A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab: FINALLY!!

A Conjuring of Light 

by 

V. E. Schwab

Apparently, climaxes can’t be climaxes unless everything’s on fire. Not to mention everyone dies. The last book ended on the cruel cliffhanger of Kell being kidnapped by Holland/Osaron, Rhy dying because of course he is (the child can’t go a day without having a near death experience) and Lila discovering that she is literally the only capable person in the entirety of Red London. Again, no surprise there. So of course, this books opens up with torture, near fatal scrapes and a good bit of actually fatal scrapes. In fact, the first dozen chapters are so chaotic it’s almost hard to breathe in-between them. Anyway, Osaron shows up in Red London, takes over the city and starts blowing crap up for the pure heck of it. So it’s up to Kell and Lila and a few other people to stop him before he turns Red London into Black London.

Characters

Kell: oh Kell you poor thing. I love this child I really do but sometimes he’s a bit dense. Still it’s the right kind of dense. If that makes any sense? Like it’s a noble kind of dense where he puts other’s safety over his own. Symptoms are running into danger like newb because Rhy or Lila or whatever. So, I guess it’s the acceptable kind of dumb. Still you’ve got to appreciate his sarcasm if nothing else.

 

Lila: best character development! Best character! But seriously kid! Sit down for two seconds and stop trying to get yourself killed. Everybody: “hey Lila you may be powerful but all power has limits, so don’t do anything crazy.” Lila: “Kay I’m just gonna go have a mental battle with the ocean”. 

What could go wrong? Oh well, at least she pays attention to Kell a little bit more this time around.

Holland: I have never felt so bad for an anti-hero before! Well simultaneously sad and terrified. It’s not really fair seeing as how Holland hasn’t actively tried to kill Kell in this book but there you go. First impression Holland. First impressions. Still! Holland has done some truly terrible things but even I wanted the universe to just hand the guy a retirement home and leave him alone for the rest of his life.  Not bad.

Alucard: Do you guys ever read a book where this one character isn’t bad exactly it’s just that he’s surrounded by characters that are much better? Alucard is fine and all, in fact in any other book he’d probably be a favorite with his whole smooth-talking-well-dressed-captain thing but compared to Holland, Lila and Kell he was just kind of extraneous. Don’t get me wrong his and Kell’s banter was hilarious and he had his moments but he didn’t feel like anything special this time around.  

Rhy: is still Kell’s brother. Is still completely incapable of doing anything.

Likes

Literally nobody was spared: except for maybe Lila but I’m beginning to suspect that Lila is some sort of immortal. I’m not going to spoil anything but just believe me when I say that that there were definitely consequences. I swear every other scene somebody was bleeding out or dodging certain death. And, given V. E. Schwab’s track record I was legitimately concerned for my poor characters

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It was an actually satisfying conclusion: do you guys know how often a final book actually concludes satisfyingly. Of course, with finale aftermaths there are usually three camps. The everyone lives happily ever after because PTSD totally isn’t a thing, literally everyone dies and forget something so uplifting as a good guy succeeding in anything (hello Hunger Games) or the correct amount of consequence. I have to say that sometimes A Conjuring of Light wandered into that second territory (meaning it sometimes felt like there was a death or a life changing injury simply because that’s what happens in finales) but mostly is stayed balanced.

Dislikes

Freakin Rhy! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know he’s a lot of people’s favorite and all but I could not stand his stupid face in this book. Look if you want to have a character who is magicless that’s fine! But do it like this 

 not like freakin Rhy. I swear every time I turned around this stupid twat was running off getting stabbed, captured or put into some other kind of danger.  

And the sad part is Rhy’s got some pretty cool powers. His life is tied to Kell’s so basically, he can’t die. One awesome scene (arguably his only one) Rhy is literally stabbed through the chest by an attacker, attacker thinks he’s dead, Rhy stabs him back and kills the punk. That’s an awesome power! But then we get to his stupidest scene. “I’m the king now and I’m going to walk up to this super duper bad guy and just kind of stand there because he can’t kill me ha-ha I’m so cool” except no! you can’t do that!

Not only does this cause Kell a crap-ton of pain but you are also the bloody king! Stop getting captured every five chapters you stupid pseudo-dude-in-distress. It’s not funny, it’s not powerful, usually it doesn’t even make sense.

Okay, okay I’m not going to destroy the book just because of one problem. Even if that problem is supremely annoying that everyone else loves. Because really this book was good! It was fast paced, scary, beautiful and ultimately impossible to put down.