A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari, a rare magician who can travel between parallel worlds: hopping from Grey London — dirty, boring, lacking magic, and ruled by mad King George — to Red London — where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire — to White London — ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne, where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back — and back, but never Black London, because traveling to Black London is forbidden and no one speaks of it now.

Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

4 STARS 

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last. I thought this one was pretty good. I didn't even think I would like it at first and I'm not sure why, but I did. There were some parts that got on my nerves here and there but that's the way that goes right?

The idea of Kell being able to walk into different parts of London was totally cool! You have Grey, Red, White and Black <----but no one goes to black for reasons I will not name.

They have some nutzy cuckoo people in White London. A king and queen that are evil incarnate.

Kell goes around and takes messages to other parts of London. He lives in the Red part with the royal family there. But I'm telling you if someone asked me to take a message to the white part, I would tell them to stick it up their arse! Read the book and you will understand. I like Kell's character, he's really nice. He has one black eye though and that would be freak me out just a wee bit at first. Kell also smuggles things for people and collects some cool things. He's a cool magician that travels to these parallel worlds that I find so bizarre and cool at the same time. Well, okay not to the White London... just no!

Some things go down and Kell ends up in Grey London and he meets Lila Bard. I love Lila! She is a pickpocket and pretty much lives her life that way. But she secretly wants to be a pirate and have her own ship!



Lila and Kell becomes friends after a little bit of arguing and what not. I think they are cool together and Lila is very fierce for a human =)


EXCERPTS

Lila Bard lived by a simple rule: if a thing was worth having, it was worth taking.

She held the silver pocket watch up to the faint glow of the streetlamp, admiring the metal's polished shine, wondering what the engraved initials--L.L.E--on the back might stand for. She'd nicked the watch off a gentleman, a clumsy collision on a too-crowded curb that had led to a swift apology, a hand on a shoulder to distract from a hand on the coat. Lila's fingers weren't just fast; they were light. A tip of the top hat and a pleasant good night, and she was the proud new owner of a timepiece, and he was on his way and none the wiser.
••••••••••••••

"Lila," said Kell gently. "I'm sorry."
Her fingers curled tightly around the timepiece as she rose to her feet. Kell rose with her, and even though she would not look him in the eye, he could see the anger and pain written in the lines of her face.
"When it's over," she said, tucking the watch into a fold of her cloak. "I want to be the one to slit his throat." And then she straightened and let out a small, shuddering breath. "Now," she said. "which way to Fletcher?"

I really wonder what is in store in the next book because of the way it ended.

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1672517370

AMAZON LINK TO THE BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Darker-Shade-Magic-Novel/dp/0765376458/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1466355403&sr=1-1