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Overview
Overview
From #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab, return to the beginning of the phenomenal Shades of Magic series with A Darker Shade of Magic, now in a brand new trade paperback edition
Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive. Other books by V. E. Schwab The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Shades of Magic seriesA Darker Shade of Magic
A Gathering of Shadows
A Conjuring of Light Villains Duology
Vicious
Vengeful
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Schwab, V. E.
- ISBN: 9781250891211
- Condition: Used
- Number Of Pages: 416
- Publication Year: 2023
Language:
English
Customer Reviews
Rating Snapshot
5 ★
83%
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12 Ratings
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Power Corrupts
Mallory L. - 9 months agoIn this world, there are three Londons - White London, Grey London and Red London, each full of, devoid of or losing magic. Follow Kell, one of the last Antari (a magic-wielder who can essentially tear holes in the fabric of space and time to travel amongst the three Londons), as he finds a crew of friends who help him defeat the magic itself that is threatening to destroy all of the Londons.
HPB Staff Review -
I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still
Jennifer L. - 1 year 8 months agoMagic. I'm feeling more than ever that I've been cursed more than blessed by this series for it's kept me up through the night until the day with it's four alternate Londons and unique/complex characters that in their own way take control of your heart.
HPB Staff Review -
A Doorway to a Parallel World
Jason S. - 1 year 8 months agoImagine a world existing beyond this one, connected only by doors that only someone possessing magical abilities could travel through. Now imagine that there are four of these worlds, all with the same name: London. In "A Darker Shade of Magic," by V.E. Schwab, weaves and an incredible tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat and looking for ways into parallel worlds beyond our own. What makes it all the more real is the use of the London we are all familiar with, set in the era of King George III. In this book, however, it is known as Grey London. Why is it called 'grey' you ask? It's because we live in the world where magic has ceased to exist. There are other worlds, such as Red London where magic flourishes and there is peace and prosperity, set against a place called White London. A city as cold as its name, White London is ruled over by twins who use fear and grapple with a diminishing supply of magic to keep control. They are armed with a cold-blooded Traveler, a man who possesses the rare ability to travel between worlds and who's known in infamy as Hollow. Lastly, there is Black London, where time as we know it has ceased to exist. The story follows along with a magician known as Kell at its center, and much like Holland or 'Hollow,' Kell is a Traveler. One of the last of his kind, it is his responsibility to travel between the worlds, upholding the peace and ensuring that nothing unaccounted for is brought from one world to the next. This is the story of when that exact horror is realized, and a magical black stone is brought from one London to another, bringing about destruction in its wake. It's up to Kell, along with Delilah Bard, a girl from Grey London looking for an adventure of her own beyond her city to seal the stone away back to its origins. The stone comes from Black London. Beautifully written with a sense of foreboding growing each time you turn the page, "A Darker Shade of Magic" shows us that magic is all around us, just not in a way that we would expect.
HPB Staff Review -
Multiple Londons, Endless Amounts of Magic
Beverly T. - 1 year 10 months agoA Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab is the latest and greatest in speculative fiction. Kell is a courier between the Four Londons. Grey London, the one most are familiar with in the late 1800s. Red London, Kell's home and bursting at the seems in vibrant healthy magic. White London, long starved of their magic and ruled by two ruthless twins. Black London. No one talks about Black London. It's one of the most fascinating works of Fantasy I've read this year! V.E. Schwab is both similar to Neil Gaiman, but also entirely her own. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a bit of magic, mystery, and suspense.
HPB Staff Review -
I can't wait to read the second book
Nikki L. - 3 years agoI just read another book by this author and decided I wanted to read more so I picked up this book. I really like the way the different Londons are so different and well described. The characters are very easy to like. I will say this book is trying to be an adult fantasy book but it does read very much like a young adult book.
HPB Staff Review