Look, I loved the story. The plot. Some characters. But it felt too much. Too many POVs that yeah, made the story longer but not richer. So I started skipping them. Like sure Emira was the mom, but some chapters for her? Why not just tell a bit of her side from Kell's or Rhy's POV? I did not need the details from her side really. Or Ned's. Or the girl who was looking over Ojka. And many more.

That was a long one. While I've read longer books in the past, this one definitely felt the longest. Up to page 400, it was incredibly slow moving (so much inner monologue!) and it only started to pick up after in the last 200-ish pages. As with the previous books, I just wasn't able to feel anything for these characters. Neither Kell and Lila nor Rhy and Alucard really had anything going for it as a romantic pairing. My favorite characters were some of the side characters, such as Hastra and Emira, but I still wouldn't say I loved them. I am disappointed that we never got to find out about Lila's or Kell's heritage and, therefore, it still makes zero sense as to why Lila is an Antari when she's from Grey London WITHOUT magic. Osaron as a villain felt tedious, I still don't understand what he (they?) even was supposed to be? Overall, I'll still give the book 3 stars, but it's my least favorite book in the Shades of Magic series. As for an overall rating for the whole series, that'll also end up as a strogng 3 star series, that ultimately was a bit of a letdown after hearing how great it was for years and years.

Es ist schon zig Jahre her, seit ich die ersten beiden Bücher gelesen habe. Nun habe ich es überraschenderweise doch noch geschafft, Buch Nummer drei zu lesen. Noch überraschter war ich, dass ich mich ziemlich schnell wieder in der Geschichte und Schwabs Welt zurechtfand. Die Figuren kamen alle wieder zu mir zurück und sogar gewisse Ereignisse tauchten wieder vor mir auf. Das zeigt doch, dass VE Schwab aussergewöhnliche Bücher zu schreiben vermag. Eigentlich habe ich nur keine vier Sterne gegeben, weil sich das Buch einfach zu lang anfühlte. Ich wartete auf den Höhepunkt, aber dieser wurde immer wieder hinausgezögert. Schlussendlich hat einiges davon Sinn gemacht, aber der Weg dorthin war ein wenig steinig. Am liebsten wäre ich immer bei Alucard und Rhys geblieben, leider sind Bard und Kell die Hauptfiguren. Immerhin habe ich mit Lila ein wenig Frieden schliessen können, auch wenn ich immer noch Mühe mit ihr hatte. Aber hey - ich habe die Trilogie durch!

Now, THAT is the way to wrap up a series! We have more pirate/sea adventures, a great villain redemption arc, an ending with lots of closure (but also devastating moments and goodbyes), and so much banter. Alucard, Kel and Lila (and also Holland, and Rhy) have my heart and I am so glad that I am able to return to the world of the four Londons in V. E. Schwabs new series, The Threads of Power <3

Ich möchte diese wundervollen Charaktere und die vier Londons einfach nicht gehen lassen! Einen ganzen Monat habe ich für dieses Buch gebraucht und habe jeden Satz genossen. Leider war das Ende nicht ganz so episch wie gedacht und die Beziehung von Alucard und Rhy ging mir irgendwann auf die Nerven, aber es war trotzdem ein unglaublich tolles Buch!&#x1f62d;&#x1f494;

A Conjuring of Light war ein gelungener Abschluss, wenn auch leider nicht mein Lieblingsteil der Trilogie. Die Geschichte beginnt direkt nach dem Ende des zweiten Teils und ist somit von Beginn an super spannend. Während jedoch auch dieser Teil wieder super actionreich ist, gab es doch ein paar Längen und leider konnte mich dieser Teil nicht so sehr fesseln wie die vorherigen Teile. Dennoch war auch dieser Teil super unterhaltsam und ich liebe die Welt, welche Victoria Schwab geschaffen hat. Insbesondere liebe ich aber die Charaktere. Kell, Lila, Rhy und Alucard sind mir schon in den vorherigen Teile ans Herz gewachsen und ich liebe die Gruppe und all die verschiedenen Dynamiken die sie untereinander haben. Was ich jedoch nicht erwartet hätte ist, dass mir sogar Holland ans Herz wachsen würde. Ich fand es sehr interessant auch mehr über Hollands Hintergrund zu erfahren. Insgesamt hat mir die Shades of Magic Trilogie super gefallen und ich kann sie nur weiter empfehlen. Ich freue mich auch total, dass Victoria Schwab noch mehr Bücher in dieser Welt plant und hoffentlich auf ein Wiedersehen mit Kell, Lila, Rhy und Alucard

THIS was so BEAUTIFUL! I don't know any other word to describe this ending! It was so wholesome? Not really, but it left a really wholesome feeling in me after this adventure I just read for the last two months. I think some parts felt a bit stretched (that's why I wanted to give 4 stars, maybe just because I read the e-book) but they were still very interesting and led to a big build up that kinda floods everything within the last 160 pages (that's why I can't bring myself to give it just 4 stars). Awesome. I know that I will miss these characters and the world! I also send my best wishes for Gray London!

