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A Darker Shade of Magic: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 1) Paperback – January 19, 2016

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 22,896 ratings

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A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari
magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes
Red Londonand officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

"A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale...This is a book to treasure."―Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy

Shades of Magic series
1.
A Darker Shade of Magic
2.
A Gathering of Shadows
3.
A Conjuring of Light

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Entertainment Weekly's 27 Female Authors Who Rule Sci-Fi and Fantasy Right Now

A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Its plot is gripping. Its characters are memorable. Its setting in four parallel, powerful Londons is otherworldly yet believable. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale that is original in its premise and compelling in its execution. This is a book to treasure.” ―Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of The All Souls Trilogy

“Compulsively readable...her characters make the book. Just as Kell has layers, Lila is a satisfyingly rich invention...With so many worlds on the map, there's plenty left to discover.” ―NPR

A Darker Shade of Magic feels like a priceless object, brought from another, better world of fantasy books.” ―io9

“Schwab (
Vicious) creates an ingenious set of nesting alternate Londons in this imaginative, well-crafted fantasy. Confident prose and marvelous touches-a chameleon coat, a scarlet river of magic, a piratical antiheroine-bring exuberant life to an exhilarating adventure among the worlds.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

A Darker Shade of Magic is smart, funny and sexy ... Schwab keeps the excitement coming with roller-coaster plot twists that establish her as, perhaps, the natural successor to Diana Wynne Jones's contemporary fantasy crown.” ―The Independent

“Fantasy fans will love this fast-paced adventure, with its complex magic system, thoughtful hero and bold heroine.” ―
Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; Reprint edition (January 19, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765376466
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765376466
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 1.3 x 8.15 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 22,896 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
22,896 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the intriguing story and unique world-building of the book. They find it an engrossing, fun read with multidimensional characters that feel real. The writing quality is described as descriptive and well-crafted, with a unique style that draws readers in. Overall, customers appreciate the charming and cute scenes in the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

408 customers mention "Story quality"397 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find the tale fascinating, with excellent characters and a mysterious plot. They enjoy the magic and parallel worlds. The premise is unique, but much of the book feels like other YA fantasy novels. The adventure is engaging and the world is amazing.

"...encounter seems contrived, because there are some uncanny parallels between their two worlds, such as a particular inn/tavern that seems to be co-..." Read more

"...Schwab will immerse you in to a world of parallel Londons, full of magic, danger, and intrigue. Are you ready? “..." Read more

"...ones, but it really bugged me in this case because the world was so amazing that I felt like the characters should have been as vibrant and textured...." Read more

"...Upshot: Beautiful place to have an adventure. Great action. Gorgeous description. New spin on old stories." Read more

407 customers mention "Readability"377 positive30 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it fun, engrossing, and lovely. The world-building is incredible, and the book doesn't disappoint. Overall, readers say it's one of the best fantasy books they've read in a long time.

"...It was a lot of fun, and when I finished, I immediately started the second book in the series...." Read more

"...I feel like Holland was a good contrast to Kell and Rhy was quite entertaining to read...." Read more

"...Let me tell you. And this book didn’t disappoint. Where Schwab really excels is her world building and descriptions...." Read more

"...The book was fantastic. If you add the fantasy books with light and dark magic battles, I just can't count them all...." Read more

303 customers mention "Character development"260 positive43 negative

Customers find the characters amazing and multidimensional. They appreciate the compelling universes and characters that feel realistic. Some readers find Lila Bard cool, but others are just a little tired of her.

"...I loved the idea of parallel cities and enjoyed the different characters. Kell was such a mystery to me...." Read more

"...Honestly, I found the character histories much more intriguing and Kell’s sense of not belonging anywhere even though he has a family who loves him..." Read more

"...Our two main characters Lila Bard and Kel have a lot of character growth and its fun to read them go from adventure to adventure...." Read more

"...Overall, this book is filled with excellent characters, an intriguing and mysterious plot, and dynamic relationships...." Read more

222 customers mention "Creativity"211 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the book's creative world-building and magic system. They find the premise compelling and the book well-crafted. The characterization is also appreciated, with humor and a strong sense of adventure.

"...But, there were also some interesting possibilities laid out for future books...." Read more

"...The world building in this one was incredible, and though the character building may have lacked just a hair, that only added to the mystery and..." Read more

"...Where Schwab really excels is her world building and descriptions...." Read more

"...For the first book in the series it does a decent job at world building and the end almost feels like it could be left as is...." Read more

221 customers mention "Writing quality"183 positive38 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find the descriptions vivid and well-written. The dialogue and narration are rich and engaging, weaving an intoxicating tale that draws them in. The author's unique writing style is appreciated.

