"Kell: A Darker Shade of Magic" is a book written by V.E. Schwab. It is the first installment in the "Shades of Magic" series and introduces readers to a world filled with multiple parallel universes, each with its own level of magic. The story primarily revolves around the character Kell, a rare magician known as an Antari, who can travel between these different realms. Kell serves as a messenger and traveler between the three known versions of London: Grey London, a city without magic; Red London, a vibrant and prosperous magical city; and White London, a place consumed by darkness and power struggles.
What if our version of the world wasn’t the only one? In A Darker Shade of Magic there are four: our world which doesn’t believe in magic, Grey London; one where magic flows everywhere, Red London; a dead world, Black London; and one which is dying, Grey London. As an Antari, Kell has the ability to travel between London’s, despite the name, they have little in common, aside from a tavern he conducts his business in in every world. Lila is a resident of our world, a thief, but when her path crosses with Kell’s she discovers the truth of magic.
It takes away magic and that s not a good thing when you re supposed to keep someone alive with your magic but once the collar was removed Rhy came back. As an Antari, Kell has the ability to travel between London s, despite the name, they have little in common, aside from a tavern he conducts his business in in every world.
Kell serves as a messenger and traveler between the three known versions of London: Grey London, a city without magic; Red London, a vibrant and prosperous magical city; and White London, a place consumed by darkness and power struggles. Kell's unique ability to traverse these realms also gives him the responsibility to deliver messages and items between worlds. However, Kell's life takes an unexpected turn when he smuggles a dangerous artifact from Black London, the realm that was consumed by dark magic and is no longer accessible.
A Darker Shade of Magic Recap and Review
What if our version of the world wasn’t the only one? In A Darker Shade of Magic there are four: our world which doesn’t believe in magic, Grey London; one where magic flows everywhere, Red London; a dead world, Black London; and one which is dying, Grey London. As an Antari, Kell has the ability to travel between London’s, despite the name, they have little in common, aside from a tavern he conducts his business in in every world. Lila is a resident of our world, a thief, but when her path crosses with Kell’s she discovers the truth of magic.
Lots of quotes from this book are famous on YouTube, and there are some inspiring ones, as well as some cringey! (List of my favourites at the bottom). I seem to be in the minority in not being a huge fan of Lila, who’s a little too abrasive for me, although I really enjoyed both Kell and Rhy. The character building was good, however it seemed to damage the plot a little, it didn’t feel like too much happened even though there was a clear plot point looking back, it did seem strung out over longer than it needed to be.
Rating: B
Here in Grey London, Kell plans to meet with a Collector who wants a magical artefact, but an Enthusiast, someone who wants to perform magic, shows up instead, trying and failing to use the magical box Kell produces. He tells him to remain there for a month if he is truly dedicated.
He goes to visit King George III in Grey London with a letter from the Red Queen, elaborating on it’s shortness so as not to hurt him. Then Kell returns home to Red London and his family- the Royal Family, although he isn’t a biological member and he never lets himself forget it. He showed up with a memory charm when he was five, which he suspects the royal couple sanctioned. His brother has been meeting with another Antari, Holland, while he was away, as he is rather unskilled, magically speaking, himself. When Rhy was 13 he was captured and Kell saved him. Rhy pardoned his captors but Kell was more like Lila and killed them. This Holland was a contender for the throne of White London but instead the Dane twins who took it used a binding spell to make him their servant, although not emotionally.
A commoner on the street begs Kell to take her letter to her only family, who is sick in Black London, but the letter is actually blank, although the payment is not. It is a stone, with the symbol for magic on it. A pair of hired swords catch up to him with royal swords, strangely trying to get him to surrender rather than steal from him. He kills one, and somehow freezes the other using the stone. Escaping to Grey London where they can’t follow, he crashes into a seemingly kind girl, except she’s stolen his stone.
lesyablackbirdLila looks manly enough to fool many, but wants to be a pirate, so she takes lodgings on a ship, however the owner turns rapey one night and she kills him, burning his body with the ship. She feels drawn to the tavern, so that’s where she goes for a room, able to hide as she’s wanted, but as an even skinnier, taller man than she pretends to be. She sees three thieves stealing from a young boy so tries to steal for them in retribution but has to run when they realise she’s a girl.
Lila takes the stone she steals back to the inn however Kell creates a door to follow her back. She ties him up and tries out the stone, creating a fake version of him, but he eventually turns the tables, getting the stone back and leaving her in the position she put him in. Lila also summoned her dream sword, but she’s smart enough to realise it came with a cost so throws it out the window; the right choice as a drunkard called Booth picks it up intending to sell it, but it takes control to make him stab himself, turning his veins and eyes black. Nevertheless, Lila feels lost without the magic, as if it’s been missing all her life. She goes to a pub and is grabbed by Holland to drag Kell back out, which works, despite their rather negative previous exchange. Because he saved her, she comes back to save him, and decides she’s going with him to the destroyed Black London, whether he wants her to or not! She doesn’t say goodbye to the sweet tavern owner Barron, and sadly she’ll never get to as he’s killed by Holland when he can’t tell him where they went.