It's finally confirmed that Lila is Antari when she crosses into White London. For a moment she has no idea how to find Kell, even though she knows there's something binding them together. She knows Antari's words, knows how to move within the same world, knows it's possible to find people the same way. And Kell and Lila may be fixed pointssince she finds him with only memories. But she doesn't exit inside his room, but outside, where she fights Ojka. Seeing Holland's pain inside the king who stole is body is heartbreaking. He fought so hard for so long, did everything he could to save his world and it wasn't enough. He lost everything and he doesn't have enough strength to fight the king. And Rhy dying, again, horribly. With memories of a time when he'd try his best to go to magic since it had not gone to him. Dying with Kell's voice begging in his head. And Alucard is right there with him, seeing the ties that bind him to Kell, trying desperately to keep him tethered to life with magic and memories. With love. Kell is half lost when he hears Lila's voice before she breaks his door. And he is so broken he can barely function. She him but he still can't walk properly. So she insists with him to tell him the Antari word to mend and fix him andhe’s astonished at what she did. They go back to the palace, where the queen is in deep suffering and denial after her boy died. He is decomposing as he would have had they buried him the first time. She's the only one praying for Kell to return at that point, the one to hear Rhy’s intake of breath. But she's not the only one seeing life being breathed back into him. She and Alucard see the magic bind itself around Rhy. And Alucard doesn't care how that's possible, he only cares that it is. Kell and Lila crash through the door to Rhy's room and the queen clings to him beyond relieved that her sons are back. Osaron is a maniac that thinks that he can do anything and everything he damn well pleases because he is magic. He kills someone just to know how much of him the man could hold. Magic flows through him with no real order, it does what it pleases but it's more like a child's whims. He thinks himself a god and because of that people should bow to him, no matter what. Everyone is just minding their own business and enjoying the ball when they notice Osaron. Kisimyr goes to him and when he starts spouting nonsense about being their new king, she defends her actual king. The shadow king takes notice of her so of course she dies, crumbling to ash at his feet. Kell, the king and some guards go to meet Osaron. Kell's will battles Osaron's and it doesn't end well. The king and his guards also try to fight him when he is focused on Holland, who is fighting back but he leaves his host's body. Kell panics for a second, thinking it will enter his body or Lila'scompletely forgetting that he needs a willing host. But Osaron has a much better plan: throw himself into the river and reach people from there while he grows stronger. Lenos feels the magic more deeply than other characters are described to feel. It's interesting how he feels Lila's magic, how he feels the wrongness of Osaron’s. People are falling into the now-black river and coming back to land spouting nonsense about Osaron. It's by pure chance that Kell figures out that his blood on an "uninfected" person repels Osaron, so he and Lila go about touching people with their bloody hands before he makes his own blood rain down on them. Lila and Kell separate so they cover more ground but it's still not enough and they are bleeding themselves dry. It reaches the point where the king calls them back, saying the city has fallen. Kell is angry at that but what they were doing was never going to be enough. They need a plan so Lila starts marking the ones inside the castle while the priests ward it. When Alucard learns what happened he has to go save his family, after being marked by Lila. I honestly don't know if I want to like/love Queen Emira or hate her, but fact is she's getting on my nerves. She wants to say thank you to Kell but also accuse him of almost taking her son from her. She will give him no forgiveness.She never wanted to be a mother, let alone queen, because she thought herself cursed, breaking everything she touched. When Rhy was born she was constantly worried, still is, but Kell came along and she wanted them to be brought up as brothers. But when Rhy was kidnapped she blamed Kell for not being there, started to try to make him her ward, but the boys were so close. She truly regrets treating Kell as her son, that much is clear, and I hate her for that. Kell deserves better than that woman. It's lovely that Rhy wakes up with Kell's name on his lips when his mother is talking to him. And he snaps at his mother for the things she says about Kell, saying that they bond goes both ways. I've never loved him more! Lila and Hastra find Kell