A Gathering of Shadows
From #1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab
"Addictive and immersive, A Gathering of Shadows cements this series as a must-read." —Entertainment Weekly, grade A
Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift, and into Black London.
In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. 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.
But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again-and so to keep magic's balance, another London must fall...in V. E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows.
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.
- Pages
- 513
- First published
- November 1, 2015
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Ebook
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Shelved by 11 Litcadians
Reviews
Started September 3, 2026 · Finished September 5, 2026
I am floored by the events that have transpired within this book. Whereas “A Darker Shade of Magic” felt like a lot of world-building, “Shadows” was a complete character exploration and at times, gut-wrenching, especially in the latter half of the book. I love Kell’s character: his highs and his lows, his internal battle between duty and his desires… It was so well done. And Lila truly is a woman capable of finding trouble wherever she goes, yet that adds so much to her charm. I literally can’t complain about a single character. The stakes elevated so much here, and I can’t wait to read on and see how things come together in the end.
Started June 19, 2026 · Finished July 3, 2026
Finished July 3, 2025
Started August 24, 2026 · Finished August 26, 2026 · Read 5 times
Finished June 17, 2025
Lila continues to be chaos incarnate in a wonderful way, and I'm here for it! She's reckless, stubborn, resourceful, and surprisingly vulnerable. Watching Kell and Rhy torture themselves was hard, but I'm glad the game provided a release in some way. It drags a bit in the middle, and the actual plot takes its sweet time, but that ending? Brutal in the best way. Can't wait for the next one!
Finished March 12, 2016

