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

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The thing I loved most about this book was the world. I thought the parallel worlds was so incredibly interesting,  and I loved learning more about it. Especially the history between these worlds is so interesting, and I don't think we've graced the tip of the iceberg. It was easily my favourite part of the book. The magic system is also just so incredibly interesting as well. I can't wait to see more of it in future books.
I also quite liked the main characters. Lila did get on my nerves a couple of times, but overall I did really enjoy the characters. Especially the dynamic between Kell and Lila was great. They were a bit one dimensional overall but it wasn't the worst case I've ever read. It also didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the book.
The real reason this wasn't rated as highly as one might expect is because the story just felt extremely simple. I don't know. It didn't feel as high stakes or important as I felt like was needed in a world like this one. I just hope it might be because V.E. Schwab wanted to spend more time setting out the world and magic system so the story just might have needed to take a backseat. I'm just hyped to continue with this series, and see it grow.
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