Book Review :: A Conjuring of Light, by V.E. Schwab

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #3
Also in this series: A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows
Published by Tor Books
on February 21st 2017
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 624
Buy on Mighty Ape
Goodreads

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.

Last updated on 28 March 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

My thoughts on A Conjuring Of Light by VE Schwab

Perhaps a better title for the paragraph would be ‘I couldn’t possibly love it any more than I already do’.

I knew A Conjuring Of Light was going to be good if the previous two books in the series were anything at all to on. I knew Schwab would deliver, and she went above and beyond what I was expecting. I loved everything about it.

The plot line of this final book in the trilogy was excellent; I loved the merging of the Londons, the monster in smokey form wreaking havoc across the world, and the way it was all resolved in the end.

In A Conjuring of Light, we get this fantastic mix of everything we’ve had so far: the royal family shenanigans in the palace, the streets of London, the ever-changing tavern, the movement between worlds, and the pirate ships across the ocean. Somehow all the previous elements were woven together in perfect harmony, creating one of my favourite books of the year.

“Scars are not shameful, not unless you let them be. If you do not wear them, they will wear you.”

One of the reasons these books have become one of my favourite series is because of the characters; Kell the once-thought-to-be-last Antari, Lila Bard the not-so-common thief, Rhy the Prince of London, and Alucard Emery the pirate Captain. And those are just the main ones.

The minor characters that Schwab has created are just as fantastic, each just as important as the next, each with their own very distinct personalities that shine through even though they aren’t mentioned as often. Somehow the world is full of actual people, not just characters on a page. Their development through the series is not only attributed to Schwab’s excellent writing, but also to the amount of drama and magical events that she puts them through. Incredible.

“Love and loss,” he said, “are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.”

Kell and Lila’s relationship blossoms in this book, and Rhy and Alucard’s is on the line. People who were dead come back to life, magic is prevalent in those thought to have very little, ships are sailed, the monsters of the night bring forth terrors like no other … and lives are lost.

The best thing about this book? The ending. I don’t want to spoil it, but it was magical and everything ended in the most perfect way possible. I was so terrified that I was going to hate the ending and therefore be any at both Schwab, the ending, and all my favourite characters, but somehow it was perfect. So perfect, and I could not be happier with the way things turned out.

If you’re into your fantasy, your Young Adult (although I feel it’s only verging on YA), your magical lands in a city we actually know in our own, your pirates and evil masterminds, your princes and lovers, your friends and foes … then you need to pick up A Darker Shade of Magic, the first in this amazing trilogy.

Have you read A Conjuring of Light? Without giving too much away, what did you think?