Wow. Let me just start off with saying that I haven’t been this excited about a book series in a while. It’s been on my radar since A Darker Shade of Magic was published in 2015. The cover really caught my attention, and I was pretty thrilled about the plot, but life happens and I haven’t gotten a chance to read this amazing series until this past week. I’m not going to go too in depth with the characters or the plot with this one, but more of a overall feel and tone of the writing.
I’ll start by talking about A Darker Shade of Magic. I was absolutely hooked from page one. V.E just has a way of weaving words together and getting the reader swept away in the story. I was so invested and in love with Kell from the start, and that didn’t change with the book. His character is complex, and ever growing. You can really relate to his feeling of being stuck within a life that he’s not very content with, and sympathize with him for wanting something more. Every character has a great depth, even if they’re just mentioned briefly and don’t feature in the main story. Not only does V.E. have parallel Londons, but they all have their own set of languages and settings. It’s just really awesome to see her weave a tale for them individually, but also how they all come together in the larger story.
A Gathering of Shadows definitely didn’t suffer from a sophomore slump. I think I may have actually like this book a little more, in a different way than the first. There were more characters introduced, and a wider array of characters from different part of V.E.’s world. The way she differentiates between the countries is just incredible, and they all have their own customs, languages and naming styles to boot. I just can’t rave enough about the spell-weaving of these novels. You think you found out who the good and the bad are, but with GoS those lines start to blur. The reader is privy to the past and what makes everyone tick. For example: Holland. He’s just someone you love to hate, but then you start to realize why he is the way he is, and you can’t help but root for him a little. We get to see some pretty bad-ass magicians, and some soft-hearted guards. The scope of this novel surpasses the first, but is no less captivating.
A Conjuring of Light delves deeper into the pasts of our favorite characters, and our least. Everyone has to make some tough decisions, and V.E. gives us greater glimpses into the past. The past is the past, but it’s what shapes a person and ultimately the choices that they make. There are some very powerful moments of self-realization in this novel. But don’t get me wrong, it can get heavy at times, but the light-hearted and cocky nature of some of the protagonists help you get through. There’s triumph and heatbreak, but in the end good seems to conquer evil.
All the twists and turns are finally wrapped up in this book. I am content with the ending, but at the same time there are so many more adventures I want to go on with these characters! I think there are many more stories that V.E. can tell of Kell, Rhy, Lila, Alucard, and company. But, she is one of those authors I adore, she doesn’t believe in adding for the sake of adding. She wants it to contribute to the overall story and keep the readers entranced on their journey.
I would HIGHLY recommend this series to any lover of fantasy, or just someone who wants an escape from the mundane. V.E. is a magician with words, who casts a spell on her readers from start to finish.
RATINGS:
A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC — 4.5/5
A GATHERING OF SHADOWS— 5/5
A CONJURING OF LIGHT– 5/5
solace & hope 