A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab -- Restarting December 11th 2023

[Jayme]

Chapter 5:
(view spoiler)[Wow, that was a lot! So Kell traveled back to Red London with this package. The package turned out to be a powerful magic stone that someone wanted him to have for some reason? Kell was actually wounded and lost his powers (temporarily?) but had the stone to protect him. Then he ran to Grey London where he met Lila and Lila stole the stone from him. Whew, was that a whirlwind of a chapter!
Something is definitely fishy with this stone. I'm wondering if Holland somehow acquired this stone and is trying to keep it away from the twins. Maybe that is why he couldn't deliver it himself, and maybe he knew that Kell would take proper care of it.
I'm really concerned about Kell's wound, but I'm also excited that him and Lila have finally met :) I'm not too concerned about Lila taking the stone because I think these two will begin working together soon ;) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Chapter 5:"
(view spoiler)[Yes! I'm loving Lila's character as well! She reminds me a bit of Salander; having a soft spot for the misfortunate and trying to hide how soft she can really be, while at the same time also being a badass female character.
I totally forgot about the package that Holland gave to Rhy! I would think it was a similar stone also. I don't totally trust Holland, but I'm also stuck between thinking he might be a character with good intentions and a character seeking power. Hopefully it's the former because I do feel a bit bad for him :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 6:
(view spoiler)[Well, that didn't quite go as I expected. It was still really great though! I expected Lila and Kell to join forces after he told her about magic. I didn't expect that Lila would start playing around with the stone after Kell told her it was dangerous! It was pretty creepy when the other Kell started turning into his own person and went after Lila. This magic seems evil and crazy powerful. I can't believe it just took control of that guy after he only just held the sword. And now there's another person coming after Kell in Grey London.
The title of the book makes sense now :) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Chapter 6:"
(view spoiler)[I think we can now safely assume whoever sent this stone has malicious intent behind doing so. Someone probably kept it for an occasion just like this: to destroy another world. And this may be reaching, but maybe this same person was the one to bring about the destruction of Black London? (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 6:
"