"...A Darker Shade of Magic is a story that is rich in mystery, magic, and intrigue...." Read more

"...time and precision that went into creating these worlds and describing them is amazing. And it never felt boring!..." Read more

"...At some points, the descriptive language is done so well that you can almost see the colors, feel the air vibrating with magic and see the people..." Read more

"...She has a way of writing that is pretty unique to her...." Read more

121 customers mention "Aesthetics"117 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's visual appeal. They find the characters charming and the setting unique. The artwork on the end papers is appreciated, as are the magical systems presented well. The opening scene is described as beautiful. While the theme is familiar, some alterations manage to make it fresh.

"...So even though theme is familiar, there are some alterations that manage to make it unique. We have two main characters, Kell and Lila...." Read more

"...I feel like Holland was a good contrast to Kell and Rhy was quite entertaining to read...." Read more

"...There are hints of romance between Kell and Lila and they do share some cute scenes, but romance wasn’t a huge part of this story and I also liked..." Read more

"...can also describe her character's physical traits with that same vivid realism. In addition, her dialogue is first rate...." Read more

101 customers mention "Romance"79 positive22 negative

Customers enjoy the book's romance. They find the characters believable and relatable, with genuine good hearts. The book has a fairy tale feel and explores brotherly relationships and caring for family. The dialogue and growing friendship between the two main characters make them smile.

"...There are hints of romance between Kell and Lila and they do share some cute scenes, but romance wasn’t a huge part of this story and I also liked..." Read more

"...getting invested into Kell and his story, enter Lila Bard — fierce, lethal and likely to steal the glasses off your face before you’ve even finished..." Read more

"...I adored Kell and after his snarky, caring, and loyal personality became abundantly clear in every page I fell in love with him hard...." Read more

"...The dialogue and growing friendship between the both of them had me smiling like a goon...." Read more

250 customers mention "Plot"174 positive76 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find it fast-paced and full of intrigue, while others feel the plot is not original and the narrator's voice feels wrong for the story. They also mention that the ending is anticlimactic.

"...It made for dramatic action, but it was perhaps not quite as believable within the context of the story as the author would have wanted...." Read more

"...you in to a world of parallel Londons, full of magic, danger, and intrigue. Are you ready? “..." Read more

"...I think they definitely took a backseat to the story and it was a bit disappointing to me...." Read more

"...If you enjoy the authors writing, and like a fast paced fantasy book I would tell you to give this a try...." Read more

StepIntoABookWorld on Wordpress:  One of the Best Book I have read to date! World-Building blew my mind!
5 out of 5 stars
StepIntoABookWorld on Wordpress: One of the Best Book I have read to date! World-Building blew my mind!
A Darker Shade of Magic is centered heavy on time-traveling in-between alternate London's. The three alternate London's are known as:Grey London: Magic-Less City (People have long forgotten magic)Red London: Healthy strong empire; full of magicWhite London: Starving world full of violence and deceit."There's Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London.".."See I am a fast learnerThe only one capable of traveling between these world's is an Antari which is basically an extremely powerful magician who can control all the elements. They are extremely rare and the only ones who can open doors between the alternate London's. The Antari are marked by having one completely black eye and one with normal color. Kell is walking a dangerous line when he decided to be a smuggler between the worlds. A crime some would consider worst than any other. Kell's life is in serious danger when one unknown lady gives him a parcel as payment and asked him to take a letter to an alternate London.A Darker Shade of Magic has a very detailed world-building that is truly a work of art. I have never experienced such detail and real life feel in a book in a very long time. The world-building foundation was laid very carefully and spread out with expert thought to where everything was to be place so that the story stays at a steady pace without the feel of cramming information at me all at one. The magic aspect that was featured in this wasn't exactly unique but it was refreshing. Personally, I noticed elements from other books, but the detail put into the explanation of this world of magic was described in a way that drew me in taking away any comparison to the others. It stands apart from all of the other's in a way that made this my favorite thing about the book.A Darker Shade of Magic is center around a young Antiari named Kell.  Kell is one of two whom can travel between the 3 alternate London's. I adored Kell and after his snarky, caring, and loyal personality became abundantly clear in every page I fell in love with him hard.Delilah Bard known mostly by Lila Bard is a young and extremely talented thief in Grey London. She craves adventure from her boring life only to have it crashing into her life in the form of Kell."I am not going to die," she said. "Not till I have seen it.""Seen what?""Everything"— Lila BardLila Bard is my favorite character in this book by far! This girl has more sass in her pinky finger than any other character I have ever read about. When you mix Lila's love for adventure and life with Kell's uptight seriousness it equals pure gold."Kell managed an echo of her smile, and she gasped. "What's that on your face?"The smile vanished "What?""Never mind," she said laughing. " It's gone""And if you don't survive?" challenged Kell. "Then you can raid my corpse." She said dryly. " I doubt I will care."The last character I am going to meant is Prince Rhy. I loved Rhy and I want more of Rhy. He is charming, funny, loyal and a huge flirt. Rhy is from Kell's London (Red London) and the two are extremely close. He is not as gifted with magic as most are from Red London." Your problem Rhy," chided Kell "is that you don't want to learn magic to learn magic. You only want to learn it because you think it will help you lure people into your bed." Rhy's lips twitched "I don't see how that's a problem, and it would."Who needs magic when you have Kell in your corner?" Forget the lesson. I'm in no mood for learning. Let's go out.""Why?" asked Kell. "So you can use my magic to lure people into your bed?""A fine idea," said Rhy " But no."
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2016
    This book came highly recommended from some participants in a fantasy discussion board I moderate, and I was looking for something to read on my Kindle recently, so I picked it up. It was a lot of fun, and when I finished, I immediately started the second book in the series. (That is an enthusiastic recommendation for me. There are some books where I'm like "I'll get around to the sequel eventually" but fewer series where I pick up all the available volumes in a row.)

