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13,065 ratings
The second adventure in #1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab's beloved Shades of Magic trilogy―a dazzling world of parallel Londons where the balance of power is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another must die...
Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Essen Tach tournament, and another London is coming back to life...After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning. But magic must always live in balance―and so now, another London will fall.
Other books by V. E. Schwab
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Shades of Magic series
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ISBN-10
125089123X
ISBN-13
978-1250891235
Print length
528 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Tor Books
Publication date
June 12, 2023
Dimensions
5.37 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
Item weight
15.8 ounces
Politics is a dance until the moment it becomes a war. And we control the music.
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People either stole to stay alive or to feel alive. She had to imagine that they ran away for the same reasons.
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If magic coursed through everyone and everything, was this what it felt like when it found itself again?
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B00WDVL07Q
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5428 KB
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"This is how fantasy should be done.”--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Rich details illuminate every dimension of an extravagant city flooded with magic, and intriguing personalities evolve into complex characters...between [the characters those] the vivid setting, and the climactic cliffhanger, Schwab already has us anticipating the rest of the series."--Entertainment Weekly, Grade A on A Gathering of Shadows
"Feels like a priceless object, brought from another, better world of fantasy books. Schwab's writing is engaging and vivid...kept me engrossed by its story every bit as much as I was fascinated by its complex, multilayered world." ―io9.com on A Darker Shade of Magic
"All the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy...Schwab has given us a gem of a tale."--Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of The All Souls trilogy
ONE
THIEF AT SEA
I
The Arnesian Sea.
Delilah Bard had a way of finding trouble.
She’d always thought it was better than letting trouble find her, but floating in the ocean in a two-person skiff with no oars, no view of land, and no real resources save the ropes binding her wrists, she was beginning to reconsider.
The night was moonless overhead, the sea and sky mirroring the starry darkness to every side; only the ripple of water beneath the rocking boat marked the difference between up and down. That infinite reflection usually made Lila feel like she was perched at the center of the universe.
Tonight, adrift, it made her want to scream.
Instead, she squinted at the twinkle of lights in the distance, the reddish hue alone setting the craft’s lanterns apart from the starlight. And she watched as the ship—her ship—moved slowly but decidedly away.
Panic crawled its way up her throat, but she held her ground.
I am Delilah Bard, she thought as the ropes cut into her skin. I am a thief and a pirate and a traveler. I have set foot in three different worlds, and lived. I have shed the blood of royals and held magic in my hands. And a ship full of men cannot do what I can. I don’t need any of you.
I am one of a damned kind.
Feeling suitably empowered, she set her back to the ship, and gazed out at the sprawling night ahead.
It could be worse, she reasoned, just before she felt cold water licking her boots and looked down to see that there was a hole in the boat. Not a large hole by any stretch, but the size was little comfort; a small hole could sink a boat just as effectively, if not as fast.
Lila groaned and looked down at the coarse rope cinched tight around her hands, doubly grateful that the bastards had left her legs free, even if she was trapped in an abominable dress. A full-skirted, flimsy green contraption with too much gossamer and a waist so tight she could hardly breathe and why in god’s name must women do this to themselves?
The water inched higher in the skiff, and Lila forced herself to focus. She drew what little breath her outfit would allow and took stock of her meager, quickly dampening inventory: a single cask of ale (a parting gift), three knives (all concealed), half a dozen flares (bequeathed by the men who’d set her adrift), the aforementioned dress (damn it to hell), and the contents of that dress’s skirts and pockets (necessary, if she was to prevail).
Lila took up one of the flares—a device like a firework that, when struck against any surface, produced a stream of colored light. Not a burst, but a steady beam strong enough to cut the darkness like a knife. Each flare was supposed to last a quarter of an hour, and the different colors had their own code on the open water: yellow for a sinking ship, green for illness aboard, white for unnamed distress, and red for pirates.
She had one of each, and her fingers danced over their ends as she considered her options. She eyed the rising water and settled on the yellow flare, taking it up with both hands and striking it against the side of the little boat.
Light burst forth, sudden and blinding. It split the world in two, the violent gold-white of the flare and the dense black nothing around it. Lila spent half a minute cursing and blinking back tears at the brightness as she angled the flare up and away from her face. And then she began to count. Just as her eyes were finally adjusting, the flare faltered, flickered, and went out. She scanned the horizon for a ship but saw none, and the water in the boat continued its slow but steady rise up the calf of her boot. She took up a second flare—white for distress—and struck it on the wood, shielding her eyes. She counted the minutes as they ticked by, scouring the night beyond the boat for signs of life.
“Come on,” she whispered. “Come on, come on, come on…” The words were lost beneath the hiss of the flare as it died, plunging her back into darkness. Lila gritted her teeth.
