Reviews with content warning for Self harm - A Gathering of Shadows

Second installment of the Darker Shade of Magic series.

No words. Honestly. I thought the first was good, this is outstanding! There was a mixture of the Hunger Games into this but without them all killing each other. The friendships and tensions was fabulous. We got introduced to some new people and let me say the tension between Alucard and Rhy (🥵).

I absolutely love these characters and I love the chemistry they all have, either that be friendship, familial or lover. Would love to be part of their worlds!

However... that cliffhanger!!! 😱 I need to start the 3rd one!

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theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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softwindflower's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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tsar's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“She bent most of the rules. She broke the rest.”

Many might wonder the fate of the secondary antagonist introduced in the first book, and what kind of danger brewing to devastate Red London as the characters try to move on from the destructive infiltration ensued before that. As the Element Games are announced in A Gathering of Shadows, which slightly transforms the second novel into some sort of a filler arc between large conflicts, Schwab discreetly pulls those strings of mischief and misery under the facade of a euphoric, cityscape celebration of magic.

Instead of traveling between multi-verses, Schwab settles the setting almost exclusively in Red London where the Maresh brothers are in the process of emotional healing. This decision to stick in one world proves to be an effective channel to reintroduce the original London as well as explore the parts of both places and characters that we have yet to see because we are too fixed with the tighter conflict in keeping the worlds in balance. For the first time, we're given a close look at how the royal family quarrels with one another; how their family dynamic affects the way Kell and Rhy see the world, especially after the traumatic effects of Rhy's death and revival bound by the life of his adoptive brother. Schwab illustrates the brothers to experience self-doubt and anger, stemming from the fact that Kell is unable to give his brother freedom to live untied from him while Rhy curses himself for lacking the right power to defend and stop himself from dying in the first place.

Like a fish out of the water, Lila Bard exudes a different kind of self-trouble upon entering the new London beyond her common own: neither life nor power there is in her expectation, particularly after the sort of treacherous adventure that she accidentally joins in the haze. Schwab turns her ball of confident yet arrogant energy into a collection of anxiety and uncertainty as ways of entertainment don't come easily as the way she wants them. Introducing a new character like Alucard Emery that has specific chemistry on each one of the characters could be said as the right catalyst for the three mains that struggle to overcome their frustration. Sure, Alucard is a broken person himself who has run away from his problems, but his reappearance is a step to reconcile those issues of himself, which could serve as motivation for the brothers and Lila to do the same.

In conclusion, whether it is a bridge or a story of its own, A Gathering of Shadows has a singular charm that brings the readers in to anticipate the dreary future ahead. It cajoles the readers into false insecurity of reading about found family conception before it explodes into a twisted game of void and darkness. Such an excellent second novel.

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