The journey of a Christian witch is a unique and complex one. It involves the melding of two seemingly opposing belief systems - Christianity and witchcraft. While these two paths may appear incompatible to some, many individuals find a deep resonance and connection between them. At its core, the journey of a Christian witch is about embracing and honoring both God and nature. It is a celebration of the divine found in all things, whether that be through the rituals and spells of witchcraft or the worship and teachings of Christianity. **The main idea of this journey is the belief that these two paths can coexist harmoniously, offering a deeper and more profound spiritual experience.
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.
Her characters are so well-developed in the way she shows their actions and movements and interactions with others, there wasn t a single moment of telling or explanation for behavior or history. Goodreads blurb 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.
**The main idea of this journey is the belief that these two paths can coexist harmoniously, offering a deeper and more profound spiritual experience.** Christian witches often draw inspiration from biblical teachings and sacred texts, incorporating them into their rituals. They may find parallels between Jesus' miracles and the practice of spellwork, seeing both as acts of divine intervention.
What Was The Reason – A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab Review
Goodreads blurb: 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.
This is where Schwab and I amicably part ways
This is the second novel I read from Schwab and I have gauged what I do not like about her writing, so it’s time for me to just admit her books are not for me. I read Vicious, gave it 3 stars because it was at a time when I thought I had to like popular books (embarrassing, I know, it was also more of 2 star read) and the issues I had with that are largely the same I have with A Darker Shade of Magic. See, V.E. Schwab is very good at coming up with a concept. But if there’s ANYTHING I hate, it’s a concept without any semblance of depth. This book is a very good outline of a great world, magic system and characters. And the thing about good outlines is that they allow the reader to project whatever they want onto it. The fandom stuff I have seen for this book far exceeds what this book actually does.
First of all, there is really no world building here. The world is so painfully simple and I really was looking forward to exploring beyond the concept of the four Londons. But we do not do that at all. Literally, all you get to know in 400 pages is that there are four Londons, that’s it. And you would think that 400 pages would do something in terms of character or world building but I promise you they do not. But they give you a very good outline for you to project whatever you want onto them. I finally understand why people either love or hate Lila Bard. I was hoping that it was because she is such a complex character but it’s the opposite, it’s actually because she is so painfully simple. She is a survivor who is really reckless and stupid. That’s it. And then you can focus on the first part and love her, or focus on the second part and hate her. Same goes for Kell. What’s Kell’s defining feature? He love his family but he feels he does not actually belong. OKAY. Done. Rhy? He is a flirt, but deeply committed to being a good king so insecure. THERE. V.E. Schwab gives you these very tropey outlines of characters and then you can pour whatever suits your fancy into them. But she does not do any actual character work. I am sorry, but that’s just my opinion. The one character I liked was Holland and that’s because you guessed it, Holland’s outline is my kryptonite outline – he’s tortured and hence cruel, but maybe there’s more to it. But again, no real complexity there. I did care about Rhy and Kell’s brother bond, it’s great, and I shipped Rhy and Holland so much because that’s my perfect pairing, but like, there really is not much there. But it’s great if you want to make it be. It’s like a choose your own adventure story, except with characters. There were also points in this book where there was so much potential to make the characters and their dynamics more interesting but they just crumpled under the heavy weight of how basic these characters actually were.
There’s Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London.
Everyone loves this quote so much because it shows how Lila is so funny but in actuality this is all the world building that exists in this series. Like you read that sentence and you get 400 pages worth of world building that Schwab does. I find underdeveloped worlds and magic systems painfully aggravating and that’s exactly what this was. I kid you not at one point Kell explains to Lila the Red London world (I swear to god I forgot how the land is called because it’s mentioned only twice and in a stupid way) and he literally says “there’s this kingdom and two others”, and Lila asks “and beyond” and he says “beyond? well I guess many more countries”. AND THAT’S THE EXTENT OF THE WORLD BUILDING IN THIS BOOK. This scene actually made me laugh out loud incredulously. The magic was also vague and another thing I hate the most – limitless. It fits and does whatever the story needs it to do and I cannot explain to you how much I hate that. There’s a lot of deus ex machina resolution in this book and that rides on the magic being whatever it needs to be. And it also makes the stakes painfully low and hence the book painfully boring for me personally. People love to argue how this is only the first book in the series and you have to get the full series to understand its scope but I promise you that that is not the case. World-building happens throughout the series and first books are so important for it, and this book does none of the work.
