Book 17 | A Darker Shade of Magic | Fantasy + YA

[Lindsey]

Our discussion for May's book! Putting it up early because we didn't haven April book.

[Lindsey]

I'm always a fan of parallel universe stories, so I was already inclined to like this one. The history of the worlds and the differences between them was simplistic but interesting. The relationship between people and magic was something that was mentioned a lot and I hope it's something that will be explored a little more in the next book. We get hints as to the mysterious "Antari" and Kell's past, both which definitely could use some further development.

(view spoiler)[I found the whole magic stone thing very reminiscent of LOTR. It's a strange object that draws people to it and corrupts them with power; it can turn you invisible (among other things); it has to be returned to its point of origin so it can't fall into the wrong hands and ruin everything. Hmmm...sounds really familiar!

I actually I prefer this version to LOTR. I always found the idea of rings of power pretty dumb, but this is probably because it was never explained to my satisfaction. (hide spoiler)]

I'm looking forward to reading more of this series! Though, given the solid conclusion of this arc, I'm wondering where the story will pick up next.

[Taryn]

I really have nothing insightful to say, but I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down! I can't wait to read the rest of the series, I found the whole premise of the story really interesting, and hope we learn more about Kell's background.

[Angela]

I agree with everyone that I am really eager to learn more about Kell's history, and more about the entire backstory in general. I love how we're given the start of so many mysteries in this first book, but the story doesn't feel incomplete without them all being answered right away.

This was definitely a more character-based story, which is probably why I loved it so much. Each character was interesting and believable. (view spoiler)[[ And the friendship/budding romance between Kell and Lila was SUCH a breath of fresh air! No one was swept off their feet or hit by love at first sight, but you can tell they have a sort of chemistry that would make them really good friends at the least. It helps that they are on equal standing as heroes of the story, and Lila is never infantilized because of her gender. If Kell goes out of his way to protect her, it’s because she’s human without magical ability, and even then he starts to trust her based off of her own ability and merit. (hide spoiler)]

I loved this book and I REALLY wish we didn’t have to wait for the next one to get published!

(view spoiler)[Also, anyone else want to bet that Lila is an Antari? Untapped power, missing eye? (hide spoiler)]

[Lisa]

I agree with the other comments that have been made regarding this book. It took me awhile to get into it—the world building, the character development, etc.—but around the halfway point the story really picked up.

I love the idea of four Londons and there being doors between them. And the idea of magic as a force or entity, almost a living thing. I agree with Lindsey that that made the idea of the black stone palatable for me. It's not like the One Ring as it's presented in the Lord of the Rings (at least what I remember from the movies; it's been years since I've read the books). But that the stone is powerful because it's an artifact of this world where magic overpowered humanity. (Don't recall if "humanity" is the word Kell used. I wonder too what an Antari is.)

The book ended at a great point too. I hate cliffhangers. And the book is well-written enough that I look forward to book two. I've found that I tend to lose interest in a series, even if the plot is exciting, if the books are poorly written. I mean, I might as well read a wiki summary of a series. There were some awkward passages of exposition, though they were mostly earlier in the book.

Lila is probably one of the few truly badass heroines I've encountered in fantasy. She could be impetuous, but I never thought of her as foolish even though she willingly inserted herself into these seemingly impossible situations. It's refreshing to meet a female character who's actually brave as opposed to too-stupid-to-understand-the-risks.

(view spoiler)[I think Lila will prove to be an Antari! I loved how sneaky that one part was, the priest observing that one of her eyes was fake. Can't wait until her background is revealed. I hope it doesn't turn out that she and Kell are brother-sister, aka Luke and Leia! (hide spoiler)]