V.E. Schwab never fails to impress me with her gorgeous writing, loveable characters, fascinating worlds, and gripping stories. A Darker Shade of Magic is a story about different Londons with different magics, that only a chosen few can travel between. Kell is one of these few people, and after getting caught up in a dangerous scheme, he joins forces with Lila, who desperately craves an adventure. I absolutely adored Lila, with all of her amazing jokes and pickpocketing, and her relationship and banter with Kell was amazing. The story itself was a bit slow-paced, but I loved the mysteries that unfolded and the action scenes and the unique style of magic. While this wasn’t my favorite V.E. Schwab book, it was still incredible, and I am so excited to read the sequel. (Recommended for fans of Six of Crows and These Violent Delights.)