Scan barcode
A review by cicizzy
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really liked the worldbuilding and the characters. I need to read less romantasy this was really refreshing to read.
But the writing style bothered me. I can’t even say what it was, maybe I was just too tired to but I felt like I had to focus a lot more than usual while reading. Maybe it’s just that it felt like there are no “unnecessary” sentences. If you miss a sentence you can actually miss important information. There were no drawn out descriptions of places or longer conversations. Everything was short and to the point. I think when it comes to that so would have liked to see a bit more of the worlds and Londons. The lack of description could make it feel a bit “flat” at times and I think it was a bit of a wasted potential. But it is also just the first volume and I hope that the worlds will be explored a bit more in the future volumes.
It also didn’t exactly feel like the early 19th century for me but Gray London also didn’t play a big role.
I‘m looking forward to the rest of the series.
But the writing style bothered me. I can’t even say what it was, maybe I was just too tired to but I felt like I had to focus a lot more than usual while reading. Maybe it’s just that it felt like there are no “unnecessary” sentences. If you miss a sentence you can actually miss important information. There were no drawn out descriptions of places or longer conversations. Everything was short and to the point. I think when it comes to that so would have liked to see a bit more of the worlds and Londons. The lack of description could make it feel a bit “flat” at times and I think it was a bit of a wasted potential. But it is also just the first volume and I hope that the worlds will be explored a bit more in the future volumes.
It also didn’t exactly feel like the early 19th century for me but Gray London also didn’t play a big role.
I‘m looking forward to the rest of the series.
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Physical abuse, Trafficking, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War