A Gathering of Shadows: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 2)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab

"Addictive and immersive, A Gathering of Shadows cements this series as a must-read." --Entertainment Weekly, grade A

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again-and so to keep magic's balance, another London must fall...in V.E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows.

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

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512 pages

Average rating: 8.17

53 RATINGS

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5 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

rdmoreland0801
Aug 14, 2023
9/10 stars
**4.5⭐️** I’m glad Lila got her own storyline in this book, but she can be a really terrible person. It’s hard to fault her because of her life up until this point, but she is constantly dragging others down with her. She’s selfish and impulsive and I hope to see growth in the final book. I absolutely adore Alucard Emery, and he makes a great match with Rhy. No wonder Kell hates him so much. I loved the action of the Essan Tasche and getting to meet all the other magicians. The best part of these books are the fight scenes. V.E. Schwab does these scenes so well, you can vividly pictures them in your mind.
hannahbeth
Jun 09, 2023
10/10 stars
This series is just SO good. I really enjoyed this one, and while it took me a bit longer to read than the first I think I may have enjoyed the plot of this one more. I need the 3rd book ASAP!
E Clou
May 10, 2023
6/10 stars
This book was extremely bloated. The story would have been interesting if it had been much shorter.

The first half is just Lila moping around on a pirate ship for no particular reason and Kell moping around London because his life is boring and careful because it’s tied to Rhy’s life.

The second half could have been a more interesting magical competition but it is still bloated with a ton of filler.
Anonymous
Apr 07, 2023
8/10 stars
Four years after reading the first of the series I dived right back in. It’s a completely different world of four realms each with a different relationship with magic. I needed a bit of an escape and this provided exactly that. I think it’s essentially young adult fiction so take that as you will but gosh it’s evocative, easy to read and just fun.

I love Lila, the sassy strong absolute badass female lead. The two mysterious male counterparts make it more of a page turner and then yes of course magic. Great read and will go straight onto the third of the series now
Sage123
Jan 29, 2022
Romatic with a hint of spicy

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