A Darker Shade of Magic: Volume 1

V. E. Schwab

Apr 2015 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Steven Crossley

About this audiobook

Kell is one of the last Travelers-magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes-as such, he can choose where he lands. There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there's Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. There's White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. And once upon a time, there was Black London . . . but no one speaks of that now. Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see-a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Ratings and reviews

Love this book! I was pleasantly surprised by A Darker Shade of Magic. The world is rich with detail, the characters are fleshed out, the magic is intriguing. I love the way the story builds up steadily until find yourself emotionally invested in the outcomes of the protagonists. It's tense in parts and can be quite brutal. I found myself feeling physically anxious when the story began to climax. This is one book I cannot recommend enough if you enjoy fantasy and adventure.

I usually don't read fantasy fiction, but I got the audiobook for a few bucks on a great Google Books sale and needless to say, I am about to begin the third book in the series. This is an amazing, fun, thrilling, inventive story with a truly uniquely fleshed-out world full of colorful characters. I cannot speak highly enough of this book, and of this series.

this book was ok, but the next two get worse. stilted language, poor characterisations, cliches for days.

About the author

V. E. Schwab's first adult novel, Vicious, debuted to critical praise and reader accolades. Writing as Victoria Schwab, she is the author of the YA novels The Near Witch, The Archived, and The Unbound. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Steven Crossley has recorded over two hundred audiobooks and has won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, his audiobook performances cover an eclectic range of subjects in both fiction and nonfiction.