A Conjuring of Light: A Novel

V. E. Schwab

Feb 2017 · Shades of Magic Book 3 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

Witness the fate of beloved heroes and notorious foes in the heart-stopping conclusion to V.E. Schwab’s New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy.

*Kirkus' Best Fiction of 2017*

As darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire, the once precarious balance of power among the four Londons has reached its breaking point.

In the wake of tragedy, Kell—once assumed to be the last surviving Antari—begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. Lila Bard, once a commonplace—but never common—thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry.

An ancient enemy returns to claim a city while a fallen hero tries to save a kingdom in decay. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

Shades of Magic series
1. A Darker Shade of Magic
2. A Gathering of Shadows
3. A Conjuring of Light

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

Bleh. Too many unanswered questions. So many things go unexplained that, for this to wrap up the trilogy, screams blatant money grab. There will be a fourth, of course. As to the structure, the lack of a real magic system really starts to hamper the writing here, as so many things can't be explained (see above, unexplained). Maybe it's just that info has been lost, but we don't even really get that as an explanation. Overall very unsatisfying. Only saving grace is Schwab's excellent prose.

Some bits of the plot seem thrown in there for no reason other than to kill characters. Then the ending is set up for a follow up series that doesnt need to be set up. Also they never unlock the doors between the worlds which bothered me.

As I finish the third book in the trilogy, it makes me ask the question: So when is the 4th book coming out? And since Schwab probably won't answer, we'll just whisper into her ear instead, "Let me in. Let me in." This book also focused more on the storytelling rather than the worldbuilding aspect of writing, which was refreshing coming from the previous book. Would definitely recommend this trilogy to others that love the fantasy genre.

About the author

VICTORIA “V.E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, This Savage Song, Our Dark Duet and Vicious. Her work has received critical acclaim, been featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post and more, translated into more than a dozen languages, and has been optioned for television and film. When she’s not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she splits her time between Nashville, TN and Edinburgh, Scotland and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.