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“It starts with a crack, a sputter, and a spark.”
When I first read A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab a little over a year ago, what drew me in was the first line. “Kell wore a very peculiar coat.” Victoria Schwab has a particular touch when it comes to first lines of novels, and after reading The Near Witch, it seems this touch has been with her since the beginning of her career.
Given that it was her debut novel and published in 2011, I’ll be honest and say I didn’t have the highest of hopes going in to this book. I’ve often found that young adult literature published before 2015 has about a 50/50 chance of having aged well. This book however, has aged fantastically and I fully understand why this once out of print book was published once again this past month.
This book was a quick read for me, I devoured it in one sitting and slightly under four hours. Partly because yes, this was a short book, but mainly because I couldn’t seem to put it down. Picking up The Near Witch was like being physically transported to the moments between sleep and wakefulness. The prose felt eerie and otherworldly, capturing the ethereal nature of the town of Near so well.
The romance with was unexpectedly amazing. Again, I tend to be hesitant of romances within standalone, wary of the author’s ability to fully develop plot, characters, and a romance, but The Near Witch didn’t disappoint. I found myself rooting for
The plot had just the right balance between unique and familiar that made it thoroughly enjoyable to read, and as with anything written by Victoria Schwab I found myself religiously tabbing quotes I loved and moments of romance that made me melt (she is so good at writing the type of romances I enjoy). And the ending? My heart was racing the entire time.I loved it.
The one issue that I found did keep popping up for me was the characterization of Lexi’s mother. Victoria seemed to sway back and forth between describing her as this formidably strong woman who would do anything for her children and a waiflike creature who could barely speak louder than a whisper, if at all. Thankfully it tended towards the former, and I was able to overlook it for the most part.
Overall, this book gets a full five stars from me. Another Victoria Schwab novel that I’ve completely and utterly enjoyed, and honestly, who’s actually surprised? (I’m not.)
QUOTES I PARTICULARLY LOVED:
“Fear is a strange thing… It has the power to make people close their eyes, turn away. Nothing good grows out of fear.”
“My father used to say that change is like a garden. It doesn’t come up overnight, unless you are a witch.”
When I first read A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab a little over a year ago, what drew me in was the first line. “Kell wore a very peculiar coat.” Victoria Schwab has a particular touch when it comes to first lines of novels, and after reading The Near Witch, it seems this touch has been with her since the beginning of her career.
Given that it was her debut novel and published in 2011, I’ll be honest and say I didn’t have the highest of hopes going in to this book. I’ve often found that young adult literature published before 2015 has about a 50/50 chance of having aged well. This book however, has aged fantastically and I fully understand why this once out of print book was published once again this past month.
This book was a quick read for me, I devoured it in one sitting and slightly under four hours. Partly because yes, this was a short book, but mainly because I couldn’t seem to put it down. Picking up The Near Witch was like being physically transported to the moments between sleep and wakefulness. The prose felt eerie and otherworldly, capturing the ethereal nature of the town of Near so well.
The romance with
Spoiler
ColeSpoiler
Cole and Lexi, and hating Tyler and his jealous nature almost immediately.The plot had just the right balance between unique and familiar that made it thoroughly enjoyable to read, and as with anything written by Victoria Schwab I found myself religiously tabbing quotes I loved and moments of romance that made me melt (she is so good at writing the type of romances I enjoy). And the ending? My heart was racing the entire time.
Spoiler
Dealing with both the conflict of the Near Witch and the townsmen really kept me on my toes, and there was a point where genuinely anything could have happened.The one issue that I found did keep popping up for me was the characterization of Lexi’s mother. Victoria seemed to sway back and forth between describing her as this formidably strong woman who would do anything for her children and a waiflike creature who could barely speak louder than a whisper, if at all. Thankfully it tended towards the former, and I was able to overlook it for the most part.
Overall, this book gets a full five stars from me. Another Victoria Schwab novel that I’ve completely and utterly enjoyed, and honestly, who’s actually surprised? (I’m not.)
QUOTES I PARTICULARLY LOVED:
“Fear is a strange thing… It has the power to make people close their eyes, turn away. Nothing good grows out of fear.”
“My father used to say that change is like a garden. It doesn’t come up overnight, unless you are a witch.”
I'd attempted to read this at the start of last summer, but ultimately ended up putting it down because I fell into a reading slump and it just wasn't capturing my attention. I can say with confidence that I am SO very glad that I decided to give it a second shot.
The plot of this book isn't anything special, perhaps the most it breaks from typical tropes is when. Still, Laura Sebastian's writing is so charged with emotions that its hard not to connect deeply with all of the characters. Not that anyone is going to be shocked by this, but I absolutely loved Soren. I think either him or Cress are my favorite characters, though that's not to say that Theodosia isn't an excellent character as well.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this and am very much looking forward to picking up the rest of the series!
The plot of this book isn't anything special, perhaps the most it breaks from typical tropes is when
Spoiler
Soren doesn't hate Theodosia after she attempts to kill himOverall, I really really enjoyed this and am very much looking forward to picking up the rest of the series!
Full review can be found on The Paper Tavern blog later today but basically:
It's alright. Pretty standard tropey YA Fantasy. I love Soren. I hate Blaise. Heron and Erik and Art deserve the world. I'll be reading the last book when it comes out in the spring.
It's alright. Pretty standard tropey YA Fantasy. I love Soren. I hate Blaise. Heron and Erik and Art deserve the world. I'll be reading the last book when it comes out in the spring.