Rating: 4 out of 5

| Writing - 4 Stars |

| Plot - 3.5 Stars |

|Characters - 5 stars |

|Enjoyment - 3.5 stars | 

Genre: Scifi / Fantasy,  4 Stars

People who should read this: The book has a little bit of something for everyone. The characters alone are worth the read. 

“He’s … charming and spoiled, generous and fickle and hedonistic. He would flirt with a nicely upholstered chair, and he never takes anything seriously.” 

I did it! I finally cracked open A Darker Shade of Magic. 

You’re not the only one jumping for joy. My best friend has been on my case to read it since we became friends. Now she’s happy, yet still bugging me to finish the rest of them. She doesn’t have to worry. I’ve got the second one queued up and ready to go once I’ve finished my required reading. And trust me, I want to be reading it right now, not the books I’ve been sent. My goal is to read all of Schwab’s books this year.

I was very worried to finally start this epic series. There’s been so much built up around it. We have the spin off comics, the movie, the next trilogy, and all my friends talking it up. I hate to admit it, but I was just slightly disappointed. It took over 100 pages to tell me the point of the story. The book was dark, but I was able to guess what happened in the end. However, Schwab wove her magic into the characters. How does she even do it?

Characters… Characters… Characters…

They’re worth every slow plot point and page I had to get through. The minute Lila waltzed in, I was a goner. She’s everything that I ever wanted in a character. Strong yet still insecure, she’s searching for adventure. You’ll never need a better example of showing a character’s wants. There was no struggle going along with the decisions Lila made. I knew right away that they matched who she was. And in a field where fifty bazillion female protagonists have been written, Lila can stand on her own. She’s unique without being over the top. She’s realistic without seeming dull. All of her quirks are believable. And nothing she does is outside the realm of plausible.

“I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” 

Magic inside A Darker Shade of Magic is typical. Something must be given, mostly blood, to make it work. Not everyone is gifted with the same level of magic and I really appreciated that Schwab didn’t let the magic stay within a family’s lineage. Anyone and everyone can find the gift. Yet only a special few have the magic required to travel between the different Londons. 

Each London stands alone with their quirks as well. They have a color and smell associated with them. This is great in helping immerse the reader into the world building. Each person carries the scent of the world they belong too. Funny that Kell’s would be flowers. These tiny details add great layers to the story. Another show of Schwab’s mastery in her writing. And she’s only gotten better from here. 

As a side note… You don’t need to create something completely from scratch to have a good story (shown above with the typical magic style). Writers just need to make it their own in different ways. How many alternate reality, magic travel, and power hungry monarchs have you read about? I’m sure more than just this one. 

“The bodies in my floor all trusted someone. Now I walk on them to tea.” 

I really think that A Darker Shade of Magic has something for everyone. Best part is, if you don’t end up liking it, the first book is well wrapped up so you don’t have to continue to know the story. You just won’t get to learn about the mystery of each characters’ back story. At least I’m hoping we learn about what happened. Schwab has left a door open and I need to know more. Warning… If you start you might not be able to stop. 

Schwab is my goal in life. She’s my biggest role model. Her craft is superb. Someday, I hope to be even half as good as she is. Then maybe she’ll be my Neal Gaiman.

Happy Reading

Love Kait

Reading Challenge: 2/60