeing that sort of thing, I don’t know. I still love Kell and Rhy though, and I want to see what happens next, but I didn’t have as much fun with this book as the previous, and because I am still, days later, so frustrated by Lila, I’m giving this book 3 stars. Please don’t hate me…

⭐ A Gathering of Shadows, the second book in the Shades of Magic series, the books about the four different Londons in four different worlds, is both really beautiful and really creepy.In Red London, the situation seems to be deteriorating somewhat, but not yet so bad that it is obvious to most people. Kell, the magician/ Antari, is magically bound to his “brother,” Rhy. Their lives are entwined so that if one of them dies, so does the other. Also, each of them feels any all pains the other one suffers.Delilah Bard is working for a pirate named Alucard Emery who has history with Kell and Rhy, although Delilah doesn’t know it at first. While they are out pirating around, they receive word of a magic competition to be held in Red London, and they go to it. It turns out that Alucard has the magical prowess to be invited to such a competition. Lila enters too, but she has to get rid of one of the legitimate contenders and pretend to be him to get in. The Royal Family generally, and Rhy in particular, is sponsoring this competition, a traditional event in their world. Rhy’s influence allows Kell to participate secretly, using a false identity, as well.The magic competition is beautiful. But it is also dangerous.The creepy part is what is happening in Black London and White London.Holland, the only other Antari, was left for dead in Black London at the end of A Darker Shade of Magic. But we find out that he didn’t die after all. Instead, he has been saved by the dark force that destroyed Black London. A dark force that binds with him and allows him to return to White London, his native place. Here, the combined entity becomes king and finally begins to allow light and color and magic to return to White London. Holland likes this – it is what he has always wanted to do for his hometown. But he doesn’t especially like being bonded to yet another dark force. He makes a plan to have the dark king transfer himself to Kell instead. We meet a new character, Ojka, who seems to worship Holland in much the same way that Lila worships Kell. She brings Kell into White London so that the black king can take possession of him.It doesn’t end quite the way that Holland and the black king think it will. But it appears that there is yet more, and worse, danger brewing for Red London in what they plan to do next. The next book promises to be scarier still.

⭐ The first book was good, but guys, this book was GREAT. A Darker Shade of Magic set the stage, introduced the characters, but AGOS truly stepped it up. It wasn’t exactly full of gripping action, but it was more of a slow buildup to an incredible climax. I NEED the next book. The writing and storytelling was absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to jump back into Kell and Lila’s parallel worlds.The book opens with Lila joining a crew of her own aboard the Night Spire, let by captain Alucard Emery– an excellent addition to the series and one of my new favorite characters. Lila works with Alucard to develop her magical ability, but there is still the question of what Lila is. How powerful is she, really?Back in London, Kell and Rhy are as close as ever after Kell bound his life to Rhy. They are actually a little too close for comfort- they feel each other’s emotions, pain, and nightmares. Rhy had some of his own chapters in this book and he really grew on me. He is more complex than I gave him credit for!Much of the book focuses on the the Essen Tach, a competition between magicians. It is through this competition that Kell and Lila finally reunite and I couldn’t have been happier. Honestly, one of my only complaints is that they spend so much time apart. Obviously it worked well with the plot but they spent so much time thinking about each other that I couldn’t wait for them to cross paths. The Essen Tach was an exiting story in itself, but we get hints of something even bigger brewing in the short chapters from White London. However, the Essen Tach was an great addition to the story line- it really highlighted the different kingdoms in this world, and the different types of magicians in it. Plus, how could you not get excited about seeing some of our favorite characters battle it out in the arena?Aside from the well-thought out story line, I was pleased from the incredible character development from Kell, Lila and Rhy. Lila is as bold as ever, Kell as rash, and Rhy as flirtatious but they all have such complex personalities that I thoroughly enjoying delving into each one of them.And finally, that ending. It was so explosive and brilliant. I can’t wait to read the next book. I still have so many questions about Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard. About the fate of White, Gray, Red and Black London. I’m hoping these are answered in the next book

