The idea of parallel Londons works so well! Having the fate of an entire universe (or several) on one's shoulders makes a pretty good plot device. Kell is a good protagonist, and there was some good character development going on there. His interactions with Lila must have made him see his own situation more clearly, especially when it comes to his family of sorts.

Now, Delilah Bard was maybe the best thing about this book for me. Her narration and the dialogue between her and Kell were the funniest parts - and also contributed to keeping the story moving. They're both magnets for trouble so there is no way for the story to stagnate! But to return to Lila - I'm so happy to have a female character who pulls her weight and saves the hero as often as he saves her. She's not just the obligatory love interest, in fact she's not much of a love interest at all. Lila is a complex character, and she'll do anything to survive, without feeling too guilty about it. We get to see so much strength in this one female character and it just makes me really happy. Maybe because a lot of fantasy novels are a bit...male protagonist heavy? 

I wasn't going to rant but I can't stop myself so just forgive me, please. Women are people too. They can be bitchy and complex, and bad ass and still not be evil - they can still want to save the world! They're allowed to be whatever they want!

Okay. *ahem.*

In summary: Kell and Lila were really interesting characters, and I absolutely adored the world-building. I wish we'd learned more about Rhy but hopefully in the next book, I guess. A Darker Shade of Magic is a really strong start for a new series by V.E. Schwab. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

Also, if you needed just one more reason to love Lila Bard:

✩✩✩✩✩

This would have to be one of my favourite books from 2015!

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Have you read V.E. Schwab before? Do you have any other recent (or not so recent) fantasy books you've loved?

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