I finished this book this morning, then laid around absorbing the fact that the series is done. I tried to figure out how I felt, and honestly, writing a review two hours later is probably too soon. But here are my initial feelings:

I cannot think of another series in which I enjoyed all three books released, where my love for the series only grew, and where I have been left fulfilled, and wanting more all at once.

I am going to go ahead now and say there will probably be spoilers in this review. I want to discuss some of the major themes and characters in this book, so I am forewarning anyone reading. Continue at your own risk.

A Conjuring of Light

by V.E. Schwab

Published 2017

Format: e-book (I couldn’t wait until the signing on Tuesday – SORRY)
Genre: Fantasy, Adult
Rating:  5/5 Moose (10 out of 5? 10 out of 5.)

Synopsis

This book picked up immediately after the end of the second book, meaning we jumped into some action that never seemed to go away. Like the other two books, the story continuously keeps changing point of views, and like the other two books, it adds more characters’ views into the mixture. Kell, Rhy, Alucard, and Lila must fight and consider teaming up with one of their greatest enemies to defeat and even greater threat to not only Red London, but all Londons.

Quotes I Loved

I highlighted over 20 quotes, and a few more are smattered below, but here are some of the ones that made me laugh and cry.

Alucard stood in the doorway, soaking wt, as if he’d just been dumped in the sea, or the sea had been dumped over him. “Stop fucking with the ship.“

“And how, exactly,” said Alucard, propping himself on one elbow, “do you plan to live forever?”

“Life isn’t made of choices,” said Holland. “It’s made of trades. Some are good, some are bad, but they all have a cost.”

“I told you to keep him safe, not cuddle.”

Rhy shook his head, exasperated. “Kell isn’t the only one you fail to understand. My bond with him didn’t start with this curse. You wanted him to kill for me, die for me, protect me at all costs. Well, Mother, you got your wish. You simply failed to realize that that kind of love, that bond, it goes both ways. I would kill for him, and I would die for him, and I will protect him however I am able, from Faro and Vesk, from White London, and Black London, and from you.”

Kell drove it on with a degree of focus — of concentrated focus — he’d never seen the Antari use. A level of strength reserved not for London, or the king queen, not for Rosenal, or Osaron himself.

But for Rhy, thought Alucard.

Rants, Raves, and General Thoughts

I realized as I started writing this review that I needed to break down my thoughts and feelings in order to process it without just squeeing everywhere. I originally had a section of “Things I Love,” but there is so little I didn’t love about this book so it stayed blank. So I added a “Spoiler Free” review, then a break down of the things that impacted me, and the things I wish I had more information about.

Spoiler Free Review:

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It was incredibly action packed and easy to read, despite my occasional tears. Schwab has planned out the series to such a wonderful conclusion, and even concepts or plot points that can be considered predictable are handled wonderfully. I came out loving the main five characters even more than I had when I started the book. This book lived up to the hype and the year long wait.

Plus with the announcement of the movie rights being bought,

Things I Took Note:

Rhy’s (…and Kell’s)Parents.
I loved learning about the King and Queen and getting a taste of their point of views. I loved that the King was firm and strong, but wasn’t abusive or mean to Rhy, and realized the error of his ways with Kell. He was a good King and father, which is so rare in fantasy genres. A king rarely has balance, and to pull it off without seeming too forced is even harder.
The Queen is cold and hard, but not unloving. I cried with her as she cried over Rhy, and I could read a whole book on her and the King’s lives. Prior to this book she was such a background character that my first thought with her was “oh yeah, I guess Rhy has to have a mom” (which, the fact that there isn’t a dead parent is great too.)

Concept of Family and Home
Obviously Lila suffers from not feeling as though she has a home and constantly wants to run away from anything that would hurt if she lost it. No attachments, no pain. However, she is not the only character wrestling with the concept of family and home. Holland did everything in order to protect and save his dying world. Kell gets the opportunity to figure out who his parents are and why they gave him up! And yet he knows that all he needs at his core is Rhy.

Strange thing about forgetting spells.
Rhy was his brother.
They fade on their own.
London was his home.
Unless we don’t let go.