⭐ It’s probably strange that I’m reviewing this book when I didn’t review the first book, but I have stuff to say about A Gathering of Shadows whereas I simply enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic without any further comment. I’ve been so hyped to read this series; I had heard nothing but amazing things about it and about Victoria Schwab’s writing style (plus these cover designs are absolutely some of my favorite covers ever), so I was immensely excited to finally read it.The first book was really good; I liked the plot and the characters and the world. But in the sequel, I expected a bit more. I liked this book. But I didn’t love it. I wanted to love it, but I think the nature of listening to the story on audio leaves something to be desired, plus I’m certain I missed various details along the way. I’m pretty sure that whenever I physically reread this series (because I certainly will at some point), the story will be more vivid in my mind and I will be able to enjoy it more than I did now.I wanted more world development in this book. I wanted to know more about the differences between the Londons, between the politics and cultures of the worlds. Does life go on the same in each London or does the magic have a bigger influence than we know? I was hoping the story would extend beyond London, as well. Is there a black, a white, a red, and a grey dimension of everywhere on the planet or just London? I think my biggest disappointment with this book is that I wanted to know more about the four Londons and what makes them different from each other, which is described only in the basest sense. This story could have been so much grander in scale, but I feel like Schwab sort of missed the potential on crafting it into an epic fantasy. The coolest part of the story, to be honest, was Kell’s coat of multiple coats; I want a coat like that.The main focus of this story is in developing the characters and explaining what is happening in their lives. There is much less time spent on developing the setting and talking about the magic. I like a lot of descriptions of setting and place, but there really weren’t that many definite scenes painted out for me.I really wish this book had a map of the world. Especially since Lila is on a ship and traveling around, the characters kept mentioning different locations and I would have liked to know where they were. It would be extra cool to get colored images of the four Londons as well, to see the colorful differences between them, but I clearly want too much out of my books because there are no visual indicators in this book at all. (I know there is a poster map that comes in the trilogy box set, which depicts the four Londons, but it is more for artistic purposes than it is an actual useful map. What I want is a map that I can look at throughout the story to follow the characters’ journey along with them.)This book didn’t go at all where I expected it would go. I don’t even know anymore what I expected, but pirates and a royal competition were definitely not on that list. I’m kind of impartial to pirates so I didn’t exactly love those parts, but I didn’t dislike them either. And as for the competition plotline, I felt like it didn’t really further the story but was just thrown in there for something interesting to have the characters do. (I’ve actually grown really tired of stories that revolve around competitions as the main event in the story, and hearing that’s what this book was about made me roll my eyes a little.)I wanted to love this book so so much. I still enjoyed it, and I’ll definitely be reading A Conjuring of Light and other books by Schwab, but this series isn’t one of my new favorites yet as I had hoped and thought it would be, which makes me a little sad. For some reason, I have very little success with the most popular books that receive all the hype and that everyone seems to love. I keep reading them but they keep falling short for me. I’m really hoping this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” because of the audiobook, but I won’t know until I do eventually reread this series.As far as the audiobook narration goes, it was just okay. The narrator for A Darker Shade of Magic was wonderful and did a splendid job. But then they changed narrators for some reason and the narrators for A Gathering of Shadows were less good. The male had a very monotonous voice that I struggled to focus on, and the female was fine but not great.

⭐ *Spoilers*The first half / two-thirds of the book is pretty slow. We get to learn about what Lila has been up to in the last 4 months since the ending of the first book. She is now the best thief on The Night Spire working for an unusual captain. Right away he is interested in Lila due to their connection over fluently speaking High Royal (English), which is rare amongst commoners. They spend their evenings talking in a English and practicing magic. Slowly it is revealed to us that the Night Spire is actually in the crown’s service and royalty himself.During this time Kell is for the most part “suffocating” as he deals with the consequences of saving Rhy by bonding their lives. He and Rhy are just sneaking off drinking and getting into trouble which felt a little unnecessary to me. During Kell and Lila’s separation (approximately 75% of the book) I was a little bored and anxiously awaiting for their reunion.Finally Lila & Kell meet during the Essen Tasch which they both have coincidentally fixed in order to participate in. This part seemed a bit forced to me since both Kell and Lila stand out it seemed a bit of a stretch that they would be able to pick up a stolen identity so easily. Once the Essen Tasch begins and Kell & Lila are reunited the book really picks up. Lila is awesome on her own, but sadly Kell on his own wasn’t as exciting for me.Throughout the book there are short glimpses setting up the villain and the plot for the third book, but it is revealed slowly and ends on a cliff hanger. This book took me a while to read due to the slowness of the first half. I probably would’ve been on reading a condensed version of that part of the book and then getting more of the action at the end. I’m glad I waited to read this until now because I don’t know how long I can wait for the next book.

