Kell is one of a dying breed—an Antari magician with the rare ability to travel between parallel Londons. There's Red London with it's opulence and benevolent rulers—its magic in a healthy balance. Grey London contains no magic at all, and most people aren't even aware of its existence. In White London, magic is used to control, and power is seized and stolen by power-hungry rulers. And finally Black London, which has long since fallen into oblivion, where magic rules, corrupts, and overtakes. Intrigued yet?
The doors between the worlds are sealed and only Antari can travel through, so when Kell inadvertently smuggles a forbidden item back into Red London, some precarious magic is released, and he suddenly becomes a hunted man. On escaping to Grey London, Kell meets a street smart thief named Delilah Bard, who's determined to help and is ready for a proper adventure. But now, the wild, treacherous magic is leeching through Red London, seeping into all corners... and if Kell and Lila plan to stop it, they must first save themselves!
A Darker Shade of Magic is the first book in the Shades of Magic trilogy. It falls into what's called Gaslamp Fantasy—a magical version of the 19th century. Think Steampunk's more magically-inclined relative... The name was new to me too so I googled it. There was little to no romance here, which I appreciated since I don't like that swooning ooey gooey stuff. ;)
But WOW! This was a great read I had a hard time putting down! The magic, the parallel Londons, the Victorian time period... thieves, royalty, and a kickass female lead! Awesome sauce! I fell in love with Lila! “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” Words to live by girl... words to live by! <3 I'm anxiously looking forward to reading A Gathering of Shadows, the next in the series, which I actually started before I even completed this review! LOL
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