I personally groaned loudly because I WANTED TO KNOW WHY someone would give him up. But to be content enough with this family? It’s beautiful.

The running “Stay With Me”
Alucard to Rhy. Rhy to Alucard. Kell to Lila. It’s beautiful.

The Concept of Myths and History Repeating Itself
There are stories and myths throughout the whole book. The Someday King of the Wite London, the Man and Magic (a perfect representation of Rhy and Kell), the Prince who road while everyone slept, staying with his people?

It’s from one of the myths, the Origin of the Magician. Magic and Man were brothers, you see, only they had nothing in common, for each’s strength was the other’s weakness. And so one day, Magic made a blessed thread, and tied itself to Man, so tightly that the thread cut into their skin[…]and from that day, they shared their best and worst, their strength and weakness.”

[…]

“There’s no ‘they’ anymore, Master Kell. Magic gave so much to Man, and Man so much to Magic, that their edges blurred, and their threads all tangled, and now they can’t be pulled apart. They’re bound together, you see, life to life. Halves of a whole. If anyone tried to part them, they’d both unravel.”

This was the story of a prince who watched over his city as it slept. Who went on foot, for fear of trampling one of the fallen, who wove his way between the bodies of his people.

[…]

Some would say he spoke, that even in the far-off darkness, the sleeping heard him whisper, over and over, “You are not alone.”

I have no doubt that the stories told of Rhy today in Red London are nothing short of mythological, and how he kept the kingdom in a time of peace and prosperity after it nearly fell to the darkness.

Holland’s Past
Oh man. I was not the biggest fan of Holland, but something Victoria Schwab does well is make villains seem well rounded in their personalities and motives. I related to him so much more after reading what he went through and why he did what he did the past two books. Learning about his relationship with the prior king, his own family, his first love? At the end of the day, I don’t think I can fault him for what he wanted to achieve. And somewhere around the halfway point, I didn’t want Holland to die. Instead, I wished him a peaceful ending.

My Love For Delilah Bard
Lila has been my favorite character the entire series. She’s stubborn and chaos and the protagonist in her own story. And yes, I am aware that she is incredibly damaged and psychotic. But I also loved Rachel in Animorphs, so I guess I have a type.

Lila struggles with some different emotions this book. She deals with loss of people she truly cares about, and how that it’s….necessary. Her relationship with Holland becomes less black and white, meaning that Lila is capable of growth and change (something not quite clear in the other books.)

Tieren curled a finger around his beard. “Love and loss,” he said, “are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.”

“You’re my best thief,” he whispered, and her eyes burned.

“I should have killed you,” she muttered, hating the waver in her voice.

Things I was left wanting more:

These aren’t things that I necessarily disliked, I just wish they had been handled differently or been expanded upon.

A Better Understanding of Kell/Lila’s Relationship
The thing I loved most about their relationship leading up to this book is that they were like water and oil, and yet they WORKED. This book had them too in sync, too calm. If Lila did something stupid, Kell didn’t necessarily yell at her. It reminded me of sequels to Pride and Prejudice, where authors make Elizabeth and Darcy suddenly always agreeable. I am not saying they shouldn’t be together or that they won’t never fight — maybe it was that they acknowledged that whatever was a problem between the two of them was not as big as Osaron.

White London
What happened afterwards? Has it fallen? Will it live? Who is king now? Did it find peace? Was Holland’s death meaningless?

Lila and Maris
I mean the obvious thing here is THEIR STORY IS NOT DONE. Will there be another story? A short story? A 600 page novel? Just Lila on an adventure? What favor could she want?!

The Ending
There is a level of the ending that feels too wrapped up nicely. But then again, no one gets out undamaged (except maybe Lila.) I want another sequel I guess. Or a collection of short stories. I mean, yes, people died — some people who had been important throughout the series….and yes I am aware I would be so upset if someone major had died in end. Overall, I truly love the ending. I just wanted more.

Final Verdict

I have been recommending A Darker Shade of Magic to anyone who asks for a recommendation for two years now. It’s not a series I would have picked up on my own, save for the absolutely beautiful cover, and I do not regret it in the slightest. This series ended beautifully, and I cannot wait to read it all over again.

Or to see the author and buy the book in hardback.