Ratings694
Average rating4
A dazzling world of parallel Londons where magic thrives, starves, or lies forgotten, and where power can destroy just as quickly as it can create
Kell is one of the last Atari - magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons: Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes - Red London - and officially serves the Maresh empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
Featured Series
3 primary booksShades of Magic is a 4-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Series
1 primary book34 released booksThe Shades of Magic Universe is a 34-book series with 1 primary work first released in 2015 with contributions by V. E. Schwab.
Reviews with the most likes.
I've been hearing about his book for a while and I was a bit disappointed to be honest. I was missing some depth in the book, while the worldbuilding was very interesting, the characters fell flat to me. The concept of Antari was interesting, but the actual magic was not that exciting. I was excited about Kell at first, but then it turned out he's quite the dumbass and not actually as powerful as I expected. I did not particularly care for Lila or their relationship, orphan thief who wants power/to be free is one I've seen often and she did not have a lot of other interesting traits. The relationship that seemed to be blossoming between Kell and Lila felt a bit forced. I did like Rhy, I liked his connection to Kell and struggle with being the crown prince.
Not sure yet if I'll continue with book 2, I've heard it gets better and I'm still somewhat curious, but his book did not draw me in as much as I'd hoped.
Best book of V.E Schwab I've read so far
.
Everything is really unique and the action rhythm is really good and makes you want to know more.
Some plot twist are reaaaaally well done.
Looking forward to discover the rest of this serie and see if the next book fill my expectations.
Best book read since Grishaverse two years ago.
Update -> finished the all serie. This is so so good highly recommend this reading.
Really good adventure/action story with a mix of Lord of the Rings and Sliders.
Featured Prompt
49 booksFantasy spans the spectrum from lighthearted fun to kick-you-in-the-teeth realism. When done right dark fantasy explores themes that are often taboo or emotional. Exploring these dark themes in fan...
Featured Prompt
3,091 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
Books
9 booksIf you enjoyed this book, then our algorithm says you may also enjoy these.