Ponder: A Darker Shade of Magic (1 of 3)

The author V.E. Schwab wrote The Darker Shade of Magic ©2015. It is a multiverse adventure in which there are four Londons: 1) colorful Red London with magic used wisely and generously, 2) austere White London with magic used to control in an evil manner, 3) dull Grey London with no magic at all, and 4) reputable extinguished Black London with black magic. I truly enjoyed the inventive setting with portals to different lands. The characters were also engaging and amusing. Kell is part of the royal family in Red London; he is an Antari, a blood magician. An Antari can pass through portals between the four Londons. Kell wears a jacket suited to each London and it has multiple sides… not just a reversible jacket with an inside and an outside, but with a seemingly infinite number of sides reachable by a turning sequence. Lila is a streetwise thief with a thirst for adventure and a spunky, independent attitude to go with it. When their two cross paths, the two form a bond – a bond which both of them will vehemently deny.

As I read on, fascinated, I thought to myself, that if this were a TV series or movie, I would hate it. I would be thoroughly confused. But then, a book is always better than its associated movie. But my initial confusion led to fascination with the intricacies of the plot, and I soon grew to enjoy the cleverness in the complexity. 

A potential turnoff is that this novel has so much bloodshed. (Another plus of a book over a movie; I only have to imagine as much gore as I can handle.) Much of this blood though is from an Antari, a person endowed with powers who uses the magic flowing within his own blood to invoke a spell, but who also heals quickly. I chose to read this book on the recommendation of a friend and also because last year I'd read and given five stars to a ©2020 fantasy novel by V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue (11/14/21). I never thought I was a fan of  fantasy fiction but in perusing my list of books read in 2021, the ones to which I gave five stars were of that genre. 

Here are some other reviews of A Darker Shade of Magic by other publications and by Amazon readers. Also, do not skip reading the writeup by Alicia Hayden in The Oxford Blue. The ethereal artwork at the end of this post is hers as well.

                                                  ––Amazon readers

Although Amazon readers rated this novel 4.4 /5.0, only slightly over half of them gave it five stars. I was surprised the number was not higher. I whole heartedly give A Darker Shade of Magic five stars. I already have the second book of the trilogy checked out of my local library.

★★★★★ Great! Read it!

Ponder: The Memory Quilt

Looking at my posts this far in 2022 I was a little bit bummed to realize I had only read three books thus far, and one of them I read in 2021 and just posted in 2022.  My goal is to read twenty-four books in a year, so by mid April I should have read at least seven. Then I realized there were several books I did read but never blogged. One was The Memory Quilt ©2009 by T.D  Jakes. It was unmemorable. The quilt part played a minor role and the Christmas reference was also secondary. I have no idea how this book made its way to the reading shelves next to the toilet, an appropriate location for it. It most likely came from a grocery store bargain bin. My husband could have also picked it up for me, lured into purchase by aiming to please my fondness for quilts and Christmas.

What did I dislike?

1. It was printed with blue text on parchment colored pages. Maybe it was supposed to set a mood but it is hard on the eyes to read.
2. It was meant to have a spiritual overtone but it came across as childishly preachy; it was neither deep nor introspective.
3. Its setting was in a black crime-ridden neighborhood, clearly not the Christmas season ambience I was anticipating.
4. The main character is very judgmental. The book is about her becoming more charitable but until she does, the book is unpleasant.
5. The completed quilt is a disappointment.
6. After reading, I learned the author is a well-known preacher who is regularly featured on the Dr. Phil show and lives in a 14,000 square foot mansion. Both of these facts turned me off.

I felt pretty biased and prejudicial when I read re-read what I wrote for #6 above. To be fair I give you his web site to judge for yourself if you want. www.tdjakes.com A few of his one minute videos do provoke some thought... unlike his book The Memory Quilt! 

Skip this book. I have not yet decided whether to donate it to the library or place it in the recycling bin. At least I can count it toward one of my 24 books in 2022.

★☆☆☆☆ Awful but I read most or maybe even all of it