[second read, March 2019]

Upon finishing A Conjuring of Light for the second time, I can confidently say that it’s my favorite in the trilogy. Schwab expertly navigates this conclusion: the plot stuns you, the characters tug on your heartstrings, the world itself darkens, and you simply don’t know what to expect. Every part was fraught with a multitude of emotion, and while some had me laughing out loud, just as many broke my heart. This story is one of good and bad, magic and mayhem, hopefulness and hopelessness. Words evade me, and while it’s more likely due to time, I prefer thinking that it’s a sign of how truly amazing this novel is. I love how seamlessly every element is tied up, in a way that’s both satisfying and open to the possibility of more. It deserves all of the stars, and I definitely think I’ll revisit this trilogy in the future.

I stand by my original review.

[first read, February 2017]

…
I'm speechless. This book was a wild, extremely emotional, but ultimately perfect finale. I was on my toes from the very beginning, and my unexpected time off school was a gift because I could binge-read this. Granted, I did get very, very far ahead of Erika, who I buddy-read this with. But I couldn't help it, because it was so AMAZING.

Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Alucard have my heart. I love them so much. They're all great. I even started to care for Holland and other secondary characters in this book, like Emira, Maxim, Hastra, and Lenos. I didn't expect to, but I did.

On the subject of one specific character that I won't name, I understood the title after finishing. It hints at growth and sacrifice from someone I never would've expected it from. It's very fitting, and also sad.

If there's one thing Victoria excels at, it's toying with emotions. In part one, I was already afraid someone was dead. That fear never really went away until I turned the last page, because in these books, anything can happen - quite literally. She gets you attached to these characters, and then throws so many plot twists at you, you lose count. It's cruel, but also brilliant.

And that big showdown was just epic. There's no other word for it. I was on the edge of my seat, and I had to know if the plan would work. It was really clever, and I never expected it. Well, I can say that about basically everything in this book and the prior two, to be honest.

Ever since I first found out about this trilogy, I've loved the concept of the four parallel Londons. One of the things I liked about this book was the way Red London was described. It was vibrant, but in a darker sense. It was really interesting; two seeming opposites were woven together to create a captivating alternate world.

The last thing I want to say is about the romance. It was wonderful; slow-burning, constant, genuine. I loved seeing the development, in person and in mind. This was probably why I loved the ending as much as I did. It worked out entirely how I'd hoped, at least in this area specifically.

I don't know how much sense that made. I didn't expect to write a review this long, at least not this soon after finishing. Either way, the one thing I hope I made clear is that I love this book very much.

Anoshe. (See what I did there? Hehe.)