A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)

by V.E. Schwab

[readingwithbecs]

This book was fantastic! I can't wait to continue with the next book in the series

3 things I liked in the book:
- I loved the setting of the world, with four parallel Londons, and how each of them where so different. We get to hear a little bit about the world outside of Red London, but else really nothing of the rest of the world. I hope the world gets expanded in the rest of the series.
- The magic in this world is fascinating. It isn't too difficult to understand, but at the same time there seems to be some differences to it. I wanna learn more about it!
- When we get to the climax of the story everything seems lost, I didn't know how the character's where going to get trough the situation, they had put themselves in, or how they were going to win the day. Overall I didn't find this book predictable, which is a huge plus!

I do have one bigger complaint about the book. One of the plotlines seemed very firm in how it was going to HAVE to play out, but when we finally get to the conclusion of this, there's suddenly this other option, that is so much easier. I'm of course talking about Kell being able to send the near-to-death Holland to Black London with the stone. I felt really disappointed in this, and have no doubt that this is going to have a consequence in the following books.

I also have a theory! Which when I realized it near the end of the book, I felt stupid for not having picked up the clues a lot before; because it's staring us right in the face! Lila is an antari! We get to hear about her having lost one of her eyes, and so she has a glass eye instead, and she's able to travel between the Londons with Kell, even though he don't think it will be possible for her. But it is, because she's actually an antari. I finally picked up on this during their last travel from White London to Red London. And afterwords we get even more of a confirmation about this, with getting told that Kells tutor (I've forgotten his name, sorry) sensed magic in her. I will be so choked if this it not true.

Oh, and also! I really, really, really hope we DO NOT get a love triangle in this series. We kind of get a hint at it, but I really hope it will just stay at that. And honestly I'm not too bothered whether we get just a two-person romance or none at all.