Judging by the level of the water in the little boat, she had only a quarter of an hour—one flare’s worth of time—before she was well and truly in danger of sinking.
Then something snaked along the skiff’s wooden side. Something with teeth.
If there is a god, she thought, a celestial body, a heavenly power, or anyone above—or below—who might just like to see me live another day, for pity’s or entertainment’s sake, now would be a good time to intercede.
And with that, she took up the red flare—the one for pirates—and struck it, bathing the night around her in an eerie crimson light. It reminded her for an instant of the Isle River back in London. Not her London—if the dreary place had ever been hers—or the terrifyingly pale London responsible for Athos and Astrid and Holland, but his London. Kell’s London.
He flashed up in her vision like a flare, auburn hair and that constant furrow between his eyes: one blue, one black. Antari. Magic boy. Prince.
Lila stared straight into the flare’s red light until it burned the image out. She had more pressing concerns right now. The water was rising. The flare was dying. Shadows were slithering against the boat.
Just as the red light of the pirate’s flare began to peter out, she saw it.
It began as nothing—a tendril of mist on the surface of the sea—but soon the fog drew itself into the phantom of a ship. The polished black hull and shining black sails reflected the night to every side, the lanterns aboard small and colorless enough to pass for starlight. Only when it drew close enough for the flare’s dying red light to dance across the reflective surfaces did the ship come into focus. And by then, it was nearly on top of her.
By the flare’s sputtering glow, Lila could make out the ship ’s name, streaked in shimmering paint along the hull. Is Ranes Gast.
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V. E. Schwab
VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the Cassidy Blake series and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Her work has received critical acclaim, translated into over two dozen languages, and optioned for television and film. First Kill – a YA vampire series based on Schwab’s short story of the same name – is currently in the works at Netflix with Emma Roberts’ Belletrist Productions producing. When she's not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
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Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5
13,065 global ratings
TacoReader
5
Lush, confident, and wholly immersive
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
A Gathering of Shadows is a different beast from its predecessor, A Darker Shade of Magic. While the first book in V.E. Schwab's excellent fantasy series devoted itself largely to establishing the rules of its multiple (and occasionally magical) Londons, introducing its characters, and then throwing them all into tumultuous conflict, the second takes its time luxuriating in the world so meticulously crafted in the first book. It is lighter on conflict, heavier on character development, and chock full of fun. Which may seem an odd thing to say about the sequel to a story that started with so much darkness, but just trust me. Or better yet, trust V.E. Schwab, whose gift for beautiful prose and attention to detail is evident on every page.
Whereas Darker Shade divided its time rather evenly between three of the four Londons, Gathering takes place primarily in Red London, where we spend most of the story swept up in the Essen Tasch (Element Games), a magical tournament pitting the best magicians of each kingdom against one another. Unlike Darker Shade, which follows Kell for the first few chapters, Gathering opens with Lila Bard, whom we last saw dropping anchor in a world that is not her own. We quickly learn that Lila has spent the past several months acquainting herself with the magic and customs of Red London, and has made a place for herself aboard a grand ship, the Night Spire, and endeared herself to its captain, Alucard Emery.
Through Alucard (a delightful and charismatic addition to the cast of characters), Lila learns of the Essen Tasch, and in true Delilah Bard fashion, decides she must enter. Only a few obstacles stand in her way:
Of course, for a cross-dressing piracy-aspiring thief like Delilah Bard, these are not actually obstacles at all, but merely challenges to overcome. And if we've learned anything about Lila in Darker Shade, it's that she loves a good challenge.
Fortunately for her, Alucard Emery is no stranger to either magic or the courtly customs of Red London. Less fortunately for her, he is also competing in the Essen Tasch. And he intends to win.
And then, of course, there is Kell, whose dreams have been haunted by images of Lila ever since they said farewell. Kell's relationship with his foster brother, Prince Rhy, changed dramatically at the end of Darker Shade, and as a result, in Gathering we find him still adjusting to both his responsibility to his brother and his role in court.
Without the need to set up the rules of the world anymore, there is more room to explore the people within it. As the Essen Tasch gets underway, we see Kell and Lila, and magic itself, in a way we haven't ever seen them before. With the delightful and thrilling setting of the competition acting as a backdrop, Gathering delves deeper into its two lead characters, and takes its time in bringing them back together, making the reader yearn for their eventual and inevitable reintroduction. Rhy plays a larger role this time around, as he struggles to come to terms to what happened to him in the previous book while striving to be the prince, son, and brother his family expects, and Alucard brings a refreshing wit and edge to the story, throwing a wrench into the inner workings of all three main characters.