(view spoiler)[Oh, I actually didn't think about the title anymore until you mentioned it! The German title is different, actually. It's "Four colours of magic" and it was pretty clear from the beginning why it is called like this :D
I know what you mean when you say Lila reminds you of Salander, although I feel like Lila is a lot more girly and (obviously) not so marked by her past!
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 7:
(view spoiler)[Wow, I think I can give up on the thought that Holland wants to escape the twins or is actually good in some way....I loved how Kell and Lila stepped in for each other when they were in need for help. And I actually like how it is not just a love story with some fantasy elements wrappend around it like a lot of YA books are written nowadays. And I've read way too many of those recently... If I had to guess, I would even say there isn't gonna be a romantic relationship between Lila and Kell. I feel like it would more likely be Rhy and Lila if they ever got to meet... But that's just speculation from my side :D
Anyway, I'm glad that Lila and Kell seem safe for now (although I'm not so sure if burning herbs is really going to do anything about the smell of magic... Although there is an old tradition my grandma follows around special holidays that is somewhat similar: She burns herbs in a pan and goes from room to room to "banish" bad spirits from the house.... So, I don't know, it might work for Lila :P).
I feel like Rhy or the king and queen of Red London might start to wonder where Kell is. Or, to be completely honest, I'd just like to see more of Rhy :D
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 8:
(view spoiler)[
Never mind me and my weird ass theories about Lila and Rhy. I guess, I'm just curious about Rhy and wanted to see more of him :P
Well, Kell and Lila then :D
I'm surprised that Kell is willing to take Lila with him to Black London, especially because nobody seems to have thought that plan through: Lila is not going to be able to get back to White London if she doesn't have the stone anymore.....
Also, didn't Kell mention that they destroyed those kind of artefacts in White Lonon after they closed the gates? So there IS a possibility to destroy the stone....
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Chapter 6:""
(view spoiler)[I find it really interesting to hear the other names of books from different translations :) I almost like the title "Four Colours of Magic" better. It is a lot easier to tell with that one why it was called that haha :)
I totally agree with you, Lila is arguably much more of a people person than Salander, and has had a much easier life as well. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 7:
(view spoiler)[Holland is just cold-hearted. I'm still a little bit confused on how the stone got passed on to Kell. Kell said he thinks that someone was trying to get rid of it because they knew how dangerous it was, but that just doesn't seem to make much sense in White London. I hope we get more of an explanation, because I'm not buying it just yet.
Good on Lila for going back to save Kell! I felt so proud of both of them for saving each other. Poor Kell, though :( The way he was bleeding out sounded awful. I think he's going to be okay. He probably just needs to recuperate for a while.
I'm really concerned Holland is going to wake up and find Lila and Kell pretty soon. He didn't seem to have much of a problem finding Lila the first time. Now, she and Kell must reek of magic. The only thing that might save them is if the rain washed off their scent or those herbs are covering their scent. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Chapter 7:"
(view spoiler)[It's so annoying when you start a book that has an amazing premise just to realize it's actually a thinly-veiled attempt at a romance novel :P But now that you mention it, Rhy and Lila would be so perfect together! :) I do hope Lila and Kell just stay friends.
I agree, we need more Rhy! :D (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 8:
(view spoiler)[Well, it looks like they're going for the romance angle between Kell and Lila haha :) As long as it's not over the top, I think I'll be okay with it.
I'm actually really surprised that Kell gave in to Lila so quickly. Not only will he be risking her life, but he'd be breaking a bunch of laws getting her over. I guess he believes the stakes are too high at this point to worry about those things.
I'm pretty sure that Lila will be able to cross over fine, but I'm wondering if it'll have any side effects for her. I'm also curious about whether she'd be able to learn magic by living over there, if she did decide to stay in Red London that is.
Also, Kell keeps referring to the people on Grey London as humans but I thought the other Londoners were human also? Maybe he says that because he himself is not exactly human, but Antari. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Chapter 8:"
(view spoiler)[I was completely on board with the whole Lila/Rhy relationship once you said it haha :D Too bad they missed that opportunity, but maybe Kell and Lila will make a great couple after all :)
I thought the same thing about them not thinking through this plan at all. Maybe Kell has thought about Lila not being able to get back and so plans on leaving her in Red London since she has no desire to get back to Grey London. He did slip and say "I" instead of "we" when he was referring to going to Black London. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 7:"

(view spoiler)[It actually makes sense to me that someone (maybe just someone who's afraid of the twins) wanted to get rid of the stone and get it out of reach for them.... (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Chapter 7:""
(view spoiler)[I guess it depends on who the person is that sent it away. Based on what Kell said of the White Londoners, I figured anyone with the stone would try to overthrow the twins since it would make them more powerful than them. But if they were more afraid, like you said, they probably wouldn't want to even risk it.
Knowing now that the White Londoners went to extreme measures to get rid of anything from Black London, it makes more sense. If the person knew it was from Black London, they would have done anything to get rid of it. Now the mystery is: who was this person? And how did they come across the stone after all this time? (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 9:
(view spoiler)[Poor Lila :( She really did care about Barron. He was probably the closest thing she had to family.
The description of the city was so great! The city sort of reminds me of a red version of the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. I think Lila was a bit dumb when it came to interacting with the other Red Londoners. She should have known not to bring too much attention to herself or to steal from a merchant in a magic city.
I bet Fletcher is going to want a rematch of Sanct in order for Kell to get his white rook back. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 9:
(view spoiler)[
It was great to see Red London from Lila's perspective. Also, Lila said that Rhy is cute, so for me the ship is still sailing!
I feel really bad for Kell that the pub with all of his stuff burned down... And you were absolutely right that Kell wants to leave Lila behind. But considering that Lila seems like the kind of girl who always gets what she wants - one way or another -, she'll probably be able to follow him anyway :D

