Theme Thursdays: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

 

This year we're going to try something new that we hope will help us tackle our TBR piles and keep us motivated to complete our #RockMyTBR challenges. We're starting a new feature called Theme Thursdays! Each month, we'll review books from our respective TBRs that fit a theme we choose at the beginning of the month. February's theme is PIRATES! 

A Gathering of Shadows
(Shades of Magic #2)
V. E. Schwab
Release: February 23, 2016
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It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as 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.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review:
Despite A Gathering of Shadows being one of my most anticipated books of 2016, I just barely got around to reading it after several friends told me to wait until closer to the release of book three. And all I can say is Holy Hell! How have people coped with that ending for a year?!?

While I loved A Darker Shade of Magic, I definitely adored this book more. It felt even more engaging and the characters felt so much more cemented in their personalities and confident.

The story picks up soon after the first book with both Kell and Lila spending their time in Red London. Kell continues to stay with and protect Rhy, whereas Lila has found her place as a crew member of a ship. From page one, I was once again enraptured in Schwab's magical world of multiple Londons.

There's just something magical about Schwab's writing. While is it full of complex world-building, political issues, inversed tropes, and various character dynamics, it is also incredibly readable. Personally, I can easily become bogged down by excessive detail regarding complex worlds and magic systems in fantasy, but I can honestly say that I never had that issue while reading this book. I was always immensely interested in whatever was occurring and couldn't put it down. And I have fallen head over heels for the magic system. I think the idea of the idea of elements and blood and bone being the main conductors of magic is brilliant and I loved that everyone approaches their element(s)/magic differently.

I was thrilled that we got so much Lila in this book. And I totally get now why all my friends describe Lila's personality as "Everyone is like "Lila, no!" and Lila is like "LILA, YES!". After this book, I feel like we're starting to understand Lila, her motivations, and her overall demeanor. She is an incredibly strong-willed individual and she is not afraid of crossing any lines to do what is necessary, which is definitely something we get to witness in this book. Despite the trouble she gets into and causes, I find it impossible not to love her and to respect her for her sheer confidence and audacity.

I loved Kell just as much as I did in the first book. He is still kind of a stick in the mud but he is fiercely loyal, and I think that's what makes him such an endearing character. He will never give up or turn his back on those he cares for. He is also extremely responsible with his strong powers which is admirable considering other characters. Although, I think we will see some different sides of Kell in the next book.

As much as I love Kell, I was ecstatic that we got Rhy POV chapters in this book! I loved seeing his character development in this book. He struggles with becoming a strong, powerful king one day, and the inner conflict he faces between his own emotions and his obligations were truly masterfully done.

Last but not least, my new favorite character in this series is Alucard Emery, the charming pirate captain. Or should I say privateer. I loved his character so much! He's witty, strong, sharp, and exceedingly amusing. I loved his relationship and dynamic with Lila. And I really want to know about whatever the drama is between him and Rhy. Every interaction between Rhy and Alucard was great and it created an interesting contradiction to what appears to be Kell and Alucard's mutual disdain for each other.

This book was so amazing! I really could spout pages in praise of this book. The plot, the magic tournament, the world, the characters... everything was perfect! It was all I wanted it to be and more! If you haven't read this series or this book yet, now is a great time to start.

    

  5 / 5 Stars!!!

My reviews of other books in this series:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Theme Thursdays: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

 

This year we're going to try something new that we hope will help us tackle our TBR piles and keep us motivated to complete our #RockMyTBR challenges. We're starting a new feature called Theme Thursdays! Each month, we'll review books from our respective TBRs that fit a theme we choose at the beginning of the month. January's theme is MAGIC! 

Crooked Kingdom
(Six of Crows #2)
Leigh Bardugo
Release: September 27, 2016
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When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Review:
I know the Dregs say "No Mourners. No Funerals." but I'm kind of mourning the fact that I have to say goodbye to this series and these characters. I'm not sure my heart could take any more books in this series but I want there to be more. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that Leigh Bardugo will visit this world and these characters again at some point.

For Kaz Brekker and his crew, there's no rest for the wicked. After pulling off a heist that should have been impossible, they don't get the anticipated rest and retirement they were banking on. They have to fight and scheme some more after being cheated and deceived by Jan Van Eck, the merchant who initially hired them. First order of business, get Inej back from Van Eck while dodging others who are after their Shu scientist captive since parem’s existence has reached other lands. Ketterdam has found itself overrun with those who want control of the drug and they're all looking for Kaz and company. Just another day in the Barrel, am I right?