with Cora hitting on Kell and Lila's interruption is glorious. But her poor state earns her a very sweet Kell. Alucard is trying his best to fight back the shadows but they have consumed everyone, few are able to resist and the ones that don't are murdering the people Lila marked. His brother fell and he is horrible to Alucard. He tries to kill him because of their past and Alucard barely manages to stop him. His magic lashing out trying to help him when he can't see and ends up bringing the house down. But only after he saved his still conscious sister from the darkness, bringing her back to his ship. Holland's entire life was horrible! Not long after his eye changed, his own brother attacked him and tried to kill him for his magic. He had to kill his brother, his only family, to survive. His head is full of the Danes' twins and its horrible too. And then there are the guards, sent by Lila to kill him. Kell has a plan to take away part of Osaron's power, something that stemmed from his talk with Holland and the strategy meeting: put the city to sleep and the shadow king has no actual, physical weapons against them. But someone needs to go to the Sanctuary. Lila just comes into the room and takes that task without being asked. Before she goes he makes sure that they both want the same thing when it comes to each other. And then he takes her to his room, where he has his. Lila draws the symbol in her blood but it's Kell who says the words, kissing her hair before she goes. I know this may sound stupid, but I think it's a truly beautifully sweet moment. He has let go of part of his fear in favor of trusting her (her skills, her ability, her). As much as Alucard wants it, his sister is not strong enough to fight and survive the shadow king.While she fights him, Alucard is plagued by the same fever, Osaron using his memories to torture him into submission. Rhy is reeling from everything that happened in one day and it truly was the longest day ever with the amount of things happening all around. And he's worried about Alucard. So he goes into the fog to search for him. It doesn't touch him, instead recoiling like it happens with Kell. He’s “death” makes him untouchable. And he holds Alucard until the fever breaks and he is left with marks but alive and not under a spell, rendering him immune to the fog. Kell's blatant but easy show of power when a few magicians try to run over Hastra and his orders is awesome. And Hastra is a loyal person, coming to Kell first when he fails to find the prince. Kell gets Rhy and the captain back to the palace, the latter not very happy to have left his sister behind, before Kell explains she's dead... The Sanctuary is quiet as death, the priests either with the king or lost to the fog. But soon someone comes knocking and she opens the door. But Lenos's not the only one to come knocking, and others are not as sober. She gets what Tieren asked and before they leave Esa, Alucard's cat, meets them. She doesn't like Lila so she runs away. Lila goes after her, leaving her things with Lenos, and is ambushed by three of Osaron's people. She is nearly pushed into the river far below by them in a fight but manages to topple them when she uses her power in the stone. Darkness still reaches for her but she prevails. Rhy has the noble idea of going in search of more survivors like Alucard but the king and queen were not pleased. Lila tells them she’ll keep him safe. Except that he doesn't need her to and she knows it, is the only person who doesn't treat him like he's going to break. Lila is scouting the Night Market when she sees someone purposefully drawing Osaron's attention. The man is lost to grief and wants to die like his family but a hard talk from Lila seems to set him on a better path. Then Lila enters Calla's shop and sees what she gave her as payment scattered on the floor before seeing the woman herself dead, just before she is swept away by the wind... Lila is devastated. After everything Holland has suffered, his brother trying to kill him and then his girlfriend (someone who made him happy) and both dying at his hands, he wants to be executed. Not because he wants to end it but to try to trap Osaron in his body and then end him along with Holland. Kell is half afraid to do it since the last time he used the spell it traumatized him... Holland does everything he was supposed to do, he even begged, which he never did before in his life, for Osaron to help him. The shadow king answers but not in the way they were expecting. He washes over them, cleaning the blood away from the guards and leaving them fighting him in their minds. Osaron takes Jinnar his temporary vessel and pushes Holland to the water and Kell goes after him. They are drowning when Kell finally manages to free Holland from his restrains, but he himself is caught by the shadow king, trying to force his way in. Kell was the one that denied