A Conjuring of Light
By V. E. Schwab
The intimidation of a multi-book spanning fantasy series will often stop me in my tracks, there’s just too many other books to read. I’d love to pick up The Wheel of Time, perhaps I’ll do it after I retire. The beauty of V. E. Schwab’s writing is that even after years between reading A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light, everything from the first two books is still right there for me. You could pin it on her memorable characters or endlessly fascinating magic system, but I think she has an ability to begin her books reminding the reader of where they were, without the ham-fisted “Last time in [BOOK TITLE]...” that other writers fall victim to. From the beginning, I was right back where the last book ended and ready to revisit her multiple Londons.
For the climactic finale of this fantasy series, I did feel like it was a little long-winded in the middle. Schwab could have begun the book sending Kell and company on a quest they undertake two-thirds of the way through, heightening the tension of those left behind. Instead, every character spends chapters trying to learn the information that triggers their quest. If anyone had been less charismatic or interesting, the novel might have fallen short. Instead, even the repetitive chapters felt like they were driving the plot. Kell, Rhy, Lila, Alucard, Emira, Maxim, Holland, it didn’t matter which character held the POV, the plot remained in motion and I wanted more of their interior lives played out against the siege that bloated the book. Schwab’s plot being held hostage by her own charming characters is a concession I’m willing to make to continue reading her writing.
While some of the plot spun its wheels longer than necessary, there was plenty of action that kept me returning to read later and longer than I intended. Schwab writes exciting sequences in settings that beg to be explored deeper, revealing lore about the world, or a character based on their perception of the new or changed location. Part of the excitement in her present writing is the breadcrumbs she drops in prior chapters that don’t mean as much until she brings them back to the reader’s focus. After the party splits and a character dies, Kell mourns their loss, wishing he had a flower to lay on their wound, as they would in his home. In the next chapter, back in Kell’s London, there is a rose laid on the wound of a character that had died chapters prior. She doesn’t make a big spectacle of it, or force the reader to take note of her reference, just sets it there for you to appreciate either the callback, or imagery.
With so many hooks in the water, some were left untampered. I liked having open ended threads that continue past the book’s end, but there was one that felt like a missed opportunity. There were letters written that we never got to read, nor do any other characters mention reading them. These weren’t tossed away, “and he wrote a letter”, they were referenced multiple times and had to do with themes that run throughout that character’s part of the book.
A Darker Shade of Magic is one of the best books to read if you haven’t read any fantasy in a while and want to jump back into it. Its concept is simple, but the complexity of story and character is what keeps you coming back to the rest of the series. I loved this trilogy and recommend it to anyone fresh out of college trying to read anything other than a textbook.