Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince: The Rebel Army by V E Schwab

Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince: The Rebel Army (Shades of Magic Graphic Novels, Volumes 9-12) (Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince, #3)

by V.E. Schwab

Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this third volume in the all-original comic book adventure series sees the saga of the the story begun in The Steel Prince - perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy!

Once just a single ship, now the pirate fleet of the Rebel Army numbers in its thousands. Made up of traitors from each of the three empires, the fleet, who once made the open waters of the Blood Coast their home, have set their sights on establishing their own land based empire with London as their capital.

The Rebel Army is a battalion made up of traitors to each of the three empires, who've claimed the open waters of the Blood Coast as their territory. Led by a Faroan, a Veskan, and an Arnesian (Rowan, the Antari from the Night of Knives), the RA started as a rag-tag gang, a single ship, but in the last few months, they've gained momentum. Once content to claim the open water as their empire, they've grown in ambition, and scope, and now they're claiming ports, creeping toward a full-on land assault. Their goal? London. But first, they'll have to cross Verose, where Maxim, Isra, and the royal guard are waiting.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

The last we saw, our prince, Maxim Maresh, had earned the trust and loyalty of his soldiers by taking (and surviving) a dangerous series of tests. If only this was the solution to all his problems. Unfortunately, Maxim still has to prove himself to his father – and deal with an even graver threat on the horizon.

The Rebel Army has long been a problem. They fight against everything Maxim and his family stand for. And they're about to hit the Blood Coast with everything they have. It will be up to Maxim and his allies to stop the army from making their way further into their territory.

My Review:

And just like that, the Shades of Magic graphic novel series comes to an end. In a way, I'm pretty happy that I binged all three volumes at once. On the other hand, I do rather wish I had read the series sooner. Oh well.

From the start, it felt like the Shades of Magic series was building up to something. Now, we can finally see what it is in The Rebel Army! The title of the volume (and the description) should give it away. There are a few surprises woven into this plot. Admittedly, it was mildly heavy-handed at times, but it was also telegraphed in previous plots, so I can't complain too much.

Overall, Shades of Magic Vol. 3 helped to show how Maxim earned the love and trust of his people. His military background also showed up, which helps explain some of the decisions he makes in A Darker Shade of Magic.

While I did enjoy the artwork, there were times when it was borderline too dark. I don't mean dark as in gritty – I mean it literally. Given the quality, I had to angle the pages to see all the details, which felt like such a shame. Maybe that was a printing error for the copy I bought, but I doubt that.

Highlights:
Part of a Series – A Darker Shade of Magic
Magical World
Multiple Worlds
Struggle to Prove Oneself

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 April, 2023: Finished reading
  • 7 April, 2023: Reviewed