Chatterbox: Blab About Books

A Darker Shade of Magic
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“There’s Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London,” she recited, ticking them off on her fingers. “See? I’m a fast learner.” 

For all of us ADSOM fans and V.E. Schwab fans in general! I'd figured we needed one of these! Also, let's try to keep this spoiler-y free, if you want to talk about something that's in the later books, make sure to put a spoiler alert!  

On another note, has anyone read This Savage Song? It's a really good book, and I'd definitely recommend it!

For everyone who has no idea what I'm talking about:

A Darker Shade of Magic is about a magician named Kell who is one of the remaining few who can travel through different Londons. There's Grey London, a world drained of magic, ruled by King George the III, Red London, Kell's home, White London, a world losing their magic to the brutal and tyrannical Dane twins, and Black London, a world completely consumed by forbidden magic. Kell is a messenger for Red London's royal family, but secretly, he smuggles tokens between worlds. When Kell is set up with a forbidden and dangerous token from Black London, he flees and meets the charming Lila Bard who agrees to help Kell return the token if he takes her on a proper adventure.

 

submitted by September
(June 18, 2017 - 3:02 pm)

I love this book! I'm reading A Conjuring of Light and Cinderella and I have been betting against each other on who's gonna die, etc. We left the Barnes and Noble a few nights a go and when we were walking across the parking lot back to the bus, we held our chai tea lattes in the air and she said, "I'm Rhy Maresh!" And I said, "I'm Kell Maresh!" And after that, we debated whether or not Kell could beat Kaz (he can't, Kell's a bit of a coward sometimes). 

submitted by Rose bud
(June 27, 2017 - 7:17 am)

Yeah, I just got A Conjuring of Light from the library! And yes, Kell would so lose to Kaz, but Lila and Inej would be best friends. 

submitted by September
(July 1, 2017 - 12:44 pm)

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS HAVE READ SIX OF CROWS?! I haven't read ADSOM, but if it's anything like Six of Crows, I am so reading it. 

submitted by Jarvis, age ???
(July 21, 2017 - 9:25 am)

Top! 

Lila Bard is awesome. Just wanted to say that. And I love the relationship between her and Kell. 

submitted by Zeus, Idaho
(June 30, 2017 - 7:24 pm)

YASSSS Lila is the best!!

submitted by September
(July 1, 2017 - 12:45 pm)

So, I listened to this book the other day, and have one thing to say. 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *makes incoherant fangirling noises* OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND I CAN'T I CAN'T EVEN IT WAS JUST SO AMAZING!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I ship Kell and Lila SO BAD. Like, I'm pretty sure it's my new otp.

Ok, I'm fangirling really hard right now so I'm going to end this post before I either A: Annoy the admins B: Blow up the cb or C: Do both at the same time.

OH MY GOODNESS LUNA SAYS "Zwei"!!!!! I don't know if anyone else watches rwby but..... EEEP! 

submitted by Autumn Leaves, age 14, Floating on the breeze
(June 30, 2017 - 7:57 pm)

Yay, more ADSOM fans!! Kell and Lila is possibly my favorite ship!!

submitted by September
(July 1, 2017 - 4:12 pm)

GUYS I HAVE A CONSPIRACY THEORY!!!!!

SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK AHEAD

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What it Lila's actually an Antari? I mean, it make sense right? The black London stone didn't completely consume her like it did to the other person, and she has a glass eye, right? So couldn't her other eye have been black (since she doesn't remember what happened to it?) So, what do y'all think? Is Lila an Antari?

submitted by September
(July 2, 2017 - 5:06 pm)

OH MY GOODNESS YES FELLOW THEORIST!!!!!!

I shall now add the neccisary spoiler space 

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I thought it the INSTANT that priest guy (rrg, can't remember his name) noticed her glass eye. It all makes sense. Her sensitivity to magic, her ability to control the stone, the way that she somehow made it through the doorway after the stone was destroyed...... OH MY GOODNESS YES. 

And that would make a Kell and Lila ship even more likely!!!!! *dies*

Luna says "yurf". I don't even really want to try to translate that right now. 

submitted by Autumn Leaves, age 14, Floating on the breeze
(July 3, 2017 - 11:45 am)

SPOILER (sort of)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sooo in the second and third books, for people who have read them... what do you think of Rhy and Alucard's relationship? I like them both but I'm not sure they're super well matched for each other in personality... I'm around halfway through A Conjuring of Light.

@Rose bud, I'm betting on at least one of the Red Royal family, and maaaaybe Holland.

submitted by Zeus, Idaho
(July 3, 2017 - 4:03 pm)

@Zeus hey, I'm halfway through A Conjuring of Light too! About Rhy and Alucard, I think they're cute, but they're both too reckless and prideful for it to actually work. . . 

@Rose bud, I'm betting on Maxim dying

submitted by September
(July 4, 2017 - 1:02 am)

Ewwww...Alucard and Rhy? So not happening. Kell and Lila? YESSSSSS!!!!! Also, CoL isn't as good as the others. More language. More cliches. 

Also, I looked up a fancast for the possible ADSOM movie, and the only person I liked was Anthony Ramos as Alucard Emery. Yay! That'd be awesome! I just hope they cut out that romance. It was too mature for the book. I know these are more adultish, but honestly, she should have just stuck with the Star Wars-y Kell and Lila romance! The books aren't that dark anyways. So why add something like that in there??? 

submitted by Rose bud, age Almost15 , Red London
(July 4, 2017 - 9:17 pm)

Honestly the Kell and Lila stuff gets... Intense. There's a chapter or so that I mostly skipped, you might want to as well. 

I think in temperament Alucard and Rhy are great for each other because they're similar enough to get along but different enough to aid each other in emotional development, etc. Still I see your point, it probably could have been executed better. 

submitted by Zeus, Idaho
(July 5, 2017 - 8:17 am)

Yeah, I skipped some parts, and reccomend that readers be wary. CoL didn't feel like an Shades of Magic book until the end of the middle, where they're all at Maris's market. The characters fell back into their usual places ("Hey wanna bet?" "NO!")  and it felt good!

submitted by Rose bud
(July 5, 2017 - 11:07 am)

Yeah, same. I found ACOL really, really long. . . was that just me? And yes, I skipped some parts too. 

submitted by September
(July 5, 2017 - 7:22 pm)