Sunday, January 15, 2017

Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)
Title: A Gathering of Shadows (#2)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Release: February 23, 2016
Rating:★ ★
Pages: 509
Where to find it:  Amazon | Bookdepository
Series: Yes
Format: Hardcover
Summary: 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. (goodreads)
Thoughts:
I just don't know what I was expecting from this book. I felt that the first book ended in a good place and the characters acted according to their circumstances. However, this book felt like the complete opposite. The characters didn't make sense to me. They were so spoiled and I just don't know how I felt. The plot was weird. It felt all too convenient for the plot line. It didn't feel like there was a lot of surprises in the story.
I like the idea of the world but the characters didn't really make me enjoy the story. Maybe I was trying to hard too like it because I did enjoyed the first book in the series. For example, one thing that thru me off was with Kell's parents, they felt completely bland and just hypocrites from what the first book was trying to say about them. I know that the writer was trying to make a point about an event that happen in the first book in this book and were their priorities stand. But it just felt so wrong to me. It felt like everything the first book was trying to prove wrong about them was completely thrown way. Specially with the Queen's character. I get that the writer did that to drive the story in the end. But it made me dislike the characters.
The book also felt as a filler book. It felt like it was written just for the third book to happen. It just dragged too long for me.
Mostly, the things I really liked about the book was the idea and the character of Kell. He was the only one that really made sense. Of course he would do everything he did in this book. But all the other characters just didn't make sense to me. Lila was just so different from the first book. It didn't feel as if she would do what she did. It was trying to hard to make is believe she was independent. If just didn't flow with me. Rhy's was just a mess to me I felt after what he went through in the first book, it just made me dislike him to some extent. I know that it would push him to do some things to try to cope from the previous book. But I just felt it was over exaggerated. I really wanted to like the book but there was just to many things that made me dislike the it.
I don't know if I will be reading the last book in the series. Maybe one day. What are your guys thoughts about this book if you read it?

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