A Conjuring of Light

Well, this is a terrific trilogy of books. V. E . Schwab, where have you been all my life.

The book begins immediately from the end of the second book and then gallops along at breakneck pace.

You do think that this pace cannot be maintained and it does slow down.

One of the things that is really good about Schwabs writing is that her world building skills are really impressive. Rather than bogging down the reader with complicated prose that describes the world, Schwab moves her characters through the world as part of the story.

She also has a brilliant skill of expanding the characters and she does with the minor characters as well as the major characters like Holland and Alucard.

The relationship between Rhy and Alucard is explored further, and one of the best things about this is that it is completely natural and there is no fuss about it.

Definitely, one of my favourite fantasy series.

“I'm beginning to think that thrones make tyrants of us all.”

It's 1:37am and ten minutes ago, right as the clock transformed from 1:26 to 1:27, I finished this book. Sleep is calling for me so heavily right now, but I won't be able to rest until I type up all these words that are ricocheting inside me are transferred into a review. I took over 100 notes with this book. (I never take notes. I think the last time I took a note on a book was when Matthias's ghost wouldn't associate with Kaz's ghost.) But it is beyond past my bedtime and I am not going to try to make sense of sober Emi's thoughts. I think half of my notes were inside jokes I am too tired to understand right now anyways. So let's just give this review a go. It's going to be sloppy, but when I'm awake later I'll organize everything.

[b:A Darker Shade of Magic|22055262|A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400322851l/22055262.SY75.jpg|40098252] has been one of my favorite book series, if not my favorite series. I fell in love with this world Victoria had created so quickly that I almost didn't know what to do with all her words. I waited impatiently for [b:A Gathering of Shadows|20764879|A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429627728l/20764879.SY75.jpg|43242915] and started it as soon as I got my hands on it. History repeated itself with [b:A Conjuring of Light|29939230|A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic, #3)|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464017758l/29939230.SY75.jpg|44752519]. Before the clock even struck midnight on the day of its release, I was tearing through the ebook. I was nervous going in. Victoria hasn't blessed us with that many series finales (cough Archive #3,[b:The Returned|20799109|The Returned (The Archived, #3)|Victoria Schwab|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|40143005], which I am very bitter about *cough). But I was blown away.

And now it's over. And my entire mind and body feel empty right now, but in the most satisfying of ways.

I know these characters aren't dead. The live on the pages of the books that decorate my shelves, pages that I can read over and over and over again (and I know I will). Yet part of me knows that I can never go back to reading this series with a fresh mind. I can't turn the pages and experience the streets of Red London. All the words are forever tattooed onto my soul. (And tired Emi is so inspired by that sentence she had just written that she actually started to cry. God look at what this book as done to her.) The last time I finished a book series I loved so much, and was unsure if I'd ever be able to explore the world again, was almost eight years ago. I don't know what to do with this feeling of desire and longingness.

A Conjuring of Light was everything I hoped it to be. It didn't start out with a spark like the previous books did, but instead with an inferno that managed to keep its flame the entirety of the book. I know I reread the previous two before jumping into this one, but even at the first line, I still felt welcomed back into the story like an old friend.

Not to mention this book was so funny. There were multiple scenes where I felt like I should be screaming or crying, but I couldn't express those emotions because I was laughing so hard. It takes true talent to put humor in the most inconvenient of times, but Victoria is full of talent.

Kell. Let's talk about him. If you didn't know, he is one of my favorite fictional characters. Though his coat does give him an unfair advantage over other characters. I remember, during my first read of AGOS last year, mentioning in an update that if Kell asked me to jump off a bridge, I'd do it. That still hasn't changed. It probably never will. Kell is one of those people I trust completely. He is so consistent and loyal and caring. I have never felt like he was going to betray me. Kell went through so much character development this entire series, yet he still didn't change from that boy in a peculiar coat that we met on the first pages of ADSOM

My one hope for Kell was to find his family in this book. He came to the palace as a young boy, with no past and no memory. I wanted for him to know where he came from. And he did. Perhaps not in the way that I was hoping, but in the way that both he and I deserved. He found his peace as a member, as a brother, as a son of the royal family. And though a subtle message, it really showed that it isn't your origins that define you, but the path that lives takes you on. So while I really did want to know what K.L. stood for (in my mind it's Kyle for some reason? I know it's not Kyle but I've thought this for a year and a half now and Kyle isn't going anywhere.), I am actually glad we didn't find out.

