Most people only know one London; but what if there were several? Kell is one of the last Travelers - magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel Londons. There's Grey London, dirty and crowded and without magic, home to the mad king George III. There's Red London, where life and magic are revered. Then, White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. But once upon a time, there was Black London...
Very well-plotted and original fantasy novel. Although I enjoyed the main characters, Kell and Lila, I felt that the peripheral characters could have used some deeper characterisation. Especially the relationship between Kell and Rhy, which is pivotal to the story, did not feel as substantial as it could be.
I loved the worldbuilding, especially the ease with which the different Londons were introduced. A Darker Shade of Magic is one of those rare fantasy novels that have a 'feel' for setting, sufficient complexity, but don't need a Wiki for you to remember all the intricacies.
-- Trigger warnings: sexual assault, death, death of loved ones, gore, mind control, torture.
