Reviewed by Joséphine on
Initial thoughts: The amount of wit Schwab is able to weave into the most dire of situations is remarkable. I tend to smirk while holding my breath when it comes to her books. Things started off rather slowly. Of course, this helped to establish the setting and the way magic worked across the parallel Londons. It allowed readers to better understand how the Londons differed and how they were connected. While this was definitely important, that made the pacing feel a little off-kilter for me. When the conflicts arose, no doubt, they kept me on the edge of my seat but they set in a little later than I would've liked. Meanwhile, my mind kept wandering during the first third of the book.
That being said, despite the "traditional" fantasy elements involving royalty and magic, good vs. evil, deceit, and so forth, A Darker Shade of Magic was wholly original. Coupled with Schwab's talent for creating monsters, it was a wonderful start to the trilogy.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 27 February, 2017: Finished reading
- 27 February, 2017: Reviewed