The great thing about YA books is that a lot of them are written by feminists, but the subliminal messages here made my skin crawl. In fact, it’s kind of.strange how sexist this book is. I was so disgusted I read the scene aloud to my sister, and she shuddered. Darling Lila’s response: “I am not most girls.” It literally cannot get any more blatant. Anyway, another stereotype on two legs the captain of her ship says, for no goddamn reason except, I presume, his own terribleness: “Most girls covet dresses.” Bad enough, right? Already enough to make me cringe hard and dock at least a star or so? IT GETS WORSE. Literally looking at knives because she has no personality traits or sense of fun. I'll set the scene: Liiiiilaaaaa (read that in a sarcastically loving voice, please) is at a market. At least buy a girl dinner first, Victoria.

Schwab introduced the not-like-other-girls trope, which you all know I abhor. I was, quite frankly, SHOCKED by how quickly universally adored author V.E. So much of this is nightmare scenario after nightmare scenario wrapped into one misleading synopsis. Especially when the average rating of said book is a four-point-f*cking-three-five.īut I can’t not hate this book. I'd like to propose a contender for the worst feeling in the world: going into a book with 100% certainty you’ll like it, and then that confidence slowlyyyyy - almost imperceptibly - fading into hatred.

But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning.

As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.Īnd while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift-back into Black London. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession.

A gathering of shadows