(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 9:"

(view spoiler)[Agreed! I'm really curious for a match of Sanct anyway!
I've never read The Wizard of Oz, but I think the word building for Red London is fantastic! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Chapter 9:""
(view spoiler)[Yay! There's still hope for Rhy and Lila :) What would their ship name be? I kinda like Rhyla haha :D
You're so right about Lila! She's so stubborn, I don't think she'd let Kell go without her. I feel like she definitely cares for him on some level too and wouldn't want him to go alone.
It would be pretty cool to see them play a game of Sanct :) It sounds really interesting!
I actually have never read The Wizard of Oz, but I've seen the movie and that's what I was comparing it to. Now I feel like I should read the book at some point because I completely forgot it existed :) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 10:
(view spoiler)[Aw man, I really liked Gen and Parrish :(
I'm a little confused about this magic that keeps moving from one person to another. So it moves from bodies like a contagion, but can also inhabit more than one body at the same time and be in different worlds at the same time? From what I understood, it's a pure form of magic that came from the stone but it also seems to be it's own being.
So, I guess there won't be a game of Sanct after all. I was not expecting the guards to kill Fletcher then knock out Kell! I can't tell if they're under the influence of the magic or if they are doing it for some other reason. I hope the king and queen didn't plan this.
Also, after that story about Rhy, I love him even more :) (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 10:
(view spoiler)[
Wow, that black magic is spreading fast and it's really powerful now that it has taken over the guards!
I wonder what Lila is up to and how she wants to find Kell... Using the stone would probably be the easiest method, but it's also very dangerous. And now that she's at the masquerade I'm pretty sure she'll meet Rhy.... :D

(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 10:"

(view spoiler)[
I'm pretty sure Holland is paying them to kidnap Kell... I don't think the queen and king would do something like that or have a reason to....
I loved that little story, too! It made the whole book more special in my opinion :)
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Chapter 10:""
(view spoiler)[Payment would make sense. They didn't really seem to be under the influence of the stone like the others were.
I wouldn't think they would either, but I can just see that as a potential plot twist and I would hate for them to be involved :(
I hope we get more of Rhy before the story ends and that would be awesome if him and Lila met at the masquerade! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 11:
(view spoiler)[When I said I wanted more of Rhy, this is not what I meant D: So has this been Astrid ever since Rhy got the necklace? I was so nervous for a second that Rhy was really the one to have set all this up, but luckily (well not luckily, but you know what I mean) he was just possessed by Astrid. I really hope Rhy is okay. I kept thinking that Lila would use the stone to heal him somehow. Surely, the stone is powerful enough to do that.
I guess we were right about the twins being the ones to get Kell to bring the stone to his side so they could overthrow the Londons. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 11:
(view spoiler)[
Well, that's not exactly what I meant when I said that I wanted Rhy and Lila to meet... :P
That chapter was quite intense and things are starting to get more clear... So it was actually an intrigue by the twins to bring the stone to Red London...
Overall I do have to say that I think the book is fine so far, but I'm not overly excited about it... I don't really get where all the hype is coming from. I hope the last few chapters are going to be a little bit more thrilling for me :)
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 12:
(view spoiler)[Oh okay, so Lila is definitely an Antari. The glass eye gave it away. I just think it's funny that it's never been mentioned until now that she had a glass eye. Not even any hints. I just think it seems kinda convenient.
I feel the same as you about the book. Although it's entertaining enough, I don't feel like the story is all that interesting and it also feels a bit cliche. I still like it though :) (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 12:
(view spoiler)[
Wow, that was a really brave thing of Kell to do. Now I hope he'll be able to deal with what is coming in White and Black London.
I didn't think Holland would die during book one, actually! I hope Kell and Lila will be able to get the second part of the stone.
Did you notice the thing about Lila' s eye? I wonder if she could be an Antari and people stabbed out her black eye because they were scared?
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 12:"

