Skip to main content

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

"It's been four months since the events of A Darker Shade of Magic and though some have found freedom, while others feel trapped, the Essen Tasch (Element Games) will bring everyone into the center of the fold and Schwab weaves the intricate webs of the story with expert craft. This was a fun, fast-paced, exciting read and the ending left me horrified and scrambling to my bookshelf to pick up the next book." 

5 Stars

Pros:  It was interesting to see how the soul bond that Kell created is affecting both Rhy and Kell, they're both struggling after what happened with the Danes and though they both have different ways of dealing with the memories, the soul bond keeps them linked/Holland, that's all I'll say. 

Cons: Lila's impulsiveness, her recklessness, gets tiresome/The fact that she always has to be right in the middle of everything gets old but then, of course, there wouldn't be much of a story. 

Full Review:
It's been four months since the tense and dramatic conclusion of the events in A Darker Shade of Magic. With no real home to go back to, Lila has taken it upon herself to become a member of the Crew of the Night Spire, a "privateering" ship led by the charismatic and dashing, Alucard Emery. He can read her like a book and figures out most of her secrets within the first week of her being on board, but he doesn't reveal her to anyone on the crew. Instead, he simply asks that she keep him company and be his friend. And in turn, he'll help her to hone the small bit of magic she's found herself able to wield ever since facing off against the Dane twins in White London. 

While Lila is free, Kell on the other hand, feels like a prisoner. After what happened with Rhy, and the possession charm of Astrid Dane, and the soul bond that Kell created to keep Rhy alive, the King and Queen have been cold and distant. They no longer treat him as a son, he's more of a prisoner. And with the Essen Tach fast approaching, a tournament where the best and brightest magicians across the Arnes Empire come to compete, Kell and Rhy create a plan to make it so they can have a bit of an adventure, since the Soul bond has left them both privy to each others moods, pains, nightmares. They both need a relief and Rhy thinks this is the perfect way for Kell to blow off some steam by competing. What could possibly go wrong? 

The Essen Tasch is the least of their concerns though as a world away, in White London, someone else has come to claim the throne in the vacuum that the Dane twins deaths created. And the new king shouldn't come as any surprise but it still does. And Schwab is great at keeping you hooked and curious, wondering how she's going to bring all the different threads together. 

She does so beautifully and by the end, the dreaded cliffhanger, you're horrified, panicked, completely bewildered at what just happened and, of course, scrambling to get your hands on the next book. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

"High Fantasy with lots of interwoven threads of fate getting all knotted up together, as they do. Though Shannon's ambition is incredible and inspiring, in the end it all felt a bit off pace and quickly fell into "information overload."  Pros: High fantasy, true and brilliant world building. You have different kingdoms with their own customs and beliefs, Shannon has truly created something incredible. But this is both a Pro and a Con . Cons : Too many characters to remember/Too many countries/histories/legendary figures to keep track of.  Full Review:  It all starts when Tane breaks her seclusion, wishing to swim in the sea one more time before choosing day. In the morning she'll see if she's earned the revered title of Dragon Rider. But just tonight, she wants to swim and feel free. She's horrified when she runs into a man named Sulyard, who begs for her help.  She helps him asking a childhood friend Susa to take him away and she does, allowing Tane t
Post a Comment
Read more

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars  Pros:  I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird.   Cons:  It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review:    My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove ,   The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse,  and I'll Give You The Sun,  r
Post a Comment
Read more

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars  Pros:   There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer.  Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times.  Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of the very
Post a Comment
Read more