Lila. Lila, Lila, Lila. She never changes either. My one hope for her going into this book was for her to become a badass pirate. Yet, that was an impossible hope, considering she already was a badass pirate. Lila has always been a very stereotypical YA heroine (the one that hates pretty dresses and loves pretty weapons), but I never even cared. She was done right.

Rhy. Rhy, my precious baby who will probably have sex with anything that moves. I love him so much. He is so strong, funny, and confident with his sexuality. He also finds love in this book Bless that lord. I am so glad my baby can be happy. Rhy is the easily the best character in this series.

Holland. Holland's story line in this book was my favorite. His past was explored. His motives were explored. And though he died in the end, I was okay with his death. In fact, his death scene (chapter IX of part fifteen) was the most beautiful piece of writing I have ever had the opportunity to read. In fact, I read it multiple times over and over again before moving onto the final chapter. I am glad that he is at peace.

Alucard. He grew a lot on me in this book. His character definitely didn't go in the direction I expected when we first met him in AGOS and I am glad it didn't. His relationship with Kell was one of my favorite aspects of this entire book. Every conversation they had, I loved. I am happy he found love with Rhy and I wish both of them nothing but the best

I've read a lot of books in my life. And along with that, I've read many conclusions. The very last part of this book, Part Fifteen, was what left me so satisfied. Victoria closed so many gates for the characters, and opened up so many others. It's everything that I desire in a conclusion.

It's 2:41am right now. I've been typing this for over an hour. In the morning, when I am awake and possibly recovered from this book, I'll edit this review into something that makes a lot more sense.

Anoshe.

The final installment in the Shades of Magic series was a pure ride of joy. This might be my favorite book for 2017, considering I enjoyed and loved Six of Crows and Red Rising series just as much. But the characters from this book spoke to me on a whole different level.

Lila and Kell were my favorite characters. Every interaction and dialog they had was amazing. They weren't perfect. Both had their flaws which made them very realistic. Lila didn't want to be bound to any person or place so she always ran. Kell, on the other hand, had the power to be anywhere, in any world, yet he chose to stay by Rhy's side.

Rhy and Kell's relationship was very intriguing. All past stories and the present one. The line “Kell wanted to wring Rhy's neck made me chuckle considering it came during a serious moment. Brotherly banter was good and so was their unconditional love for each other. Even though the king and queen tried hard to make Kell into Rhy's shield and not his brother, it was Kell's love for his brother which saved Rhy.

Alucard was a good addition to have since the second book. Because of him we got a lot of insight into Lila, and I personally liked his interactions with Kell.

Now for the controversial character, Holland, I have only one thing to say, what the hell was that?! I wanted to kill him in the first book but then again none of the things he was doing were his choice consciously. Bound in the first, binding others in the second (yet still bound), redemption in the third by being bound again? There was so much backstory for him. There was more Holland than Kell. Honestly, I felt his story could have ended a bit differently, but I took it as an open ending. The last sentence for White London was “Holland breathed out and the world breathed in.” which I take it meant that White London did somehow maybe heal, a tiny possibility. As all the “The king is coming” could have been foreshadowing that Holland's presence somehow does heal White London.

There were a lot of open endings. We never get an explanation to Ned getting powers as he was nipped by the shadow in the first book, Vitari. And what happens to King George after Osaron invades his mind. Maybe Grey London also gets some of its magic back, but can't say for sure. Or does the insane king end up wreaking havoc?

One thing I can say for certain that I did like was that in the end, Kell was finally able to be free. Even though he was still bound to Rhy, he never thought of it as a burden. And Lila finally becomes the captain of a ship. Rhy becomes the king with Alucard by his side.

So all the characters were able to achieve the things they wanted.

Things specific to this book that I liked:
Lila's fight in the alleyway.Lila's bargain for the inheritor.
The three Antari practicing their magic with the rings.The final battle with Osaron.
How Kell consciously chooses to burn the key for removing the memory charm on himself. Character development. It doesn't matter who he was before coming here, who he is now matters.The author did not always throw the characters motivations in our faces and we had to think like them and decide why they did what they did.

Also a thing I liked about this series, the words always painted a crystal clear picture in my mind. Whether it be fight scenes or still ones, I was never confused with the movements the characters made, or the background setting, the place, the people, the emotions.

Longest book read in 2017 and by far the best one.

Anoshe.