Poudelivre

About six months after I finished A Darker Shade of Magic its sequel, A Gathering of Shadows, was published. I, who loved V.E Schwab’s first novel in the trilogy, immediately got my hands on the second one. It’s been in my book pile ever since and I’ve been looking at it from time to time but without picking it up until now. I know myself well enough to know that I put high hopes on this book, to be as good as its predecessor, and that I thought it would be one of those novels that are so fantastic that I don’t want to finish them because I simply don’t want to leave their world and all of their mysteries. I thought A Gathering of Shadows could turn out to be one of the best books I’ve read this year. Schwab did not let me down; this is a book on a level of its own.

After the Dark Night, Red London has slowly gotten over its shock and are back on its feet. But nothing is as it once was. Before, Kell, the only living Antari left in the world, was viewed as a chosen man and the kingdom of Arnes’ savior. Now Kell is blamed for everything that happened during the Dark Night and the people shy away from him, thinking him cursed. Even the king and queen, who once told Kell they viewed him as their own son, has turned their back on him and after Lila disappeared when Red London was safe again, Kell is left with only one ally; his brother, Prince Rhy. Kell tries to adjust to his new role, his new life, but it’s harder than ever because when he could pretend he was part of the royal family before Kell now only seems himself as a trinket, a thing for the king and queen to use as they like. And it’s driving him mad.

Rhy, who was killed that fateful night when Kell fought the Dane twins and sent White London back into civil war, was resurrected by Kell but his life is now teetered to Kell’s and the two brothers shares every emotion and feeling between them, only heightening the sense of being trapped, locked together until the day Kell dies and takes Rhy with him once and for all. To occupy his thoughts Rhy is in charge of hosting the Essen Tasch – the Elemental Games – and pours his heart and soul into the preparations, not knowing what, or more exactly, who, will come to town for the Games.

Lila, who followed Kell from her world, Grey London, into Red London to help save his city and then over to White London to bring down the Dane twins, has now returned to Red London to live the rest of her life there. After having said goodbye to Kell just a few days after the Dark Night, Lila does what she always talked about doing. She sets her eyes on a ship and her sails on the horizon. Aboard the Night Spire, Lila soon has a reputation around herself as the secretive, wicked thief she is. The captain of the ship takes her under his wing and starts teaching her valuable lessons to have in her pocket while navigating around in a foreign world. But when months have passed and the Essen Tasch is drawing nearer, the Night Spire changes its direction and begin the journey back to London, to bring friends and foes back together in a swirling drama that won’t end the way any of them had predicted, any, all but one – the king from another London finally rising up.

This book feels like me in every way. It has everything I could ever want pressed into a story of 500 pages. Everything, from gorgeous, beautiful writing to intricate plot, funny banter and characters sharp as knives. It has wonderful magic, described in a mesmerizing way by Schwab, a ship full of pirates, a dark force waiting in the shadows, a charming prince and an even more charming captain. And the Essen Tasch. The cherry on the top. A magical tournament involving all three countries in the world of Red London, a spectacle like none other. Love and hate, romance and murder, envy and pain. Everything I love bottled up in one story, one book, one series. It’s truly great when you find a book that is everything you ever wanted and even more.

At first I was a little afraid that this, the second book out of three, would get Second book Syndrome, but that was not the case at all. It’s a natural sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, bringing back the characters we loved and introducing new, good ones. It gives us a look back on what happened in the first installment without getting stuck between that and what will happen in the next. The Essen Tasch is what holds this book up, the interesting game the center around everything this novel is without straying too far away from the bigger plot the entire series is built on. This is master writing, and Schwab is a fantastic storyteller.

What I liked the most with this story is that Schwab took every opportunity to dig deeper into her characters and investigate what they’re feeling. The bond that connects Kell and Rhy and how it affects them, how Kell feels when everyone suddenly sees him as the bad guy, when the king and queen turn their backs on him. Lila’s fear in a world she knows nothing about, how she’s trying to find her footing and herself while still battling ghosts from Grey London and at the same time trying to see her future in her new world. As the title suggests, this is a darker book which mentions a lot about what the characters feel and the struggle going on inside them. I thought this brought a depth to the story and managed to make the novel even better.

Through the Essen Tasch Schwab expertly teaches the reader more about the magic in her story by weaving it into the games. We get to meet people from outside of Arnes, the neighboring two countries, as well as getting a deeper look into the politics holding the three countries afloat. Schwab introduces new characters, Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire my personal favorite, and along with him quite a few hilarious conversations and flirtatious moments. I liked how Schwab dug deeper into her characters to revel their past and secrets never mentioned in the first book. For me the characters always felt real and believable in the first installment but now they’ve grown even more and come alive in a whole new way.

I don’t ever think I can truly express all the love and wonder I felt for A Gathering of Shadows when I read it. It’s a very special book, one that I love very much and one that I know I will return to many times in the future. It took me weeks to finish it, for no other reason than that I didn’t want it to end, didn't want to let it go just yet, and it’s a horrible thought that the sequel is not out for another year or so. The cliffhanger in the end drove me crazy and I can’t wait for the next installment, certain that Schwab will bring her A-game and finishing this in style. I recommend this novel to anyone, it’s packed with amazing things and is certain to have something that falls to your liking or, if you’re like me, has everything you love and then some.