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A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E. Schwab
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
You get a fully immersive escape into a richly layered, multi-world fantasy where magic has tangible weight and consequences.
Synopsis
STEP INTO A UNIVERSE OF DARING ADVENTURE, THRILLING POWER, AND MULTIPLE LONDONS. K ell is one of the last travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes, connected by one magical city. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king—George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered—and where Kell was raised alongside Rhys Maresh, the rougish heir to a flourishing empire. White London—a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now. Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. 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. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse 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.
At a Glance
4.03 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.03 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
400 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2015
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Fantasy Adventure
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/F
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Multi-POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
Yes
FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.
Standard
NarratorThe voice in your ears.
Steven Crossley
Narrator Count
Single
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: thief sign in to unlock
dark / taboo style sign in to unlock
multi-realm / dimension-hopping sign in to unlock
adventurous escape sign in to unlock
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