    Just a bit of brief plot summary for context. There are four Londons in this novel, and a select few individuals can magically travel among them. These are referred to as Grey London, Red London, White London, and Black London, and they are different in how magic affects each world, in how (and by whom) it can be used in each world (the equivalent of *our* world is Gray London). The action takes place in the first three; no one has visited Black London in quite a long time. Only London is the same in each world; in other worlds, there is no France, for example, and not even a proper "England" in Red London.

    The parallel worlds thing has been done quite a lot in fantasy, but I am fine with that. I like the twist here, that one of our two main characters (Kell, more on him in a bit) is not from our world, but is from Red London, where magic is ubiquitous. (Often, in such stories, including those by Guy Gavriel Kay in the Fionavar Tapestry, in Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books, in Charles Stross's more sci-fi-based Merchant Princes series, etc., it is people from our world traveling elsewhere. So it is nice to see a different perspective.) I also like that this is not set in the present day, but instead in the past. So even though theme is familiar, there are some alterations that manage to make it unique.

    We have two main characters, Kell and Lila. Kell is from Red London, as previously mentioned, while Lila is from Grey London. Both have mysterious pasts; Kell remembers basically nothing before he was taken in by the royal family of Arnes (the country containing Red London) due to his magical abilities. (He is an Antari, marked by having one normal eye and one that is completely black. There are very few Antari, and they are the only ones able to travel among the worlds. They also have nearly unparalleled magical abilities, in general.) Lila is alone on the streets, making a living (such that it is) as a pickpocket and dreaming of being a pirate with her own ship.

    The two of them encounter one another maybe 1/3 of the way through the story and they travel and work together through much of the rest of the book. I wouldn't say their first encounter seems contrived, because there are some uncanny parallels between their two worlds, such as a particular inn/tavern that seems to be co-situated in all three of the Londons Kell has visited, the existence of London and the Thames, etc. Since they both live in London and visit the inn (different Londons and different inns, but eerily the same, as well), it seems they are fated to meet. And their abilities complement one another. Sometimes the secrecy and stealth of a thief is needed, sometimes reputation and magical fighting ability are better suited to the situation. I think they are a good team. There is no romance between them in this book, though it is possible something like that could be set up for the future. Kell's reputation and duties are such that he doesn't seem to be looking for love or to have the time for it (or the trust to share with someone else), while Lila masquerades as a man and doesn't have what would be considered traditional aspirations for a young woman in the society from which she hails. I find the lack of romance refreshing, especially in a mixed-gender pair like this.

    The other thing I like about the characters is that they have nice depth. Both have secrets (including a tantalizing one about Lila revealed about halfway through; I can't wait to see where that goes in future books), both have killed (not just in self-defense), both have flaws, both have their own moral codes that might not be exactly the same as yours or mine. And yet, you are still cheering for them, and not just because other characters are worse. Both are quite sympathetic.

    Moving on, there is a lot of action in this book and I think it is well-written. It can be difficult to describe magical battles such that the reader can envision everything that happens, but I felt that was not an issue here. (There were also physical battles, weapons like guns/knives, etc.) I felt there were adequate dangerous situations for both Kell and Lila (and some of their associates); although not everything turned out as I expected, neither just skated through. They ran into difficulties, they had to be resourceful. The sense of danger and the well-written fights made me feel like the plot was always moving forward, and at a nice pace, at that.

    Speaking of the plot, I felt that it was basically self-contained in this book. There were endings for Lila and Kell. But, there were also some interesting possibilities laid out for future books. I am not yet sure where the overall series arc will take us (presumably we will learn the secrets of Lila's and Kell's pasts in future volumes -- I am not yet enough into volume two to see if that is true); however, there are some interesting possibilities for where things could go in the future.

