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A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)

V.E. Schwab,

Victoria Schwab

Start date: August 1, 2023

Finish date: August 31, 2023

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What Members Thought

Jun 06, 2019 Aly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021, 2019, 2023, audiobook, fantasy, lgbtqa, kindle-ebooks

2nd time reading
I'm so happy to be reading this again so I can finish the series. I think I liked this even more this time, since I had a feel for the characters and the world already.

The different Londons are so interesting and having Kell identify them by color makes it easier to keep track of which is which. I also like that magic isn't passed by birth so there's no superior bloodlines. Kell is still a great character, he's powerful but doesn't feel like he fits anywhere. His relationship wi 2nd time reading
I'm so happy to be reading this again so I can finish the series. I think I liked this even more this time, since I had a feel for the characters and the world already.

The different Londons are so interesting and having Kell identify them by color makes it easier to keep track of which is which. I also like that magic isn't passed by birth so there's no superior bloodlines. Kell is still a great character, he's powerful but doesn't feel like he fits anywhere. His relationship with his adoptive brother Rhy is sweet and just what Kell needs.

Speaking of, Rhy is still my favorite. He's funny and flirty and I want more of him. I can't wait to see what he gets up to in the next book. I did like Lilah more this time. Originally I was frustrated with her for being stubborn and causing Kell issues, but this time I was more on board with her doing what was best for herself.

This is a fun world and well paced. I'm excited to finally start book two!

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Okay, first of all, I really enjoyed this book. The world building was so awesome! The multiple Londons differentiated by color was great and the magic aspect was well done. I loved Kell, he was morally gray a lot of the time, but he truly loved his brother Rhy and would do anything for him. Speaking of, Rhy was my favorite character. He's sweet and flirty and likes men and women and I hope there's more of him in the next book.

Unpopular opinion, I did not really like Lila. She was self absorbed and could not stop stealing things, even for her own good. I did appreciate her strength and that she's all alone and has to watch out for herself, but she came across irritating to me and I wanted to shake her and tell her to listen to Kell for once. By the end, I liked her a bit more, the ending made me happy (view spoiler)

The narrator did an okay job, but since the main characters are young, it was a little weird that an older man read for them. And his woman voice is not great. Maybe I'll read the next book instead.

Super fun and interesting, I didn't feel like it was slow at all, though there were some plot points I would have liked more information about. 4 star read ...more

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