About A Gathering of Shadows
A Gathering of Shadows is the second epic fantasy novel in V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic trilogy, a richly imagined tale of parallel Londons and the magic that flows between them. Four months after the events of A Darker Shade of Magic, Kell is a prisoner of his own celebrity—celebrated by the Arnesian court but watched too closely to dare the crossings he craves. Lila Bard has reinvented herself as a sailor and self-taught magician aboard a privateer vessel, preparing to enter the Essen Tasch—a tournament of elements held in Red London every five years. Rhy, the golden prince, hides the consequences of the blood bind he shares with Kell as Arnes prepares to host the games. Schwab uses the tournament structure to deepen the world-building of Red London considerably—its politics, its noble families, its relationship with magic—and to deliver scenes of genuine excitement and beauty. The Lila Bard sequences are exhilarating, and the slow-burn tension between her and Kell is one of the great pleasures of the series. A Gathering of Shadows is a rare sequel that expands its world without losing the intimacy of the first book. Elegant, cinematic epic fantasy with one of fiction's most irresistible heroines.
Tropes & Themes
Readers Also Enjoyed
This page contains affiliate links. Learn more.