Book Avengers: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Hello and welcome to our May Book Avengers post!  Today we are featuring A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, the sequel to our April pick.  We absolutely LOVED book one, A Darker Shade of Magic and were (maybe just a little bit) hoping that your guys would vote for us to continue on.

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.

Kristina’s Thoughts:

For this one I both read and listened, though not at the same time. (I tried to double down to finish faster, LOL.)  We pick up four months later so there is a bit of gap which isn’t my favorite thing in a story but it was an easy transition as Schwab recaps just enough in case you forgot anything from book one.  I loved the audio aspect with the book because it helped me follow along when characters spoke another language and learn the proper pronunciation which is something I struggle with in many fantasies so I appreciated the extra information.

I’m always torn when trying to review a continuing series.  I want to talk about the book but I also don’t want to give anything away that could be considered spoilerish so get ready for some vague comments!  WOW!  AWESOME!!  WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!  GUYS.  As the second book in the series, AGOS did NOT fall into the sophomore slump and packed a very big punch.  The ending alone should make you want to continue with the series but if that wasn’t enough there might be a few stolen and steamy moments mixed in somewhere. . . .(I’m just saying in case you needed a bit of motivation) Kell is an absolute dream character that I love and wish I knew.  RED LONDON OR BUST!  Just so everyone knows I don’t think the conclusion, A Conjuring of Light will make it to a vote for #bookavengers because I will not be able to wait on chance that you guys pick it.  This is definitely something I will be picking up preorder or release day only.  EEP.

If I had one complaint it would be that the main characters of book one spent so much time apart in book two.  I missed their banter, though their time together was also worth the wait.  GIVE ME MORE.  NOW.  Please?

Did it live up to the hype?

Based on how much I loved book one I knew this one was a definite read and I thought I’d enjoy it for sure.  BOY DID I UNDERESTIMATE IT.  This book kicked major booty and deserves every single bit of hype though as I love Schwab’s Archived books I don’t know why I doubted that I might not love these.  I think this has hyped her enough to me to finally get the ball rolling and read the rest of her books as well.

Kristina’s Rating: 4/5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah’s Thoughts:

Okay, so I went into “A Gathering of Shadows” with a healthy dose of skepticism. I mean, how could I love it as much as I loved “A Darker Shade of Magic’? I was preparing myself for a second book slump. Well, maybe not slump since I’m pretty certain Victoria Schwab is a genius. But I had convinced myself that there was absolutely NO way I was going to love book two as much as the first. Well, friends…I’m here to tell you that I was WRONG! So very wrong. AGOS is everything I loved about ADSOM and soooo much more. What did I love so much about this book? Well, let me tell you…without giving too much away of course!

I absolutely adore this group of characters! Each and every one of them is so fully-formed and complex that you can’t help but get pulled into their stories. Kell absolutely stole my heart in AGOS. He’s willing to sacrifice everything for those he loves and for what he believes in. We should all have a Kell in our lives. Lilah is just as badass as she was in ADSOM and it was so fascinating to see how her character had grown since book one. Girlfriend has been put through her paces by new character in this book. Speaking of this new character…Ohhh, Alucard how I loved him. He’s just enough of a bad boy, but I have a feeling there’s more to him than meets the eye. I’m hoping we get to learn more about him in the next book. Of course, we have Prince Rhy. While I don’t feel as much as a connection with him as I do with the other characters, I’m still totally invested in his story and fascinated by what he brings to the table.

The build-up in this book is unreal and it is filled with a perfectly paced set of events that play off of one another. Each chapter reveals something new and helps to tie it all together. I just love it when that happens, all those “ah-hah moments” when things start clicking together. It’s painfully clear that big things are happening and a new evil is taking shape. How that is revealed to us slowly throughout the book is amazing. The stakes have been raised and I was blown away with Schwab’s ability to take her story to the next level. Just when you think it can’t get any better…it does!

 

Did it live up to the hype?

Ummm…have you been reading this review. YES, AGOS absolutely lived up to the hype! The action and adventure, the mystery and magic, the feels…it all comes together and ends with the most epic of cliffhangers. I actually think I fell OFF the cliff for this one. I’m literally counting down the days for “A Conjuring of Light”…276 days to be exact! If you haven’t started this series yet, start soon, because the one year countdown to the finale has begun!

Sarah’s Rating: 5/5

  

Want to be a part of picking our next book?  Below are our three June picks that we’ve narrowed down from our current TBR list.  we decided to start working a few new titles into the voting rotations so we hope you like what we’ve narrowed down to for voting! For your vote to count your can either comment on this post with your pick or head on over to our twitter hashtag #bookavengers and vote using our twitter poll.  (It will be pinned this month to my twitter: @gone_pecan) Feel free to retweet and help promote your pick!  Voting closes May 23rd and we will be announcing our next pick via twitter that day.

June picks:

In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

 

Once, a hero rose to save the world. He failed.

For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.

Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and defeating the Lord Ruler. A new kind of uprising is being planned—one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a teenage street urchin named Vin.

Once, a hero rose to save the world and failed. This time, can a young heroine succeed?  

 

We hope you guys enjoyed our post and vote to pick our next back list books!  Please remember voting will end May 27th (via comment here and our twitter poll) and we will announce our June pick then.  As always, if it is new to you as well please join us in reading, we’d love to chat with others while we are reading.  See you soon!

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