A Gathering of Shadows (2016) by V. E. Schwab is the second installment in the Shades of Magic trilogy, a dazzling fantasy where parallel Londons—Red, Grey, and White—collide. Four months after the events of A Darker Shade of Magic, Kell, the last Antari magician, grapples with guilt over his brother Rhy’s forced immortality, while Delilah Bard, now a pirate, thrives on high-seas heists. The novel crescendos with the Essen Tasch, a magical tournament that draws competitors (and hidden agendas) from across empires, all while an ancient threat stirs in White London.
Schwab’s prose is electric, balancing knife-edge action with character depth (Lila’s recklessness, Kell’s angst). The cliffhanger ending—a literal invasion—sets up A Conjuring of Light’s explosive finale.
A must-read for fans of morally grey rogues and intricate world-hopping.
