A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

"The dramatic conclusion to the Shades of Magic series. We see Kell, Lila and all the rest set out to save Red, Grey and White London from a nightmare unleashed from the dead and cursed Black London. Some characters are allowed to right the wrongs they have committed, while others are able to carve a place in the world and find where they belong. And through it all, Schwab emphasizes how vital things like love, family and friendship are in life."

4 Stars

Pros: Every character has a flaw, no one is perfect and in a strange way, almost every single character is likeable, their actions understandable. It's not often that I finish a series not wanting to have strangled one of the characters but, for the most part, everyone in Shades of Magic was relatable, likeable and human/Holland, a character you love to hate but then realize that you don't hate him at all, he is singularly complex and so very, very sad and I just love him.

Cons: The part with the Veskan Prince/Princess and their coup against the Arnesian dynasty just felt rather forced, to be honest, it didn't really feel necessary. I feel like Schwab just kind of threw that in there for filler, or to give Rhy something to do. Thinking back on it, it just didn't seem necessary in the end.

Full Review:

The ending of "A Gathering of Shadows" made it obvious that I couldn't just put the series down. I had to find out what happened, since the dreaded cliffhanger was so...jarring. And I'm glad that I didn't hesitate. I picked up A Conjuring of Light the very same night and got to reading.

It's hard to describe any part of this book without mentioning the others and thus, it's hard to give it a proper review. But I feel that fans of the series will be pleased with the conclusion. Near the end there, Schwab didn't pull any punches but at the same time, each sacrifice was necessary, allowing a character to grow and come into their own. White, Grey and Red London are not paradises where happy endings always happen. But the people who live there are determined to do what they can because that London is their home, it's what they know, it's what they love. And Schwab makes sure to hit that point home.

I don't know if there will be more books in this series. If there are, I'll read them. But if there aren't, I'll also be content with that as well. It was a well rounded, well written, fast paced, exciting, dramatic, at times gut wrenching, read. I had initially read A Darker Shade of Magic and then put it down, not too interested. But when I picked it back up and re-read it, that's when it really stuck. This was a great series and I'm looking forward to reading more of what Schwab has to offer.

Comments

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