A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab: There's a cliffhanger because of course there is

A Gathering of Shadows 

by 

V. E. Schwab

              Kell and Lila went and saved the world in the last book. So of course, they’re treated like criminals in this one. Well, Lila isn’t. But that’s because she’s disappeared off the face of the earth. Meanwhile Kell, whose life is now magically tied to Rhy’s, is all but a prisoner in his own home. As if Kell wasn’t enough of a target before when he was the only Antari in Red London now he’s got the crown prince’s life dependent on his own. All that coupled with a nation hopping tournament that brings together the most powerful (and dangerous) people in the world makes Kell’s life a little difficult to say the least.

Characters

Kell: can somebody say adrenaline junkie? Kell is dangerously bored. He began acting out in the first book because he felt like more of possession than a person and that feeling has only heightened now that the King and Queen don’t trust him with his former London hopping duties, much less the life of their son. Basically, Kell is a bitter, sullen little bean in this one. Which I actually kind of liked. We don’t often get to see the heroes after the hero-ing is over and even if we do it usually involves a lot of parades or other honors. Not so here of course because Schwab has taken the ‘kill your darlings’ thing to heart.

Lila: I’m just gonna call her a knife in human form. Lila is all edges and she would stab you soon as look at you. She is the epitome of an anti-hero that you root for solely because they’re cool or funny not because they have some secret depth of kindness. Because they probably don’t. Lila certainly doesn’t at least when it doesn’t pertain to Kell because we all know that she’d follow him to the ends of the earth even if it was under the pretense of stabbing him when she got there. And can we just appreciate her and Rhy’s friendship. Admittedly it doesn’t get a lot of ‘screen’ time but it’s built on asking Kell to 'please control his destructive tendencies' (pot calling the kettle black Lila?).

Rhy: I liked him a bit more this time around. Probably because he was a bit less of a git. Seriously though can we just ban the ‘flirt with everything that has two legs’ character. Their only purpose is to make sex/gender related puns and they just aren’t funny. At least Rhy and Kell’s relationship was explored a little more in this one which was sweet. I have a soft spot for brotherly love in books purely because sisters are all I’ve got. Which is probably for the best now that I think about it.

Likes

Magic, magic, magic: there was so much more of it in this one! Which is to be expected of course because we spend almost all out time in Red London which is the most magical London there is but it’s still the coolest part! The Elemental Games were the most interesting parts though I admit it remind me of whatever the heck that sport is from Legend of Korra. Which didn’t really gain it any points I have to say.  

Bad guy is ultra-scary of course: I don’t want to talk too much about em because that would be spoiler-y (not that I know too much about him anyway) but you should know that he is legitimately creepy. I love Villains with understandable motivations and boy did this guy have a point even if he’s going about it in a bit of a violent murder-y way. Can’t wait to see more of him in the third one.  

Lila has fulfilled her dreams of becoming a pirate: and dang is she a good one. Well, she’s not actually a pirate like a pirate captain or anything but she’s on a pirate ship. And she even has her own creepy song. Okay Lila can be a bit over the top. In fact I swear she’s trying to pull some sort of batman with the way she uses creepy masks, fear and intimidation to avoid conflict. Still trying to decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing because I’m too buys being slightly disturbed.

Dislikes

It was a tiny bit slower than the last one: okay it was a lot slower. Which isn’t technically a problem more like a surprise. The beginning half was actually more character driven than focused on the plot which I probably would have like more if I’d known it was going to start out that way. As it was I kept bracing myself for the action from the last book to come roaring back and it never really did. It was unexpected to say the least and a change that I’m not entirely sold on.

And that cliffhanger! I hate my life it was awful. And the third one just came out! I’m never going to find it.