Shade of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab- Gush

I just finished a Conjuring of Light last night and I have still NOT recovered. The Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab has been one of my favorite, most enjoyable reads this year.

The ethereal world-building, the well-crafted magic system, the gripping plot, the amazingly raw well-fleshed out characters, paired with Schwab's writing; this book turns into a masterpiece right before your eyes. This series was so painfully beautiful, with the perfect balance of deep sentiment and emotion. This world, along with its characters will stay with me for a long time.

This story is focused on our main characters Kell, Lila, Rhy, Alucard, and Holland. It explores a new, original take on a brilliant magic system, where there are four different type of worlds that exist, centered around London. There is Grey London ,where there is no magic, White London, where there is barely any magic in a world of chaos and brutality, Black London, which has been destroyed by magic, and Red London, the healthy and thriving world of magic. We meet Kell who is one of the last Antari, who have blood magic and can therefore travel through these different worlds, along with Holland. Kell has been raised with the Maresh family, the royal family of Red London, along side his brother Rhy. Then, on a trip to Grey London, Kell meets Lila, who robs him of something extremely valuable and important. This is what starts the beginning of a very long, and unexpected journey that takes place throughout this series. In order to vanquish the evil, dark magic brewing, it will take the strength of two Antari's, a thief, a prince, and a privateer. All with pasts that are intertwined, dark, and unforgiving, welcome to the beginning of the adventure.

SPOILERS

I CANNOT GET OVER THESE CHARACTERS!! I am so emotionally attached to almost every character, no matter how slight, in this world. The pain that came with reading A Conjuring of Light.. wow it left me breathless at times, and full-hearted at others. Can we please address the AMAZING friendships and personalities unique to this story? Yes, thank you.

Kell, my beautiful, precious, fearless, selfless, caring, and overprotective Antari. The way I would give up EVERYTHING for him. He was such a compassionate, and understanding person. I was constantly torn between being amazed by his skill and abilities, and wanting to jump in and protect him from the cruelty he faced, not only as one of the last remaining Antari, but also as the neglected adopted son of the King and Queen. Although he is probably the only "lawful good" character in the books, Victoria writes him in a way that never grows old or predictable. On top of everything else that makes Kell, well Kell, his relationship with his brother Rhy is genuinely so pure that it brought tears to my eyes. The way they love each other and are always thinking about one another reminds me a lot of my own relationship with my sister. That fierce love and feeling of protectiveness, but at the same time being willing to do anything to keep one another safe. SO BEAUTIFUL! Another friendship that stole my heart- Kell and Holland. I knew it would end with Holland eventually sacrificing himself and later passing but I WAS NOT EMOTIONALLY PREPARED

Kell and Holland are my two absolute favorites, they are both each others opposites, but at the same time their synonyms. The way Kell was always trying to lookout for Holland, even though he had committed atrocities, he understood that HE WAS NOT IN CONTROL!! He was literally soul-bound to the ruthless, psychotic Danes and he didn't have a choice in his own actions! Then, to have to relive that nightmare all over again with Osaron. IMAGINE HOW THAT WOULD FEEL. And, he knew despite everything, that his hand was being forced and it could've easily been Kell in that same situation. But, because he happened to be born in Red London instead of Grey it was Holland .One of the best parts of ACOL was getting Holland's past, which is filled with grief, hardship, and darkness. It makes him so much more human, and you understand why he is the way he is. You guys already know how I feel about my morally grey, anti-heros, with a dark past, so you can imagine how my heart was very much invested in Holland. And his last chapter... oh my GOD! I was SOBBING. The way he said " He has tried. Had given everything he could. But he was so tired." I LOST IT!! My heart is still shattered. It's so heartbreaking, his whole life Holland just wanted better for his world and its people. He tried so hard to make it a reality even though he was constantly being torn apart by it, it was all he wanted. The fact that he never got to see it come into fruition truly, is SO heart wrenching. I love him so much, I wanted better for him but also understood why he needed to die. He deserved peace. And in the end, that is what he got.

