Description: The Balance of Power Has Finally Tipped...The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

Who Will Crumble? Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

Who Will Rise? Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

Who Will Take Control? And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

Review: After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in the Shades of Magic series, A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows, I had very high expectations for the final book in the series. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met and I appear to be in the minority who felt that the series finale did not end on a strong note.
  There are three main reasons why I gave A Conjuring of Light a low rating: the lack of character development, pacing issues, and a weak villain. In the first two books of this series, we are introduced to a fantastic cast of characters with quirky personalities and watch how they interact with one another. I wanted more character development in this book. We get pieces of it sprinkled throughout the book such as Rhy's parents change of heart when it comes to Kell and his actions or Kell getting the chance to learn about his parents, both of which are great discussion points but Schwab barely scratches the surface with it. I also needed the answer as to what happened with Lila's eye that is constantly asked throughout the book by each character that she meets and never answered. I also wanted to dig deeper into Lila's past. The romances in the book also left me unsatisfied. While we get the romantic tension climax between Kell and Lila as they finally openly admit their attraction and affection for one another, I was actually more interested in Rhy and Alucard's romance that was quickly summed up.
  Another issue I had with the book is the inconsistency of pacing in the book. There were parts that I quickly read, particularly the beginning where we get answers to the cliffhanger of A Gathering of Shadows, and others that dragged on and on. I think my issues of pacing is that I did not feel threatened by the main villain in the story. While I do understand his threat to the Londons in the series, I didn't just find him compelling enough to read pages and pages about him. As a result my interest in the book embed and flowed and I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first two books. Despite my issues, this was still an okay read and I would still recommend this series. I guess I need to lower my expectations for series finales.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language and violence in the book. There are two small sex scene that isn't too graphic in the book.

If you like this book try: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift #1) by Kate Griffin

Description: It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.
   Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
  And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review: A Gathering of Shadows is a great follow up to A Darker Shades of Magic. It takes place 4 months after Kell and Lila saved the world with big changes. Now Lila has wormed her way onto a pirate ship called the Night Spire and sailed away from Red London with an enigmatic and mesmerizing pirate named Alucard Emery in search of an adventure and a new beginning. Lila has been transfixed in learning all she can about magic and how to hold/manipulate it. Meanwhile Kell is still dealing with the consequences that nearly took his life and that of his adoptive brother Rhy.
  Like the previous installment, the plot is a slow build until the upcoming magical tournament called the Essen Tasch which reminded a lot of Goblet of Fire tournament except the adult version where magicians fight to the death. Of course there is a lot of treachery and deception that occur in the background as all of our characters meet together.  Schwab expands the world beyond Red London and we learn different facets to our characters.
   I have to say that I really fell for Alucard Emery who reminded me a lot of Sturmhond from Bardguo's Grisha Trilogy, a character that has many layers beyond the rakish captain facade. There is mention that Rhy and Alucard has a romantic history and Kell is not a big fan of Alucard so I'm really curious to learn more about this couple. There is also a slight undercurrent of romantic tension between Kell and Lila that continues to spill over in this book though both of them will vehemently deny their feelings for one another. Overall I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first book since it contained the tournament which was a lot of fun to read about. There is a nasty cliffhanger so be sure to have the third book, A Conjuring of Light, on hand when you are done to make sure all your favorite characters are safe. This is a really fascinating world where magic can both be a blessing and a curse depending on how the characters use it.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, crude humor, and some strong violence. Suitable for teens and adults.

If you like this book try: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Description: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

Review: The Shade of Magic series is a great introduction to fantasy for readers who may not be too comfortable with the genre. It is fast paced adventure that is quick to get into with a great, medium-sized cast of characters with an easy to understand world and magic system. It is also a great teen to adult crossover book.