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A Darker Shade of Magic (2017)

by V. E. Schwab

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Shades of Magic (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
7,3943241,227 (3.92)235
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. Kell is one of the last Travelers-magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes-as such, he can choose where he lands. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there's Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. There's White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. And once upon a time, there was Black London . . . but no one speaks of that now. Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see-a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.… (more)
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» See also 235 mentions

English (317)  Hungarian (1)  Catalan (1)  All languages (319)
Showing 1-5 of 317 (next | show all)
This was a very enjoyable read. Well written. Great characters. A fascinating world. Start to finish had my attention and kept me engaged. So happy to see it's part of a series ... time to pick up book 2. ( )
  teejayhanton | Mar 22, 2024 |
Schwab is a master of creating unique fantasy elements with perfect world-building, both of which are fully displayed here. ( )
  bookwyrmm | Mar 3, 2024 |
Loved it! Easy to follow world-building, and such a good piece of (urban) fiction all around. This got me back into reading during covid after a long draught. Such a great author too. ( )
  ZL10 | Feb 29, 2024 |
4.5/5

This was my first V.E. Schwab book and I am thoroughly impressed. For a fantasy book, the world building was not extreme in length, but through clever storytelling and a fun (not-fully explained yet) magic system, the world filled out nicely. I loved the world hopping and descriptive imagery used to talk about three distinct, and yet very different places.

Beyond that, Kell and Lila are so fun. Lila is such a spitfire that I would totally want to adventure with just for the stories.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series! ( )
  fedjbomb | Feb 27, 2024 |
I started skimming around the halfway point. Apparently I'm just not that into high fantasy anymore. It's not you, book, it's me.

Why did I have this tagged as trans-related? Someone being weird about Lila? It's really, really not. There's bisexual innuendo about a side character but the context is "he's a slut." Meh. ( )
  caedocyon | Feb 23, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 317 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (5 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Schwab, V. E.primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Crossley, StevenNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hiddleston, TomNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Staehle, WillCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Weinberg, MiriamEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Such is the quandary when it comes to magic, that it is not an issue of strength but of balance. For too little power, and we become weak. Too much, and we become something else entirely. ---- Tieren Serense. head priest of London Sanctuary
Dedication
For the ones who dream of stranger worlds
First words
Kell wore a very peculiar coat.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. Kell is one of the last Travelers-magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes-as such, he can choose where he lands. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there's Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. There's White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. And once upon a time, there was Black London . . . but no one speaks of that now. Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see-a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

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Book description
"Red London is rife with magic. Grey London has none at all. White London may soon destroy itself in its attempts to steal the powers of its rivals. (And Black London? Well, that city no longer exists except as a cautionary tale to magic abusers.) Traveling between these very different dimensions is Kell, ambassador for Red London's royal family. However, unbeknownst to his employers, he's also a smuggler, transporting forbidden artifacts from one world to the next. When his illicit activities land him in serious trouble, Kell must depend on street thief Delilah Bard if he wants to survive and save his home world from destruction." - NoveList Plus description by Gillian Speace
Haiku summary
Kell and Lila lead
a roller-coaster ride through
three different Londons.
(passion4reading)

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