Review: A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

A Conjuring of Light

(Shades of Magic #3)

by V.E. Schwab

February 21, 2017

624 pages

 

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies.

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.

 

Event Recap: V.E. Schwab Signing

Guyssss, I got to meet the talented Victoria Schwab! Her A Gathering of Shadows Book Tour had a stop in Seattle on March 1st and I managed to go~

 

Before I start talking about the signing, I just want to thank my parents. They're the absolute BEST. They understood how much I wanted to go and drove down with me. (I'm in Vancouver, Canada.) They even stayed around during the signing. Thank you mom and dad, I love you  guys <3 <3

 

Okay so when Victoria first announced her tour schedule for A Gathering of Shadows, I was disappointed to see no Canadian stops. (I may have tweeted her several times asking if she'd come to Vancouver XD.) But then I saw that she had a Seattle stop and that's probably as close as she's ever going to get to me. I LOVEEEE her Shades of Magic series (and The Archived series) so I had to go!

I started asking around to see if anyone would want to go with me. My sisters had to work but they also didn't want me to go alone so I was pretty excited when my parents said yes! I also almost couldn't take the time off work but I managed to work it out with my coworkers, phewww! Finally I googled my driving route, booked a one night stay and drove down with my parents the day of the signing.



Can you tell I was super happy? LOL

 

It was pouring rain when we got to the bookstore. Some signs and copies of the books were displayed for the signing and my dad started taking pictures of me posing with them lol. Then I saw Victoria in the middle of the store. I knew arriving 40mins earlier was going to be worth it! I was internally fangirling and whispered to my parents that that's the author! Then she walked right by me. We sort of looked right at each other and gave each other an awkward smile. Since I was pretty nervous I didn't move. My dad however was like, go ask her for a picture! So he ran after her and asked for me lol. Victoria was so nice! She said of course and she actually recognized me from Twitter! "BookCatPin, right?" Guys, I was like overjoyed! Anyways so I got a picture with her before the event even began. She thanked me for coming to see her and complimented my family for coming with me~

Picture with the incredibly talented Victoria
Schwab! (I was flailing hard inside lol).

Three other authors were there with her: Jason M. Hough, Kerry Schafer and Alex Kahler. They each introduced themselves and their newest books then Victoria opened up the floor to some Q and As. To encourage people to speak up, she was giving away ADSOM London necklaces. The first two people that asked her questions got them. I really wanted one but sadly I didn't get picked :'( I'm not a very outspoken or smooth speaker so I was super impressed with how articulate all the authors were :D

 

 

A few things I remember Victoria talking about:

1. Antari don't live forever, they're not immortal. They have a life span that's slightly longer than the normal human. That is, if they survive long enough to live happily ever after on a farm, etc.

2. White London is white because the colour's been leeched out. There's no more boldness there.

3. The sequel to Vicious is possibly going to be called Vengeful. It's a title that people seem to be able to pronounce. (Apparently a lot of people didn't know how to say Vicious. They kept calling it Viscous and it was driving Victoria's editor nuts haha.)

4. Victor Vale is Victoria's inner evil villain!

Sorry I didn't catch more. I wasn't planning on doing a recap so I was just listening rather than taking notes :)

 

 

Then it came time for the signing! I decided to line up at the end since I had quite a few books and didn't want to hold up the line. (Also that way, I get to talk to Victoria more!) When it was my turn, I was pretty nervous but I managed to hold a conversation with her :D She asked if I'd read AGOS yet and if I liked hearing more of Rhy's voice. Of course I told her yes and that I was on the blog tour for AGOS and couldn't wait to share my review. I loved the book and Lila is too awesome. I asked her to come to Vancouver and she told me she's hoping to soon. YAY!



Me fumbling to get all my books out for
Victoria to sign XD



She run out of Rhy cards so everyone was
putting down their contact info to get one!
 

We're both left-handed! ;)

 

I'd been thinking of something to give her but I'm not creative or anything (she mentioned she loved fan art) so I gave her the bookmark I used to read AGOS. It's a green sprout bookmark. I told her it was my sprout of hope that she'd spare my favourite characters in the final book. She laughed and asked me who I'd like to survive and I basically named all the characters lolll. Victoria was super friendly!

 

And one more picture with her!

 

I also got to meet Alex Kahler who is the author of the Ravenborn series. The first book called Shades of Darkness released this week! Simon & Schuster Canada sent me an ARC and I got it signed! The story is a darker one but I enjoyed it!

 

Overall I had such a blast! I was still giddy a few hours after the signing and even now I can't believe I got to meet Victoria Schwab and had all my books signed!!! I really hope I will see her again!



BEFORE                                   AFTER

 

Okay that's the last picture of me fangirling LOL.

Blog Tour - Q&A & Review: A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

Hi guys! Welcome to my stop on the A Gathering of Shadows Blog Tour! The Shades of Magic series is one of my all-time favourite so thank you Tor Teen and Raincoast Books for this opportunity! Today I'm really thrilled to be sharing with you a Q&A with V.E. Schwab followed by my review of the book. Spoiler- it's incredible, splendid and just everything!

A Gathering of Shadows
(Shades of Magic #2)

by V.E. Schwab

February 23, 2016

512 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall.

 

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic
(Shades of Magic #1)

by V.E. Schwab

February 24, 2015

400 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.