Sooooo, if you’re involved in the YA bookish community, you probably know that A Conjuring of Light, the finale to V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic series, came out on Monday. And many people, myself included, are flailing over it. I’ll probably post the review for it soon, once I get over how dead inside I now am.

ANYWAY, because it was coming out, the other day I decided to reread A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows, the first two books in the series. And holy. freaking. cow. If they were perfect the first time I read them, they are somehow even better now. So I’m reposting the thoughts I had when I first read ADSOM, in honor of ACOL’s release- hope you enjoy!

This book…. I’m not sure how to talk about it without my head exploding. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. And that didn’t even, like, give justice to it.

ASKFJEJFUGIWKASNNVNOWADHW

My feels.

So here are some thoughts I had while reading… maybe they will help me make you aware of my feelings towards this book. I’ve never read a book like this before, never on so many counts. It is a book masterpiece. Christmas list. Yes, that would be good*.

*do you know how hard it was to return this to the library?!?

*spoilers*

• Okay, this coat. I really like this coat.
• Oh, and Kell, too. Kell is cool.
• I still CAN NOT GET OVER the fact that this is like, urban fantasy but also historical fiction. Does that make sense? I don’t care, this is GLORIOUS.
• WHAT IS THIS BLACK LONDON. MUST KNOW.
• Rhy… sounds like Rhysand. He’d better be as cool as Rhysand. (update: he is definitely as cool as Rhysand. I want more Rhy now.)
• I always forget how Americans tend to downplay (or make fun of, no in between) King George’s madness. No, he was legit insane. That is not something to joke about. This book does not joke about the madness. I like this book.
• I also forget that I’m an American. But I digress.
• “Magic made things simple.” Too simple.
• I love how understating this book is- it’s not flashy, but there is a quiet, commanding presence. I can put it down if I need to (like, oh dear, leaving at 7:30 tomorrow so I should really sleep), but I know I’m definitely going to pick it up again. Those kinds of books are underappreciated. Now I’m sure that’ll change, but for now…
• Kell is so wonderfully sassy…
• “Magic made rulers worse, not better.”
• Black London purge?
• Ooh, mysterious past… I like it.
• Hehe, I like Lila already. Good motto.
• Getting away with that must be a lot easier without security cameras.
• And knives must be a lot handier than guns- not too much prepwork in order to use it, not so much noise, etc.
• I sometimes wish that books stopped short of plot arcs. As in, like, the story but NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO MY CUPCAKES.
• White London..
• Oh poor Holland… I didn’t like you before, but now I do.
• I hate the Dane twins with a burning passion. Like, there are likable villains and there aren’t, and these are on the far end of the spectrum.
• GAHHH EVERYONE IS MAKING BAD DECISIONS AT ONCE
• You named your pistol. I respect that.
• Oh, Kell… You are not invincible.
• Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London. That works.
• “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.”
• KELL SMILED!!!
• I love Arnesian…. The idea of having to pick up a language on the fly just appeals to me. I don’t know why.
• I really like this book.
• Oh man. Oh, man.
• STUFF IS HAPPENING. BAD STUFF IS HAPPENING.
• !!!!!!!!!!!!!
• WHY DO MASQUERADES ALWAYS END BADLY?!?
• Okay. I really want to kill them now.
• Never enough knives…
• Holy cow…
• It’s over. I need the next book, like, pronto.