A Gathering of Shadows: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 2)

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:

1. The competitors have already been chosen, and she is not among them
2. Her opponents have been training in magic their entire lives
3. Lila has never been trained in magic at all

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.

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!

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.