Summary
Kell is one of the last travelers - magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.
There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King - George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered - and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London - a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, she robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
(Summary from Goodreads)
Review
For as long as I can remember, for some odd reason this book was just sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. Now I can only reprimand myself for not reading it the minute I brought it. This book is one that needs to be devoured whole. I finished it over two days and it is the most beautifully written novel I have read of 2016. SO DAMN GOOD!
I loved Kell. His character was easily likable and I connected with him quickly. The insight we got through his character was amazing, seeing all the different London's from an Antari's perspective was so well written - though Kell does make some questionable decisions. I absolutely adored Kell and Rhy's relationship, it was endearing to read of it and how different they are. Then we have Delilah Bard, commonly known as Lila. Her character was just as amazing, so completely different to Kell. Living as a thief on the streets of Grey London just to survive. Sadly I didn't connect with her instantly but gradually she became just as dear as the rest. Though at times she did come off as pushy and demanding. Her character does develop through the novel and I cannot wait to read more on Kell, Rhy, Lila and a little birdy called Holland.
The plot was fantastic. It was mind-blowing, whirl-winding and absolutely shocking. Schwab has rendered me speechless with such an enthralling and now one of my favourite novels. So much action, fighting, death and murder. There wasn't too much of anything or less, it was the perfect blend. I could feel the terror and the emotions, the anguish running through Kell when he discovered what was in the package and ensuring it didn't fall in the wrong hands *cough* The Dane Twins. Rulers of White London - also knows as creepy-blood-thirsty-horrible twins who I hate so much. They play a huge role and I could sense the rot and horror off them the moment Kell met them.
Each London was amazing, the history behind each was so enlightening on what really happened, especially to Black London. Schwab has done such a remarkable job with this book and I cannot wait to read A Gathering of Shadows. Though at times the descriptive aspect of the book did get too much at times, the plot and amazing characters balanced it out. In a world where there are more than one London's, an unlikely alliance will rise to stop the rebirth of what was long ago destroyed. With Kell and Lila survive this dangerous adventure?
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