Where Kell is temperate, extremely powerful and somehow charming despite his temperament resembling that of a grumpy kitten - all qualities that make him my favorite character - Lila is his opposite in every way, bringing out fun new sides to Kell with every interaction.

The interplay between Kell and Lila colors the series with their banter, grudging friendship and Kell’s poorly concealed exasperation. This mission complicates “Shades of Magic” with the lingering dangers of Black London, the moral complexity of the villains and the unexpected bond between the main characters. What follows is a deadly venture across worlds as assassins chase after Kell and Lila for the stolen mystery artifact. Fierce, reckless and guided by a self-serving sense of morality, she is best defined by her iconic line, “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” Lila is riotously fun and wildly infuriating, particularly when she steals the dangerous artifact from Kell without even knowing what it is, forcing him to include her in his quest to return it to Black London. When a deal goes horribly wrong and Kell comes into possession of a powerful Black London relic in Red London, he takes refuge in Grey London, where he meets Lila Bard.Īnother main character of the series, Lila is a cross-dressing thief and aspiring pirate. On the side, Kell smuggles forbidden items between worlds to cope with feeling trapped by the watchful royal family who adopted him but keep him like a possession. Kell thus serves as an ambassador for the monarchy in Red London, carrying messages to the other monarchs.

To prevent the spread of Black London’s corruption, the doors between worlds were sealed long ago, and now only Antari can walk between them. In a series set in several parallel Londons named by color, Kell is one of the only remaining Antari, a magician with the power to travel between them.Įach London is defined by its relationship with magic: Red London lives in harmony with it, Grey London let it die, White London tries to control it amid a series of bloody regime changes, and Black London let magic run loose to the point of the city’s destruction. The first book, “A Darker Shade of Magic,” opens with a description of protagonist Kell Maresh’s peculiar, magical coat: “It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible.”Īs Kell steps out of his home realm, Red London, and into the dreary landscape of the magicless Grey London, he changes his stylish red coat into a simple black jacket, one of many magical transformations. Schwab on the first day of 2019, and I loved it so much I reread all three books six months later. I first read the “Shades of Magic” series by V.E.

A darker magic