“For the ones who dream of stranger worlds.”

 

Four Londons + a mysterious magician + a female pirate + sadistic sovereigns = an enchanting journey where the battle between good and evil isn’t always cut and dry.  

 

Quite honestly, this series had not been on my radar… mostly due to the “shiny, new” reads always being pushed to the front of my radar.  But all that changed when Schwab hosted a reread with weekly YouTube book discussions.  

 

With full bodied characters and an easy to access fantasy world, this made for a fun read.  Kell was a formidable hero rife with complexity and easy to root for, even in those gray area decisions.  Lila was bold and fierce, and I couldn’t have loved her brazen spirit more.  The storytelling was intricate yet not confusing.  The pace started out fast, but it lagged a bit towards the middle. Nonetheless the end had me cheering and ready for book 2.   

 

What really accentuated this read:  Schwab’s weekly recap videos where she shared snippets regarding plot and characters along with her overall zeal for the book.  There’s an excitement that oozes out of Schwab when she talks about this beloved book, and it made me appreciate this read all the more.  

 

The Shades of Magic spinoff series, Threads of Power, hits shelves with book one, The Fragile Threads of Power, on September 26, 2023.