We also have Lila Bard, who can also be considered an anti-hero, and also extremely morally grey. WHICH I LOVE SEE BEING PORTRAYED AS A WOMAN. I love Lila, I think she is SO clever, strong, fierce, fearless, stubborn and just overall such a badass. I enjoyed watching her walls slowly come down during this trilogy, and slowly accepting the fact that it is okay to care, and to want to stay. She is another one with a dark back story, orphaned, raised on the streets, surviving solely on her wits and her skills with a knife. She is cut-throat, and sometimes extreme. Her brash, headstrong, clever nature is only amplified even further as she comes into her own in the world of Red London, and she still feels this evident need to prove herself and to come out on top, her entire attitude has been tempered- if only slightly- by the pains that her previous actions have caused. The way Barron's death clung to her throughout the story was a beautiful touch. Lila, who hated attachment, who would rather run than start to care, this was trans-formative for her. The way she grieved for him and thought of him, it made her realize that caring doesn't make you weak, if anything it makes you stronger.

Rhy Maresh. The love of my life? He has to be one of the most lovable fictional characters ever written. I loved getting to know his dark side, and not the easy-going, charming, silly prince he pretends to be. The quiet self-loathing that resides under his charisma and charm is what makes him so human and relatable. He broke my heart so many times during his struggles with the lengths Kell had to go through in order to save him, and the fact that he values his own presence in the world so little is so crushing. Kell bringing him back really darkened Rhy a lot, and I kind of love how Schwab made it affect him so much, and it was a continuous theme for his character to overcome. The weight of what happened, it was dealt with in a very innate way, making it feel real, while also making sense. Yet, nevertheless, Rhy is a constant source of drama, amusement, sass, and brotherly love in a world full of uncertainties. Also, has a knack for fashion and entertainment. Every scene with him was something special, whether it was him dealing with his trauma of dying yet being alive, his dramatic flare, his ability to make everyone swoon ,or struggling with the fact that he wasn't good with magic. He is a character with a lot more depth than appears.

Later in the books, in a Gathering of Shadows, we meet an utterly fantastic addition to the cast of main characters: Alucard Emery: privateer, playboy, magical prodigy, and captain of the Night Spire crew. He is mysterious, alluring, gorgeous, hilarious, and delightful in every way. An absolute deviant who never fails to keep you guessing. I absolutely adore his entire presence throughout the books and how he ties in with the story is *chef's kiss*. I LOVE his relationship with Lila, and I think they both found a challenge in each other. One phrase they repeat throughout the story is Lila saying, "I should've killed you when I had the chance" and Alucard responding, "And I should've tossed you in the sea." MY HEART. They both didn't mean to grow fond of each other, didn't mean to start to care, or even grow to love each other, but somewhere along the line it happened. And for that, I am very grateful.

Although romance does not play a huge role in this series, and is definitely not what drives the plot, it is still very much alive. Kell and Lila are TO DIE FOR. I absolutely love them together, their dynamic, their push and pull, the way they bring out both the best and worst in each other. The way Lila is so determined to avoid dealing with her feelings for Kell, which lends beautifully to the incredible slow burn of the brief romantic undertones in these books. Watching them slowly fall in love, in their own ways, and become not only okay with it, but needing it. Ugh, they are just such a good, wholesome couple that I was rooting for since the beginning. The way they get to travel the world together now, YES.

And, of course how could I ever forget our bisexual KING, Rhy. And our sexy privateer turned noble turned advisor, Alucard. THEY GIVE ME LIFE. This is a paring made straight from heaven. They are so, so similar, but in a way that they would never get bored, but constantly challenge each other. Watching them come back together, watching Rhy understand why Alucard left suddenly, watching Alucard nervously coming clean, UGH! It was perfect, they are perfect.

Overall, the Shades of Magic trilogy is so magical. You can picture this world so easily, can feel the magic inside this world. Schwab crafts scenes with both description and tension, with a balance of emotion and sincerity while also adding flare and gore, with incredibly written fight scenes that play out right before you. I STRONGLY recommend these books, they are close to perfect and dear to my heart. ANOSHE.