Review: A Gathering of Shadows

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With the world seeming obsessed with Schwab, I decided it was finally time to dive into her work. With the Shades of Magic series, I quickly found myself addicted. Just the first book, A Darker Shade of Magic, was enough to leave me wanting more, yet the way I devoured A Gathering of Shadows has left me with the belief I will be another member of the fandom unable to get enough.

I’ll be honest and say, at first, I thought this one was a little bit slow going. The way in which the world continued to develop was wonderful, the way we got to see the characters grow was great, but I feel as though it took a bit of time before the story really started to move. There were interesting elements, but it wasn’t the big mover I had been hoping for. In many ways, it mirrored book one. It was addictive to watch things come together, but I wanted a bit more action.

Nevertheless, I was hooked. I may have been hoping for more action, yet I was intrigued enough to be turning the pages at a rapid pace. I was addicted, I could not put the book down, and once things got going this addiction became worse. The story gripped me even more, I was reading ever quicker, and the book refused to leave my hands until I saw how everything came together.

Then the ending hit, and I was left in dire need of the next book. The ending leaves you desperate for answers, and I was happy to dive straight into book three.

Without a doubt, this second book pushes the series even deeper into the realm of addiction.

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