⭐ I wasn’t crazy about A Darker Shade of Magic when I listened to the audiobook a few years ago. And now I can honestly say that it was because I did not like the narrator! I couldn’t focus on the story because I couldn’t connect with the narrator. After reading this book, I REALLY want to go back and READ the first book before reading the third book and finishing the series.I enjoyed this book a lot. But for all of my enjoyment, I did feel the “middle book” feelings. As much fun as this book was, there was not a lot actually happening to further the story and get to the endgame of the trilogy. The ending is a cliffhanger and finally gets to the real story. But I did so love the Essen Tasch! What fun and excitement that was!! Lila and her seafaring were fun. Kell’s brooding was not so fun. Alucard was hilarious. There were so many side characters that were just FUN. Jinnar! Tieran! Even Lila’s shipmates. The fight scenes during the tournament were just awesome. As filler-y as this book felt, it was still quite enjoyable to read. Especially where the alternate story was extremely dark and fear-worthy! Now I will go back to read A Darker Shade of Magic before reading A Conjuring of Light. Because maybe now I don’t want this trilogy to end so soon!

⭐ First things first, this may be the worst cliff hanger I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. So horrible it might not be a pleasure.And it makes me incredibly glad I waited for the whole of the trilogy to be released before I started the series. The only thing I have to wait for is eight hours of sleep. And it’ll be torture.It’s sort of odd how much this trilogy feels like one story. Even discounting the cliffhanger, all that was accomplished in this novel was the competition and bringing all the characters together (not that she they stayed that way). And I’ve always looked at the second book in the series as the one that brings the characters back together, as something usually breaks ’em apart, but here it just feels so rounded and whole. I don’t know how to explain what I’m thinking.These books are not at all like I expected. And it’s a very good thing.There’s London (I guess I expected that) and princes and pirates and thieves and cleverness and banter and stubbornly ruthless decisions and amazing world-building and a magical black market. And maybe my favorite magic item ever, Kell’s coat.The writing is so good and so descriptive that I almost threw up when Lila was having a claustrophobic moment.I loved the competition, even though it wasn’t really unique, and I loved Lila’s magic lessons (if you know anything about me you know these are two of my favorite things) but all I wanted while reading was to have Lila and Alucard and Rhys and Kell in one room for longer than ten seconds.My main problem with the story isn’t really a problem but my own impatience and that’s how we were made to wait over 50% of the book before Kell and Lila crossed paths, and no matter how amazing Alucard is I bought the book to see the two of them together.Yeah, I’m totally reading this series purely for the characters.They’re just so real and smart and funny and different and I want them all to be happy.I love how Lila has kept her roots and how she can’t not think like she’s living alone on the streets. I love how Kell hasn’t lost his demeanor and how he cares for others. And I love Rhys’ humor, of course, but also the way he cares about everyone else’s happiness over his own life. And I love Alucard and the way he deals with Lila and, well, everything else about him too.Don’t disappoint me, A Conjuring of Light, or words will be had.

⭐ Usually the second book in a trilogy is my least favorite. Trilogies tend to follow this basic pattern: The first book is action packed and awesome and meant to suck you in. The second book has a lot of character development and everything goes wrong and there is world building and a lot of information and traveling, its meant to set up the third book. The third book is the action packed conclusion where a lot of cool stuff happens.I am only 100 pages into the third book but I feel like the Shades of Magic trilogy is going to follow this pattern. I think the second book is a set up for the third book. Don’t get me wrong, it is still an awesome book and I loved it. I just think it will just be the worst of the three.I LOVE Lila! She is so freaking amazing! I loved her throughout the whole book and kind of want to be her! She is crazy and impulsive and smart and funny. She may not be the best role model because she is a bit of a rule breaker, but at least she knows what she wants and she goes and gets it!Kell is awesome too, but in a more understated way. He is kind of the brooding type and he is prone to making bad decisions. But you still love him in that tortured soul kind of way. Speaking of tortured souls, Holland was back but his chapters were kind of lame and boring I read them as quick as I could in order to get back to Kell and Lila’s stories. While reading I got the strong feeling that Holland’s chapters were just setting the stage for the bigger battle in the final book.The ending was a straight up cliff hanger. This probably would have pissed me off but I was almost immediately able to dive into the third book (minus the three days it took me to buy the third book!) Plus the rest of the book was so good I am giving the cliffhanger a pass.I buddy read this with Leslie from Books are the New Black. She hasn’t posted her review yet but you should still go check out her blog! Buddy reading with her is awesome and its nice to have someone to talk with while reading! I don’t get to do that very often. We are buddy reading A Conjuring of Light too!

