Review: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series.

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3)
By V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: With the shadow king Osaron on the verge of taking control of Red London and all of its people, Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Alucard race to discover a way to stop him. They find themselves bargaining with shady figures, making unlikely allies, and sacrificing whatever is necessary in order to stand even the smallest chance against Osaron. As unstoppable as the shadow king seems, though, his weakness may be underestimating the determination of those fighting to save Arnes.

Review: I may have set a personal record for longest amount of time taken to read a book while reading A Conjuring of Light. It took me about five months from start to finish. This had absolutely nothing to do with the book itself and everything to do with my mindset due to all the goings on outside the world of books. Finally, though, I found myself with some time to get reacquainted with this novel, and once I dove back into its fantastic world of magic, multiple Londons, and a many-sided coat, I devoured the remaining pages, reading more in two days than I had in almost two months.

The previous book in the series, A Gathering of Shadows, ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, and mercifully, A Conjuring of Light dives right into seeing its resolution. Don’t be fooled into thinking, however, that the book is done giving you heart palpitations because it’s only just beginning. I felt rather wrecked by the time I was done reading A Conjuring of Light. Even when there isn’t an action scene taking place, the threat posed by Osaron, the evil magic that’s taking over Red London, is always so palpable that you’re on edge for just about the entire book, waiting for the next stab to your heart, as sharp as one of Lila Bard’s knives or quips.

Osaron seems such an unstoppable foe, and every clash with the shadow king and the unwilling followers he creates by invading their minds is a fierce battle. Not only do Kell, Lila, and Alucard need to contend with that in order to escape Red London in the hope of finding an object that may help them, but they also have to fight off vicious pirates and literally bargain with their lives. Sacrifice also looms large over the main characters, both the ones who wield magic and those who do not, as they’re all pushed to their physical and emotional limits—sometimes beyond.

In addition to creating an incredibly immersive magical world, Victoria Schwab has exquisitely crafted complex characters. What I especially love about them is that they’re flawed. They make mistakes, and there are consequences, and that is what makes them so relatable. Schwab also possesses a knack for writing the best morally gray characters, like Victor Vale from Vicious and Holland from Shades of Magic. Holland has been an intriguing, complicated character from the outset of the series, and with the addition of some backstory in A Conjuring of Light, Schwab once again demonstrates just how gifted she is at creating characters with seemingly endless depth.

I absolutely love badass thief/pirate Delilah Bard. No matter how hard or how many times this resilient lady gets knocked down, she gets back up and keeps fighting. I can’t emphasize enough how intense this book can be at times, usually with Lila right in the thick of the action.

My list of favorite things about this book and this series could go on and on, so I’ll only mention one last highlight: the bond between Kell and Rhy. Of course, it goes way beyond just being brothers because of the magic Kell used to tie their lives together in order to save Rhy’s life. Here again, Schwab examines all of the facets of Kell’s actions back in A Darker Shade of Magic. Yes, Rhy is alive, but he continues to struggle with the weight of what happened to him as well as with the weight of his crown—a prince without magic whose people are under attack all around him. Rhy’s arc is as compelling as it is outstanding, and the same can be said for the arcs of Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Holland.

As a series finale, A Conjuring of Light delivers in every way imaginable. It’s heart-pounding, sometimes even humorous thanks to the witty dialogue, occasionally heartbreaking, and most definitely magical.

All in All: If you love books about magic, this series is not to be missed. A Conjuring of Light is an absolutely stellar close to Shades of Magic. Anoshe, indeed.

Review: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)
By Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Kate Harker and August Flynn’s families stand on opposite sides of the divide between the two halves of their city, a city teeming with lethal monsters. Kate’s ruthless father offers paid protection from the monsters to those in North City who can afford it, while August’s father is rumored to be sitting on a massive weapon that could destroy Callum Harker’s hold on North City. As their fathers edge closer to leading their territories to conflict, Kate and August find themselves somewhere in the middle and discovering that there’s a fine line between being human and being a monster.

Review: I am so glad that I read This Savage Song soon after reading Victoria Schwab’s superb adult novel, Vicious. At the very beginning of This Savage Song, there’s a quote from none other than Victor Vale, one of Schwab’s Vicious protagonists. It’s an apt quote, too, about humans and monsters, which lie at the heart of This Savage Song.

The monsters in this book are all kinds of scary and fall into three types: Corsai, Malchai, and Sunai. The Corsai and Malchai are truly the stuff of nightmares with their claws and teeth. While the Sunai come the closest to passing as human in appearance, they’re capable of stealing human souls—with only a song. August Flynn, one of the book’s two protagonists, is one of three known Sunai. The adopted son of Henry Flynn, the human leader of the southern half of a city left divided by a territory war, August struggles with who—and what—he is throughout the novel. Yes, he’s part of a family with human parents and a Sunai brother and sister. But August is also capable of mass destruction, a secret that must remain hidden from Henry Flynn’s nemesis Callum Harker, the iron-fisted ruler of North City and the father of Kate Harker, our other main character.

Kate is a no-nonsense young woman. We’re introduced to her just as she’s about to set the chapel at St. Agnes Academy on fire. Her goal is to get expelled and sent home to V-City and to her father, who’s been shuffling Kate around from school to school for the past few years. Kate finally gets her wish and is allowed to return to North City, although it’s not exactly a warm welcome that greets her arrival. Still, she’s determined to prove to her father that she’s very much the daughter of the man who sells protection from the monsters to those willing to pay for it.

For me, the center of this book was the connection that develops between Kate and August. I’m struggling a bit here to find the right word to describe what’s between them. Refreshingly, there aren’t any romantic undertones to it. The two are drawn to each other’s company when they shouldn’t be, given the enmity between their fathers. In fact, August is sent to Kate’s new school to keep tabs on her, but some thrilling—and chilling—plot twists find them both running for their lives—together. Schwab is just so good at writing deep story lines. She’s also brilliant at writing characters who aren’t exactly good but aren’t exactly bad, exemplified here by a monster with a conscience who doesn’t want to give in to his nature and go dark.