What is the actual point of this book?
This book is just very annoyingly boring. And the annoying thing is that there’s absolutely no driving force to this novel and its plot. Literally nothing happens and when things do happen there’s absolutely no stakes there – 200 pages into this and nothing has happened and you are also supposed to believe that there is this dark magic and it’s dangerous but it really is not and you really could not care less. The plot is so so messy and it’s parading as fast-paced, with its short chapters that end at crucial points (but we can argue if this book even has a crucial point) but for the book to actually be fast-paced it needs to have a driving force behind the stuff happening and it needs to not be boring and A Darker Shade of Magic was none of those things.
Definitely not my cup of tea. I just felt like this had nothing going for it except for Holland and the imaginary romantic tension between him and Rhy that I made up in my head because of one encounter that V. E. Schwab negated at the end but I promptly chose to ignore. So one star for Schwab’s outline and another for me filling the outline. Teamwork!
I am really sorry if you like this novel and I was just bitchy about it – I would love for you to tell me if you read it and loved it or read it and hated it! Let’s chat!
Kell is a 21-year-old antari with a magical coat who grew up in Red London's royal palace. He is officially tasked with carrying royal letters across the magical borders, but smuggles items of interest on the side. Despite being raised as family by the royals he is not related to them by blood. He doesn't know who his real parents are, nor where he was born. Kell suspects his memories have been suppressed by a spell, marked by the rune for 'memory' just below the crook of his elbow. His personality can best be described as reserved, kind and loyal. All of them to a fault, though his wits have always saved him.
**The main idea here is the understanding that magic and spirituality are not mutually exclusive, but are rather different expressions of the divine.** Prayer is an integral part of the Christian witch's practice. They may pray to God and also invoke the assistance of various deities or spirits associated with nature or the elements. The main idea is that prayer and spellwork can work in harmony, both acting as forms of communication and connection with the divine. Many Christian witches also emphasize the importance of ethical and responsible witchcraft. They believe in using their magic for the greater good and working in alignment with the principles of love, compassion, and justice taught by Jesus. **The main idea here is the belief that magic can be a force for healing, transformation, and positive change in the world.** While the journey of a Christian witch can be challenging and may face criticism from both Christians and witches, those who embark on this path find a deep sense of fulfillment and spiritual enrichment. **The main idea here is the understanding that each individual's spiritual path is unique and that it is possible to find balance and fulfillment by embracing the diverse aspects of one's belief system.** Ultimately, the journey of a Christian witch is a deeply personal and transformative one, leading the individual to a profound understanding of the divine and their own place within it..
Reviews for "A Christian Witch's Guide to Casting Spells with Love and Light"
1. Sarah - 1 star
I was really looking forward to reading "The Journey of a Christian Witch" as I thought it would offer an interesting combination of spirituality and magic. However, I was sorely disappointed. The book lacked depth and failed to address any of the potential conflicts between Christianity and witchcraft. Instead, it presented a shallow and watered-down version of both belief systems, leaving me feeling unsatisfied and unenlightened. Overall, I found it to be a missed opportunity to explore a fascinating subject.
2. John - 2 stars
"The Journey of a Christian Witch" fell flat for me. The author seemed more interested in promoting their own personal beliefs than providing any valuable insights or guidance. The writing style was repetitive and the narrative lacked coherence. It felt like a mishmash of ideas and concepts, without any clear direction. I was hoping for a thought-provoking exploration of spirituality, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver.
3. Laura - 2 stars
Although the concept of a Christian witch intrigued me, "The Journey of a Christian Witch" failed to deliver a meaningful exploration of this unique blend of beliefs. The book lacked a cohesive structure and appeared more like a collection of blog posts rather than a well-crafted narrative. I found the author's personal anecdotes distracting and unnecessary, as they did nothing to further illustrate the compatibility of Christianity and witchcraft. Overall, I was left disappointed and unsatisfied with this read.