I loved that Crooked Kingdom started off running directly after the events of Six of Crows. And like the first book, there are twists and turns as Kaz and his ragtag gang of thieves try to get their revenge on Van Eck, free Inej, and keep jurda parem from becoming a more prevalent thing. Not all their plans run smoothly and that's the beauty of this book. When one roadblock would go up, I would anxiously wait to see if the gang would overcome or if it would finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say there were so many revelations that I didn’t really see coming. And even though I tried, I couldn't even begin to guess in what direction Kaz's scheming would go or what it would bring forth. I was constantly surprised. I'm pretty sure I almost had a heart attack reading most of this book.

The storyline was amazing but what really shined in this book were the characters. Leigh Bardugo continued to flesh out each of the main six and managed to add so much depth and more layers to each of them that I was amazed. Six of Crows introduced us to Kaz, Jesper, Wylan, Inej, Matthias, and Nina and their respective backgrounds but Crooked Kingdom is where they each had to confront and acknowledge certain things about themselves or their pasts. I loved seeing them figure out what they needed to overcome individually in order to move forward. And let me just say the Bardugo did not pull any punches. My heart still hurts.

Crooked Kingdom was an amazing conclusion to this duology. And while the direction it went in surprised me, I can't think of a better way for it to end. I seriously hope we’ll get to revisit these characters again in the future.

    

  5 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Theme Thursdays: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

This year we're going to try something new that we hope will help us tackle our TBR piles and keep us motivated to complete our #RockMyTBR challenges. We're starting a new feature called Theme Thursdays this year! Each month, we'll review books from our respective TBRs that fit a theme we choose at the beginning of the month. January's theme is MAGIC!

The Bear and the Nightingale
The Winternight Trilogy #1
Katherine Arden
Release: January 10, 2017
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At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Review:
I'm going to be honest here. The first half of this book is slow and full of worldbuilding. That doesn't mean it wasn't gloriously good but it took me a bit to get into it. I will say that I knew I was going to love the story as soon as I finished chapter three. The writing is gorgeous and atmospheric and reminded me of Robin McKinley's works which is one of the biggest compliments I can give a book. I loved that the story is full of Russian fairy tales! I was familiar with a few of them but not all of them. Reading this book, you can see that the author did her research and it made the story that much more amazing!

The story's main focus and character is Vasya, the youngest child of the minor nobleman, Pyotr Vladimirovich. She is a strange child who likes to spend all her days in the woods and is always getting into all sorts of mischief. This book isn't just the story of a girl with strange abilities, it's also about the rise of Christianity in Rus and how it starts pushing out the country's pagan beliefs. There are many households in Vasya's village who both pray to God and make offerings to the household spirits until a priest comes and tells them there is only God and no such thing as spirits.

Soon after that the village starts to suffer terrible winters that don't let up. Vasya starts to realize that the fairy tales her nurse told her growing up may not be simply fairy tales. When darkness descends on the village, Vasya may be the only one with the power to stop it.

This book is magical and Vasya is an unlikely heroine in the vein of Agnieszka in Naomi Novik's Uprooted and Aerin from Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown and I fell in love with her almost immediately! That love just got bigger as the book progressed and we watched her grow into a young woman. I'm pretty sure I can't quantify how much I ended up loving her by the end of the book. She's like the heroines of my childhood reading and it made my reading experience even more lovely! I loved that Vasya continues to make offerings to the household spirits and befriends them even though it goes against her Stepmother's views of them being demons.

The overall storyline of the book is very subtle and the story feels more like historical fiction than fantasy in places. But there comes a point about halfway through the book where things start to pick up and the subtle plot that had been laid in the first part comes to light and the conflict becomes noticeable. IT WAS SO WELL DONE! I'm amazed at how everything came together. This is one of those books that I'll be able to reread over and over again and pick up new details every time. Also, the number of Russian fairy tales referenced in this book was amazing and I'm pretty sure I missed a bunch. I need more books that revolve around Russian folklore in my life!

Not only did I fall in love with the story and the atmosphere of this book, but I fell in love with so many of the characters besides Vasya. I want more of them! The book ends on a slight cliffhanger that will make you want for the next book in this series ASAP. This book is definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year which makes Katherine Arden a debut author you don't want to miss! She has gained a place on my auto-buy list after just one book if that tells you how much I loved this story.

Recommended for fans of:
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   

  4 / 5 Stars