A Darker Shade of Magic: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 1)

A Darker Shade of Magic, the first book in V.E. Schwab's New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy, is now available in a special collector's edition.

With a revamped, metallic ink detailed cover and reading ribbon, this edition will also feature the following bonus material:
*End papers featuring fan art
*A glossary of Arnesian and Antari terms
*An interview between author and editor
*Original (never before seen!) tales from within the Shades of Magic world

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

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 London--and 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.

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

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Published Feb 24, 2015

400 pages

Average rating: 7.87

157 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

test11
Dec 05, 2024
10/10 stars
Lila was not only fun and cool, but also remarkably sensible. She was fascinating to meet and learn more about as the story went on, and she played off of Kell perfectly. As the story wrapped itself up quite perfectly, I'm honestly curious how this is a series. It could have very well have been a stand alone in terms of an all-inclusive plot. Nevertheless, I'm very excited for what Lila and Kell's future adventures might be!
rdmoreland0801
Aug 14, 2023
9/10 stars
**4.5⭐️** V.E. Schwab does such amazing world-building, as well as character-building. We get such a detailed account of the four Londons and the difference in magic between them. I immediately loved the banter between Kell and Lila and can’t wait to see more. I already love these characters so much, I know it’s going to be a crazy ride.
katiemahlady
Aug 01, 2023
6/10 stars
2.75 stars. The concept and world building behind this was intriguing and original but I didn’t find the characters compelling. Flat, one dimensional villains and protagonists that were barely more than that. I feel like if Lila were a little more flushed out she could have carried the book more for me. I did like her but she felt incomplete. This actually seems like the kind of story that probably gets better after book 1 so I am still interested in reading book 2.
littlemissalto
Jun 16, 2023
6/10 stars
While the laws of magic, plot, and characters were all either entrancing or enjoyable, my overall impression of this book fell a bit flat. I don’t regret reading this tale, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t become more engrossed in it the more pages I turned. In summation: I liked it, but did not love it.
hannahbeth
Jun 09, 2023
10/10 stars
I just can’t get enough of V.E Schwab and she might be my favorite so, I may be biased - oh well! But, I really enjoyed this book! The magic, the characters, the story. I was left wanting MORE so I am happy there are two more books to follow! There were only small parts that i wasn’t the biggest fan of, but nothing to steer me away from loving it. 4.5 stars for me! (I put 5 since you can’t do halves, and it deserves more than less!)

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