A Darker Shade of Magic

Fantasy

First published: 2015
Print length: 432 pagesTor Books, 2017

Description

Kell is one of the rare Antari magicians able to cross among four parallel Londons. Raised by the royal family of prosperous Red London, he carries messages between worlds: Grey London has lost its magic, White London is being consumed by it, and Black London lies ruined. His official work conceals a dangerous sideline smuggling magical objects for collectors. When a transaction leaves him holding a relic connected to Black London, Kell flees into Grey London and collides with Lila Bard, a thief hungry for a larger life. Their attempt to return the object becomes a race against forces eager to wield it, blending portal fantasy, court intrigue, and adventure around the corrupting appeal of forbidden power.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Atmospheric · Descriptive · Direct

Pace

Brisk

Tone

Atmospheric · Dark · Suspenseful · Tense

Structure

Linear

Focus

Character · Plot · World

Emotional intensity

4 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 2 / 5
Ideas: 3 / 5
Structure: 3 / 5
Background knowledge: 1 / 5

Themes

AmbitionFriendshipIdentityMoralityPower

About V. E. Schwab

V. E. Schwab is an American fantasy writer who publishes children’s and young adult fiction under the name Victoria Schwab. Her novels often begin with a clearly defined speculative condition and follow the pressure it places on identity, loyalty, and ambition. She pairs atmospheric settings with direct narrative momentum, whether the premise involves four Londons with unequal access to magic, near-death experiences that produce extraordinary abilities, or a bargain that condemns a woman to be forgotten. A Darker Shade of Magic turns its system of parallel worlds into an adventure shaped by court politics and forbidden power, while Vicious concentrates on rivalry between former friends with opposing purposes. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue works across a broader span of time, using its central curse to examine freedom, loneliness, memory, and the traces a person leaves through art and other lives. Across these different scales, Schwab repeatedly uses fantasy rules to structure conflicts over power and self-determination.

Series

Shades of Magic · Book 1

Books by V. E. Schwab

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: Tor Books
Language: English
ISBN: 9780765399113

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