I really enjoyed A Gathering of Shadows. I don't know if I liked it *better* than A Darker Shade of Magic, but characters already felt more established and it had a lot of elements that I usually enjoy - cue magical tournament. I liked the pacing and found it pretty fascinating as events ramped up and really got going fast. It does end a little abruptly to be picked up in the next one - so if that bothers you, be aware. Probably going to be unpopular, but I actually liked A Gathering of Shadows better than A Conjuring of Light. I feel like it's rare to like the middle book best in a trilogy but I really loved this one. All in all, a solid, fun, fast paced read in a world I've really enjoyed reading about. 4.5 stars.