A review by ros_lanta
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

4.25

I really enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic. I had heard lots of good things about it, and while it wasn't a new favourite for me, I did have a good time with it and I'm happy to have a gorgeous edition of the book. 

The worldbuilding with the four Londons is fascinating and pulled me in from first chapter. The characters are well written and interesting - while I took to Kell from the very beginning, Lila took time to grow on me but by the end I was rooting for her. 

The plot was decent but in all honesty not the strongest part of the book. I always enjoyed it when I was reading it but I didn't feel hooked to keep reading and it wasn't until the final third of the book that events really became memorable. While I do want to read the next book, I don't feel compelled to do so immediately. 

I suspect that if I'd read this book in my late teens I would have connected to it more than I do in my 30s, but I still really liked it and recommend to other readers.