him and he wants him. But thanks to Holland and with a bit of Lila's help, the three Antari get out of the river. Tieren has a possible plan to contain Osaron that involves something that brought chaos in the past, an Inheritor. It serves to contain a person's magic so it can be passed to whomever they want. The catch? The one design that works leaves that magic accessible to anyone who wants to claim it. Still Alucard knows where one is, had traded it before but he needs a special map to get there. With Jasta's ship, Kell, Lila, Alucard and Lenos prepare to leave London to a black market in the middle of the sea in search for one rare object that might just help them. When Kell goes to say goodbye to his brother, giving him a pin through which he can call him if trouble comes, they share a very sweet moment. Rhy doesn't want his brother to go but can't make him stay; Kell is reluctant to go but he has to makes sure they get what they need. But when it's Alucard's turn to say goodbye Rhy acts like a prince, even though all he wants is to kiss him. The queen is finally kind with Kell giving him a piece of cloth emblazoned with KM (Kell Maresh) that she had made when he first came to the palace. He then goes to get Holland, making sure the shadow king has no body to take and keeping the palace safe. Even though no one likes that idea and Holland is punched by Jasta. A little girl and a blind man guard Jasta's ship. A little girl and a blind man, and they are better thieves than Lila! It makes for an amusing moment, especially with Kell's and Alucard's "show of power", which is becoming ridiculous (while still funny) at this point. Part of the royal guard has the noble yet insanely stupid idea of willingly going into the fog to overcome Osaron so they are worthy of protecting the royals. Rhy stays with them and is devastated by the entire thing. One of his guards died along with a lot if men he knew. He even has a short panic attack and is sick almost as soon as he enters the palace... During the time in the Spire Alucard thought again and again of different ways to get rid of Lila. He knew she was Antari, dangerous and trouble and that teaching her magic would only make things worse. But still he grew fond of her, unable to lose her no matter how much trouble she could bring. Alucard is the sweetest. And he certainly didn't learn that from his family! His father beat the crap out of him and sold him to a ship to take him far away when he discovered that Alucard was sleeping with Rhy. That's why he left him... Had he known that Rhy loved him as much as he did Rhy he'd never have left. Kell softened the tiniest bit at hearing this. The man that kept sending people (enemies, in hopes they'd die) Holland's way, became a friend of his and they took down the previous king and his guards together. Now I truly understand the pain Holland felt when he died. They were friends. Jasta has to dock to resupply, since they left in a hurry, and they have immediate trouble and Kell and Holland have to flee. While they make their way to a tavern Lila has a bad feeling and knows someone is following her, but her concentration is broken before she can act. But, after she left the tavern and an upset Kell (because she chose to go after Alucard instead of staying with him) and losing Alucard on the twists and turns of the streets, the members of the Copper Thief jump her. And she's all alone. Lila has the fight of her life with the six crew members of the Copper Thief and kills two of them before the other four beat her soundly. Still, she fights them. But when more appear she has no more blades, no more magic left and he shoves a knife inside her. She falls, losing blood, losing conscience, dying. But Kell, Alucard and Holland were already looking for her, after the captain had returned with no Lila in tow. Holland is the one to find her and he doesn't wait for Kell to save her. And when Kell reaches them he is worried sick already. But it's not over yet. There is still more to fight before they are safe. When she finally wakes up Kell is dizzy with relief and even Holland is happy, in his own way, that she's alive and well. Lila for her part, is reeling but is healing quickly. After two years of ruling, people were starting to feel restless wanting new blood in the White London throne. So Vor was thinking of reaching out to Maxim and ask for help. But then he was killed by the. He died in Holland's arms. And in his grief Holland didn't see the trap. He saw the castle dead around him and nothing more. And so the Dane twins caught him. Tortured him until he broke and when he didn't Athos placed that seal on his chest. Make him kill everyone who had served under Vor. And he could only watch as he did... Only Kell, Lila and Alucard are granted passage to the market and they meet the funniest, sassiest, sharpest old woman in history! I loved her immediately. She's