It has been eons since I read the entire “shades of magic” trilogy by V.E. Schwab. I remember enjoying the first two books, but really struggling with the third one. Now that The Fragile Threads of Power has been released which is set in the same world, I figured a reread of the original trilogy would be a wise decision. Apparently, i never read the Dutch editions of said books, even though I own them all. Even bought them immediately upon release. So, it was indeed time for a reread and also to not let my Dutch copies get to waste. Let’s start with A Darker Shade of Magic. How did I enjoy this reading experience?

About the book

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Published by Tor Books on February 24, 2015
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780765376459
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

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.

My review

Expectations

When I opened my ebook copy, I found out I already started this a while ago. I actually can’t remember when, but apparently I failed to continue this reread. There’s probably a good reason for this, but I can’t remember what that reason is either. So, I went into this book with the hopes of still enjoying it. Back in 2018 – that’s the first time I read this book – I was a totally different reader and rated it 5 stars. I already knew that my rating would be lower now since I gained much more reading experience.

Characters

Our main characters are Kell and Lila. They differ a lot from one another. Kell is thoughtful and very serious. Maybe he is an overthinker even. However, it seems like he doesn’t know how to have fun. Perhaps this is part of his personality, but also of his job. Lila on the other hand is more outgoing and opiniated. She knows what she wants and acts on it. She barely seems to hesitate or to be fearful. When they first meet, they both don’t want to have anything to do with one another. Once the story progresses, they happen to care for each other and a friendship is blossoming. It seems quite odd to me though. When I first read this book, I liked both characters, allbeit Lila more. Now, I found Kell rather dull.

Writing

This book has first been published back in 2015. Wow, now I write this, I realize it will have it’s 10th anniversary next year! Anyway, this is one of Schwab’s first books. This is noticeable, although her writing is already developing to what it is now. It’s already quite whymsical and beautiful. For me, this book is easier to read than several of her other books. However, I still find characters and storyline a little lacking, something I experience a lot in books by this author.

Plot

Schwab has a way of starting her books slow. This is no different here. They mostly pick up towards the end, and again that’s no different. However, the plot seems a little generic and maybe even “weak” to me. I was still engaged though, because I wanted to know whether Kell and Lila succeeded in their mission. I just Wasn’t fully sucked in like I was before. However, I noticed I could finish this book much quicker than last time though. Even though much is happening in this plot, I was still confused with the world building. The ending also felt a bit rushed to me.

Final thoughts

Since I am a different reader than I was when I first read A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab back in 2018, I still enjoyed my rereading experience. I noticed some flaws though. I always seem to have trouble being fully intrigued with this author’s books and that was no different here. The writing is great, the characters and plot not so much. Hoever, my memory is refreshed, so I will definitely reread the rest of this series as well.