Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows

Title: A Gathering of Shadows
Author: V. E. Schwab
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Series: Shades of Magic (Book 2)

Reread Count: 3

This is, once again, one of the most perfect piles of magic and pirates and thieves and MAGIC that I have ever read. It's like Schwab took the best of the best and squished them together and called it the Shades of Magic series because I'm in LOVE. I didn't think it was possible to love a book this much on your third reread but I was wrooonnggg. And it's the second book of a series which is normally my least favorite but not this one because my heart.

Lilia has gotten more kick-ass, Rhy has gotten more wild, Kill has gotten more overprotective, and Alucard is like the best captain/boss/privateer (not pirate, mind you, privateer) ever because he's so sneaky and sly and just *insert flailing motions here*. Words cannot describe him. He's probably one of my favorite characters in this series, if not my favorite. And 10/10 would have picked the Night Spire too because those sails... ugh <3.

Probably one of my favorite things is that the Essen Tasch is like the Hunger Games but on steroids, with magic, and like a gazillion times better because magic. I also really liked the symbolism behind it, like on one hand it's this excuse to party (not that I'd party because... parties) and have a good time watching people whack each other with colored air and water and fire and jazz but on the other it's soooooo much a political power play/display thingamabob that it's just *boom* mind blown.

On an unrelated note, I've decided that the king and queen are inconsiderate little balls of [insert something you dislike here, I'm gonna go with broccoli because I hate broccoli] broccoli because if there is one lesson I've learned from books it's the harder you hold on to somebody the less likely it is that they will stay because boom deep life lessons from books but seriously you put all these rules into effect and are all icy and stuff and then you're like "why is he unhappy?" like there's a mirror go look in it. Seriously.

If you haven't read this book or this series or whatever just do it it's so totally worth it and it's just... *happy sigh*

See this review on Goodreads.