A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

Goodreads Blurb: 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.

My Thoughts: This book for me felt slow and dragged out. I’m not sure how I feel about the character Lila anymore. I was 50/50 with her in book 1 but now in book 2 I feel like  she’s too…..insert word. She is a strong character, she defies the odds which is great but she’s constantly stubborn hat I wish sometimes she would bend a little because it would make things go smoother. To me it felt like she was being stubborn just to be stubborn. The book also felt a little dragged out, I feel it could’ve been shorter. The most interesting parts I found where the elemental games. I loved being able to get more into the magic of the Londons and seeing that it’s more than just Kell. Overall the book is a good stepping stone into book 3.

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

Goodreads Blurb: Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

My thoughts: So many lies and secrets throughout the entire book and that is probably the best part. Trying to remember all the stories and who knows what. I thought the magic each enchanter has was interesting in who each enchanter found where their strengths were and such. The game itself fell flat for me and to me there wasn’t really much focus on the game itself just the drama behind the curtains. The enchanters was supposed to wow the tsar with their abilities and one-up each other but their tricks where dull and boring to me. There is a sequel to the book, The Crown’s Fate which I hesitate to read because the ending of the Crown’s Game kind of plateaued after the last test, I’m not sure if I’m going to like where the story is headed.