    I also liked the writing. As mentioned earlier, it was especially good during action sequences. But I also thought it was good at setting the scene for each of the different Londons. If you opened the book to a random part and didn't know which London you were in, I think you'd be able to guess based on the setting. And, when you were inside the protagonists' heads, their thoughts were different. They had different personalities, different aspirations, different goals. They were not just two aspects of the author projected onto the page. So that was also done well.

    If I had one criticism, it would be that there were a few too many instances of characters being saved from very dire situations or being able to fight when they ought to have been incapacitated. It made for dramatic action, but it was perhaps not quite as believable within the context of the story as the author would have wanted. This is a common issue in fantasy novels, and considering that some degree of magical healing is accounted for here (as well as some consequences), it is not an unforgivable writing sin.

    Anyway, on balance, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was a nice break from the epic fantasy I've been reading lately and I'm glad I picked it up!
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017
    Welcome to the magical world of London. Actually, welcome to the magical worlds of Londons. Confused yet? Don’t be. A Darker Shade of Magic is like stepping in to the Twilight Zone. Schwab will immerse you in to a world of parallel Londons, full of magic, danger, and intrigue. Are you ready?

    “In truth, the cities themselves bore little resemblance to one another…” (Schwab, 15).

    The Plot: A Darker Shade of Magic will take you in to a world where four Londons exist in parallel. Our main character, Kell, keeps these worlds separated in his mind by calling them Red London, White London, Grey London, and Black London. As an Antari, a rare magical being, he is one of the only two people in the world who can travel between these parallel Londons, due to a struggle with magic and power from long ago that resulted in the doors between Londons being shut. Among his journey between Londons, to keep the peace between their rulers, he discovers something powerful and dangerous that could destroy the balance he tries so desperately to keep. He meets an unlikely ally in the fierce, spunky, independent Delilah Bard, and has to make a deadly decision that could affect the future of the parallel Londons and their rulers. Can he save his precious London, the parallel Londons, and Lila?

    “Only those few who could move among the Londons needed a way to keep them straight. And so Kell-inspired by the lost city known to all as Black London-had given each remaining capital a color.” (Schwab, 15).

    A Darker Shade of Magic is a story that is rich in mystery, magic, and intrigue. I found myself quickly turning each page to find out more about Kell, Lila, and the amazing parallel Londons. I was under Schwab’s spell and densely immersed in to this bizarre world where magic runs rampant through the cities. The world building in this one was incredible, and though the character building may have lacked just a hair, that only added to the mystery and enchantment of the story. I loved the idea of parallel cities and enjoyed the different characters.

    Kell was such a mystery to me. I enjoyed reading his character, and yet felt that I hardly knew him at all. He was so hard to picture in my mind, but that added so much intrigue to his past and his involvement in the story. I hope to find out more about him in the next books.

    “As an Antari, Kell was made of both, balance and chaos…” (Schwab, 44).

    Lila was such a fun character! I LOVED her! To make a well known comparison for readers, I pictured Kiera Knightly and her Pirate of the Caribbean character as Lila! She was brave, strong, feisty, and self-sufficient in her life. Even though she was a thief, she had a good set of morals and I think she paired well with Kell.

    “Lila Bard knew in her bones that she was meant to be a pirate.” (Schwab, 64).

    The rest of the characters, Holland, Rhy, and the rulers of each London, were developed just enough to make fine supportive characters. I feel like Holland was a good contrast to Kell and Rhy was quite entertaining to read. I would love to learn more about the Grey King and am certain we will learn more of Rhy in the next books.

    If you enjoy magic, mystery, intrigue, and a great “Twilight Zone” like story, then A Darker Shade of Magic is for you. I would rate this book 4 stars. I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
    12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Erika
    5.0 out of 5 stars should be a tv show!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2023
    Loved the world of the this book! Makes me think of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Peripheral. Don’t understand how this hasn’t been turned into a show or movie series!
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars great story!
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 27, 2024
    Very interesting worlds with great characters, very well-written, as it can be expected from V.E. Schwab. Would recommend to anyone who likes supernatural stories.
  • asli
    1.0 out of 5 stars imzalı diyorlar ama imzalı DEĞİL
    Reviewed in Turkey on February 7, 2024
    SIGNED by the author yazıyorlar ama imzalı değil. ya insan kandırıyorlar ya da ingilizceleri yok. ilk başta çok uzun bi yorum yazmıştım ama yayınlanmamış. bunu yayınlayacaklar mı çok merak ediyorum. yaptığım bütün iyi yorumlarımı da sileceğim.
  • Johanna
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bra bok men kanske inte så mycket som hypen
    Reviewed in Sweden on October 23, 2023
    Bra bok, väl värd att läsa! Hade kanske förväntat mig något extra med tanke på hypen kring den.
  • Myrdwin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Passionant.
    Reviewed in France on May 23, 2023
    Dévorer en quelques jours, la mythologie du monde est passionnante, l'univers et les personnages sont bien recherchés, avec un système de magie qui change.