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

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

This book really fell flat for me. It’s been ten days since I finished it and I can hardly recall the plot or the names of the characters. I would have rated it lower, but its one redeeming quality was that it flowed well enough that, despite the predictable “twists,” I wondered where it was headed (unfortunately without once being surprised or amused once it got there). The premise of the different Landons intrigued me initially, as did a couple of the relationships, but not enough for me to care about or feel for any of the characters. While I love a good trope, it felt like a book of stock characters rather than engaging tropes or subversions of them. I’ve read that the author is adamant that this is not YA, but it pulled in that direction and any “adult” themes felt forced, and I wonder whether if may have worked better had she allowed the book to flow naturally into YA fantasy instead.