awesome! Lila placed it upon herself to be the one to buy the Inheritor. Back in Grey London, Osaron seems to be unwittingly reaching Ned and the Five Points. Rattling the door, several faces appearing in the smoke when Ned tries to cleanse the room, the dark glass appearing on the ground, not to mention Ned's very vivid and troublesome dreams in Red London! I'm worried about what might happen there but also excited to see how that part of the plot plays out. In the market, Alucard finds a mirror that will show the truth of past events. And as he is making his way back to Maris a thread of Antari magic catches his eye: a ring. And since Kell has no idea what he is going to buy, Alucard gives it to him. The ring can be pulled apart into three rings. They are Antari ring so of course there is one for each of them. Things in Maris's market don't cost ordinary money. Alucard pays with four years of his life and Kell pays three. The woman sends the captain away to talk to Kell. She knew his parents, he was sold to her, and she was the one to put the memory spell on him. It should have faded away with time unless Kell was holding on to it. She gives him the spell to return his memories but after some deliberation he decides to burn the paper it was written in without having read it. His family are the Maresh, his home London. And that's what matters. For her part Lila just has to give up her broken eye for her prize but Maris offers her a glass Antari eye for a favor and she takes it. Once they are on their own ship Lila decides to test the rings. Kell has one on his finger and she puts another. Kell takes a little of Lila's magic and Lila gets it back along with Kell's own and he is on his knees begging her to stop. But in the cloud of magic in her head she doesn't hear his whispers. It's only when Holland intervenes and restores the magic to Kell that it stops. Lila pulls away the ring feeling a little out of sorts. But that power may just give them all what they need to win. I've never seen Holland even remotely excited about something, hopeful, but I think we caught a glimpse of that! Kell is the one to notice an attack and Lila runs up to the deck along the crew before it happens.. While they fight Kell goes overboard before he kills his attacker. Holland is attacked by multiple people who want his eye but uses Lila's spell to burst free, plunge into darkness and kill his attackers. And Lila catches the culprit: Jasta. She was sent to kill Kell and still tries to do that even bound! Kell can do nothing to stop her and Hastra is in front of him, fast as lighting, as the blade imbeds itself to the hilt in his chest Inside the palace, is the king finishes his spell, something he knows will kill him. He's binds his magic to twelve armors. As he is cleaning up his space Cora appears in Maxim's doorway, drenched in blood after having killed his guards. She's there to kill him, with her poisoned blades, and almost succeeds! But Lord Sol-in-Ar saves him and locks the princess. But he was not the only target. Queen Emira is alone in a ballroom listening to the palace when Rhy appears. But shortly after so does Col and he is acting weirdly enough that Rhy is suspicious. Still he only moves fast enough because his mother slows Col down and his blade goes through Rhy's chest. But that was not enough and even though Col is dead so is the queen, the blade having gone through her son and through her. Rhy goes to see the shadow king. he is so strong, he doesn't break even when he is being pierced again and again by ice spears. That pain is what propels Kell forward. The fight between the three Antari and Osaron, in Ojka's body, is amazing. He is still very strong but his power also has limits. Lila conjures the river inside the palace and it weakens him. But then he locks her to the floor and goes to Kell. Tries to get in. Since Lila wants to save him she takes Kell's magic and Osaron turns to her. And then Holland saves them all. Even made blind by the shadow king he is the one to trap him and win the fight. At the cost of his life... But this fight is amazingly done, the attention is constantly spinning between the characters and it's truly well-written! Holland doesn't die right away Kell takes him to his world and there he dies. But his world waked back up. He gave everything he had for a legend he had no idea he truly became. Alucard finally shows Rhy the true events after he left his bed. For that the king repays him by making him his guard, and welcoming him back into his bed, of course. Lila gets the Spire and Kell is finally going to see the world. With her. It was a brilliant ending for a fantastic story. Heavens, I feel like I've lost a friend as I end this book. I loved it! The entire trilogy is absolutely phenomenal, the world building so incredibly done, the story, the characters astonishing. I'd say more, I'd give more if I could.