Another issue, they don’t land together in Red London. Lila watches a royal procession, and Kell finds her trying to steal from an enchanted market. He takes her to the inn, only to find Holland has magically burnt it down, including Kell’s tokens to stop him from travelling. That means he has to go see Fletcher, a merchant he cheated years ago. They travel there under invisibility to hide from Holland, and the royal guards, but when they arrive, Fletcher has summoned them. They take Kell away, kill Fletcher without him knowing and Lila uses the stone to stay hidden, grabbing the talisman Kell gave Fletcher years ago.
She dresses up to attend Rhy’s birthday ball, while Kell wakes up in his brother’s room- except it’s not really his brother; Astrid has taken his body to get the second half of the stone her brother found so they can open the doors between the worlds. When Lila refuses to give her the stone she stabs Rhy, but they get away to his old school, the London Sanctuary, and threatens the laws of nature by bringing Rhy back, tying him to his own life, but he’s also now physically attached to the stone. He wants to leave Lila there, but his teacher believes she has untouched potential. So they set off together, and Lila arrives in White London, but Holland keeps Rhy back to fight. Kell has to kill him to get to Lila, so when they arrive at the White Palace, Athos has decided to kill him in return. However, the snake Athos summons turns against him and when Kell kills it his side of the stone shatters.
Lila has to kill a young guard to get to Astrid’s body, but the first time she tries to shoot it the shot reverberates to hit her, and the second, Astrid reawakens to take on Lila’s form. Kell isn’t tricked by this for a moment though and turns Astrid into one of her own statues. The magic overtakes him, but he destroys it and returns the stone to Black London via Holland’s nearly dead body. They get home to Red London and the monarchs forgive Kell when he brings Rhy back, but it’s clear there’s a rift in the relationship now.
Rhy and Lila might start a relationship as there were some sparks there, and I think Kell will be protective over both of them.
Tbh I can’t see too many directions for this too go. I’m gonna make a random guess that isn’t substantiated in any way: the stone is going to find its way back and take control of one of the pair without the other knowing about it to take control of Red London.
“Men who waded into waters claiming they could swim should not need a raft.”
“Trouble is the looker. It keeps looking till it finds you. Might as well find it first.” “Why do you want to die?” “I don’t, I just want to live.”
“Love doesn’t keep us from freezing to death, Kell… Love doesn’t buy us anything, so be glad for what you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.”
“Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive.”
“My life is mine to spend and I will not spend it here.”
“Magic bent the world. Pulled it into shape. There were fixed points. Most of the time those points were places. But sometimes, rarely, they were people.”
“I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
“I’m not going to die. Not till I’ve seen it.” “Seen what?” “Everything.”
“A respectable prison is still a prison.”
Tbh I can’t see too many directions for this too go. I’m gonna make a random guess that isn’t substantiated in any way: the stone is going to find its way back and take control of one of the pair without the other knowing about it to take control of Red London.
This action puts him and his friends in grave danger, as evil forces from Black London begin to pursue them. Alongside Kell, readers are introduced to other key characters such as Lila Bard, a thief from Grey London who aspires for a life of adventure and danger. Lila becomes entangled in Kell's mission and together they embark on a thrilling adventure, facing dangerous adversaries and discovering secrets about the nature of magic in their world. The book explores themes of identity, power, morality, and the consequences of one's actions. It delves into the intricate magic system and the political dynamics between the different versions of London. Schwab's writing style is captivating, immersing readers in a vividly imagined world filled with fascinating characters and engaging plot twists. "Kell: A Darker Shade of Magic" is a compelling blend of fantasy and adventure, offering readers a thrilling journey through multiple dimensions and an exploration of the dark side of magic. It sets the stage for further exploration of the Shades of Magic universe in subsequent books in the series..
Reviews for "The Significance of Blood in 'A Darker Shade of Magic"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "A Darker Shade of Magic". The world-building was confusing and hard to follow, and the plot felt disjointed. The characters also lacked depth and I found it hard to care about what happened to them. Overall, I just couldn't get into the story and it left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. Mark - 2 stars - I had high expectations for "A Darker Shade of Magic" but it fell short for me. The pacing was slow and it took a long time for anything significant to happen. The magic system was also poorly explained and left me feeling confused. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and the characters didn't have enough development to make me feel invested in their journey. Overall, I struggled to finish this book and wouldn't recommend it.
3. Jessica - 1 star - I couldn't understand the hype around "A Darker Shade of Magic". The writing style was dry and lacked emotion, making it hard for me to connect with the story. The world-building felt shallow and I had a hard time visualizing the different Londons. The plot was predictable and didn't offer any surprises. Overall, I found this book to be lackluster and not worth the praise it has received.