Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Name: SNEAK PEEK:
A Darker Shade of Magic SAMPLE
Author: V.E. Schwab
Number of Pages: 150 pages in Ebook Sample
Published: November 2014 by Tor Books
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction

Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands.
There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London…but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, who first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

I’m so thankful that Tor/Forge approved my request of this book from NetGalley since I’m pretty sure I’d love it. I have a problem though. Not quite sure if there’s a mixed up or something. Sent a request for the Sneak Peek for 150 pages and got an uncorrected ARC instead. As in the full book. Not that I’m complaining. To make sure, I sent the book to my Kindle again and got the Sneak Peek this time. I’m so guilty since I’ve already finished reading it. I can’t sleep thinking about it last night so I’ve sent them an email first thing today. They haven’t replied yet. I really think it was a mistake since the book will be published February next year. What do you think? Is it really intended for me?

So in lieu of that incident, I won’t be discussing the book as a whole. As much as I want to talk about it, I can’t ’cause the first email they sent me indicated this.

“PLEASE do refrain from posting your review on a publicly-available website until no more than 2 WEEKS before the on-sale date. (Exceptions can be made in the case of preview excerpts, which we invite you to discuss via posts as early as you like.)”

Okay. So this should be short, but sweet. I’ll be very careful as to not give out spoilers and only talk about the book until the end of the Sneak Peek. To start with, I really really love the book. I believe the book is for me specifically because this is exactly how the book begun..

“FOR THE ONES WHO DREAM OF STRANGER WORLDS.”

If the writing is a girl, I can describe her as elegantly beautiful. The book is written in a manner for the readers to be mesmerize. The feeling of InstaLove. You know those scenes from the movies where the guy is waiting for the girl to come down a grand staircase and only to be captivated because she’s gorgeous? Exactly. My. Feelings. For. This. Book. The world building is equally entrancing. It is situated in London and tell me who wouldn’t be enthralled with that place. That’s my dream wedding setting really. Add the fact that it actually included several versions of London.

“There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London…but no one speaks of that now.”

See how everything seems to be so intriguing? Everything about the world building is exceptionally fascinating. I could actually imagine smelling the blooming flowers from Red, could picture the dirty streets of Grey London, feel scared while reading about White and be totally curious what’s at the Black one. Can’t get enough of how beautiful the book is written. The plot is so exciting. So many things that I have not expected. A solid plot indeed. One that a reader could enjoy and wish that the book is a series cause he can’t get enough. Oh I really wish this could be a series or a movie (Kell would be Hugh Jackman though of course Hugh is not a teenager anymore. Lol!) That’s all I have to say for now. I can compose my full review and perhaps scheduled it to post by next year.

The characters on the other hand, are remarkable. They have stood out with their own awesome personalities. I especially love Kell, Rhy and Lila. If you expect me to discuss each, I’m sorry I can’t. Lol! You have to bear with this teaser until probably first week of February. 😉 I’ll just give you a parting quote from the book. This is actually on the page after the quote at the beginning so I think quoting this excerpt would be okay.