The only teensy hiccup I ran into with this book was grasping some aspects of the world-building. I was expecting a little more backstory to the origin of the monsters and the cataclysmic event known as the Phenomenon, but the novel is very much focused on the present and not so much on how we arrived here. I became so invested in the characters, though, that I was OK with not having all the answers to my questions about the world. Other readers, however, might want those details about the past filled in.

Vicious left me thinking about it for days after finishing it, and This Savage Song has lingered in my mind in a similar fashion. Victoria Schwab’s take on monsters is very unique, and this is definitely the kind of book that you need to experience for yourself. As I was writing this review, I had a hard time putting into words specifically why I enjoyed the book so much. I just got lost in the story, driven by two fantastically written characters. So in short, I really, really liked This Savage Song because . . . I just did.

All in All: Victoria Schwab is a storytelling virtuoso, and here she brings together monsters and music for one hell of a rockin’ concert.

Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch
By Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Hyperion Books CH

To Sum It Up: All of the children in the small town of Near know the legend of the Near Witch. Lexi Harris knows the story better than most; her father would whisper all sorts of stories about the small village in which they live, tales about the moor which surrounds Near on all sides, and rumors of the witches who live on the brink of both worlds. When Lexi catches a glimpse of a strange figure standing on the hills just outside the reach of her home, she doesn't know what to think. And when the figure becomes a wisp of a shadowy wind and disappears just before her eyes, Lexi begins to think that she is imagining things. That is, until the next morning, when the whole town of Near is gossiping about the stranger. It is all harmless curiosity until children start to go missing in the night. Almost everyone in town is convinced that the mysterious stranger is the culprit. Lexi is the exception. She has met the stranger, Cole, and he's just a boy, maybe a few years older than she is. And while the whole town is convinced of his guilt, Lexi believes he is innocent. Cole wants nothing more than to help, and Lexi can use all the help she can get. While the rest of the town wastes time chasing shadows, Lexi has a real idea of who is magically making the children disappear. Lexi doesn't just believe in the stories of the Near Witch; she believes that the Near Witch is real.

Review: The Near Witch was an excellent book. I have always been fond of fairy tales, so when I heard about this book I just knew I had to read it. It was a fantastic story and I really did enjoy it.

The Near Witch isn't one of those princes and princesses/happily ever after sort of books; it kind of reminded me of one of the Grimm Brothers' stories. And since I love the Grimm Brothers, I obviously liked this story as well. Victoria Schwab perfectly mixed darkness and danger into her fairy tale. I actually remember reading the first couple of pages and thinking, wow this really reminds me of The Hunger Games. I mean, come on, the main protagonist is the eldest daughter of a single mother, who just happens to be the town's bread baker :D Said girl has just recently lost her father whom she was extremely close to, leaving the teenage girl to look after her beloved little sister while her mother ghosts around the house, an empty shell of her former self. Try telling me that you wouldn't be thinking the same thing! Lexi, the protagonist of the book, even wears her father's old leather boots and hunting knife, and Lexi just happens to be a tracker. Talk about déjà vu!

Anyway, enough about the factors which reminded me of The Hunger Games; let’s get back to the book I'm reviewing. The Near Witch was really sad at times, and the conflict was pretty haunting. I couldn't read certain parts late at night because like the little wimp that I am, I got pretty creeped out. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I like to think of myself as fairly brave. I usually don't get scared so easily.

Aside from my fear of being kidnapped by the Near Witch, I really liked the plot and premise of the book. I thought the whole thing was pretty unique. Sure, witches and the battle between good and evil are in a lot of fairy tales, but Schwab managed to put a new twist on some old ideas. The characters and mystery of the book were enjoyable as well. I really like Lexi. She sometimes reminded me of Katniss Everdeen while also being a totally new and different fictional character. Lexi was strong but didn't think she had to do everything on her own; she was more than willing to accept help from others. I also liked the fact that she had a mind of her own. The whole town seemed to be brainwashed, except for Lexi.

Cole was all right. He was the main male protagonist but I didn't care about him. I obviously liked how he helped Lexi and all; he just seemed a little weak. Not weak in the muscle sort of way, but in the emotional, strength of mind sort of way. He was very quiet, and I tend to like the snarky type of fictional guys. So, in a way, me not loving him is not Cole's fault. It's me, not you, Cole! He was an okay guy and I liked his back story, but he just wasn't my kind of guy.

My favorite characters in this book have to be the Sisters. I loved them; they were hilarious. The Sisters are two hedge witches who live on the outskirts of the small town of Near. They are not accepted in the town's society, but they still help whenever they are needed. The Sisters are very old, sarcastic, powerful, and intelligent. Those girls had attitude, and I loved them for it! Almost every time Lexi or Cole had a problem, they went to the Sisters for help. The two witches seemed to know everything. They knew what was going down and how to stop it. They were just that cool.

In the end, I enjoyed reading The Near Witch. It had me intrigued from the very first page. I enjoyed the story, and the characters were likable. Besides being beautifully written, the concept was truly unique. Heck, I think Disney should make a movie out of this fairy tale! Not many people can write good, original fairy tales anymore. To say the least, I would gladly reread The Near Witch or read a sequel, if there is one; I'll need to check on that ;) I'd even happily watch a Disney movie adaptation!

All in All: The Near Witch was very enjoyable to read. I do not have my own copy of the book nor do I think I will be getting one any time soon due to a lack of funds; I will, however, happily jump at the chance to read a sequel. I love this sort of stuff; I just eat it up!