And then beneath, in notes so sparse it's easy to forget they're there, lies the menace of Black London. While readers relax into the spectacle of the Essen Tasch, and the interactions of Gathering's colorful cast of characters, both old and new, Black London simmers underneath, reminding us that this is, indeed, a V.E. Schwab book, where nothing can ever stay light and happy for long.
As Gathering reaches its boiling point, readers may start to panic, wondering how the story can possibly wrap up in the number of pages left. And, well...it doesn't. As most early readers have noted, Gathering ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger, and even if you're prepared for not everything to resolve in this book (this is, after all, a trilogy), it's a shock to hit that last page and abruptly realize there is no more. But just because it doesn't have a neat and tidy ending doesn't mean there isn't plenty to love in this book. From the deeper exploration of the characters to the thrill of the Essen Tasch to the quiet ramping up of Black London, A Gathering of Shadows adds layers and richness to all the things I loved about A Darker Shade of Magic, then throws in a few more for good measure. If you enjoy exquisitely imagined and beautifully written dark historical fantasy, I highly recommend this lush, confident, and wholly immersive series.
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7 people found this helpful
Van @ Short and Sweet Reviews
5
Schwab has done it again!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016
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Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
A Gathering of Shadows was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. As a long time fan of Schwab, I’m starting to run out of wonderful things to say about her and her novels; I’m afraid I’m about to sound repetitious in my review but I can’t not use ‘brilliant, creative, talented, master storyteller, or incredible’ when it comes to describing Schwab and her books…because she and her books embodies those words. Schwab once again out does herself (no surprise lol) as she gives readers a captivating and thrilling sequel in the Shades of Magic series.
Oh, how I missed Kell, Lila, Rhy and the world of Shades of Magic! Within the first page, I felt like I never left, like I read the first book just yesterday, as if no time has passed; and yet it’s been over a year but everything, from the story to the characters felt fresh in my mind. The first book, A Darker Shade of Magic, I’m sure, has that effect on everyone that reads it. It’s memorable and leaves a lasting impression on its readers, where we all find ourselves thinking about the characters and world long after we’ve read it. I know I did. Before I began A Gathering of Shadows, I kept wondering…how can she possibly out-do the last book, because it was one of my top favorite reads of 2015. And I had very high expectations. Ladies and gents, I give you two words: Essen Tasch (The Elemental Games). The Essen Tasch was the main focus of the book; we had empires across the land make their way to Arnes with their strongest competitors, as magicians were pitted against one another to see who/which empire’s magician would come out on top. And boy, was it a marvelous pulse-pounding game! My heart was literally racing and Lila had me grinnin’ and laughing out loud. Gotta love the girl! I loved learning more about the magical system and that of the neighboring empires, it’s was fascinating, intricate and specific, and like Schwab’s characters, everything was very believable and realistic. The entire book, the scenes felt so real that I can imagine myself a part of the crowd as the magicians dueled, as the lights flared so bright from a plate being hit to hearing the energetic deafening cheer of the crowds. It qwas definitely the most fun and best part of the book!
Talking of missing characters, I didn’t know how much I missed them till I got 5 pages into the book. It felt sooo good to be immersed in Red London again and right off the bat; readers were treated to Lila’s old snarky self and witty dialogue. She’s definitely something special, and the more I see of Lila, the more she’s becoming my favorite fantasy heroine. Even before she possessed elemental magic, she was already a strong, clever, independent kick-a*s and a personality/attitude to match. What I liked most about her is her hunger for life, to make the impossible, possible. When she wants something, she goes out and makes it happen. No questions or hesitation about it. The word ‘’can’t” isn’t in her vocabulary. Lila is setting a pretty high standard for other fantasy characters. Watch out literary world, there’s a new favorite heroine in town! I can’t forget my boys. Readers of course are also treated to more of the princes; the ever-charming Rhy and the revered magician Kell. I love the both of them and was ecstatic to see more of Rhy…because there can never be enough of Rhy lol. The brothers are having a tough time adjusting to life after the black night and consequences of the previous book, but nonetheless, I enjoyed seeing more of their relationship, and how they’re moving forward and dealing with their new situation. As much as I love Lila, Kell and Rhy…there’s a new character this time around, one that I found myself fascinated with and is starting to grow on me….who is none other than Alucard Emery, magician and captain of the Night Spire. I was intrigued the moment he appeared and there seems to be a lot of history between him and the princes. Readers learned a good chunk about what that all entails but I hope we’ll be seeing more of Emery in the next book. He’s too interesting of a character not to make another appearance.
But everything wasn’t all fun and games, as a threat hovers just at the edges in White London, as a new king ascended the thrones after the death of the Dane Twins. A threat that unforeseeable to the characters and will have monumental consequences that will affects all Londons. That Ending was torturous. It’s been awhile since I encountered the dreadful cliffhangers, and Schwab wrote a wallop of a cliffhanger! Talk about devastating and heart-wrenching.
