A Conjuring Of Light (Shades of Magic #3)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre/Themes: Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
Release Date: February 21st 2017
Page Count: 624
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780765387462
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Ugh. This hurts. I loved this series so much. I loved this third and final book so much. And now it’s over. The entire series is over and I may cry. But first, let’s take a look at some of my more coherent thoughts on A Conjuring Of Light!
Synopsis
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.
What I Liked
The characters. The entire Shades of Magic series is filled with memorable and well thought out characters. They’re probably my favourite thing about this entire series. While Kell is kind of technically the main character, he isn’t the one that stands out the most to me. While I absolutely love him, it’s characters like Lila, Rhy, Alucard & Holland that stand out for me. Lila because of her amazing personality and her ability to take no shit from anyone. Rhy simply because of his character development. He has completely changed as a person from the start of the series and I have grown to love him more and more as the story continued. Alucard because he’s just my precious child. Honestly. I love him and Rhy and I will protect them until the end of time. And Holland…oh Holland. Again, another character who has changed quite a lot from the start of this series. I tend to love the dark and broken characters in any form of pop culture which probably explains why I like Holland so much. Overall, these characters absolutely made this series for me, especially as a reader who doesn’t venture into the world of fantasy very often.
The writing. Oh god, can Victoria Schwab write. I have loved (almost) everything I have ever read by her. She just has this way with words that I can’t even explain. Her stories are so beautiful to read as she paints a perfect picture with her writing. I honestly don’t need any help in mentally visualizing the characters and settings as I read because she does all the work for you. Absolutely beautiful!
The action. Where A Gathering Of Shadows fell flat for me, A Conjuring Of Light was the complete opposite. I found that A Gathering Of Shadows fell into the trap of a sequel. It became more of a filler/bridge from the first novel to the third. I was worried for a while that A Conjuring of Light would follow suit and feel like a slow read before reaching the end, but I was immediately wrong. A Conjuring of Light was action packed from start to finish. There was literally not a single dull moment. Every time I had to put the books down I couldn’t wait to pick it back up. I’m so glad that this final book was able to pick up the pace.
The finality. Ugh this is bittersweet. Yes, I loved the ending…but I’m sad because it was the ending. You know? Honestly though, I was super happy with the way that this book, and the series, ended. Yeah, it’s sad, but it was done right and it was done well. It felt final and complete and for that I am grateful.
What I Didn’t Like
The ending. Not like the actual ending itself. Just the fact that this series has ended. That’s a thing I can put under this category right? 😦
Okay. We can all cry now. I’m definitely sad, but I’m also happy. I’m just a mixture of all kinds of different emotions right now. I’ve already seen people begging for a spin off and while I totally understand the need for more, I also don’t want anything to be ruined. This series was fantastic, this final book was fantastic…so why don’t we just leave it at that?
Anoshe.
About The Author
I am the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, I have been known to say “tom-ah-toes”, “like”, and “y’all”. I also suffer from a wicked case of wanderlust, made worse by the fact that wandering is a good way to stir up stories. When I’m not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, I’m usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
These days, when someone asks me what I do when I’m NOT writing, I just kind of laugh nervously. But in truth, on the odd occasion I’m not typing away, I’m probably baking cookies, or watching BBC shows, or wandering. (See how we came full circle, there?)
Thank you for reading!
Big City Bookworm 
LOL – I didn’t like the same thing XD I gave this one 5 stars, too! SO GOOD! And I 100% agree about the characters being the main thing to love in this series. They are all SO GOOD!
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