I should have enjoyed this much more than I did.
Let me just preface this with saying I’m a fan of V.E. Scwhab, and I thought I would love this. My first Schwab book was This Savage Song which I adored, and I remember devouring. Schwab’s writing is very much within my wheel house and I very rarely pick up fantasy of any kind that I don’t enjoy.
But unfortunately, this just didn’t do it for me at all.
It’s not that the writing isn’t great or the characters aren’t captivating. I loved getting to know everyone, to learn about the world’s they come from and the intricate relationships between each of them and how they’re all entangled together. I even liked the main premise of the book: a magical tournament wherein more than a handful of people pretend to be something they’re not to gain the upper hand.
It’s just that… no one ever did anything exciting. I found myself constantly bored.
A Gathering of Shadows is set in London, in a worlf where a multitude of parallel universes exists. There’s a Red London and a Grey London to mention a couple, and some of these worlds contain magic. And some of the people who have access to this magic can travel between these worlds. The stories centers around Lila Bard, pirate, thief and magician and Kell, magic wielder and the brother of prince Rhy, two brothers who are strangely intertwined. Oh, and as I mentioned the crown is hosting a magical tournament that is bound to be a spectacle and a half.
All of this should have been more than enough to keep me hooked, deep. I usually love this kind of stuff. Yet, as I mentioned, I found myself bored. The characters were interesting, but they never did anything interesting. I was never wondering what was going to happen to them, or intrigued by what they were up to. I found myself mostly wanting to move on to the next thing, which never sated my want for excitement anyway and kept me going in circles.
I don’t know. It’s probably me. It’s probably my headspace at the moment, because it’s been a weird summer and autumn for us – my wife got seriously sick and work has been three and a half handfuls, at least – so maybe enjoyimg books just haven’t been something I’ve been able to do recently.
But the book is good! V. E. Schwab is good. The writing is brilliant. The world is fascinating. I just struggled to be gripped by it. But if you love urban fantasy, this is definitely for you!
What are you reading these days? Come across any new and exciting authors? Or re-reading an old love? Let me know in the comments!
As always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!
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