⭐ “I am a thief and a pirate and a traveler.” (Schwab, 11).A Gathering of Shadows is incredibly addictive and will draw you in like a “moth to a flame”! As a sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, you will find a continuation of story lines surrounding the dark, mysterious Kell, the exuberant Rhy, and the stubborn, reckless Lila. You will also find more magic, danger, passion, and unforgettable twists.The Plot: A Gathering of Shadows takes us 4 months in to the future, beyond the aftermath of The Danes and the Black Stone. Lila embarks on the adventure of a life time. Kell and Rhy are linked, now more than ever, after Kell’s forbidden spell to save Rhy’s life. Menacing things are happening beyond Red London, and all of Red London are arriving to witness the Element Games. Will the balance of the Londons become unhinged?“People spoke of feeling magic, of smelling it, but never of seeing it.” (Schwab, 135).A Gathering of Shadows immerses us further in to the magical realm of Red London. We are shown the emotional aftermath of The Danes and their evil plans from White London, and learn of something dark and threatening rising in the wake of that aftermath. We are also taken on an adventure as spectators of the triennial Element Games, where the competitors are not all what they seem.I loved A Darker Shade of Magic, but I devoured A Gathering of Shadows! I was hooked from the beginning, and I loved what became of Lila and her adventure! I felt like A Gathering of Shadows delved deeper in to everything about the world and its characters. I finished this one in less than 10 hours and cannot wait to read A Conjuring of Light.A Gathering of Shadows held more magic for me. I also felt more emotion and excitement. One aspect of the story was definitely predictable, but that is not always a bad thing. I felt like we learned a little more about Kell and Rhy, and I loved reading about Lila. I feel like we had more world building with Red London, and we had a better sense of how magic is weaved throughout the world. I was drawn in by the excitement of events and the interactions between the characters and was ecstatic to read about the Element Games! I enjoyed the character transformations from book 1 and was delighted to be introduced to a new character!“…because magic isn’t just one thing. It’s everything, old and new and always changing.” (Schwab, 219).Lila’s character really came to life in this one! She held on to her everything that I loved about her from book 1, but really emanated those qualities in book 2. Lila felt stronger, feistier, braver, and definitely more determined. She held on to her independence but seemed to open up a little more to those around her. And she definitely did not lose her knack for thievery or disorder!“Delilah Bard had a way of finding trouble.” (Schwab, 11).Kell still held on to his mystery and intrigue, but he also showed more emotion in this one. He exhibited guilt over the happenings with the black stone and the death of his brother, and also showed regret for saving his brother. He becomes conflicted over his duty to the crown and keeping his darkness in check, but begins to desire the darkness and the thrill of magic and the fight.“The truth was, Kell’s blood pulsed with a restless beat, while the thing that coursed within it longed for activity.” (Schwab, 58).Rhy’s character was so mischievous, and such a major flirt! His personality was so contradictory and he was very humorous. He exuded arrogance, stubbornness, and a lack of conscious most times, and yet, he also exhibited a love for his kingdom, family, duty, and Kell. Sometimes he showed little remorse for the mayhem he caused, but he deep down he felt guilt and regret for the trouble he caused Kell.“There was a glint of mischief in Rhy’s eyes as he bowed with a flourish.” (Schwab, 58).Finally, we have Alucard Emery, our new character. Alucard was dashing, intriguing, and peculiar. He holds the facade of a pirate and the personality of a noble. He has quite an interesting past and holds many cards up his sleeves, including great magical ability.“I supposed I’ve got a knack for it…Seeing magic.” (Schwab, 135).If you have read A Darker Shade of Magic and are talking yourself out of reading A Gathering of Shadows, don’t. You don’t want to miss this one! The series is incredible so far and I am looking forward to book 3. I rate this one 5 stars!

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