(view spoiler)[
I was thinking the same thing! I think Victoria Schwab just didn't want to give it away until now... I feel like Barron for example could have known that she had a glass eye...
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[That was really clever of Kell to get the magic to turn on Athos. I'm still not sure how he knew that Astrid was taking Lila's form when he killed her. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because she said "please" ;)
I'm glad that Lila was able to help Kell defeat the magic, but I feel bad that she'll be stuck in White London. She did want an adventure, I guess...
I'm surprised that Kell was able to defeat the magic. I thought that the magic taking over Kell was going to set up the plot line for the next in the series. Don't get me wrong though, I'm happy that it was stopped. I am sad that Rhy was killed :( He got a raw deal in this book. I really liked his character and was hoping for more, but oh well.
I'm interested to see how they leave off this book and how it will lead to the next :) (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[
I loved that Victoria Schwab brought something back that we learned pretty much towards the beginning of the book. That's something I absolutely adore in books but it happens very rarely... I actually just looked it up and the principle is actually called Chekhov's gun and this guy named Chekhov said "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." . It sounds easy, but it takes a very good writer to do it.
I think that Kell is right about Lila being super direct and she's not one to beg for that stone, but I'm not sure I would have noticed Astrid as Lila acting ooc...
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 13:"

(view spoiler)[I actually don't think Rhy was killed. I don't think he can actually be killed until Kell is dead, too... I'm pretty sure Rhy's death so early on in the series wouldn't be good for the story! (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Chapter 13:"
(view spoiler)[That's really interesting! I had heard of Chekhov's gun before, but I never knew what it meant. I really love when an author does this too because it shows that their story was well planned and thought out.
I hope you're right about Rhy! I guess I'm a little confused on how that binding spell works. I agree that it would be a mistake to kill him off so early in the series. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Chapter 14:
(view spoiler)[Rhy's not dead! I guess I should have learned from a certain book that we read this year that I shouldn't assume a character's dead until it's proven. But then again, this is a story with magic, so anything could happen.
There's still hope for the Lila and Rhy ship! That scene of the two of them meeting was so cute!
I think Lila is definitely an Antari and I'm surprised it wasn't brought up again before the end of this book, but I'm sure it will be a major plot point in one of the others.
Overall, I enjoyed this book even though I wasn't thrilled with it. It was cute and magical, and I'm interested in continuing the series to find out what happens next. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Chapter 14:
(view spoiler)[Attention! The ship is sailing! And I'm only partly talking about Lila becoming a pirate here :P
I'm glad everyone survived and I'm looking forward to Lila finding out about her magical skills in the next book! And I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of Holland yet...
Overall I liked the book fine, but I honestly think it's overhyped.

(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Chapter 14:"

(view spoiler)[I agree with everything you said! I liked the scene between Lila and Rhy, too. I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be a love triangle, that would be a bummer... :/
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

My review is now online: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Chapter 14:""
(view spoiler)[I bet you're right about Holland. After all, the book kept reiterating how hard it is to kill an Antari (which was also something Holland said).
I hope it doesn't turn into a love triangle, too! It feels a little like they might be going in that direction, but hopefully not. (hide spoiler)]

[Abi]

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Reading from the 12th of May 2018

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[Karishma]

Checking in!

[Karishma]

Amanda?

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting December 1st 2018. Happy Reading ☺

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[Maria]

Through chapter 3 (part 1). (view spoiler)[ I was really confused in the beginning, but we're slowly getting to know more about the world and Kell. He's a blood magician! I wonder if Rhys is too? And I'm curious to see of the Enthusiast comes back for his bit Earth. He does seem that ambitious
Kell was so intimidating in the scene with the Prince. And him liking music boxes was cute (hide spoiler)]

[Lou]

I picked this up a couple of months back and really enjoyed it but didnt finish it because I had to return it to the library since it was overdue and reserved by someone else. I'm going to be rereading from the beginning though, (I got up to page 200 last time) what I read of it was so good though! Can't wait to begin it again now!

