Dream Loot Crate: Bookish Crate (Theme: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab)

I recently learned about a new challenge hosted by Loot Crate, and once I learned the details, I knew I had to participate in the fun! Loot Crate is currently wanting to know what fans would do if they could build the crate of their dreams… That’s right, they want us to build our own dream crates.

Well Loot Crate, challenge accepted!

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

Author: V.E.(Victoria) Schwab

Series: Shades of Magic #1

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Tor Books; Reprint edition (January 19, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0765376466

ISBN-13: 978-0765376466

Amazon // Goodreads // Excerpt

Book Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts:

  I have to be honest, I don’t read many fantasy books… I can probably count on one hand the number of fantasy books I have read.  Fantasy intimidates me.  There, I said it.  There are so many different subgenres within fantasy; contemporary fantasy, fairytale fantasy, dark fantasy, historical fantasy, urban fantasy, etc etc.  It’s overwhelming!  Fantasy has one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) followings in the bookish community, so I feel as if I am missing out by avoiding this genre.  I knew I wanted to read more within this genre, but I didn’t know where to start.  After seeing this series EVERYWHERE in the bookish community, I figured I would give it a shot.