The Shades of Magic series is the gaslamp fantasy phenomenon from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab.

Alucard Emery | Shades of Magic Wiki | Fandom Alucard Emery | Shades of Magic Wiki | Fandom

a lost prince who's endlessly trying to keep darkness at bay : Oh Rhy, Rhy, Rhy. I cannot say that I always agreed with his choices, but the complicity between him and Kell - the loyalty - prevents me for holding any grudge (if I was into grudges, that is) Each world is sealed though a special being(an Antari (ultra-rare, ultra-powerful magician) can travel between (like Kell, from Red London). She’d always thought it was better than letting trouble find her, but floating in the ocean in a two-person skiff with no oars, no view of land, and no real resources save the ropes binding her wrists, she was beginning to reconsider.

She bent most of the rules. She broke the rest. There are four Londons, layered on top of each other, each existing without knowing of the other. Lila realizes she must do something. She is not sure what she is. Maybe she is Antari; maybe she is not. The book ends as she attempts to find Kell using blood magic.

A Gathering of Shadows: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 2) A Gathering of Shadows: A Novel (Shades of Magic, 2)

Feels like a priceless object, brought from another, better world of fantasy books." — io9 on A Darker Shade of Magic By the flare’s sputtering glow, Lila could make out the ship’s name, streaked in shimmering paint along the hull. Is Ranes Gast. At some point though, magic welders come together in The Element Games called Essen Tasch. Some people I didn't expect were in these games and against each other. It was pretty damn cool! I just love everything about this world. Read it in a single day and I cannot wait for the next book.

Sensan,” answered Lila— sinking—which earned a laugh from the gathering crew. But they seemed in no hurry to haul her up. Lila held her hands aloft so they could see the rope. “I could use some help,” she said slowly, the wording practiced. Lila was annoying in the first book, but in this book, she was even worse. She would repeat "I am one of a kind" to herself every time she had a little inner monologue. It was the stupidest thing ever. She was so not like other girls that I almost choked on my cereal.

A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab | Waterstones

Alucard is three years older than Rhy. The year they initially dated, they would have turned 21 and 18 respectively. There was a new restlessness to his motions, a taut energy that mirrored Kell's. And yet, Rhy's was different. Manic. Dangerous. His moods were darker and their turn sharper, cutting the span of a second." What are you doing down there?” asked one of them, his skin so dark his edges smudged into the night. The ending was - minor spoiler here - a stab in the chest. A Cliffhanger. Meaning endless waiting time for the sequel. How will I survive this?It was so much fun to read about the weird, whimsical world of Red London - the different countries and cultures were vibrant and extremely well-done. Sol-in-Ar — Brother of the King of Faro. Sol-in-Ar, just like the Taskon siblings, came to London for the Essen Tasch. Everyone thinks I have a death wish, you know? But I don't want to die - dying is easy. No, I want to live, but getting close to death is the only way to feel alive. And once you do, it makes you realize that everything you were actually doing before wasn't actually living. It was just making do. Call me crazy, but I think we do the best living when the stakes are high.” Despite that, Alucard returned to Rhy when he came to London once more, and apparently missed him greatly. He seems to honestly have a great deal of affection and attraction to the prince.