A Darker Shade of Magic

This was a really fun book with a take on parallel dimensions that I hadn't quite encountered before. Rather than two or infinite parallel dimensions, there are four. They have a common city, London, in which people with certain magical abilities can travel between the different worlds. Kell is a diplomat based in Red London, the most balanced and prosperous of the worlds. He's also a smuggler, moving contraband between the worlds for a price, a habit that lands him in deep trouble.

Kell's interesting, and just young enough that his mistakes are understandable. But the real star of the show is Lila, an orphan turned thief who is sure that she's meant for a bigger, more exciting life. She convinces Kell to smuggle her across the border, and ends up having the adventure of a lifetime. Even with the constant threat of death, it's exactly what she's always wanted.

I was surprised by how well the story wrapped up, and even more surprised when Kell and Lila actually went their separate ways at the end of it. But Schwab plants plenty of hints of where the future books are going. (Lila is definitely an Antari. And Holland can't really be dead.) There's a whole intriguing world to explore. Multiple worlds, in fact. And I'm as excited as Lila to see what other mysteries are waiting to be uncovered.

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