A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (review by Angela C. '21)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are four Londons - Grey London, Red London, White London, and Black London. Kell, a Traveler, is one of the few who can move between the cities. Unfortunately, one of his hobbies lands him into a difficult predicament and he has to jump from city to city to fix the problem. He's joined on his adventures by Delilah Bard. "Lila" is a great thief - quick on her feet, has fast, light hands, and notorious in Grey London. All of this changes when she accidentally steals the wrong stone from the wrong man.

Add in a charming prince, a towering castle, a handful of kings and queens, an Enthusiast named Neil, and several royal guards and there’s a perfect story for almost anyone!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about magic and needs some entertainment during the school year! - Angela C. '21

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Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (review by Anya W. '20)

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The destiny of a samurai's daughter is to marry well to bring honor to the family. Even 17-year-old Mariko is no exception, never mind the fact that she's smart enough to be a step or two ahead of most everyone she meets. But when her convoy to meet the betrothed her father selected for her is attacked and only Mariko survives, she knows that the only way to protect her family's honor is to destroy the ones who attacked her. So, with no way to contact her twin brother, she sets off dressed as a boy in order to infiltrate her only lead: a bandit group called the Black Clan. The thing is... what Mariko finds is a lot closer to family. The novel definitely had some strong elements, from the premise of the plot to more realistic character reactions then some YA novels. However, the author's attempts at creating chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest, while (refreshingly) present, were oft clumsy. Furthermore, the ending of the book, even with the clear set-up for a sequel, feels a bit rushed it would have been nice to have more time with various character and their reactions to recent plot developments. - Anya W. '20

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