A Darker Shade of Magic (2015)
A Gathering of Shadows (2016)
A Conjuring of Light (2017)
⚡ Pace: medium · 🎭 Emotions: adventurous, atmospheric · 🚪 Entry threshold: low · ⭐ Why read: original concept of worlds, vivid characters
A world with multiple Londons instantly hints at danger, but the first volume of V. E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic asks something sharper: what happens to a magician who moves between realms that no longer trust each other? Kell’s talent seems like a gift until every crossing forces him to choose between loyalty, instinct, and the lure of forbidden magic. And in the middle of it all stands Delilah Bard, whose hunger for adventure keeps shifting the story’s center of gravity. Their paths collide not through fate, but through the kind of curiosity that invites trouble long before either of them notices.
As Kell travels between Red, Grey, White, and the sealed Black London, the contrasts between worlds turn into a pulse that drives the entire cycle. Why does power thrive in one place and rot in another? How do borders survive when people keep finding ways to cross them? The first book plants the emotional core – uneasy trust, bruised ambition, a spark of partnership that might burn too brightly. The magic’s rules feel both elegant and dangerous, especially when objects slip through from places they should never return from.
Across the trilogy, the stakes rise not only in scale but in intimacy: kingdoms clash, yes, but what truly matters is how two people navigate shifting loyalties and escalating consequences. The opening volume sets the tone – sharp, swift, edged with wonder – while hinting that the deeper the characters go, the thinner the line becomes between protection and obsession. And somewhere beyond those parallel Londons lies a question that no portal can answer completely.
📚 Did you know 📖
The world of the series is built on the idea of “multiple Londons” – Red, White, Grey, and Black.
Schwab herself said the concept came to her while walking along the Thames.
The novels became international bestsellers and were nominated for the Locus and Goodreads Choice awards.
In 2020, it was announced that a film adaptation was in development in partnership with Sony.
A continuation is also planned – the Threads of Power trilogy, of which only one book has been published so far (The Fragile Threads of Power, 2023).
Legend has it: fans stage social media flashmobs, “cosplaying” the different Londons through filters and colour-themed outfits.