[Lou]

Ha! What a coincidence. I bought my own copy too, because of the waiting list being insanely long, but my library only had one copy!
I'm so glad I can relax without having to worry about overdue fines!

[Lou]

Up to part 3
(view spoiler)[ thought I'd racing through this but, like what happens to all books I end up enjoying, I'm taking my time. I really love the diologue between the characters and Kell is just a fanastic character in general. I also really love the worlds and the fact that it's set in London-type worlds is really cool as I'm obsessed with anything to do with London! (hide spoiler)]

[Lou]

Up to part 5
(view spoiler)[ Gawd, I hate Athos so much. My heart goes out to Holland though too. I didn't really care for him last time reading but now I'm really sorry and anxious for him.
(hide spoiler)]

[Lou]

Jazzy wrote: "LydiaMae wrote: "Up to part 5
Gawd, I hate Athos so much. My heart goes out to Holland though too. I didn't really care for him last time reading but now I'm really sorry and anxious for him.
"

[..."

(view spoiler)[ Yeah.. I wish we had more of an insight to his personality, or something as to see what's going on in his head.
Also, I wonder if some plot twist will happen as to who Kell's parents were... I didn't really give much thought to that first time either. (hide spoiler)]

[Lou]

Up to part 7 (view spoiler)[ The scene with Lila and Kell in the bedroom reminds me of the scene with Flynn Rider and Rapunzel in the tower in Tangled! It's so close, I wonder if Schwab did that intentionally. Gah and I just love the snappy dialogue between Kell and Lila.
I haven't really been reading too much this week (possibly bc I read a whole book on Monday that it's exhausted me) but I hope I can finish this book by Saturday night. Sunday at latest.... (hide spoiler)]

[Lou]

Jazzy wrote: "LydiaMae wrote: "Up to part 7 [spoilers removed]

I love Kell & Lila! I love them as a team. They’re pretty awesome.

I should be finished with this tonight. I’m so anxious about the ending though..."

I'd want to but my library doesn't have the books, and it'll be a while til I buy them. Enjoy the books though! This one is definitely going to be my new favourite!

[Lou]

Half through part 12 (but possibly a spoiler for the whole book) (view spoiler)[ Okay so when Tieren asked Lila what happened to her eye I'm instantly thinking she's Antari... which is kind of crazy since she's from Grey London but I don't know, it makes sense since she came through the portal with Kell! Argh! I think I'll finish this tonight so much is happening but I'm afraid it'll end on a cliff hanger! (hide spoiler)]

(totally unrelated but I think Schwab did a great job of capturing the likeness England except for the frequently used word "pants". Pants here(in England that is) mean, of course, underwear, but in America they (obviously) mean trousers... that was so random but I had to get it out :P)

Thanks Jazzy though for buddy reading this with me, I've really enjoyed it!

[Lou]

Well, I'm finished now anyhow! (view spoiler)[Ah that was so good!! I'm so glad it didn't end on a cliffhanger. But that end scene fighting with the twins was epic! I just wish it lasted, the bit where Athos dies seemed a tad rushed! I was so scared that Astrid was going to kill Kell when she disguised herself as Lila. And what about Holland! Poor dude, I wonder if he'll be back in the next book, maybe Black London will revive him and make him a stronger (probably bad) bloke.
I just love Rhy, and Kell. In fact all the characters are just fantastic! I've been craving some good characters that I can fall in love with and looks like my prayers have been answered! I loved Lila's ending but I wanted more conclusion to Kell's (I know the trilogy's not over yet but still)! It's going to be a while until I buy the next book though, and I don't think I can wait! (hide spoiler)]

Yes let's! Let me know if you have any ideas of what to buddy read, I have a shelf designed for that purpose: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
But I'm up for buddy reading anything!