I am already pining for book three; a year seems like a life-time away! I loved every minute of A Gathering of Shadows and highly recommend this series to everyone. This is a series that everyone needs on their book bucket list! I’ve said this before, but her books are truly one-of-a-kind. Schwab is by far one of the most brilliant and talented authors of our time; every book she writes is magic. From the world she creates, to the characters that inhabit it down to the very words written on the pages. Everything is done with care, purpose and meaning. Like Lila, Schwab is unstoppable, a force to be reckoned with and there’s nothing she can’t do. Luckily we will have something to tide us over as we await the next Shades of Magic book; Schwab has a new book coming out this July, a YA series, the first book titled This Savage Song. It’s full of monsters! I can’t wait!
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5 people found this helpful
Bee
5
Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2024
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This book is so good! I personally like this one slightly better than the first one but they're both such good reads (the third one is already on the way to my house). I love the way she writes fantasy, something about it tickles my brain. Without saying too much, the element games were fun and it was cool to see the extent of everyone's powers and the fights kept me on edge, It was so exciting. My favorite characters are Rhy and Alucard. I also love Tieren because he minds his damn business, these people are stressing him out chile.
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Cliente de Kindle
4
A lot slower but building up
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024
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It look me longer thane expected to read this book. I think because half of it it's just setting the climax and the third book. All in all, it's very well written, it adds conflict and introduces new interesting characters
Looking forward to the third and finding out how it all ends
Robin Snyder
4
2 Stars to the first 50% and 5 Stars to the last 50%
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
4.25 OMG that ending Stars
I suffer from character separation anxiety or CSA for short. So sometimes when two characters in a book are separated for long periods of time in said book it can interfere with my said enjoyment of that book because I’m so distracted waiting for when they will see each other again.
I loved Lila and Kell together in ADSoM. The chemistry between them and banter was great. I liked how well they played off one another and worked together as a team and then when AGoSs starts up and they have been apart for the last three months as Lila is being a Pirate and Kell is stuck in the palace being treated like crap by all those around him.
I waited…
And I waited….
And I longed for…..
And I hoped that…..
And then FINALLY it happened and it was pretty awesome but it was so far into the book that I think it really affected how much I enjoyed the first half of it. Fair warning.
Overall I liked this book. There was the introduction of Alucard the pirateprivateer ship captain. He is fantastic and I was slightly worried for a minute that there was going to be a love triangle of death I really hate love triangles but that worked out FAN-freaking-tastically so no worries there. Alucard was a great addition to the story and it seems he had a history with Kell and Rhy and I couldn’t wait to find out what it was.
Lila was her rash ever impetuous self and while it worked so great for me in the first book without Kell to temper her it was a little much sometimes but so true to her character.
*** “She bent most of the rules. She broke the rest.” ****
Still she comes into some of her magic in this book and it was interesting to see her learn how to work it.
Kell had a rough time of it. Untrusted by the King and Queen after the episode with the black rock he brought into Red London he is dealing with the fall out of that and his new connection to Rhy I spent most of the book feeling a little sorry for him. There is still quite a bit of humor between him and Rhy and I loved getting more page time with the brothers but I was still suffering from CSA and so it was a little diminished. So here is a moment between them I waited so long for.
*** “They crashed into each other as if propelled by gravity, and he didn't know which one of them was the object and which the earth, only that they were colliding. The kiss was Lila pressed into a single gesture. Her brazen pride and her stubborn resolve, her recklessness and her daring and her hunger for freedom. It was all those things, and it took Kell's breath away.” ***
There are some weird and scary things happening across all the Londons and I have so many theories about what is going on with the magic bleed between them that I don’t have any idea which seems more plausible. But some very interesting things are going on and dang if I don’t think that the King and Queen are keeping some very big secrets about the magical flows and why Red London seems to be doing so well magically while there are some serious problems in the other Londons.
But the best parts of the book were when the magic competition starts happening. I’m totally a sucker for competitions or gladiator or arena fights. So when there is a magical competition that Rhy is setting up and Kell and Lila are trying to sneak into. That is when the book really took off for me and that is when it became unputdownable.
Rhy is still one of my favorite characters. The charismatic prince gets some of the best lines only to be outdone on occasion by Alucard. Even thought this isn’t a romantic book at all and all of that stuff is on the back back burner there are still some moments that are swoonworthy and I think that Rhy might have met someone even more charismatic than him, that is a tall order to be sure.
Overall the story stuttered at the beginning for me but then it picked up momentum and finished out so strong and intense that I feel like I should rate it in two parts giving 2 stars to the first 50% and 5 stars to the last 50%.
I am so excited for the next book because it ended in a bang and I NEED to know what happens next.
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